Switched from Braided Hose to False Bottom - Big Efficiency Drop

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Lumpyyyyy

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I recently (within the past 6 months) have switched to a false bottom in hopes of relieving myself of all the stuck sparges I've been having. It worked great. Brewed about 5 times and not one stuck sparge. Real problem that I'm having is the fact that my efficiency has dropped from about 75% to 65%. Anyone have any thoughts on why this may be the case?

I batch sparge with keggles for all 3 vessels. My temperature control is weak at best, but it's always been that way.
 
Just spitballing here...do hou have a large volume under the FB, or dead space?

Are you only doing 5 gallon batches?

If so, try recirculating a few gallons prior to your batch run offs.
 
If you ever go back to using the braided hose might I recommend that you try making a sock out of voile cloth and place your hose inside it. I secure the open end with a zip tie. I have never had a stuck sparge even with a finer crush for my grain.

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I use a larger stiffer water heater supply line braid and have had no issues with stuck sparge. My efficiency is all over the place but it is not because of the braid. The beer is good so I don't really worry too much about my efficiency.

My guess at the drop in efficiency would be due to the change in the dead space. I assume you are leaving wort/sugars behind under the FB. I don't know how you deal with that.
 
ReuFroman said:
I find I get close to 85% when I vorlof for 30 to 45 minutes. Of course a pump helps a bunch.

You vorlauf for 30 to 45 minutes on a batch sparge? Seems like overkill
 
I think he means sparge.

Here's why you'd lose efficiency with a false bottom:
1. You don't have a diptube to reach the bottom dish.
2. You have a diptube but you runoff a little too fast at the end, losing siphon before the last gallon or so of the first running wort is able to get below the FB.
3. You are still mashing at 1.25 qt/lb when you have 7/8 of a gallon of pure liquid below the FB. That leaves the grain area too thick and your conversion is suffering.
 
I think he means sparge.

Here's why you'd lose efficiency with a false bottom:
3. You are still mashing at 1.25 qt/lb when you have 7/8 of a gallon of pure liquid below the FB. That leaves the grain area too thick and your conversion is suffering.

I think this last one might be the cause of my most recent effenciency drop. I too switched over to a false bottom and have been trying to dial in the system. I've noticed the mash is a bit thicker than it used to be.

Is there a recommended water/grain ratio to use when using a false bottom? Would 1.5:1 be overkill?
 
I think you may be right. I use beersmith to calculate my values, but I'm pretty sure it's not doing it correctly because of the false bottom thing.

Also, I have a diptube that goes through the center of the false bottom, almost all the way to to the bottom of the keggle. And I batch sparge, so my thought was to drain the keggle as quickly as possible after vorlauf.
 
Would you have to assume a higher volume of sparge water for your loss under false bottom? I switched to batch sparge with rice hulls an my braid. I still was slightly low on my efficiency a bit.

I have a 20 gal pot and used 1.5 lbs of rice hulls to slightly cover the braid. Would using more hulls and more water factored in for that change make my efficiency change at all? I added 2.5 quarts to my water to factor them in. I have the space for more but I don't want to much water and make my gravity issue worse. Ideas? Resolution?

Thanks
 
The easy way to handle it is to calculate for 1.25qt/lb and then add one gallon for your strike. That way your mash is consistent from batch to batch.

Yes, you are batch sparging but once most of the wort is out, you will lose siphon. Right after that happens, another 1/2 gallon of wort will drip through the false bottom since it was temporarily clinging to the grain. Trust me, if you slow it down towards the end when about another gallon was going to drain out, you'll get more efficient lautering.

There's no reason to change your sparge volume.
 
The easy way to handle it is to calculate for 1.25qt/lb and then add one gallon for your strike. That way your mash is consistent from batch to batch.

Yes, you are batch sparging but once most of the wort is out, you will lose siphon. Right after that happens, another 1/2 gallon of wort will drip through the false bottom since it was temporarily clinging to the grain. Trust me, if you slow it down towards the end when about another gallon was going to drain out, you'll get more efficient lautering.

There's no reason to change your sparge volume.

Would 1 gallon addl strike water be enough to compensate for the amount under the FB? I haven't taken an exact measurement as to how much is under the FB, which is why I'm asking.
 
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