All Grain Efficiency

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Brewpastor

Beer, not rocket chemistry
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OK, I would like some help in gathering some data about equipment, process and eficiency.

So, if you are an all-grain brewer, please share what MLT equipment you are using (cooler, S/S, round, square...), what style your false bottom is (copper tube, ss braid, other...). Do you worry about PH, and do you Fly or Batch sparge?

ALSO, what is your average efficiency with the equipemnet and process you use?

If there is other information that you think will help others, please post it.
 
I use a 10 gallon rectangular cooler with a ss braid. I tend to batch sparge to about 12 gallons, never worry about pH.

With gravities approaching 1.070, my efficiency is about 80%.
Higher than 1.070 (usually around 30 lbs. of grain) my efficiency nosedives to 70%/60%/50% depending on the recipe.

I suspect the drop in efficiency is due to maxing out the cooler size in terms of grain bed, too much weight. It may also simply be the drawback of batch sparging, some day I will fly sparge to test the theory.
 
MLT: 10gal Rubermaid cooler (round)
Manifold: SS Braid 12"
pH: Not really - it's usually pretty close, but I need to start manipulating it I think
Sparge: Batch
Efficiency: I can count on 80%, no problem. (I use a JSP maltmill)
Sex: Yes please!
 
System I use

It comes with a plastic false bottom with a foamy-ish polish pad thing that is about 1 inch that rests on top and acts for further filtering of the grain. (See my gallery for pics).

pH - used a few strips but after three batches with all seeming the same color, I haven't on the past two or three batches (and my efficiency has been the same).

Sparge - did fly on 5 batches and batch on the last. I really liked the batch sparge, but it was more a matter of having too much water in the mash already to add anymore.

Efficiency: Brewhouse efficiency according to my SG and OG in beersmith has been 72% on every AG batch so far. I use the barley crusher!
 
I batch sparge (70-75 all grain batches so far) using a 52 quart rectangular cooler with a commercial stainless steel braid (http://www.freewebs.com/candcinnovations/)

Due to the wide variety of styles I brew, I do check the ph with a meter for most brews and adjust accordingly.

I use a PhilMill I single roller mill, motorized with a 1/2" hammer drill (on drill setting). My efficiency generally runs about 80% for beers under 1.060. My latest brew, still in the fermenter, is a 1.111 OG barleywine. My efficiency dropped to 69% for that one.

I found the setting for my mill gap by milling each batch a little finer until I was on the verge of getting stuck sparge and then backed it off just a hair. With my mill I get lots of flour without pulverizind the husks. That's one of the advantages of a single roller mill.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company
 
MLT: Cooler (rectangular)
Manifold: slotted copper
pH: No
Sparge: Batch
Efficiency: Low 80s
Assistants: Foxxie and Ben

3tier.JPG
 
MLT: 8.5 gal rectangular cooler (can also jury rig a 10 gal cooler)
Manifold: slotted CPVC
pH: Yes (I mostly have to adjust for darker beers)
Sparge: Batch

Efficiency: I use pre-crushed grain. Usual efficiency is about 73%.
 
I've only done a couple batches, but here's what I have so far:

MLT- 10 Gallon Gott Cooler
False bottom
Batch Sparge
PH- no way, regular tap water
Eff- 78-80 %
Grain crushed by internet HBS
 
10 gallon Igloo round cooler
False bottom
Usually fly sparge,
Water straight out of the tap so no worrying about PH
Eff usually around 75% or better
Crankandstien grain mill

My efficiency improves greatly when I do a mash-out
 
3 tier gravity
50 lt BASS keg for mlt w/stainless false bottom
15.5 gal keg for boil kettle
Crankenstien mill
Fly sparge (very slowly)
5ph stabilizer

First few batches were 75-83%
last few were in the 90's

Note: Just did my Wizard IPA and got 92% eff.
 
MLT 5g round Gott Cooler with Phils Phalse Bottom.
Efficiency 85% fly sparging, 80% batch sparging. (I fly sparge almost all the time.)
I achieved about a 10% increase in efficiency while fly sparging by adding about a gallon of near boiling water at the end of the mash to raise the temp to 170, and keeping it at 170 throughout the sparge.

-a.
 
MLT: 5gal round Igloo cooler
Manifold: copper pipe w/ holes
ph: 5.3 - 5.4 (I do worry)
Mill: JSP maltmill (0.55 mm gap)
Sparge: batch
Efficiency: 80%-82%

Kai
 
MLT: 10 gallon Coleman square drink cooler

Manifold: 30" SS braid collection manifold and 10" Listermans rotating sparge arm mounted in the lid.

PH: I don' measure it but the starting water is 7.5 based on the city's water report.

Mill: JSP maltmill from my home brew shop (soon to be my own barley crusher)

Sparge: I fly sparge until 1.007 SG

I've only run three 10 gallon batches through this current system as I've just got back into brewing again after a 5 year lay-off. (newborns will do that to you!)

According to Pro-Mash, I'm getting 80-85% efficiency.
 
keg kettle
Sabco false bottom
sometimes on the PH( just makes me worry)
around 72% eff
batch sparge
 
35 gallon round stainless with slotted copper FB (new s/s braid yet to be used) insulated with poly camping pad.

Adjust for ph and use a variety of water sources (my well water sucks for brewing)

Home made adjustable, 2 roller mill

new mash rake yet to be installed

fly sparge = 75-80 efficiency
batch sparge = 70-75
 
10 gallon round cooler with a Phils Phalse bottom
Fly sparge and don't test PH. I stop the runnings if the wort drops below 1.012
I've got a single roller Phil Mill that I've been using for 10 years
I normally get 75 to 80 percent efficiency
EDIT: My LHBS operates a micro brewery behind the store and they are on the same water
supply as me. They don't do anything to the water except filter so that's what I do.

2967-MashandSparge.jpg
2967-Sparge.jpg
 
~15 gallon SS MLT withe SS ball valve and brass quick connects
Stainless false bottom
PH: Usually (not so much now that I discovered 5.5)
Fly
Efficiency: 70-83%
Phil mill
 
MLT: Gallon Rubbermaid cylindrical.
Manifold: Copper Manifold, 4 tube.
pH: Not for proven recipes
Sparge: Fly
Avg Eff.: 82 - 86% (average 50 ish gravity beers get better efficiencies)
Mill: Jsp MaltMill set on default.

My manifold slots are facing down. I am not certain but theorize that there is a lower possibilty of grain compaction directly where the slots are because of this. Also it is on an angle (from point of egress to the bottom of the tun). I have done around 8% quick oats in the mash and never had troubles with slow/stuck sparge...the only time I had problems was with a wheat batch that had a large % raw wheat and had lowered my settings on the mill after mixing the grains together (Barley + Wheat). The next time I make that recipe I am going to seperate the grains first and grind at different settings for the different grains. The sparge took about 8 hrs. or so.

I always test for conversion with Iodine.
 
MLT: Coleman XTreme 52-quart cooler
Filter: SS Braid
I don't worry about pH
I batch sparge

My average efficiency is around 72%.

My advice is to make sure you stir the grain enough to get the temperature to be even throughout (which can be a huge PITA from what I've experienced). Invest in a digital thermometer.
 
3 tier sculpture
MLT: 52qt square cooler
Manifold: Slotted copper, slots down
Fly sparge
No longer concerned with PH
Efficiencies, low to mid 80s
 
Wow. Seeing all these reports of efficiencies in the 80s makes me think that justifying that mill might be easier than I thought ;)

Boosting efficiency from the low 70s to low 80s would mean about 1.5 fewer pounds of grain per 5.5 gallon 1.050 batch.

At a buck a pound, that means it would only take about 100 batches to recoup the cost of the mill!

(Of course, the real savings would be from buying base malt in bulk...I guess it just feels bad having low efficiency: kindof like what I would *guess* having a small penis would feel like.)
 
MLT: 46L rectangular
Manifold: drilled copper
PH: nope
Sparge: batch
Mill: porkert (corona style)
Efficiency: 75-80%

I just started using my copper manifold this weekend. Before I was using a dual stainless braid. My efficiency didn't change on my last brew but the copper sure does look nicer and I don't cringe when I hit it with the mash paddle. :)
 
MLT: 12.5 gallon Igloo Cube
Manifold: Copper manifold. It drains quite slowly as I made the dremel slits very narrow and I use a siphon since there's no valve in the cooler.
Sparge: Batch, I don't check the PH.
Efficiency: 80% on average. I mill my grain at the LHBS.
 
10 gallon rubbermaid cooler w/ SS false bottom
10 gallon rubbermaid cooler into Phils sparge arm
PH- 5.2 stab (or none)
Single infusion 60 min mash
Grain milled from grape/granary (or ebrew)

70%
 
MLT: 5 gal Rubbermaid cooler (Wish it were 10)
Manifold: Copper tubing, slits down, nylon mesh to prevent stuck sparges.
Boil Pot: 7.5 Gallon turkey fryer (Working towards a keggle)
pH: I add 2 Tsps of gypsum to every batch, more for Irish stouts
Sparge: Batch
Crush Grains: Done by LHBS or my online supplier (soon though...very soon)
Efficiency: I'm not that scientific...but my beer always tastes good. :)

This is guaranteed not to stick...
Manifold_Filtered.jpg
 
cweston said:
Wow. Seeing all these reports of efficiencies in the 80s makes me think that justifying that mill might be easier than I thought ;)
I have to admit, while being quite satisfied with the value of a Corona mill, Boston's JSP was quite impressive and much easier to use.
 
10G round cooler MLT w/ plastic false bottom
10G SS kettle, no spigot or false bottom yet, just tossing the wort into the fermenter after chilling
pH: Don't monitor, but I add 1tsp of gypsum to each of the mash and sparge water because of my soft water
Sparge: Fly, its part of the fun. =)
Crush grains: I do it at my LHBS with their dual-roller mill
Efficiency: 75-80%, its been reading higher, but that's because I can't get my evaporation dialed-in and I'm ending up with small batches

Might be worth noting almost all my brews are above 1.060, and about half are above 1.070

-D
 
I have relatively few AG datapoints, but here you go:

Mill: DIY 2 roller adjustable
MLT: 15 gallon Igloo Ice Cube cooler (rectangular)
False Bottom: Custom fit perforated stainless
pH: I REALLY should...currently I just add 5.2 Buffer and hope
Sparge: Fly
Efficiency: 70% and climbing with each successive brew
 

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