The efficiencies for my last three batches have been 57.6%, 51.5%, and 59.1% from past to most recent. Up until now I have been using a cheap rectangular 50-qt. coleman cooler (holds temps pretty well, though) as my mash tun with slotted CPVC as my manifold. I tried to make several improvements to my mashing technique with the last batch, but was disappointed that it still didn't even crack 60%. Here's what I did:
Used barley crusher with gap set at 1 mm.
Mashed for 60 min. at 152˚F
Mash thickness 1.35 qt./lb. of grain
Used 5.2 pH stabilizer
Semi-fly sparge using 1 qt glass pitcher to manually pour sparge water onto tupperware lid placed over grain bed.
Sparge water at 180˚F initially (probably ended at 165˚F when I added the last of it).
Collected 6.5 gal. wort for 5.5 gal. batch in about 20 min. (too fast, I know).
For my next batch (in about a week), I have converted an Igloo 10-gallon cylindrical cooler into a new mash tun and my old one will hold my sparge water. I'm hoping this will give me a sizable boost in eff% since I will have a much deeper grain bed and more even temperatures. I converted my CPVC manifold to fit the Igloo cooler (can't make the copper investment yet). Additionally, I have constructed a sparge arm out of CPVC and I am shooting for a much slower sparge of about 1-1.5 pt. per minute.
I'm hoping all of these efforts will get me at least to a semi-respectable 70%. But I'll have to cross my fingers.
Any other suggestions I should consider before my next brew day?
Thanks,
Robert
Used barley crusher with gap set at 1 mm.
Mashed for 60 min. at 152˚F
Mash thickness 1.35 qt./lb. of grain
Used 5.2 pH stabilizer
Semi-fly sparge using 1 qt glass pitcher to manually pour sparge water onto tupperware lid placed over grain bed.
Sparge water at 180˚F initially (probably ended at 165˚F when I added the last of it).
Collected 6.5 gal. wort for 5.5 gal. batch in about 20 min. (too fast, I know).
For my next batch (in about a week), I have converted an Igloo 10-gallon cylindrical cooler into a new mash tun and my old one will hold my sparge water. I'm hoping this will give me a sizable boost in eff% since I will have a much deeper grain bed and more even temperatures. I converted my CPVC manifold to fit the Igloo cooler (can't make the copper investment yet). Additionally, I have constructed a sparge arm out of CPVC and I am shooting for a much slower sparge of about 1-1.5 pt. per minute.
I'm hoping all of these efforts will get me at least to a semi-respectable 70%. But I'll have to cross my fingers.
Any other suggestions I should consider before my next brew day?
Thanks,
Robert