Not enough volume

So I'm relatively new to brewing, I started in January and have seven extract brews under my belt. A couple weeks ago I leaped into all grain because i felt like a i had developed a good routine with sanitation an organization. So as of this weekend I have three all grain brews attempted and each of them introduced a new experience in which i learned something from. I've been using Beersmith 2.0 since the leap into all grain so this is where I'm getting my numbers from.

1st All Grain attempt - Low efficiency (51%) - No mash out - Fly sparge, to fast (about 10-15min) Mash gravity still high, pre-boil gravity low .

2nd All Grain Attempt - Good Efficiency (76%) Mashed out - Slowed Sparge to 44sec/pint - Pre-boil volume on target, mash gravity above 1.010 Extreme amount of hot break in boil, Clogged home made chiller..

3rd All Grain attempt - Great Efficiency (91%?!?) mash/sparge same as second attempt, lowered PH of water (half tap / half RO) / milled grain twice (purchased crushed but bought my own mill) set gap to .035"

So this is where my problem is, basically my runnings appeared super light so i took a reading and my gravity was less than 1.010, My pre boil volume was only 5.35 gallons (target 6.8+) so not nearly enough to boil off. I did a light boil, and maybe i should have just added water because my hot break wasn't that great (So the boil could be more intense). My OG target of 1.047 was exceeded to 1.054.


Can anyone explain why this happened or is this typical? I understand consistency is whats sought after more than efficiency but I plan on really working on this when I mill my own grain and get a better handle on my water chemistry. These first few batches were somewhat experimental trying methods to improve my efficiency. Any insight or criticism i greatly appreciated!

sounds to me like you are really dialing your setup in nicely. Next time, just keep sparging till you hit your boil volume, or stop if you are scared of the astringency boogie monster and use water to fill the boil kettle up to pre-boil volume. The benefits of a vigorous boil are important enough to do it this way rather than using a "light boil"

shafferpilot said:

sounds to me like you are really dialing your setup in nicely. Next time, just keep sparging till you hit your boil volume, or stop if you are scared of the astringency boogie monster and use water to fill the boil kettle up to pre-boil volume. The benefits of a vigorous boil are important enough to do it this way rather than using a "light boil"

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I was scared of the astringency monster! I've read somewhere to stop sparging when 1.010 is reached. I've also read not to worry about it as long as mash temps were accurate / not above 170F and the filter bed is nice and set with a good vorlauf. My problem has always been reading to much into things! Thanks for the reply.

no prob

I'm in the "don't worry about it camp" but it really doesn't matter which way you fall on this issue. It is more important to get a good strong boil and hit your gravities as accurately as possible since they WILL effect the overall taste and balance of your finished beers.