Too much mash water

So, rookie mistake.

My first AG and I miscounted my mash water. Instead of using 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain I used 1.6 quarts. I've been mashing now for about 15 minutes. I know I need to use less sparge water now to get my boil volume, but what sort of affect is this going to have on my final product?

Fermentables


* 7.5 lbs. Rahr 2-Row Pale
* 0.75 lbs. Dingemans Caramel Pils
* 0.25 lbs. Briess Special Roast
* 0.125 lbs. Dingemans Biscuit
* 0.125 lbs. Simpson's Chocolate

Boil Additions


* 1 oz. Argentina Cascade (60 min)

Maybe a few points less efficiency due to less sparge water. But under 2qt/lb it will convert fine in 60 minutes. RDWHAHB.

sooperbrew said:

So, rookie mistake.

My first AG and I miscounted my mash water. Instead of using 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain I used 1.6 quarts. I've been mashing now for about 15 minutes. I know I need to use less sparge water now to get my boil volume, but what sort of affect is this going to have on my final product?

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It will probably reduce your efficiency somewhat. But a lot of people use a 1.5:1 ratio, so it's not like your mash is ridiculously thin.

Check your pre-boil OG, and if it's really low add enough DME to compensate. Or not. Either way, I wouldn't worry about it too much, you will still make beer!

How do I calculate efficiency? I know part of the equation is the preboil gravity, but what else?

Target oG / Pre boil oG = Mash Eff. (assuming target was calculated from grain potential)

If you have the kettle volume, you could sparge as normal and boil longer. This may cause the beer to be darker as expected tho'.

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I would suggest brewing software.

I think I should get brewing software.

All kidding aside, I have beersmith, but can't figure out how to determine efficiency. I'll keep searching around.

IIRC, the only place BS will show Mash Eff is in the columns on the recipes page but, you have to choose to show that column.

wildwest450 said:

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I would suggest brewing software.

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How is software going to help his counting?

In the recipe view, press the button labeled "Brewhouse Efficiency" and type in your measured gravity and volumes.

you need to record preboil and postboil volumes and SG's. you also need actual batch volume for fermenter effeciency. Batch volume takes into account what got left in the bottom of the kettle and trapped in the chiller. With those figures beersmith will do the rest in the brewhouse efficiency button.