Echoloc8
Acolyte of Fermentalism
I've had a few low-efficiency brew days lately, and I'm working on improving my control over the consistency of my mash process.
I batch sparge with a Rubbermaid cooler; I'm not looking to add any automation at this point, but I know I can do more to improve my awareness of efficiency and gravity before everything's in the fermenter.
I use Beersmith, and have calibrated it fairly well for my equipment, so things like tun dead space should be well accounted for.
One variable I don't have much control over is crush. I almost always get my grains from my LHBS, and he never changes his crush, and won't double-crush; the good news is it's consistent, and when everything goes well I typically get 70-75%, which is dandy for me.
Regardless, I've had a few surprises lately, and I'd like to minimize them to whatever extent I can. I've gotten more familiar than I like with using DME additions to compensate mid-ferment for a lackluster OG I lacked the time or will to handle pre-pitch.
To make my goal clear:
Any help would be appreciated! I'm looking for the best-payoff things I can do for measurement and control without having to make big equipment purchases.
To start with, here are my mash-related tools:
And here's my current process:
Here are the steps I know I can change/add to minimize surprises:
Thanks for reading, if you've lasted this far! :rockin:
Anything I've missed, or any suggestions which of these ideas make the most sense for consistent mash results, and which the least?
-Rich
I batch sparge with a Rubbermaid cooler; I'm not looking to add any automation at this point, but I know I can do more to improve my awareness of efficiency and gravity before everything's in the fermenter.
I use Beersmith, and have calibrated it fairly well for my equipment, so things like tun dead space should be well accounted for.
One variable I don't have much control over is crush. I almost always get my grains from my LHBS, and he never changes his crush, and won't double-crush; the good news is it's consistent, and when everything goes well I typically get 70-75%, which is dandy for me.
Regardless, I've had a few surprises lately, and I'd like to minimize them to whatever extent I can. I've gotten more familiar than I like with using DME additions to compensate mid-ferment for a lackluster OG I lacked the time or will to handle pre-pitch.
To make my goal clear:
Echoloc8 said:I am telling the thread three times: I'm not going for maximum efficiency, but for maximum consistency. I apologize for doing a poor job of making that point from the start.
Any help would be appreciated! I'm looking for the best-payoff things I can do for measurement and control without having to make big equipment purchases.
To start with, here are my mash-related tools:
- Beersmith 2.1
- Mash tun: either 5-gal or 10-gal cylindrical cooler, depending on batch size and whether we're at my buddy's place (the 10-gal is his). Both use "torpedo" braids [edit: actually, "bazooka screens"].
- Digital probe thermometer, calibrated against an analog thermometer every other brew or so
- Boil pot: 10-gal aluminum
- 4-gal pot and 5-gal stainless pots for strike/sparge heating
- Heat source: electric range with electric bucket warmer/heat stick
- Hydrometer
- Temp-correcting refractometer (new Christmas present, not yet used)
And here's my current process:
- Heat strike water
- Dump all grains into mash tun
- Once strike water is to temp, pour whole strike addition onto grains
- Stir mash vigorously with mash paddle, destroying dough balls, using both rowing and slicing motions (paddle perpendicular to stroke, or parallel, respectively)
- Check temp of mash: add hot water if low, or stir/add cool water if high (seldom needed if I follow Beersmith's numbers)
- Cover tun, wait for entire mash duration (I don't stir at the halfway point)
- Heat mash-out/sparge water midway through mash time
- Open tun, check finishing mash temp
- Add mash-out water if Beersmith calls for it
- Vorlauf until wort is clear (~2 quarts, usually)
- Run off first runnings into boil pot
- Add sparge water; stir; let settle; vorlauf; run off. <-- Repeat for as many sparge batches as Beersmith says
- Move full boil kettle onto stove; add heat stick; crank 2 eyes
- Boil, adding hops, adjunct syrups, whirlfloc, etc.
- Chill, stirring wort with sanitized mash paddle (~15 min)
- Pull chiller; whirlpool; wait 20 min
- Autosiphon into fermenter
- Top up to volume with water if needed
- Check OG
- Freak out about numbers (as required)
- Pitch
Here are the steps I know I can change/add to minimize surprises:
- Add grains to strike water instead of vice versa; downside, this can take 2 people to do well, and might cause loss of temperature, right, if it takes too long?
- Do a mid-mash stir
- Do pH tests of the mash
- Do iodine/conversion testing
- Use refractometer to check preboil and midboil gravity (will need to read up; I know it can be fiddly)
- Do some real calibrating of volumes for my 10 gal boil pot; right now I eyeball based on the height of the vessel, and I know it's bitten me
Thanks for reading, if you've lasted this far! :rockin:
Anything I've missed, or any suggestions which of these ideas make the most sense for consistent mash results, and which the least?
-Rich