1st all grain, efficiency?

I know, another 1st all grain post, but I'm a little confused. I don't have brewing software so if someone could help me out that would be great. I did a modified version of BierMuncher's centennial blonde. http://hopville.com/recipe/102240/blonde-ale-recipes/eastside-blonde

I used a 10g rubbermaid cooler as my MLT and started the mash at 153.5 and it ended at 151.5. I used 1.25qt/g(11.56 qts). Then sparged with 180 deg water in 2 batches, 2.5g the first time, then 2.5g the next for a total of about 7 gallons in my kettle. Quick note, I started my wort boiling after my first sparge and it actually started boiling and almost boiled over before my final sgarge water was added---is this an issue?

Gravity reading pre-boil was 1.045. Here's the thing, I lost more water than normal due to evaporation and I used whole hops for the first time and didn't realize how much wort they absorb. I ended with 4 gallons in my fermentor. I know this isn't what most people would do, but I topped off with 1.25g of cold water. After mixing well, my OG was 1.040.

Any idea what my efficiency was? I didn't take a gravity of my 4 gallons before top off, so I think that is what I would need. Any help would be great. It was a lot of fun making the jump to all grain, even if it didn't go perfect. I was able to finish in about 6 hours and didn't even have an IC. Next attempt should be smoother and hopefully won't have to top off. The only reason I did was because it is already a lower ABV beer and I didn't think it would ruin this beer. Is that the right thinking, or should I have stuck with 4 gallons? Anyway, sorry for the insane post. Thanks for any help/suggestions.

Ryan

Hopville will calculate it. Just enter the volume into the fermenter and adjust the efficiency number until it's correct. You don't need any more software. It's not that hard to do long hand if you had too.

I did it and get 59%. Did you stir in the top of well? I doubt it because if your pre boil was 1.045 that's not very possible--unless you had more in your fermenter than in your pot pre-boil (or misread the hydrometer.)

You can figure post-boil gravity. It's (pre-boil SG x volume)/ending volume. It works even if you top off. No software needed.

After plunking some numbers in beersmith if you had exactly 4 gallons of wort with a SG of 1.053 and added exactly 1.25 gallons of water you would end up with 1.040. If you had a pre-boil gravity of 1.045 you did well on efficiency! Your preboil gravity is only a point below what the final recipe calls for and that is figuring 70% efficiency. Do yourself a favor and download the Beersmith trial and buy it. Then enter the recipe you used and play around with the efficiency until your brewsheet gets you to a preboil gravity of 1.045. I would bet you are in the upper 70's if not a low 80. Your process looks good though. I wouldnt change a thing. With a good crush there should be no reason you are not hitting those nubmers consistantly.

Put your chiller in your boil pot and toss in about 5.25 gallons of water then put a spoon or some sort of measuring divice in and mark it so that you know when you are at 5 gallons or whatever amount you marked. I have problems overboiling too.

Congratulations on your first succesfull AG!!

Thanks for the help so far. One quick note, my sparge amounts were 2.5g the first time and 2g the second. So pre-boil volume was closer to 6.5g. Also, like I said my first and second runnings started to boil before the last 2g was added to the kettle. Would it matter that I cooled my pre-boil sample in the fridge before taking the hydro reading?---It was around 75 deg and I stirred it well before taking the reading.

It's amazing how much information is needed to fully understand all this stuff. It really helps to have this forum to ask the experts--you guys are extremely helpful.

I dip a coffee cup in the wort and chill it in the freezer. I'll take the reading at about 100F and adjust it for temp.

If you had 6.5 gallons at 1.045 and ended with 5.25 it should be 1.056, 87% efficiency. Possible, but not likely for a first timer. I don't trust your numbers. No matter, it will be beer.