So I just completed doing my 6th AG brew and I can't seem to get my efficiency up.
My efficiency history has been:
Stout 1 - 62%
Stout 2 - 60%
Bavarian Weizenbier - 50%
Belgian Ale - 55%
Pale Ale - 49%
Hefeweizen - 50%
I have redone my MLT and got a cooler that holds temps much better now.
Target OG was 1.055
The recipe for this latest Hefe was:
7lbs wheat malt
7lbs 2-row pale malt
Magnum - @ 60 min
Amarillo - @ 15 and 5 min
I mashed with 4.4 gallons of 170 degree F filtered water. I had to add a couple ice cubes to get the temp done to 155 where it stayed for 60 min. I checked the pH and it was 5.2. After 60 min I did a starch test and it was negative. I drained all the wort from the MLT and then added 4 gallons of 175 degree sparge water. I let it sit for 5 min and then drained the MLT completely.
I collected 6.25 gallons of wort. At 170 degrees the the hydrometer reading was 1.026 so that would be 1.053 for the preboil gravity.
After the boil I had 5.5 gallons of 1.058 wort for an efficiency of 50%.
I have checked my thermometers and they are accurate. I have bought new pH strips because the first ones sucked. I struggle a little bit keeping my sparge temps as high as they should be but the aren't that low.
WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING WRONG!!!
Should I just suck it up and be happy with using 14lbs of grain to gravities in the 50s?
My efficiency history has been:
Stout 1 - 62%
Stout 2 - 60%
Bavarian Weizenbier - 50%
Belgian Ale - 55%
Pale Ale - 49%
Hefeweizen - 50%
I have redone my MLT and got a cooler that holds temps much better now.
Target OG was 1.055
The recipe for this latest Hefe was:
7lbs wheat malt
7lbs 2-row pale malt
Magnum - @ 60 min
Amarillo - @ 15 and 5 min
I mashed with 4.4 gallons of 170 degree F filtered water. I had to add a couple ice cubes to get the temp done to 155 where it stayed for 60 min. I checked the pH and it was 5.2. After 60 min I did a starch test and it was negative. I drained all the wort from the MLT and then added 4 gallons of 175 degree sparge water. I let it sit for 5 min and then drained the MLT completely.
I collected 6.25 gallons of wort. At 170 degrees the the hydrometer reading was 1.026 so that would be 1.053 for the preboil gravity.
After the boil I had 5.5 gallons of 1.058 wort for an efficiency of 50%.
I have checked my thermometers and they are accurate. I have bought new pH strips because the first ones sucked. I struggle a little bit keeping my sparge temps as high as they should be but the aren't that low.
WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING WRONG!!!
Should I just suck it up and be happy with using 14lbs of grain to gravities in the 50s?