Beefing up the grain bill to account for efficiency problems

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I would suggest that you outline your exact methodology you are using....line by line in detail....which would allow us to review it and see if we can pick up on any issues or inconsistencies you have with your process.

This is what I did before my first all grain batch a few years ago and I got great feedback...that was very helpful for all grain brewing.

If your recipe estimate for OG is 1.052 and you are getting 1.030...then your efficiency is more like 40%....since most recipes are already based on 70% efficiency...I cannot imagine your efficiency is really that low though.

WHen you say your measured OG is 1.030 as an example you give....is that the pre-boil OG? Is that at 68 degrees F???

We will need more info....

P.S. Beersmith has a freee 21 day trial.....
 
I contacted Midwest and NB awhile back to ask if they would double-crush my grains for me (I do BIAB). Both said they could not, as they don't do custom crushes. I understand why--imagine the hassle if every order came with a specific crush. So I go to my LHBS and double-crush it there. I wouldn't be surprised if they ignore your request for a fine crush.

If you don't have a LHBS close by, I'd second the suggestion to get a mill. Then you might repeat one of your previous brews, keeping the process as close to original as possible to minimize variables, and compare results. Heck, post pictures here of your crush and see what the good folks think. If you still have an efficiency issue, then you have at least eliminated one variable.
 
Try mashing 1 lbs. Midwest ground 2 row in 1 gal of water you should get gravity around 1.037-1.038. If your gravity is lower then I blame the crush if it is within range then mash technique needs to be analyzed
 
Also Midwest should be able to verify the PPG of the grains they are selling
 
Also Midwest should be able to verify the PPG of the grains they are selling

This. Lot sheets vary. I noticed many people use 38 for extract on 2-row when some of the more recent sheets I've seen suggest it's closer to 36. I've made some adjustments to my ingredients list accordingly.
 
Adam - I would strongly suggest that you buy your own grain mill. I had issues hitting my gravities also and I was even able to go to Midwest in person and grind my own grains!

This isn't a slam on Midwest at all as I still go there to buy by supplies.

Buying a Barley Crusher, watching my water volumes (insuring you don't leave wort in the mash tun) and checking the pre-boil gravity solved all of my problems. My efficiency is right at 75%, but that's not as important as it being consistent.
 
Are there any brewing clubs in your area? Or an LHBS that hosts brew days? Spending time with other brewers and sharing knowledge (real-time, not on the interweb) is invaluable.
 
Are there any brewing clubs in your area? Or an LHBS that hosts brew days? Spending time with other brewers and sharing knowledge (real-time, not on the interweb) is invaluable.

My nearest movie theatre is an hour away. LOL. Not much here by the way of "community"

i'm going to get a grain crusher. Next purchase was going to be a wort chiller but you've all made it obvious I need to crush my own grain. Thanks all. I'm looking at the rest of my grain (I bought 4 batches worth at once) and it's all half milled. what a bummer. Should I just return it?
 
No. If you get your own mill you can mill it again to your liking. Keep your eyes open for Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals. This is a great time of the year for deals. Check out sites like Homebrewfinds.com and keep an eye on the classified forums here. Great deals pop up regularly. Good luck!
 
adamjackson said:
I'm on Midwest now, which kind should I get?

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/all-grain-brewing/all-grain-equipment/grain-mills.html

I won't buy today but curious what you all recommend. I'd like one that I can put a screw driver into so I can just mill electricly without cranking for 2 hours.

I'm doing a stout next week which is 18 pounds of grain. Don't want to do by hand!!!

Well, it depends on a lot of things. First and foremost is your budget and second is your preference. A lot of people start with a Victoria style mill and then move up to a roller mill. Some people go all in and buy the biggest and most expensive 3 roller stainless steel mill that they can find. I started with a Victoria mill and then moved up to a Cereal Killer from Adventures in Homebrewing. I had some warranty issues with that mill and so I returned it (I can't say enough good things about the guys at Adventures in Homebrewing BTW) and got a 3 roller Crankandstein mill. You can get a good crush with all of the mills that I have mentioned. My list is not all inclusive. There are various other mills that people love and have had good success with.. I would recommend that you do some research and find what works for you. There are a lot of threads discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the various options.
 
I have a barley crusher and and it works great, but I read the monsters are better in the long run, but more expensive.
There are alot of threads here comparing them.
 
I don't have a crusher yet, but my advice would be to think about how seriously you take the hobby and whether you're sure to continue with it for a long time. If so, then just bite the bullet (or wait and save up if necessary) and get a mid-to-high range crusher. In my experience, if I get a low-end one to start, I just end up wanting to replace it in the end, so I'd have saved that cost if I had been more patient. It's only $100ish between the cheap and middle of the pack of the better ones. That is a substantial amount, but compared to the cost of brewing, it's not enormous. If you brew monthly, just move to every 6 weeks for a year and you'll have recouped the expense.

But, some people do have great success with the cheaper mills...
 
I use a 1/2" drill to power my Barley Crusher and it works just fine. You can get more elaborate with a motor but either beats cranking it by hand.
 
Holy moly...just looked at the "crush" pics on your flickr...wow, that's not even crushed, really. Horrid. Not acceptable
 
Your crush is the problem here like a few others have said, fix your crush by either getting a mill or ordering from a different supplier. You're not a bad home brewer its not the process of brewing the beer is not the cause for a low eff at this point, that crush is beyond terrible.

For mills in my opinion either use a corona mill or spend the extra to get a nice stainless steel monster mill.
 
Your crush is the problem here like a few others have said, fix your crush by either getting a mill or ordering from a different supplier. You're not a bad home brewer its not the process of brewing the beer is not the cause for a low eff at this point, that crush is beyond terrible.

For mills in my opinion either use a corona mill or spend the extra to get a nice stainless steel monster mill.

I brewed again yesterday but this time, had a local buddy recrush my grains. Hit my gravity spot on. It went great and tasted great.

This reminds me...my BIAB foul ups were also by the book with grain from Midwest. So, from now on, I'll order from northern brewer and start researching my own grain mill.

Thanks all. I never would have known that the grain wasn't crushed properly.
 
Gratzz on hitting your numbers. I'll bet it felt good !
I'm making an IPA this morning and took a pic of my crush and Barley crusher
with my cheap ($0.00) hopper extension. There is about 20 LBS. in there.

DSC04070.jpg


bc.jpg
 
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