Big Jump in efficiency...what to do?!?

Let me start by saying my efficiency usually sucks!! I hover around 60% normally, this last batch I compensated. I wanted to do a nice easy drinking spotted cow clone that finished close to 5% abv with an SG of close to 1.044 and finish around 1.008. However I ended up with an SG of 1.055 and an FG of 1.002, close to 7%.

My question is that while I know adding water will give a watered down flavor, it is a spotted cow clone and should be a little watery right? Should I add some water before bottling to cut back the abv? What would a 7% yellow fizzy taste like? Was just going for a flavorful lawnmower beer but don't know what to do.

BTW specks are....

15lbs 2 Row
1lb Carapils
1lb Flaked Barley
1lb Flaked Maize
2.5lbs Corn Sugar

1oz Cluster @ 45 and 15 min. Used 2 packs Safale 05.
Mash @ 154 for 90 min.

As for the jump in efficiency I can only come up with a couple reasons, I mashed for 90 instead of 60 because I didn't heat my strike water up in time or my grains were cracked a little better (ordered all through Austin Homebrew).

Also, it was my first 10 gal batch.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

At 1.002 it is already going to be watery/thin - are you sure about 1.002? That seems really really low for beer.

As for your increases efficiency, I'm going to go with a better crush. Is this the first time you've used milled grain from Austin? 90 vs 60 minute mash shouldn't matter that much, especially at 154F.

Positive bout the 1.002, I keep an extra hydrometer on hand due my knack for breaking them & checked with both. I've ordered many times from Austin.

What was your mash temp? If it was below 152F that could be the reason your FG went so low.

As to watering it down the first thing I would do is taste it. If it tastes thin I wouldn't. If not do half the batch. Also you should boil the water for 15 minutes to drive off the dissolved O2

I had a lawnmower beer at about that strength last summer. It was awesome but it got me into trouble. Its too easy to get lit!

I just entered your recipe into Beer Smith. To get an OG of 1.055, you only need an efficiency of 65%. To get an expected OG of 1.044 like you were looking for, you'd need an efficiency of about 50%. So, it seems like your efficiency was pretty close to your normal, unless I am missing something.

Still surprised by the low FG though. I've only seen ciders in that range.

If you overshoot your og, just add more water to the fermenter before you pitch your yeast. Then you get more beer and a correct gravity. Win win!

I've been consistently overshooting my gravity. Got 93% eff on my last batch.

JLem said:

I just entered your recipe into Beer Smith. To get an OG of 1.055, you only need an efficiency of 65%. To get an expected OG of 1.044 like you were looking for, you'd need an efficiency of about 50%. So, it seems like your efficiency was pretty close to your normal, unless I am missing something.

Still surprised by the low FG though. I've only seen ciders in that range.

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That's funny, I use iBrewmaster & when I plug in the recipie and SG I get about 82 %...wish Beer Smith had an iPad app, bet they are working on it!

As for the FG, it's a little lower than I'm used to but not by much, getting constant gravitates under .008. They do all have a dry finish, which I don't mind.

nrock74 said:

That's funny, I use iBrewmaster & when I plug in the recipie and SG I get about 82 %...wish Beer Smith had an iPad app, bet they are working on it!

As for the FG, it's a little lower than I'm used to but not by much, getting constant gravitates under .008. They do all have a dry finish, which I don't mind.

Click to expand...

You might want to check your thermometer.

afr0byte said:

You might want to check your thermometer.

Click to expand...

Maybe so. I use a floating thermometer I got from Austin, I did double check my temps with a digital one I got from WalMart & there was a few degrees difference. Took it that the digital one was wrong...

nrock74 said:

Maybe so. I use a floating thermometer I got from Austin, I did double check my temps with a digital one I got from WalMart & there was a few degrees difference. Took it that the digital one was wrong...

Click to expand...

Have you checked them at freezing/boiling?

nrock74 said:

That's funny, I use iBrewmaster & when I plug in the recipie and SG I get about 82 %...wish Beer Smith had an iPad app, bet they are working on it!

As for the FG, it's a little lower than I'm used to but not by much, getting constant gravitates under .008. They do all have a dry finish, which I don't mind.

Click to expand...

Well, the 18 pounds of grain will provide ~675 gravity points, or 67.5 points to your OG in 10 gallons. The 2.5 pounds of corn sugar will provide 115 points, or 11.5 points to your OG in 10 gallons. At 100% efficiency this would give you an OG of 1.079 --> (67.5 *100%) + 11.5

Your efficiency for an OG of 1.055 would be 65% --> (67.5 * 65%) + 11.5.

Not sure where iBrewmaster gets 82%. Also not sure if my explanation above is clear.