Efficiency of my first AG

So I brewed my first AG batch today, a Kolsch. Assuming 65% efficiency I calculated all my volumes and weights. In the end, I only achieved 55% or so, but since I also boiled off more than I expected to, I ended up with a specific gravity within 1 point of what I was aiming for.

How can I get my efficiency up?

I mashed 10.3 lbs at 148 (struck at 160) for 60 minutes at 1.5 quarts/lb. Then I sparged with 4.8 gallons at 170F. I lost about 1.5 gallons due to absorption (about 2/3 of that) and system (1/3). I'm using a 10 gallon cooler with a false bottom.

A friend of mine has the same set up and I saw him get 60% his first mash. What am I missing?

All sorts of things can affect it. Grain crush is a big one. I usually get about 75-78% efficiency since i started crushing my own grains and mashing really thick (1qt/lb) at around 154.

You'll have to experiment....

i agree. the crush is probably the biggest factor. if you use the mill at the store, you should probably double-crush. i have a mill, and i run the grain through twice anyway, and i hit around 80%, usually. bring your temp up to 152, and it should help out. the cooler it is, the less sugar it extracts. hope this helps

I mashed 10.3 lbs at 148 (struck at 160) for 60 minutes at 1.5 quarts/lb. Then I sparged with 4.8 gallons at 170F. I lost about 1.5 gallons due to absorption (about 2/3 of that) and system (1/3). I'm using a 10 gallon cooler with a false bottom.

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Check your MLT for dead space and see if you can eliminate it.

Try and even out your mash drain and sparge amounts. If you used about 4 gal. for mash, you probably got 2.5 gal. of first runnings and 4.8 gal. of second runnings. This is far from 50/50. If you had mashed with 5 gal. and sparged with 3.75 gal. you would have had close enough to 50/50 1st to 2nd runnings. This has been shown to boost eff. quite a bit.