how do I calculate my effeciency

I will be doing my second all grain soon and I was wanting to know how to caculate the effeciency of the starch conversion . thanks

You can get product sheets for most of the grains online from the maltster. Typically, they will give a % Extract Fine Grind Dry Basis (FGDB). If you take this number and multiply it by 46, you'll approximately the points per gallon per pound figure the wiki refers to.

For example: Briess 2-row
http://www.brew-winemaking.com/ProductPDF/3990.pdf

Extract FG = 80.5%

So a pound of this grain mashed to get 1 gallon of runoff will yield a gravity of 46*80.5%= 37 pts or 1.037

This guide explains a lot of the other parameters you normally see in a malt analysis sheet

Bobby_M said:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Efficiency

Click to expand...

+1..................

Easiest way is to use brewing software.

I agree that software makes it easier but I would expect any self respecing all grain brewer would be able to crunch the numbers on paper if necessary.

I respect myself and don't think I could go work my efficiency numbers by formula without looking it up. And why would I do something the hard way when software makes it so easy.

Here is Palmer's take on it.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter12-4.html

read through 4 pages and it should give you the basics.

You can do it anyway you want but I think there's something fundamentally rewarding about understanding the science behind any particular part of this hobby. I think it's similar to brewing all grain and just accepting that a higher mash temp will result in a less fermentable wort. Has anyone just rolled with that without looking up why this happens?

If a calculator can give any kid the answer to (9 * 9 = 81), should they not learn multiplication tables in 4th grade?

Bobby_M said:

You can do it anyway you want but I think there's something fundamentally rewarding about understanding the science behind any particular part of this hobby. I think it's similar to brewing all grain and just accepting that a higher mash temp will result in a less fermentable wort. Has anyone just rolled with that without looking up why this happens?

If a calculator can give any kid the answer to (9 * 9 = 81), should they not learn multiplication tables in 4th grade?

Click to expand...

I'm still an AG noob, but I haven't quite gotten to the point where I've wanted to hammer that out yet. I think it's cool to be able to do it yourself, but I think a lot of us aren't to that point yet or just don't care about all the underlying math.

Don't get me wrong--I LOVE math. Algebra, trig, calculus, whatever. I also love software engineering, writing web-based programs, etc.....so if I or someone else writes a program that can do the figuring for you (I do like me some BeerSmith) I don't see the problem.

Teaching kids math? That IS important because math has such a daily effect on our lives--it's everywhere. Learning formulas for calculating the efficiency for the (ever changing) beer-making ingredients you happen to have on hand? Not quite as many daily or higher level uses for that....

I do see how doing it by hand would be rewarding, however

I split the difference. I made an excel sheet that does it. I don't have to do repetitive calculations, but still got to "peek under the hood" at the theory (and i's free). It's not my place to tell people how they should enjoy this hobby, but it seems for me the desire to know the details and science behind my beer is a big part of why I got into this to begin with. My 2 cents.

I'm not suggesting there's any value in figuring it on paper every time or even once in a while. I'm just saying it's something you should probably understand and be able to do.

It's also something you learn over time from doing a lot of batches, but software does get buggy and sometimes they populate the wrong potential in the ingredient database.

I don't know, maybe it's just me. Some people are completely fine owning a car and never popping the hood. Ain't my style. My father wouldn't give my sisters the keys to their own cars until they could change a flat and do a tune up.

That's cool--I would actually like to learn how to do it....so far I've got my hands pretty full with all the other intricacies of AG. Maybe someday when I feel like I have a firm grasp on everything else....