Higher Final Volume?! Impossible...(LONG)

My first two AG's i collected less volume than estimated due to low efficency (69%), this time around I got MORE volume than i intended and better eff. (72%)

Here's the info:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 7.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 3.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 15.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 100.00 %
0.25 oz Riwaka [5.80 %] (60 min) Hops 5.8 IBU
0.25 oz Riwaka [5.80 %] (45 min) Hops 5.4 IBU
0.50 oz Riwaka [5.80 %] (10 min) Hops 4.2 IBU
1.00 oz Riwaka [5.80 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 8.00 lb
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Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge, No Mash Out
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 10.00 qt of water at 170.1 F 154.0 F


After mashing for 60 minutes i start to vorlauf.

I slowly open the valve and then open it more so i get a steady flow into the pitcher.

Then I carefully pour the 1st quart over the grainbed

So far so good.

I proceed to slowly open the valve again i start the 2nd vorlauf, and got what i consider a semi-stuck sparge. When i opened the valve all the way i got a dribbling drain...Now this is where it gets a little weird...

Here are the numbers:

Drained the mash tun: I collected 1.25 gallons?!?!(I figured i would get the wort out with the 1st sparge)
Batch Sparge 1:.........I collected 2.75 gallons
Batch Sparge 2:.........I collected 3.30 gallons (approximation, just over 3.25)
Total: .....................7.30 (I was aiming for 7.00 gallons)

I hit my Pre-boil Gravity dead on @ 1.033
My estimated OG was 1.044, i got 1.042
My estimated final volume was 5 gallons, i got 5.75-6.00 gallons?! (i marked the wort level in the fermented so i will get an exact measurement after the beer is done)

My Question (Finally, right?)

How is it that i collected less wort from my inital mash tun drain (considering grain absorbtion and a possible minature stuck sparge), sparged with exact amount of water (3.13 gallons per batch sparge), and came out with MORE volume than i intended????

In reality, it seems that i should've ended up with a lower volume than i anticipated.

Help me HBT'ers!

You probably cleared the stuck drain when you sparged, and got the extra wort out.

I usually boil off about a 1.25 gallons per hour..How long was your boil? I collect 7.25 gallons and then boil for an hour to get a 6 gallon batch..so your numbers seem fine to me, maybe I'm missing something. All your collection amounts seem right..you only put in 2.5 gallons of liqour so getting 1.25 gallons of wort out doesn't seem out of the norm. Then when you sparged with the hotter, larger volume you made the mash thinner and the wort could flow out more freely.

Moonshae said:

You probably cleared the stuck drain when you sparged, and got the extra wort out.

Click to expand...

I understand that i cleared the stuck drain. I guess BeerSmith predicted that i would collect less wort from the Mash tun than i actually did...you know something, when the tun is done draining i tilt it forward to get "everything" out. Could this be effing up my numbers?

If i sparge with 6.00 gallons total, that leaves me to collect 1.00 gallon to get my correct volume, which instead i collected 1.25. I'm sure that collecting .25 gallons from the initial mash tun drain and then sparging with a little over 6.00 gallons adds up to my surplus.

JoMarky said:

I usually boil off about a 1.25 gallons per hour..How long was your boil?

Click to expand...

I boil for 60 min. and boil off 2 gallons per hour. This is turning up the turkey fryer to get "just enough juice" to maintain a light, rolling boil.