First PM efficiency good!

Hey Guys,
I have been planning to start all grain brewing for a long time and I am in the process of doing a PM. My mash went better than expected, with a efficiency of 83%. I was quite surprised at this since my set up was designed to do whole grain batches and I had to use a grain bag instead of the false bottom in my mash tun because there was not enough strike water over the false bottom for this to work. My mash temps were kind of all over the place because I couldn't use the built -in thermometer in the mash tun for the same reason I couldn't use the false bottom. I had to rely on a super slow thermometer that took about 5 minutes to give me the right temp. I probably ranged from 148 to 158F during the mash.

Mashed
3 lbs Muntons Pale Malt
1 lb Muntons 40L Crystal
Strike water 1.5 gallons
Sparge 2 gallons

I was pretty surprised to get a post sparge gravity of 1.035, which I calculate at 83% efficiency.

Boiling with Hops right now, hope things turn out. Next week same beer all grain (if I get a wort chiller in time...)

Partial Mash Recipe for Premium Bitter Style Beer
3lbs Muntons Pale malt
1 lb 40L Crystal
3 lbs Muntons Extra Light DME (added after 40 out of 60 minutes of boil)
1 oz 6 AAU Bramling Cross 60 minutes
.5 oz 6 AAU Bramling Cross 30 minutes
1 oz 5 AAU Kent Goldings 5 minutes
.5 oz 6 AAU Bramling Cross 0 minutes
Wyeast 1028 London Ale

-Aaron

aaronlawson said:

Hey Guys,
I have been planning to start all grain brewing for a long time and I am in the process of doing a PM. My mash went better than expected, with a efficiency of 83%. I was quite surprised at this since my set up was designed to do whole grain batches and I had to use a grain bag instead of the false bottom in my mash tun because there was not enough strike water over the false bottom for this to work. -Aaron

Click to expand...

Hey Aaron,
Kudos for your sucessful PM. Nothing wrong with a grain bag. Back in the day...( why's everyone rolling your eyes) before Papazian and the Zapap, we sparged in a double 5 gal arrangement with a bunch of 1/4 in holes in the bottom and a grainbag to hold the mash. We thought we were doing good....