Before todays Brew, I have been averaging a consistent 68% efficiency. I know I could improve it, but I wanted to make sure I was being consistent, hitting my temps, measuring water, etc. My best efficiency was 72% which was my first AG batch and the only one I did not crush myself, so I knew my crush needed to be adjusted. I also always ended up 1 gallon short going into the boiler.
Here are my Grains for Fridays brew session:
And my mash:
I know it says a step of 170, but with my system it brings it to 169, and I stir down to 168. Beersmith gave me 1.38 gallons of sparge water for batch sparging.
I made two changes to my brewing today. When I got my Barley Crusher I measured the gap at .037mm not the .039mm that is supposed to be coming from the factory, so I adjusted that down to .035mm.
Since I had been coming up 1 gallon short into the boiler, I figured there was still some sweet wort in the MLT that I could get instead of having to add more top up water to the fermentor. So instead of sparging with 1.38 gallons of water I sparged with 2.38 gallons of water.
I took 4 gravity readings today. The first was the first runnings. I took 16 quarts of wort. At 69 degrees I read a gravity of 1.069 which corrected to 1.070. My second reading was after my second batch sparge, in which I collected 10 quarts. The gravity at 74 degrees was 1.034 corrected to 1.036.
After being combined I had collected a total of 26 quarts of wort. My pre-boil volume was 26 quarts. At 76 degrees it read 1.057 corrected to 1.059. Beersmith calculated my Effeciency into the boiler at 84.47%.
After my boil, chill and whirlpool, My kettle (which I use to measure all of my water) read 24 quarts (6 gallons). So I siphon into the fermentor and its coming up below my 5 gallon mark. So I pour out as much wort as I can and I leave behind maybe a quart, and Im at the 5 gallon mark. This is where I get a little squirrely. I was hoping to be post boil 5.5 gallons, so since Im so used to topping off my fermentor, I just top off to my 5.5 gallon mark. Obviously 1 of my means of measurement is wrong. Since Ive measured that particular fermentor myself, Im guessing its right, which means that my kettle is wrong. So I take the gravity with 5.5 gallons and I come up with a reading of 1.062 at 80 degrees, corrected to 1.064 which Beersmith calculates as 77.53% efficiency.
Clearly, the first thing I need to do is calibrate all of my water vessels. I will do this next week.
1) What I am concered with though is the difference in efficiency between Into the Boiler and "Overall Effeciency." How do I get them closer in %.
2) How can I improve? There has to be more sweet wort left in that MLT if I'm reading a 3rd runnings of 1.036.
Thank you for all of your thoughts and help.
Here are my Grains for Fridays brew session:
Ingredients
Code:
Amount Item Type % or IBU
10 lbs 6.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 82.57 %
1 lbs 12.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 13.93 %
7.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3.50 %
And my mash:
Mash Schedule
Code:
Name Description Temp Time
Dough In Add 15.58 quarts of water at 167.4 F (1.24 q/g) 153 60 min
Mash Out Add 10.05 quarts of water at 201.4 (2.04 q/g) 170 10 min
I know it says a step of 170, but with my system it brings it to 169, and I stir down to 168. Beersmith gave me 1.38 gallons of sparge water for batch sparging.
I made two changes to my brewing today. When I got my Barley Crusher I measured the gap at .037mm not the .039mm that is supposed to be coming from the factory, so I adjusted that down to .035mm.
Since I had been coming up 1 gallon short into the boiler, I figured there was still some sweet wort in the MLT that I could get instead of having to add more top up water to the fermentor. So instead of sparging with 1.38 gallons of water I sparged with 2.38 gallons of water.
I took 4 gravity readings today. The first was the first runnings. I took 16 quarts of wort. At 69 degrees I read a gravity of 1.069 which corrected to 1.070. My second reading was after my second batch sparge, in which I collected 10 quarts. The gravity at 74 degrees was 1.034 corrected to 1.036.
After being combined I had collected a total of 26 quarts of wort. My pre-boil volume was 26 quarts. At 76 degrees it read 1.057 corrected to 1.059. Beersmith calculated my Effeciency into the boiler at 84.47%.
After my boil, chill and whirlpool, My kettle (which I use to measure all of my water) read 24 quarts (6 gallons). So I siphon into the fermentor and its coming up below my 5 gallon mark. So I pour out as much wort as I can and I leave behind maybe a quart, and Im at the 5 gallon mark. This is where I get a little squirrely. I was hoping to be post boil 5.5 gallons, so since Im so used to topping off my fermentor, I just top off to my 5.5 gallon mark. Obviously 1 of my means of measurement is wrong. Since Ive measured that particular fermentor myself, Im guessing its right, which means that my kettle is wrong. So I take the gravity with 5.5 gallons and I come up with a reading of 1.062 at 80 degrees, corrected to 1.064 which Beersmith calculates as 77.53% efficiency.
Clearly, the first thing I need to do is calibrate all of my water vessels. I will do this next week.
1) What I am concered with though is the difference in efficiency between Into the Boiler and "Overall Effeciency." How do I get them closer in %.
2) How can I improve? There has to be more sweet wort left in that MLT if I'm reading a 3rd runnings of 1.036.
Thank you for all of your thoughts and help.