How to increase mash efficiency?

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jamesewelch

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I've successfully brewed 2 small batches of IPAs, but I'm having a problem with my mash efficiency. Calculated using my hydrometer and using beercalculus at hopville.com, it says was measured at 49%.

As far as sparging, I have a large strainer that I use to pour the grains/water into and then repeat once more (twice total). Are there any tricks to getting more out of it? I've thought about using cheesecloth or something so I can wring the grains to get all the liquid out.

If I end up with lower than expected OG, is there a formula that I can use to increase it via corn sugar or other ingredient?

Am I looking in the right place to increase my efficiency?

thanks
 
How are you sparging? (Batch or Fly?) I'm not sure I understand the strainer.

Tell us about your mash / sparge technique.
 
Some other items to discuss: how is the grain crushed? what temp are you mashing at? what equip are you using? have you calibrated your thermometer?
 
Soldevi said:
How are you sparging? (Batch or Fly?) I'm not sure I understand the strainer.

Tell us about your mash / sparge technique.
Click to expand...

Ok. I'm not sure I know the right terminology, so I'll try to just explain what I'm doing.

After I've finished with the mash, I use a fine mesh strainer over another empty pot. Then I pour the grains and liquid (mash) into the pot over the strainer to catch the grains. Then I pour additional water (heated 170 in third pot) over the captured grains into the receiving pot. Then I move the strainer over to another pot and pour all of the liquid back through the grains a second time.

Does that make sense? I think I'm using a batch, but I'm having a hard time figuring out the naming of sparging using a fine mesh strainer (a strainer like what you make spaghetti with, but fine mesh rather than large mesh/holes).

Thanks
 
usfmikeb said:
Some other items to discuss: how is the grain crushed? what temp are you mashing at? what equip are you using? have you calibrated your thermometer?
Click to expand...

Grains are crushed, cracked, broken, etc. at the homebrew store. Start at 160, add grains, maintain\steep between 144 and 152. Final heat up to 170.

At this point, I'm just using cooking pots. I have 2 different thermometers that I've used (at same time to double check). A normal cooking thermometer that came with my homebrew carboy/kit and a digital thermometer. Both seem to work fine.
 
jamesewelch said:
Ok. I'm not sure I know the right terminology, so I'll try to just explain what I'm doing.

After I've finished with the mash, I use a fine mesh strainer over another empty pot. Then I pour the grains and liquid (mash) into the pot over the strainer to catch the grains. Then I pour additional water (heated 170 in third pot) over the captured grains into the receiving pot. Then I move the strainer over to another pot and pour all of the liquid back through the grains a second time.

Does that make sense? I think I'm using a batch, but I'm having a hard time figuring out the naming of sparging using a fine mesh strainer (a strainer like what you make spaghetti with, but fine mesh rather than large mesh/holes).

Thanks
Click to expand...

Well, don't pour your wort back over the grains! That may actually have you "lose" some sugars, since the sugars in solution may re-adhere to the grain.

I'd probably bag the grains, and dunk them thoroughly in the sparge water instead of the pouring. Check out the BIAB threads (brew in a bag) for details on them.

Mash at 152-154. You can insulate your pot, or stick it in a warm oven (with the heat off) to hold temperatures. You won't get conversion quickly if you drop as low as 144, so you really want to hold a steady temperature for an hour.
 
Yes, you can use a cheese cloth or nylon paint strainer bag to filter your grains. Its called BIAB beer in a bag.

Are you dumping the grains back into a pot and adding the sparge water to it? On the second time?
 
From your description it appears you are kinda of doing BiAB brewing crossed with traditional mashing and batch sparge?

First thing to look at is crush, if your LHbS is milling your grain it is most likely a poor crush-have them run your grain through twice.

Next, figure out how you want to brew/mash. Either go BIAB or learn how to traditionally mash and sparge.

If you are mashing in a cooler then you should not be dumping grain and rinsing through a strainer, the mash and sparge should all be done with and drain through the cooler .

You can search BIAB and learn what's involved. If your cooler does not have a ball valve, get one and install it and then visit Www.dennybrew.com to learn how to make a cooler tun and batch sparge.

Once done with these suggestions your efficiency should go way up!
 
Soldevi said:
Yes, you can use a cheese cloth or nylon paint strainer bag to filter your grains. Its called BIAB beer in a bag.

Are you dumping the grains back into a pot and adding the sparge water to it? On the second time?
Click to expand...

No. I leave the grains in the strainer and just recycle the liquid through it the second time.
 
duboman said:
From your description it appears you are kinda of doing BiAB brewing crossed with traditional mashing and batch sparge?

First thing to look at is crush, if your LHbS is milling your grain it is most likely a poor crush-have them run your grain through twice.

Next, figure out how you want to brew/mash. Either go BIAB or learn how to traditionally mash and sparge.

If you are mashing in a cooler then you should not be dumping grain and rinsing through a strainer, the mash and sparge should all be done with and drain through the cooler .

You can search BIAB and learn what's involved. If your cooler does not have a ball valve, get one and install it and then visit Www.dennybrew.com to learn how to make a cooler tun and batch sparge.

Once done with these suggestions your efficiency should go way up!
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll twice mill my grains next time. The first time the homebrew clerk did it, the second time I milled it myself. I'll just run it through a second time next time.

I'm not mashing in a cooler. I only have the basics (beginner) type stuff. Although, I've bought a few other items (hydrometer, etc.). I'm doing one gallon/small batches using a 1g carboy and generally just following instructions from my kit book. Although, I'm diverting a bit when choosing some alternate grains, hops, ingredients, etc., but I'm still following the basic outline provided for their recipes.
 
If you don't want to go the bag route and continue using what you have, I would try this.

After your mash, dump your grains into the strainer like you normally do. Then put the grains back into a pot/bucket. Add your sparge water, stir and let it sit ~10min. Then dump through the strainer again. Repeat until you're at your boil volume.

I use to do the BIAB method and tried double milling my grains. I ended up with lots of flour and the beer came out cloudy. Then I bought a smaller cooler with a SS braid and went back to milling only once. I'm getting about 74-76%
 
jamesewelch said:
No. I leave the grains in the strainer and just recycle the liquid through it the second time.
Click to expand...

Dont' pour the liquid back through the grains. Use water to rinse the grains, and add that to the liquid you have. Pouring a sugary liquid into the grains means that some of the sugar you extracted from the grains will stick back to the grains if you do that.
 
Soldevi said:
If you don't want to go the bag route and continue using what you have, I would try this.

After your mash, dump your grains into the strainer like you normally do. Then put the grains back into a pot/bucket. Add your sparge water, stir and let it sit ~10min. Then dump through the strainer again. Repeat until you're at your boil volume.

I use to do the BIAB method and tried double milling my grains. I ended up with lots of flour and the beer came out cloudy. Then I bought a smaller cooler with a SS braid and went back to milling only once. I'm getting about 74-76%
Click to expand...

yep.. basically do your initial process twice. mash then drain the grains....put the grains back in the mash pot and add your sparge water...stir the crap out of it ...let it set a few minutes and drain into your boil pot just like the first time...repeat until you get your preboil volume.....And as always YOOP is right.. don't pour the first runnings back over your grains.........ALSO when you are pouring the sparge water over the grains you are probably getting hellacious channeling and just washing the sugars off of a very small percentage of the grains.
 
Thanks for the tips. I'll stop running the water over the grains a second time. Using the grains for the sparge water in a separate container then straining that into the first container of liquid makes more sense.
 

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