strike temp

Working on my 1st all grain.
When measuring efficiency do I just stick the hydrometer in the pot after mash out and before boil.

I never put the hydrometer in anything other than the hydro test tube. They're glass and if they break in the kettle or fermenter you'll have to toss the batch. Be sure to temperature-compensate your hydro readings, too. It makes a difference.

As far as what to measure when it depends on which efficiency you're trying to measure. I use this calculator, and they describe 4 different kinds of efficiencies and what you need to measure to calculate them:

http://www.brewersfriend.com/brewhouse-efficiency/

Most of the time people refer to the brewhouse efficiency. This is based on the OG (gravity right before pitching the yeast) and the amount of wort that goes into the fermenter.

I wouldn't put a hydrometer in any hot liquid and I'm not sure what advantage you would gain by taking the gravity reading between mashout and boil anyway. I usually would wait until the wort is chilled and ready to go into the fermenter. If your OG is low, you can add malt extract to the wort in the fermenter.

If you really do want a reading while the wort is hot, a refractometer works great, just a few drops of wort which cools pretty quickly on the refractometer and you have your reading.

RM-MN said:

I wouldn't put a hydrometer in any hot liquid and I'm not sure what advantage you would gain by taking the gravity reading between mashout and boil anyway. I usually would wait until the wort is chilled and ready to go into the fermenter. If your OG is low, you can add malt extract to the wort in the fermenter.

If you really do want a reading while the wort is hot, a refractometer works great, just a few drops of wort which cools pretty quickly on the refractometer and you have your reading.

Click to expand...

Pre-boil gravity will let you figure your conversion and pre-boil efficiencies. I agree on letting the wort cool before putting the hydrometer in. I use a turkey baster to fill the hydro jar, then let it cool before testing. You definitely have to temp-compensate it, too.

Agree with no hydro in kettle - too risky. I use a refractometer to check gravity as the mash takes place and by the end of the mash shoot for a "pre-boil gravity" at about 5 points below what I want after boil. So if my target OG is 1050, I want 1045 pre boil. If I am not at 1045 I might: try a mash out going to 168 or so and bouncing the bag in the wort to get some more sugars out of the grist - or squeeze the bag to get concentrated sugars out of the saturated grist - or (if way low) I keep a little bit of DME on hand. I've never had to use the spare DME (yet) but I have both mashed out and squeezed to get another point or two.

Agree with the others. No glass in the kettle. Pull a sample, cool it to <100°F, take your reading, compensate reading for difference between actual temp and hydrometer calibration temp (usually 60°F, but not always), return sample to boil.

Thanks,First time All Grain.I thought you took the OG after lifting the basket.If I was low I could sparge,squeeze the bag,or mash out at a higher temp to bring it up.Once I go to boil Im past all that.

You take your pre-boil gravity once your pre-boil volume is reached. If adjustments to gravity are needed at that point, you can still do them if you want or just let it go.