Does efficiency matter if you hit your numbers?

[ehartunian]

Hi all, first post after lurking for a while. I did my first AG batch last weekend (3d batch total). It was a Liberty Cream Ale from Midwest with Wyeast smack pack. Followed directions pretty much, added irish moss at the end of the boil.
My measured gravity before I pitched was 1.042, which is what the instructions called for. My efficiency (according to calculator on Tastybrew) was 59%. That sounds low, but I got the correct OG- so does it matter?

Process:
-Mash in cooler at 158^ for an hour ( I preheated the cooler, and after stiring, 158^ was my temp- checked prior to batch sparging, and the temp was 156^ after 1hr)
-vorluaf, then drain first runnings.
-add sparge water @170^, stir, wait 10min, drain
-This gave me 6gal preboil and I had 5gal after the 1hr boil
-cool with IC, pitch yeast, clean up.

Fermentation is going fine, going to rack to secondary this weekend.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Eric

 

[bchurch]

Sounds kinda strange to me if you hit your og but only got 59%. I thought kits usually account for 65% to 70% efficiency. Maybe the calculator was off somehow? I wouldn't worry about it if you hit your numbers, but it is nice to know how well your equipment works.

 

[corax]

The only time efficiency matters in and of itself is if you're trying to minimize your malt costs, which only makes sense in a commercial setting. The cost difference to a homebrewer between 80% and 60% efficiency is a few dollars at most.

Reproducible efficiency is much more important than high efficiency, and ever striving for higher efficiency might negatively impact quality.

 

[TheMan]

I agree with a previous post, one of your numbers is off. I don't think you got 59% efficiency if you hit your numbers and volume as you said. Are you sure you input everything correctly?

 

[TyTanium]

That's why efficiency matters - so you can hit your numbers. And hit them consistently.

 

[evandena]

The only time efficiency matters in and of itself is if you're trying to minimize your malt costs, which only makes sense in a commercial setting. The cost difference to a homebrewer between 80% and 60% efficiency is a few dollars at most.

Reproducible efficiency is much more important than high efficiency, and ever striving for higher efficiency might negatively impact quality.

Or you don't want a session brew to end up at 7% ABV.

 

[corax]

That's why efficiency matters - so you can hit your numbers. And hit them consistently.

If you reproducibly get 70% efficiency you will hit your numbers just as consistently as you will if you reproducibly get 90% efficiency.

 

[TyTanium]

If you reproducibly get 70% efficiency you will hit your numbers just as consistently as you will if you reproducibly get 90% efficiency.

Yup, agreed. That's exactly why efficiency matters.

 

[ehartunian]

Thanks for the replies. Bottom line, I guess, is that consistency is more important than raw efficiency.
I should bottle this batch next week, I'll let you all know how it turns out.
Thanks,
Eric