Help me with the numbers from a IOB article

[zwiller]

Braufessors and beergineers, I am trying to respond to another thread but having some issues trying to convert the mash thicknesses 2:1 to 7:1 from this article into homebrewing scale. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2050-0416.1991.tb01055.x/pdf

The ratio is liquor to grist. Liters to kg, right? 1 liter of water is 2.2lbs. 1kg of malt is 4.4lbs. I would like to express in homebrewing slang qts to lb so I can compare the study to my experience. Using the weight of 8.3lbs for a gallon of water at 70F, a quart is 2.075lbs and very close to a liter. Am I right that 2:1 is basically 4.15lbs water (~2qts) to 4.4lbs is 1qt to 1lb? 4.15/4.4=.94 Then 7:1 is 14.25 (~7qts) to 4.4lbs = 3.3qts:1lb? 14.25/4.4=3.3

THANK YOU!

 

[ajdelange]

2 liters of water is 2*(4/3.78) = 2.12 qts and 1 kg of malt weighs about 2.2 lbs so 2:1 metric is 2.12/2.2 quarts/lb. Looks like what you got.

 

[zwiller]

Thanks AJ!

The background of the math was to see if increasing mash thickness shortens conversion (time). Typically, I infusion mash with a 1.6qts per lb ratio and go 60 minutes for ales. I have been experimenting with a 30 minute mash and am having some minor issues. It has been suggested that a thicker mash could help but I don't find any conclusive evidence to support it. Since my brewing time is so precious I am looking at ways to speed things up. I am using Briess 2 row brewers malt as a base so I thought I could push the envelope.

 

[GrogNerd]

I think crush has more influence on conversion time than water to grist ratio

finer crush = more surface area for strike water to work on, coarser would take longer to get to all the sugars

 

[zwiller]

Agreed. Crush is currently .030", but I am hesitant to go finer. That said, might dig out a gauge and verify. It has been a few years...

 

[zwiller]

I can easily get 0.040" of shims in there now. Not entirely sure it moved but maybe from use, etc or that I can just force the shims in there. Dang OCD.