I have read numerous posts concerning attenuations and efficiency. So this is not the completely uneducated question. Yet, I am still confused. I completed my 5th all grain recently and have identified a trend that I would like to correct. I hope to have all of the required info/data to get a response, but such may not be the case.
I have used recipes found within this site and brewed by others successfully. I have followed them to the letter in regards to ingredients and times. I have been following the mash temperatures pretty darn close to the T. The result is that I continue to have OGs that indicate I have high brewhouse efficiency of 79% up to 90%. This is not based on doing hydrometer readings of the first runnings but based on imputing into an online calculator to determine such. An example of this is that my last recipe (see below) should have finished up at 5 gallons at an OG of 1.054. Due to using a new brew kettle, I ended up with around 5.9 gallons yet still had an OG of 1.056. In the case of the other recipes, my final volume has been spot on and my numbers on my OG have been from .010 to .025 over that indicated by the recipe.
The next issue I have is that my attenuation seems low. My last three beers have also tasted sweet. With that in mind, I don't think my beers are fermenting down to where they should be. The end result is I am brewing beers which taste to sweet, but not cider. Yet combined with the high OG, I would think that I have more than enough sugar to have high attenuation. I realized that OG isn't only based on fermentable sugars.
I have NOT used yeast starters in the past. I have aerated by pouring into the fermentor. My fermentation is quick to start (within 24 hours if not 12. I let the fermentation continue until there is no activity in the airlock.
I am using a single infusion mash with a batch sparge. My mash temperature is as directed by the recipes. I have one at 154, one at 156, and another at 151. My sparge is heated to/around 175.
So I guess my questions are, is my constant high OG a good thing but I need to add more water or less grain to get it down to the desired level?
Next, are my high OGs related to what appears as a low attenuation trend?
Finally, any recommendations?
Thanks in advance and Happy Veterans Day!!!
Semper Fidelis,
J8D
I have used recipes found within this site and brewed by others successfully. I have followed them to the letter in regards to ingredients and times. I have been following the mash temperatures pretty darn close to the T. The result is that I continue to have OGs that indicate I have high brewhouse efficiency of 79% up to 90%. This is not based on doing hydrometer readings of the first runnings but based on imputing into an online calculator to determine such. An example of this is that my last recipe (see below) should have finished up at 5 gallons at an OG of 1.054. Due to using a new brew kettle, I ended up with around 5.9 gallons yet still had an OG of 1.056. In the case of the other recipes, my final volume has been spot on and my numbers on my OG have been from .010 to .025 over that indicated by the recipe.
The next issue I have is that my attenuation seems low. My last three beers have also tasted sweet. With that in mind, I don't think my beers are fermenting down to where they should be. The end result is I am brewing beers which taste to sweet, but not cider. Yet combined with the high OG, I would think that I have more than enough sugar to have high attenuation. I realized that OG isn't only based on fermentable sugars.
I have NOT used yeast starters in the past. I have aerated by pouring into the fermentor. My fermentation is quick to start (within 24 hours if not 12. I let the fermentation continue until there is no activity in the airlock.
I am using a single infusion mash with a batch sparge. My mash temperature is as directed by the recipes. I have one at 154, one at 156, and another at 151. My sparge is heated to/around 175.
So I guess my questions are, is my constant high OG a good thing but I need to add more water or less grain to get it down to the desired level?
Next, are my high OGs related to what appears as a low attenuation trend?
Finally, any recommendations?
Thanks in advance and Happy Veterans Day!!!
Semper Fidelis,
J8D