dave8274
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2006
- Messages
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- Reaction score
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After a frustrating brew day yesterday where I failed to end up close to the expected SG for a Barleywine, I went through all my recent numbers in Beersmith, and I'm finding that my results are very inconsistent. One issue I know I have is that my boil off rates vary some, and I am not always ending up with the right volume. Not sure what to do about this, it seems to be very weather dependent and difficult to predict.
More than that though, I'm finding that my SGs are all over the place. If it matters, I use RO water with an added tsp of Gypsum and Calcium Chloride for every batch, I batch sparge, and boil in a keggle.
Here is an example of the beersmith numbers of my last few brews, where I have experimented with different Pre-Boil volumes to try to get it right. The only thing I can really see is that most of the efficiencies are in the 74-75% range, but 2 are in the low 60's. Both of those beers had a significant amount of gunk in the kettle that affected the amount I got in the fermenter. According to beersmith also, my mash efficiencies are anywhere from 73-84%, even though I mash and sparge the same way every time:
Barleywine (last night):
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.71
Measured - 7.0
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.069
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.071
Est Batch size - 5.25 gal
Measured - 5.80
Est OG - 1.090
Measured - 1.082 (and this is only because I threw in about a lb of DME once at the end to keep it from being even lower).
Meas Effic - 73.8
Porter:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.97
Measured - 7.0
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.050
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.053
Est Batch size - 5.50 gal
Measured - 5.33
Est OG - 1.064
Measured - 1.067
Meas Effic - 73.6
Centennial Blond:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.72
Measured - 6.75
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.033
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.035
Est Batch size - 5.50 gal
Measured - 5.33
Est OG - 1.040
Measured - 1.048
Meas Effic - 81.4
Double IPA:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.71
Measured - 6.75
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.069
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.071
Est Batch size - 5.25 gal
Measured - 5.10
Est OG - 1.088
Measured - 1.084
Meas Effic - 64.2
Dead Guy Clone (I went high on volume because a previous batch boiled off a ton):
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.71
Measured - 7.25
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.052
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.049
Est Batch size - 5.25 gal
Measured - 6.00
Est OG - 1.067
Measured - 1.058
Meas Effic - 74.6
ESB:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.72
Measured - 6.75
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.044
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.049
Est Batch size - 5.5 gal
Measured - 5.33
Est OG - 1.054
Measured - 1.058
Meas Effic - 74.6
AHS Belgian White:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.46
Measured - 6.21
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.041
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.045
Est Batch size - 5.25 gal
Measured - 5.00
Est OG - 1.051
Measured - 1.048
Meas Effic - 63.2
Moose Drool Clone:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 7.41
Measured - 7.7
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.042
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.049
Est Batch size - 6.0 gal
Measured - 6.0
Est OG - 1.052
Measured - 1.056
Meas Effic - 75.5
Milk Stout:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.20
Measured - 6.20
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.053
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.053
Est Batch size - 5.00 gal
Measured - 5.50
Est OG - 1.066
Measured - 1.060
Meas Effic - 75.2
More than that though, I'm finding that my SGs are all over the place. If it matters, I use RO water with an added tsp of Gypsum and Calcium Chloride for every batch, I batch sparge, and boil in a keggle.
Here is an example of the beersmith numbers of my last few brews, where I have experimented with different Pre-Boil volumes to try to get it right. The only thing I can really see is that most of the efficiencies are in the 74-75% range, but 2 are in the low 60's. Both of those beers had a significant amount of gunk in the kettle that affected the amount I got in the fermenter. According to beersmith also, my mash efficiencies are anywhere from 73-84%, even though I mash and sparge the same way every time:
Barleywine (last night):
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.71
Measured - 7.0
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.069
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.071
Est Batch size - 5.25 gal
Measured - 5.80
Est OG - 1.090
Measured - 1.082 (and this is only because I threw in about a lb of DME once at the end to keep it from being even lower).
Meas Effic - 73.8
Porter:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.97
Measured - 7.0
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.050
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.053
Est Batch size - 5.50 gal
Measured - 5.33
Est OG - 1.064
Measured - 1.067
Meas Effic - 73.6
Centennial Blond:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.72
Measured - 6.75
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.033
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.035
Est Batch size - 5.50 gal
Measured - 5.33
Est OG - 1.040
Measured - 1.048
Meas Effic - 81.4
Double IPA:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.71
Measured - 6.75
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.069
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.071
Est Batch size - 5.25 gal
Measured - 5.10
Est OG - 1.088
Measured - 1.084
Meas Effic - 64.2
Dead Guy Clone (I went high on volume because a previous batch boiled off a ton):
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.71
Measured - 7.25
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.052
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.049
Est Batch size - 5.25 gal
Measured - 6.00
Est OG - 1.067
Measured - 1.058
Meas Effic - 74.6
ESB:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.72
Measured - 6.75
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.044
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.049
Est Batch size - 5.5 gal
Measured - 5.33
Est OG - 1.054
Measured - 1.058
Meas Effic - 74.6
AHS Belgian White:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.46
Measured - 6.21
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.041
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.045
Est Batch size - 5.25 gal
Measured - 5.00
Est OG - 1.051
Measured - 1.048
Meas Effic - 63.2
Moose Drool Clone:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 7.41
Measured - 7.7
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.042
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.049
Est Batch size - 6.0 gal
Measured - 6.0
Est OG - 1.052
Measured - 1.056
Meas Effic - 75.5
Milk Stout:
Est Pre Boil Volume - 6.20
Measured - 6.20
Est Pre Boil Grav - 1.053
Meas Pre Boil Grav - 1.053
Est Batch size - 5.00 gal
Measured - 5.50
Est OG - 1.066
Measured - 1.060
Meas Effic - 75.2