- Joined
- Nov 19, 2017
- Messages
- 250
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Since upgrading my equipment to an electric HERMS setup, I've been getting 82% mash efficiencies on the nose every time. I'm pretty happy with that.
My brewhouse efficiency on the other hand has been a little all over the place, and I believe that's because I've done a poor job of measuring my volumes. Around the same time I upgraded to a HERMS system, I also bought an Anvil Bucket Fermentor. I was warned that the volume markings were a little low, but instead of measuring for myself, I always just guessed how far they were off.
Before brewing my latest batch of beer, I decided to just be done with it and measure it properly. I found out that the Anvil 5 gallon mark is actually 5.5 gallons, so I can safely assume that the markings are about 1/2 gallon low. I also devised a way to push more beer through my chiller to make sure I recover as much liquid as possible. This allowed me to drop my volume loss from the BK to FV from 1/2 gallon to 1/4 gallon.
I wound up with a 72% brewhouse efficiency which is quite a bit better than my last batch where I barely hit ~68%. My main problem is I put too much in the fermentor and did a bad job of recovering the liquid in my counterflow chiller.
Now, I realize that BH efficiency can never be more than your mash efficiency. I also realize that because of my hoses, pump, and chiller, I'll always have some volume loss which will bring my BH efficiency down.
Now, I realize this is a very subjective topic, and I also realize consistency is more important than efficiency, but I'm a numbers guy and I hate leaving anything on the table. Is 82% mash efficiency and 72% BH efficiency considered a respectable outcome?
My brewhouse efficiency on the other hand has been a little all over the place, and I believe that's because I've done a poor job of measuring my volumes. Around the same time I upgraded to a HERMS system, I also bought an Anvil Bucket Fermentor. I was warned that the volume markings were a little low, but instead of measuring for myself, I always just guessed how far they were off.
Before brewing my latest batch of beer, I decided to just be done with it and measure it properly. I found out that the Anvil 5 gallon mark is actually 5.5 gallons, so I can safely assume that the markings are about 1/2 gallon low. I also devised a way to push more beer through my chiller to make sure I recover as much liquid as possible. This allowed me to drop my volume loss from the BK to FV from 1/2 gallon to 1/4 gallon.
I wound up with a 72% brewhouse efficiency which is quite a bit better than my last batch where I barely hit ~68%. My main problem is I put too much in the fermentor and did a bad job of recovering the liquid in my counterflow chiller.
Now, I realize that BH efficiency can never be more than your mash efficiency. I also realize that because of my hoses, pump, and chiller, I'll always have some volume loss which will bring my BH efficiency down.
Now, I realize this is a very subjective topic, and I also realize consistency is more important than efficiency, but I'm a numbers guy and I hate leaving anything on the table. Is 82% mash efficiency and 72% BH efficiency considered a respectable outcome?
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