Need some advice

[boydak]

Hello,
I began began brewing extract in the mid 90's and was quite happy. A few years ago I began BIAB/partial mash and noticed the beer was better.

Last year I finally had enough equipment to be a all grain brewer.

I utilize BeerSmith III. How do you figure out what your efficiency is? I keep randomly decreasing it to see if that helps.
I have not hit my gravity numbers once. Last two batches were also a gallon or more shy.

I have a 10 gallon igloo cooler for a mash tun, I still use the bag.
I have a 10 gallon brew pot heated with a propane turkey fryer.
I have a LHBS that mills my grain.

Is my boil too aggressive and that is why I am loosing volume?

I follow the BeerSmith numbers pretty closely.

The beer still comes out way better than extract, but I want to learn more about the why's.

Thanks for any insight.

 

[bracconiere]

I utilize BeerSmith III. How do you figure out what your efficiency is?

i just adjust it after my brew day to what ever my OG works out to be....

Is my boil too aggressive and that is why I am loosing volume?

probably? saves money on propane with a lighter boil also! (on a side note, a lesson i learned. you don't want noise either....adjust the air intake so that the flame is touching the burner, and all blue...started saving a lot more gas when i realized jet engines sounds just mean uncombusted gas)

 

[kh54s10]

You will need to get your volumes right first. If they are off everything else will be off. Find out what your boil off rate is so that you collect enough pre-boil wort.

Brew the batch, see what your efficiency is and put that in the BH efficiency field on the design page. Adjust that over time to the average of your brews. It will never be exact.

I don't automatically follow BS volumes. I know that for my system I need just over 7 gallons pre-boil to end up with about 5.25 gallons into the fermenter.

You only need a consistent rolling in the boil. It doesn't have to look like all hell broke loose.

You are also going to get some inconsistency unless the LHBS mills the grain to the same level every time. Get your own mill.

 

[IslandLizard]

I have a LHBS that mills my grain.

That can be a big issue. Most LHBS mill way too coarsely, tanking your mash efficiency.
A longer mash and good stirring can help as does incorporating a dunk sparge.

You are also going to get some inconsistency unless the LHBS mills the grain to the same level every time. Get your own mill.

If you're serious about brewing having your own mill is part of the equation. You can also buy a sack of grain, or split one with another brewer, for less $ than buying by the pound, which will recoup your mill investment over time.

 

[bracconiere]

If you're serious about brewing having your own mill is part of the equation.

LOL, i do have my own mill...but i swear the reason i get cussed out most of the time is because i DON'T take brewing seriously!

edit: and what i meant to say to the OP, was, don't stress too much....


edit #2: a mill runs ~$150, figuring a normal habit of 18-20 beers a day, and at $20 a 30 pack....it would pay for itself after just a couple batches of $2 twelve packs.....(if you really need a mill man PM me, i'll drop ship one to you in june, lol)

 

[boydak]

Thank you everybody!!! Great suggestions.

I need to:
1. Learn to use Beer Smith better
2. Buy my own mill
3. Slow my roll, on the boil

Like I said before, the beer is way better than my extract days. I always RHAHB.

Thanks again

 

[IslandLizard]

2. Buy my own mill

As said before, a Corona corn mill (some generic knock off) can be had for $25. A 2-roller mill will set you back $100-180, they're pretty much an investment for life. Also look on classified listings, CL, homebrew club, etc.

 

[bracconiere]

2. Buy my own mill

you know i wasn't joking right? LOL i see morebeer has a nice 3 roller one for $170.....

https://www.morebeer.com/products/malt-muncher-3-roller-grain-mill.html


if your birthday was in june it'd just be gravy! (yes i'm slightly mad)

edit: i donate hundreds to college scholarships, and dying cancer kids....i'm more then willing to help someone stand up to drug dealers!! (don't like them one bit)

 

[day_trippr]

If one is going to actually depend on Beersmith to make reasonable predictions, one really needs to get their Equipment Profile dialed in first. Literally everything the program does is based on the Equipment Profile combined with a legit Mash Profile and finally a Fermentation Profile that makes sense. That's also the order of most impact.

I fought this mightily years ago (it was a combination of things including The Gui From CrazyTown ) only to find little correlation with what my beer was doing and what Beersmith thought it should be doing. But I finally gave in and got all OC about tuning profiles, and now what Beersmith thinks should happen actually happens

Cheers!

 

[bracconiere]

If one is going to actually depend on Beersmith to make reasonable predictions, one really needs to get their Equipment Profile dialed in first. Literally everything the program does is based on the Equipment Profile combined with a legit Mash Profile and finally a Fermentation Profile that makes sense. That's also the order of most impact.

I fought this mightily years ago (it was a combination of things including The Gui From CrazyTown ) only to find little correlation with what my beer was doing and what Beersmith thought it should be doing. But I finally gave in and got all OC about tuning profiles, and now what Beersmith thinks should happen actually happens

Cheers!

the only thing i've noticed beersmith is off on is pre-boil gravity....i have too guess my OG will be 3 points lower then what it tells me, from a pre-boil....(not that it matters so much, just in a hurry)