Slipping Efficiency

[Newbeerguy]

Well kinda had a SNAFU the last couple of brewdays....here is the scoop

My efficiency has gone out the window (from consistent 75% to 78%) to 65%and 50% today

Little backround:

I crush my own grains (BC set at .030)
Mash for 60 mins (temp. depending on style) 1.25qts/lb
Always Batch Sparge with 175 degree water
Checked, double checked, and triple checked my volumes.....Volume has been spot on and gravity outta mash tun has been low.

I have made well over 50 batches and for whatever reason these last 2 have gotten me terrible efficiency. Not sure what has changed to cause my issues here. Any suggestions?

 

[mccumath]

Did you make any changes to your barley crusher? Clean it and increase the gap by chance? And what styles of beer were you brewing? With wheat I always get a lower efficiency than with barley.

I think you need to re-gap your barely crusher, as that seems like the likely culprit.

Ryan M.

 

[Newbeerguy]

Did you make any changes to you barley crusher? Clean it and increase the gap by chance? And what styles of beer were you brewing? With wheat I always get a lower efficiency that with barley.

I think you need to re-gap your barely crusher, as that seems like the likely culprit.

Ryan M.

Nope haven't messed with the BC this year....that has me wondering now, actually I took the last 4-5 months off brewing and haven't even checked the gap since then.....

Also todays batch (the 50% efficiency) was a wheat - 70% Wheat and 30% Pils.

Gonna go check the crusher now! Thanks for the suggestion Ryan

 

[mccumath]

Nope haven't messed with the BC this year....that has me wondering now, actually I took the last 4-5 months off brewing and haven't even checked the gap since then.....

Also todays batch (the 50% efficiency) was a wheat - 70% Wheat and 30% Pils.

Gonna go check the crusher now! Thanks for the suggestion Ryan

No problem. I changed up LHBS a few months ago, and increased my efficiencies from high 60's and low 70's to mid to high 80's by crush alone. It may just be that your crusher loosened up a bit/is loose (which could explain your variations in efficiencies also). And, expect a slighlty lower efficiency with wheats (I think that mashing for an additional 30 mins with wheat bills is recommended).

Let us know what you find out!

Ryan M.

 

[Newbeerguy]

No problem. I changed up LHBS a few months ago, and increased my efficiencies from high 60's and low 70's to mid to high 80's by crush alone. It may just be that your crusher loosened up a bit/is loose (which could explain your variations in efficiencies also). And, expect a slighlty lower efficiency with wheats (I think that mashing for an additional 30 mins with wheat bills is recommended).

Let us know what you find out!

Ryan M.

Well it was sitting at .031 but one of the locking screws was a tad loose, maybe the roller was moving when the grains were passing through? Hmm I did tighten it up a tad to .029, but much more than that and I am afraid I will start getting lautering issues.

 

[mccumath]

Lautering issues??? Naaaaahhh! I bet that fixes your issue though.

Ryan M.

 

[Newbeerguy]

Lautering issues??? Naaaaahhh! I bet that fixes your issue though.

Ryan M.

I am going to give it a shot tomorrow. I'll report back with the results. Hopefully a stuck sparge isn't one of them haha, that's all I'd need now. Actually might run some malt through it now to see how much flour I am getting.

Other than that, can you think of anything else I maybe overlooking?

 

[Newbeerguy]

Here is what my crush is looking like now:

 

[mccumath]

Rest of the process looks pretty solid. I double batch sparge to eek out a few extra points, but otherwise if you have not changed anything, my best guess is still the crush.

Ryan M.

 

[mccumath]

What are you using for your mash tun? That looks decent, but I still think you could tighten that gap up just a bit more.

 

[Newbeerguy]

What are you using for your mash tun? That looks decent, but I still think you could tighten that gap up just a bit more.

Its a 10gal Gatorade cooler with a Jaybird false bottom.

 

[Newbeerguy]

Rest of the process looks pretty solid. I double batch sparge to eek out a few extra points, but otherwise if you have not changed anything, my best guess is still the crush.

Ryan M.

I might go back to the double batch sparge. I did this all the time with my 5 gallon tun, but haven't "had" too with my 10 gal one.

 

[mccumath]

Would adjust your gap a little tighter, and brew a batch with a single sparge. Then figure out what your efficiency is, and make small adjustmemts from there.

Imagine it will be pretty easy to get back to where you are.

Let us know what you come up with.

Ryan M.

 

[Newbeerguy]

Would adjust your gap a little tighter, and brew a batch with a single sparge. Then figure out what your efficiency is, and make small adjustmemts from there.

Imagine it will be pretty easy to get back to where you are.

Let us know what you come up with.

Ryan M.

I will do and I'll report back with results. Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[Newbeerguy]

Just a follow up on this.

I brewed a batch last weekend. Tightened the mill a touch more but still only did a single batch sparge. Wheat was 50% of that grainbill. Ended up with 71.5% eff. out of the mash tun.

I also brewed today and I tightened the mill even more (sitting at .022). I also double batch sparged. Wheat only made up 20% of this grain bill. I ended up with 84.7% eff out of the mash tun.

What a difference.

I am going to brew another batch (no wheat in the grain bill) and see if my eff. changes at all.


I am still getting used to my new setup and all the bits of wort I lose along the way.....my overall total eff. is still sitting at 70% (according to Beersmith) but in reality I am doing much better than that. The amount of wort I lose to the pump, whirpool, cooling, ect. all count against my total eff. I wish there was a way in Beersmith to change that....I loose approx. 1 gallon of finished wort to the above things and that really lowers the brewhouse eff. Oh well I guess....still making beer

 

[wolfman_48442]

I think John Palmer mentioned somewhere that wheat grains are physically a little smaller than barley, which might cause a worse crush and also worse efficiency on a high-wheat content grist.
I have no idea how much smaller they really are, but the numbers you're seeing make me wonder.

 

[Newbeerguy]

I think John Palmer mentioned somewhere that wheat grains are physically a little smaller than barley, which might cause a worse crush and also worse efficiency on a high-wheat content grist.
I have no idea how much smaller they really are, but the numbers you're seeing make me wonder.

Yes, they are also harder as well. When I am milling the grains, I can feel more resistance on the drill when I am milling wheat.