Wort Collected

[brewmathew]

I seem to get only 5 gallons of pre boil wort (targeting 7) by the time I reach 1.010 gravity reading from the drain. Yet I am hitting 85% efficiency on the 5 gallons. What can I do different?

 

[shtoive87]

Add water to the preboil collection to hit the desired preboil volume. Use more grain of the gravity is off.


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[PlinyTheMiddleAged]

I seem to get only 5 gallons of pre boil wort (targeting 7) by the time I reach 1.010 gravity reading from the drain. Yet I am hitting 85% efficiency on the 5 gallons. What can I do different?

Getting 85% efficiency with your 5 gallons means something on the order of 60% if you top off with water. If you post a little about your process (sounds like fly sparging) - maybe give an example of a grain bill, I'm sure someone will have some suggestions to help. However, my guess is that a majority will ask about your crush. Have any pictures of your crushed grain?

Cheers!

 

[shtoive87]

Efficiency is sugar collected divided by sugar available. It shouldn't have anything to do with volume.


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[PlinyTheMiddleAged]

Efficiency is sugar collected divided by sugar available. It shouldn't have anything to do with volume.


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Shtoive87,

Here's a handy calculator that helps compute efficiency. Also on the page are the definitions of the various efficiencies usually used in brewing. All the ones that are on that page use water volume.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/brewhouse-efficiency/

Change the volume on that page (the default wort volume is 6.5 gallons) and the efficiency changes. Check it out.

Cheers!

 

[shtoive87]

Yes but that assumes you're talking about the same gravity with different volumes. He's claiming 85% efficiency without stating his preboil gravity.


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[blakelyc]

Yes but that assumes you're talking about the same gravity with different volumes. He's claiming 85% efficiency without stating his preboil gravity.


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The original post stated 5 gallons pre-boil. But in any case, volume is required to calculate potential gravity points. Otherwise, just pulling low volumes would make it appear that your efficiency was artificially high.

From Beersmith:
(potential_pts) = (grain_pts) * (weight lbs) / volume_gals
and
(efficiency) = (measured_pts) / (potential_pts)

Sounds like the OP is hitting his pre-boil OG, cutting the run-off at 1.010, and ending with a lower-than-expected volume. Common culprit would be the crush, or a recipe issue caused by not understanding one's true brewhouse efficiency. To the OP: What efficiency are you using to calculate your recipe expectations?

-b

 

[paperairplane]

Stop worrying about numbers - it's not a contest.

To fix your issue, increase your grain bill and sparge more.