Very high efficiency

Hi all,
I just opened my first bottle of homebrew, and it is BANGIN', so I wanted to lead off with a huge "Than you" to everyone in the HBT community. Furthermore, I brewed my third batch tonight (first time homemaking the recipe, all grain BIAB). I had predicted it (via brewersfriend) to come out around 1.062 OG, estimating a 75% efficiency rate. Honestly, I thought this was high for my simple little system. However, after brewing tonight, I've come to find it's MUCH better than that. I wound up with a larger volume than expected of wort that hit 1.073 OG! I squeeze/rinse my bag when I brew, but holy cow, this seems really high. I even thought my mash temp was kinda low (struck it low so it rode at about 148 for an hour), but hey, no point in fixing what isn't broken. Anyone know what could be contributing to this high efficiency? My grains are double milled and the bag is a very fine mesh, but I still thought the 75% was a high estimate.

Thanks again, everyone. You guys rock

 

Did you get the volume you had estimated?

 

And this came from where??



To the OP, 11 points and an increase in volume? I'd would suggest instead of an increase in efficiency you may have experienced an increase in the gravitational pull of the Earth at the very moment you measured your grain.
Kidding around of course but that does sound more like a measuring error

 

If this were the case the volume would increase and gravity would decrease.

OP, by chance is this a darker beer than your first two batches?

 

This is about on par with my last one (also a porter). Volume was more than I expected. It came from the brewersfriend recipe calculator, so there's that. I haven't gotten around to water specs yet as that's a little more advanced than I'm ready for. The tap is delicious though, if that amounts to anything.

 

Recipe calculated 1.062 with a 75% efficiency. 1.073 would be closer to 90% efficiency. Not impossible, but extremely unlikely.

If your gravity readings are correct, then something else may have happened: Incorrect volume, you had more grain than you thought, Missing ingredient in the calculator, or something else.

I usually get low 80s with my batch sparge set-up. Occasionally I've had 90%, and every time I do, I go looking for what the cause was. In one instance it was an extra lb of grain in the mash. Sometimes it is real.

 

depending on the volume increase his efficiency will be above 100%.....impossible. Measuring errors somewhere

 

My reply was merely to state that as you approach 1.010 you're diluting the wort, not extracting anything that will up the gravity. He has additional volume and additional gravity than his prediction. Tannin extraction from oversparging will result in higher volume but lower gravity than the prediction.

If this is not what you were talking about don't mind me. I merely made my assumption based on your reference to acidification of sparge water.

 

he did BIAB , very little sparging if any. Although he does mention "rinsing" the grains

 

I brew in a sheer curtain, squeeze the HELL out of it, rinse (which, in my mind, is like my "sparging" but for BIAB), and squeeze again to really get everything out of the grains that I can. I'm certain about the grain measurements. The grains were very fine, including the oats (instant oats because why not). I may be RIGHT at the volume, but I honestly believe that I'm over. It's bare-minimum 1.5 gallons, and we used 3.5lbs of grain in total. No sugars or DME or anything. I'm also fairly certain about the gravity reading. I measured it within 1 degree of my hydro's calibrated temp, and I read at the ictus (at the center it read more like 1.076, like you would expect). Guys, I think I brewed at the far end of a wormhole that steals other people's sugars.

 

Crush was the same or finer than last time?

 

Thanks, Doug! Here's hoping tomorrow's DIPA goes the same way!

 

That's an awesome graphic, man. I'm glad my LHBS guy advised me to sparge, although he advised against squeezing. I just got some gloves and sucked it up It's actually the same amount of grains, but it's 3lbs 2-row pale and a half pound of crystal 30, plus 6oz of cane sugar. All going under 1oz of equinox hops (i have 4 ounces, so i want to do a single-hop and explore its flavors a little).