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Room temp sparge water isn’t helping you. Are you batch or fly sparging? Describe your whole mash and lautering process with as much detail as you can. Even with my terrible tap water I can get 80-82%. What is your efficiency target?

I am not sure of the specifics of your recipe, but I am just starting to drink a beer that iis on the top end of the IPA scale and bottom end of the IIPA scale. It took about 5 weeks in a 70 degree heated freezer to carbonate and mellow out. This was after 2 weeks in the primary and 2 weeks in...

Ditto. LHBS crush = 70ish% efficiency...or worse. Do the math on the potential savings, and buy yourself a barley crusher regardless of the potential payback.:rockin:

I am not sure of his problem, but I bought a pound of Galena last year. It should be used in moderation. ;) I read that it should be mild and citusy, but IMHO it can get pretty wild if used in excess. You may be fine with the Centennial.

Don't worry...you made beer :) Glad your BoilerMaker worked well!

I would enter your recipe into beersmith far sooner than that, like a week or two sooner, but that is just me. Why are your pouring into a bucket, then pouring into a glass primary? Can you either siphon into the glass primary, or ferment in the bucket? It seems like one more source of...

I was just in a similar situation, looking for MLT #4 (yes, my 4th one). I ended up buying a 62 qt X-treme at K-mart for 39.99. If I can find one in Northern Minnesota in February, you should be able to find one anywhere. I should add, this was after visiting Walmart, Target, and Sam's Club...

The things that have helped my efficiency are: 1. Crush 2. Stirring very well at dough in, then every 15 minutes. 3. Mash-out 4. Stirring very well during each batch sparge. I did lose 5% efficiency this year when I moved. I believe that the water is much different and has caused the...

How hot was your wort when you took your hydro sample? Hydrometers are calibrated for 60F, and higher temps can have a huge impact on the reading. For example, if you took your reading at the mash temperature of 158F, and got a reading of 1.025, the actual SG would be 1.046 after the...

Yes I have one. No I haven't calibrated it. I am going to check it at 32F tomorrow, but it is right on at 212F. I have another one from a different source that my wife got for Christmas last year. It is off by 5F with no calibration.

+1 10 gallon batches +1 20 gallon batches +1 start growing hops +1 purchase 40 acres and start growing barley +1 dig salt water pond to grow seaweed to make irish moss ...dude, this hobby never ends...you have taken the first dark baby step towards the vortex of beeritude. Just wait...

I have 3 MLT's. A keggle with a false bottom, 1/2" SS pick-up tube and wrapped with foil covered bubble wrap insulation., a 62 qt. Coleman X-treme, and a 37 qt Coleman X-treme, both with drilled PVC pipe manifolds. I like the keggle the best. The shape is easy to stir, I can add direct heat...

I recirc with my direct fired keggle MLT. I think that it is worth 4-5% if I recirc while heating up for the mash-out, about 15 minutes in total. I brewed a blonde about 3 weeks ago and got major husky flavors. I think that the extended recirc is causing me to pick up some off flavors. I...

This problem has been known about for years. Haven't you ever heard of a protein rest? :ban: Someone had to say it.

I have a similar philosophy. I wait until dough in of my second mash.:drunk:

80% brewhouse efficiency on both batches to boot! :D

I brewed my first "stacked" double 10 gallon batch of the winter season. I have a 3 keggle setup, and I haven't been able to brew double batches in the winter because in the summer I run my cooler off the garden hose, and in the winter I need to use one of my kegs to hold cold water pumped...

10 gallons is a big step up from five........but you will soon be figuring out how to do 20's :D. I wasn't overly anal about sanitation when I was doing 5 gallon batches. I got moderately concerned when I started doing 10's. When I moved up to 20's, I got anal about EVERYTHING. I can't...

If you are in maple country, you could try to use sap instead of water. It won't add that many fermentables as this is only equal to about a pint of syrup, but it would be neat to try. We are only a couple of months from sap season!

I have been pulling off 10 gallon batches in a 34 qt. coleman X-treme for a while now. You should be OK.