After setting up my new rig my last four batches have yielded 94 percent. I am not bragging. I am confused. I know my numbers are right. The last four batches have consistently resulted the same. For example, 22.78 lbs grain in 13.35 gallon preboil ends up 1.058. That is my gravity at 60 degrees. I do everything to a T. I have hashed over these numbers over and over and I can only chalk it up to having a 94 percent efficiency. I know that high efficiencies are not necessarily good. I recently heard John Palmer talking about how a congress mash does not make a good beer. I am just trying to figure my new system out. One thing to note is that I did do a 90 min mash, but I would not see how that would jack up my number like that. Any thoughts?
94 percent efficiency?
- Thread starter Dok
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Where are you getting your grains milled? What do they look like? Can you post a picture?
I get 88% eff on big beers, and as high as 94% on small beers. I got an MM3 for christmas, before that I had around 65-70% with my LHBS's mill. I currently have thegap on my mill at 0.036", which is the smallest I can go and still have intact hulls. I have also noticed an IMPROVEMENT with the higher efficiency.
As long as you are not having stuck sparges or extracting tannins during your sparge, I don't see anything wrong with high efficiency. It does mean that you have to be aware of the other factors effecting tannin extraction, though.
I get 88% eff on big beers, and as high as 94% on small beers. I got an MM3 for christmas, before that I had around 65-70% with my LHBS's mill. I currently have thegap on my mill at 0.036", which is the smallest I can go and still have intact hulls. I have also noticed an IMPROVEMENT with the higher efficiency.
As long as you are not having stuck sparges or extracting tannins during your sparge, I don't see anything wrong with high efficiency. It does mean that you have to be aware of the other factors effecting tannin extraction, though.
I too have been getting high efficiency on my most recent batches. I've been doing 90min mashes and 90min boils. Beersmith automatically adjusts for more sparge water when doing a longer boil and that's why I'm getting higher efficiency. Now that I have a big ass pot on big beers I'm getting near 90% as well. Hell my most recent attempt was intended to be a 1.095 barleywine. I ended up with a full gallon more post boil and 1.103. I'm not complaining in the least. I'm so glad I have a refractometer to check things on the fly so I can easily adjust.
I am also running with a monster mill 3. I have my gap set at .040 or .035. I forget I should measure it and write it down finally. I do on occasion condition my malt to make for more pliable husks.
I am also running with a monster mill 3. I have my gap set at .040 or .035. I forget I should measure it and write it down finally. I do on occasion condition my malt to make for more pliable husks.
152-149 on my last few batches.
I mill my grains on a "Barley Crusher" brand mill on the factory setting. Pretty standard. No stuck sparges but I would like to avoid tannins.
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Odds are good that the real extract potential of the malt you used is higher than what your calculator uses.
Mash time should have no real effect. All that matters is complete conversion. The boil length on the other hand does because you will need more water in the mash and more water will increase BHE.
Overall efficiency is not a good way to judge wort quality. Conversion is what is important. If you have poor conversion you may have to over sparge to even yield 70% BHE. I think anyone getting that low of BHE (without topping off) has mash issues.
Mash time should have no real effect. All that matters is complete conversion. The boil length on the other hand does because you will need more water in the mash and more water will increase BHE.
Overall efficiency is not a good way to judge wort quality. Conversion is what is important. If you have poor conversion you may have to over sparge to even yield 70% BHE. I think anyone getting that low of BHE (without topping off) has mash issues.
I suspect what is happening is the dissolved solids from my grain bed is in the wort and is effecting my gravity. My mash is usually 1.4-1.5 q/#. My MLT is 10 gallon igloo full to the top. When I recirculate the grains are still suspended and the grain bed is not set. I start my fly sparge when the water is about 2-3 inches above the grain bed. I think the solids are not properly filtered from the first runnings because the grain bed is not set. I think a lower grist/water ratio obviously would give me more MLT space. I could just batch sparge, or just try recirculating a lot more to set the grain bed.
jaginger
Well-Known Member
I believe the solids would actually have to be *dissolved* (like sugars) in order to affect the gravity. Are there solids from the grain bed other than sugars which can be dissolved? I suspect there aren't enough there to affect the gravity, but that's from a relatively new brewer who hasn't taken chemistry in a really long time.
This is correct. Non-soluble solids do not generally affect gravity. The caveat to this is that if the liquid is so mucky that you're getting things binding to your hydrometer, all the gunk can raft the hydrometer to the surface and distort your reading. There are plenty of other things that are in solution in your beer, but they are a trivial quantity relative to the sugars and alcohols.
bullinachinashop
Well-Known Member
I average 82-86% in my cooler tun with cpvc manifold using a very simple fly sparge.
I've gotten as high as 91%.
The only thing you really need to worry about (other than ph) is taking runnings below 1.010. As long as you stop your sparge there, you should be fine as far as tannins go.
Dialing in your system can take a number of sessions. Just make sure your volumes are correct.
Bull
I've gotten as high as 91%.
The only thing you really need to worry about (other than ph) is taking runnings below 1.010. As long as you stop your sparge there, you should be fine as far as tannins go.
Dialing in your system can take a number of sessions. Just make sure your volumes are correct.
Bull
I was thinking that my numbers really changed after I began doing a constant sparge. I bought a sparge arm and that is when my numbers took off. Also The sparge arm made me really slow down on my draining the MLT. So I guess 90% doing a constant sparge is not unusual. Thanks guys.
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