Actual brewhouse efficiency and what to do with it

[ph0ngwh0ng]

Hey all,

I'm pretty new to AG (and brewing alltogether) but I have refined my technique over the few batches I brewed. My process is fairly stable (boil off rate, stable mash temps, stirring well when sparging, etc)

Just brewed today and hit a 90,8% brewhouse efficiency.

Then I thought: "Hey, yay me, but if I want to stick to the style of the recipe I'm brewin, shouldn't I be hitting the recipes estimated OG and all?"

So, my question is:

Should I update my brewhouse efficiency value in Beersmith to the value I'm constantly hitting? And if so, does it mean I have to adapt the recipes so that I achieve the same results intended by the recipe designer? Or do people simply top off with some water to dilute and reduce their OG, same as they would add DME to raise OG if theirs was low?

 

[afr0byte]

Hey all,

I'm pretty new to AG (and brewing alltogether) but I have refined my technique over the few batches I brewed. My process is fairly stable (boil off rate, stable mash temps, stirring well when sparging, etc)

Just brewed today and hit a 90,8% brewhouse efficiency.

Then I thought: "Hey, yay me, but if I want to stick to the style of the recipe I'm brewin, shouldn't I be hitting the recipes estimated OG and all?"

So, my question is:

Should I update my brewhouse efficiency value in Beersmith to the value I'm constantly hitting? And if so, does it mean I have to adapt the recipes so that I achieve the same results intended by the recipe designer? Or do people simply top off with some water to dilute and reduce their OG, same as they would add DME to raise OG if theirs was low?

I just scale the recipes.

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

oh. ok then.

 

[cavalrymsh]

I would check, then recheck, and then let someone else check my calculations, my data control points, my sampling procedures, adjustments for temperature, equipment calibration etc, before I began wholesale changes in scaling recipes based on a 91% brewhouse efficiency. That's exceptional for brewhouse efficiency.

 

[mytommygundont]

What was the starting gravity of your recipe? The higher the gravity the lower the efficiency. So you will have to adjust your anticipated efficiency based on the OG of the recipe.

As for Beersmith: I'm assuming you got your efficiency from Beersmith's calculations. If that is the case, did you get the batch size that was programmed in? When I was first dialing in my system, I got excellent efficiency(by Beersmith's calculations) but I wasn't hitting my batch size.

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

I would check, then recheck, and then let someone else check my calculations, my data control points, my sampling procedures, adjustments for temperature, equipment calibration etc, before I began wholesale changes in scaling recipes based on a 91% brewhouse efficiency. That's exceptional for brewhouse efficiency.

I'm a math teacher and I'm mad about verifying results

Everything is verified. I'm quite certain, however, that I can't assume I'll constantly hit 90%. So, I'm not changing anything, yet.

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

What was the starting gravity of your recipe? The higher the gravity the lower the efficiency. So you will have to adjust your anticipated efficiency based on the OG of the recipe.

As for Beersmith: I'm assuming you got your efficiency from Beersmith's calculations. If that is the case, did you get the batch size that was programmed in? When I was first dialing in my system, I got excellent efficiency(by Beersmith's calculations) but I wasn't hitting my batch size.

Estimated OG was 1.045 (pretty low) for 2.0 gallons into fermenter. I got 1.045 for 2.5 gallons. So no, I didn't hit my batch size, but I could have with a longer boil. Then my OG would have been way too high at 1.056.

 

[cavalrymsh]

I'm a math teacher and I'm mad about verifying results

Everything is verified. I'm quite certain, however, that I can't assume I'll constantly hit 90%. So, I'm not changing anything, yet.

Are you interested in sharing your recipe, brew day stats and processes? I'm sure there are o load of folks who would run the numbers fir fun and fellowship. If you've cracked the code on +90 brewhouse efficiency not only I but a lot of pro breweries would like to copy.

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

If you've cracked the code on +90 brewhouse efficiency not only I but a lot of pro breweries would like to copy.

HAhah yes indeed. Here goes:

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Port'O Palmer 2 gal
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: Brown Porter
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30,0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 2,76 gal
Post Boil Volume: 2,18 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 2,00 gal
Bottling Volume: 1,75 gal
Estimated OG: 1,045 SG
Estimated Color: 34,1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 88,5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72,00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75,6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2 lbs 14,7 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2,0 SRM) Grain 1 82,9 %
3,9 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60,0 SRM) Grain 2 6,9 %
3,9 oz Chocolate Malt (500,0 SRM) Grain 3 6,9 %
1,9 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500,0 SRM) Grain 4 3,4 %
0,46 oz Nugget [13,00 %] - Boil 60,0 min Hop 5 62,9 IBUs
0,35 oz Willamette [5,50 %] - Boil 40,0 min Hop 6 17,5 IBUs
0,23 oz Willamette [5,50 %] - Boil 20,0 min Hop 7 8,1 IBUs
1,0 pkg American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [124,21 Yeast 8 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 3 lbs 8,3 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 4,40 qt of water at 163,7 F 152,0 F 60 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 3 steps (0,24gal, 0,92gal, 0,92gal) of 168,0 F water Did two steps of 1 gallon each approx.
Notes:
------


Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First, let me say my thermometer and hydrometer are well calibrated. All gravity readings have been temperature corrected using Beersmith.

1. Weigh grain on digital scale. Fine grind. Learned here on HBT. I batch sparge, so not afraid of it getting stucked.
2. Preheat cooler with 180F water all the way to the top with lid on. Wait 10 minutes.
3. Dump water, add strike water. Add grain, stir well, take temp: 154,3F. Put Reflectix bubble insulation on top of the mash (not touching). Close lid.
4. After 30 minutes, stir well: 153,2F.
5. After 60 minutes: 152,3F.
6. Vorlauf, drain.
7. Add 1 gallon of 175F water. Stir well. Close lid. Wait 5 minutes. Vorlauf. Drain. Repeat. Volume in kettle: 2,75 gallons. Pre-boil gravity: 1.041.
8. Boil for 60 minutes. Volume at the end: 2,6 gallons. Cool with immersion chiller.
9. Pitch yeast, filter out trub, volume in fermenter: 2,5 gallons. OG: 1.045.

Feel free to ask any questions you'd like. I'll do my best to answer them. I may have overlooked something here. As I said, I'm fairly new to brewing so... who knows.

 

[cavalrymsh]

Slow day at 'work' so I ran thru all the numbers by hand (using values out of Palmer's table). I came up with 89.5x % BE. Palmer's malt potential values are probably slightly different than Brad's which would account for the slight difference. I think you're spot on with your grind - it seems to be giving you a heckuva Mash Efficiency, and your process is cleaning the sugars out to the boil pot nicely. Kudos! You'll have to post a photo of your mini-rig for bragging rights. Also, please explain step 9. Is this system or equipment specific? More common to see chill, followed by decant to fermenter, (pull an OG) and then pitch yeast.

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

Slow day at 'work' so I ran thru all the numbers by hand (using values out of Palmer's table). I came up with 89.5x % BE. Palmer's malt potential values are probably slightly different than Brad's which would account for the slight difference. I think you're spot on with your grind - it seems to be giving you a heckuva Mash Efficiency, and your process is cleaning the sugars out to the boil pot nicely. Kudos! You'll have to post a photo of your mini-rig for bragging rights.

Nothing special, just a round cooler mash tun with SS braid with a kettle on a vitroceramic stove top. The Reflectix bubble wrap stuff really helps keeping temps stable, along with preheating the tun. Batch sparge lets me have a good grind and I follow Bobby M instructions to the letter and stir the hell out of the mash when sparging.

Also, please explain step 9. Is this system or equipment specific? More common to see chill, followed by decant to fermenter, (pull an OG) and then pitch yeast.

Since the weight is small, I transfer the chilled wort from the kettle into the carboy using a sanitized funnel and fine strainer after pitching the yeast. I like measurements to be as exact as possible (math teacher, remember) so I wine thief a sample after that to pull the OG.

The process oxygenates the wort a bit, then I rock the carboy for 5 minutes, splashing all the good stuff around, for more oxygen.