discokid2k
Well-Known Member
Hello HBT- I have an efficiency question because I am consistently missing my OG. By my calculations from this link, I am coming in at about 76% brewhouse efficiency for today and using the calculation from beersmith, I am consistent on my brew house efficiency. http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/10/26/brewhouse-efficiency-for-all-grain-beer-brewing/
Question: should I continue to be worried about my extraction efficiency vs. my overall brewhouse efficiency? Am I doing the calculations wrong? Missing a crucial point somewhere? My brews have steadily gotten better and I have learned a lot but I cannot for some reason get this one issue figured out.
But before I begin, yes I have read the stickies on efficiency, read through a lot of threads, studied Palmer's book, etc, and have monitored the numerous parameters through several batches, always ending with the same reult of me missing my OG by a large margin. The only aspect of Flyguy's sticky on batch sparging I have not tried is buying my own mill, mainly due to the space and the wife. I have too much beer junk according to her, preposterous, I know
I have begun requesting that my brew shops crush my grain twice and I order from AHS, which is staffed by some great people so I think they have been cordial enough to crush my grain twice.
Tonights brew day was a Dortmunder style lager with details listed below and if I left out a detail that may help, just let me know. I didn't drink, took great notes so I have all the specifics...hopefully.
11.25lbs total grist
10.75lbs Pale malt
4 oz carapils
4 oz Crystal 20L
Batch size 5.25 gal
60 min boil
Expected OG 1.055
Actual OG 1.042 (read a 1.036, corrected for temp .0026 and hydrometer correction .004-my hydrometer reads .096 in water at 60*)
1.036+.0026+.004=1.042
Brew365 stated that I needed 3.5 gal mash water and 5.6 gal sparge water. I heated my mash water to 172 and hit 160* and after adding 1qt of water+stirring a lot, I hit 153* which was pretty darn close. I heated only 5 gal of sparge water since I added the 1qt and added the full volume, 5 gal to the tun after my 60 min and positive conversion test (adding the full volume was a new step to try an increase the viscosity, I usually mash out, and then sparge). I hit 165*, not the 170* I wanted but still close. I held the 165* for 10 minutes before draining the tun.
Note* I used 5 gal instead of the 5.6gal because of the efficiency issue. I figured I was pulling too much instead so I tried to compensate for this ahead of time.
I measured my runnings, in a 2 gal bucket. I collected 6 gal and an extra 1/2 gal to rouse my yeast starter after a quick boil. Boil went as planned, ended up with 5.25 gal on the dot. I measured my trub loss and that came in at 1/2 gal.
After all was said and done, my calculation is efficiency=actual points/expected points
42/55= .763= 76%
Any thoughts or advice is appreciated!
Question: should I continue to be worried about my extraction efficiency vs. my overall brewhouse efficiency? Am I doing the calculations wrong? Missing a crucial point somewhere? My brews have steadily gotten better and I have learned a lot but I cannot for some reason get this one issue figured out.
But before I begin, yes I have read the stickies on efficiency, read through a lot of threads, studied Palmer's book, etc, and have monitored the numerous parameters through several batches, always ending with the same reult of me missing my OG by a large margin. The only aspect of Flyguy's sticky on batch sparging I have not tried is buying my own mill, mainly due to the space and the wife. I have too much beer junk according to her, preposterous, I know
I have begun requesting that my brew shops crush my grain twice and I order from AHS, which is staffed by some great people so I think they have been cordial enough to crush my grain twice. Tonights brew day was a Dortmunder style lager with details listed below and if I left out a detail that may help, just let me know. I didn't drink, took great notes so I have all the specifics...hopefully.
11.25lbs total grist
10.75lbs Pale malt
4 oz carapils
4 oz Crystal 20L
Batch size 5.25 gal
60 min boil
Expected OG 1.055
Actual OG 1.042 (read a 1.036, corrected for temp .0026 and hydrometer correction .004-my hydrometer reads .096 in water at 60*)
1.036+.0026+.004=1.042
Brew365 stated that I needed 3.5 gal mash water and 5.6 gal sparge water. I heated my mash water to 172 and hit 160* and after adding 1qt of water+stirring a lot, I hit 153* which was pretty darn close. I heated only 5 gal of sparge water since I added the 1qt and added the full volume, 5 gal to the tun after my 60 min and positive conversion test (adding the full volume was a new step to try an increase the viscosity, I usually mash out, and then sparge). I hit 165*, not the 170* I wanted but still close. I held the 165* for 10 minutes before draining the tun.
Note* I used 5 gal instead of the 5.6gal because of the efficiency issue. I figured I was pulling too much instead so I tried to compensate for this ahead of time.
I measured my runnings, in a 2 gal bucket. I collected 6 gal and an extra 1/2 gal to rouse my yeast starter after a quick boil. Boil went as planned, ended up with 5.25 gal on the dot. I measured my trub loss and that came in at 1/2 gal.
After all was said and done, my calculation is efficiency=actual points/expected points
42/55= .763= 76%
Any thoughts or advice is appreciated!
I have a birthday coming up so maybe the corona mill will be on the list? I am going to order a new hydrometer since my one measures at .096 at 60*. Our water here is high in bicarbonate so that may be a possible explanation. But as mentioned, the only efficiency aspect I have not tried is a mill. The main reason I ask was pointed out by yourself, higher OG beers. I want to do an IPA soon but I have stayed away from the higher OG until I get this issue nailed down. Thanks for the input!
