mother_night
Member
So I've brewed about 6 all grain batches so far and my efficiency is consistently really, really low. I know everyone says don't be too concerned about that as long as it's consistent but A) It's not particularly consistent and usually bounces around somewhere between 48%-58% B) If I'm using so much more grain than I would with a higher efficiency I can't fit enough grain in my mash tun for bigger beers C) It's totally emasculating to have such poor efficiency
I'm frustrated and am considering just adding a pound of DME into each batch, but I feel like that is treating the symptom not curing the disease.
So I thought I would take detailed notes on my entire process hoping to get some feedback on it. Some of the notes were for myself and some were intended for feedback, so if some parts seem irrelevant please ignore. Also, please keep in mind that I am making 2.75 gallon batches, so all my amounts should be half that of normal 5 or 5.5 gallon batches.
My equipment is a 5 gallon orange cooler with a braided steel tube screen thing. I do full wort boils in a stainless pot, then cool with a wort chiller attached to my kitchen faucet.
Here we go. Like I said, any feedback would be great. Also, feel free to try the recipe yourself. I originally set my efficiency for 65% (wishful thinking) but only achieved about 50%, so it's probably going to be way overhopped.
Recipe: Dog Days Summer Ale 1.0
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: Blonde Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 4.14 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.64 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 2.75 gal
Bottling Volume: 2.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.039 SG
Estimated Color: 5.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 50.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.50 Items Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 1 -
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 84.2 %
6.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 6.3 %
5.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.3 %
3.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.2 %
1.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 6 1.1 %
0.25 oz Palisade [7.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 11.9 IBUs
0.25 oz Palisade [7.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 9.1 IBUs
0.25 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 20.0 mi Hop 9 5.2 IBUs
0.50 Items Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 10 -
0.25 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 10.0 mi Hop 11 3.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) [124. Yeast 12 -
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 5 lbs 15.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 2.30 gal of water at 159.2 F 150.0 F 75 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (0.61gal, 2.20gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
------
Total mash used 3 gallons bottled water, the rest was tap water. Initial mash was all bottled water with salts added. Sparge was mostly tap water with some bottled water, no salts added.
Reset mash temperature to 150 (although 'light' setting in BeerSmith is 148). It told me to dough in at 159.2 for 150, I doughed in at 165.2 (6º higher) and still was at 148.1 by the time all my grains were in. From now on know that I need to add 8º (maybe even 9º) to whatever BeerSmith tells me. This is with a pre-heated mash tun where I let the hot water sit in there for about 15 minutes slowly adding icecubes to hot water until it lowered to my desired mash in temperature. Mash for 60.
Stirred after 15 minutes. Temperature is down to 146.8. Not sure if the temperature is dropping that fast or if it's just cause I mixed it.
Stirred after 45 minutes. Temperature is down to 143.2. It's dropping.
After 60 minutes it is 142. I guess I should expect to lose about 6 degrees per hour. So from now on I guess take whatever I want to mash at, add 2º, then add 8º to that. Therefore, mash in at 10º higher than what I want to mash at and it should be on.
Vorlaufed and drained fairly slowly. When it hits it has the high pitched splattering sound not the low pitched pouring sound.
Drained completely, got about 1.5 gallons initial runnings. I guess that means 6 lbs of grains absorbs about .8 gallons of water? BeerSmith told me to sparge with .6 and 2.2 gallons. Why? Sparging with 1.4 and 1.4. Drain after initial runnings, add in 1.4 gallons 170º water, mix, vorlauf, drain, repeat. Ended up with about 4.15 gallons, perfect.
Boil for 60 minutes with proper hop additions.
Rehydrated Irish Moss with hot tap water, sit for one hour and added at 10 minutes. Really mossy!
Cooled with wort chiller to mid 70's. Collected about 2.6 gallons (wanted 2.75). 1.042 for efficiency of 50%.
Pitched yeast and put into fridge to ferment at 64º. Going strong.
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I'm frustrated and am considering just adding a pound of DME into each batch, but I feel like that is treating the symptom not curing the disease.
So I thought I would take detailed notes on my entire process hoping to get some feedback on it. Some of the notes were for myself and some were intended for feedback, so if some parts seem irrelevant please ignore. Also, please keep in mind that I am making 2.75 gallon batches, so all my amounts should be half that of normal 5 or 5.5 gallon batches.
My equipment is a 5 gallon orange cooler with a braided steel tube screen thing. I do full wort boils in a stainless pot, then cool with a wort chiller attached to my kitchen faucet.
Here we go. Like I said, any feedback would be great. Also, feel free to try the recipe yourself. I originally set my efficiency for 65% (wishful thinking) but only achieved about 50%, so it's probably going to be way overhopped.
Recipe: Dog Days Summer Ale 1.0
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: Blonde Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 4.14 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.64 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 2.75 gal
Bottling Volume: 2.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.039 SG
Estimated Color: 5.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 50.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.50 Items Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 1 -
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 84.2 %
6.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 6.3 %
5.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.3 %
3.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.2 %
1.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 6 1.1 %
0.25 oz Palisade [7.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 11.9 IBUs
0.25 oz Palisade [7.50 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 9.1 IBUs
0.25 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 20.0 mi Hop 9 5.2 IBUs
0.50 Items Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 10 -
0.25 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 10.0 mi Hop 11 3.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg London ESB Ale (Wyeast Labs #1968) [124. Yeast 12 -
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 5 lbs 15.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 2.30 gal of water at 159.2 F 150.0 F 75 min
Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (0.61gal, 2.20gal) of 168.0 F water
Notes:
------
Total mash used 3 gallons bottled water, the rest was tap water. Initial mash was all bottled water with salts added. Sparge was mostly tap water with some bottled water, no salts added.
Reset mash temperature to 150 (although 'light' setting in BeerSmith is 148). It told me to dough in at 159.2 for 150, I doughed in at 165.2 (6º higher) and still was at 148.1 by the time all my grains were in. From now on know that I need to add 8º (maybe even 9º) to whatever BeerSmith tells me. This is with a pre-heated mash tun where I let the hot water sit in there for about 15 minutes slowly adding icecubes to hot water until it lowered to my desired mash in temperature. Mash for 60.
Stirred after 15 minutes. Temperature is down to 146.8. Not sure if the temperature is dropping that fast or if it's just cause I mixed it.
Stirred after 45 minutes. Temperature is down to 143.2. It's dropping.
After 60 minutes it is 142. I guess I should expect to lose about 6 degrees per hour. So from now on I guess take whatever I want to mash at, add 2º, then add 8º to that. Therefore, mash in at 10º higher than what I want to mash at and it should be on.
Vorlaufed and drained fairly slowly. When it hits it has the high pitched splattering sound not the low pitched pouring sound.
Drained completely, got about 1.5 gallons initial runnings. I guess that means 6 lbs of grains absorbs about .8 gallons of water? BeerSmith told me to sparge with .6 and 2.2 gallons. Why? Sparging with 1.4 and 1.4. Drain after initial runnings, add in 1.4 gallons 170º water, mix, vorlauf, drain, repeat. Ended up with about 4.15 gallons, perfect.
Boil for 60 minutes with proper hop additions.
Rehydrated Irish Moss with hot tap water, sit for one hour and added at 10 minutes. Really mossy!
Cooled with wort chiller to mid 70's. Collected about 2.6 gallons (wanted 2.75). 1.042 for efficiency of 50%.
Pitched yeast and put into fridge to ferment at 64º. Going strong.
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