Conversion Efficiency...

[aviator24]

Been trying to figure out these fancy calculators and all they have to offer. It can get confusing. Does everyone,anyone use one? I really want to know my efficiency as my first 4 attempts at BIAB have been hit or miss for my SG's.
Actually, I think I need to know my mash efficiency? Guessing that has a lot more to do with missing my starting SG?

 

[PADave]

I've been using Brewers Friend and now have it dialed in and hit my numbers every time. The calculators are only as good as the info you give them. Garbage in, garbage out.

 

[doug293cz]

Been trying to figure out these fancy calculators and all they have to offer. It can get confusing. Does everyone,anyone use one? I really want to know my efficiency as my first 4 attempts at BIAB have been hit or miss for my SG's.
Actually, I think I need to know my mash efficiency? Guessing that has a lot more to do with missing my starting SG?

Missing your pre-boil SG or OG (post-boil SG) is often due to having lower mash efficiency than the recipe assumed. It can also be due to higher volumes than the recipe assumes.

There are two components to mash efficiency: conversion efficiency and lauter efficiency. In order to know how to fix low mash efficiencies, you need to know whether your low efficiency is due to conversion issues, lauter issues, or both, because conversion and lauter require different actions to improve.

Determining conversion efficiency is simple, just use the method described here. Low conversion efficiency is most often the result of too coarse a grain crush, and/or too short a mash time. Fixes for those are self-evident. Longer mash times can (at least partially) compensate for coarse grain crush, if you don't have the ability to get a finer crush. Good conversion efficiency is greater than 95%.

Lauter efficiency is totally determined by how much sugar you leave behind in your mash tun, either in wort absorbed by the grain, or wort in the undrainable volume of your MLT (true BIAB has zero undrainable volume.) You can reduce the sugar held by the grain by sparging (dilutes the concentration of sugar left in the absorbed wort) or squeezing the grain mass (reduces the volume of retained wort.) Minimizing MLT undrainable volume is a no-brainer. Lauter efficiency varies with the grain bill weight to pre-boil volume ratio. Low ratios have higher inherent lauter efficiency than higher ratios. The chart below shows how lauter efficiency varies with the grain bill weight to pre-boil volume ratio for both a no-sparge process and an equal run-off volume batch sparge, and for various grain absorption ratios.



Brew on

 

[jurgenph]

you need to collect some data, and plug it into the calculator. your first attemtp will be a "best guess" without actual numbers collected by yourself.

once you have actual brew day data, enter the numbers, and hope that they are repeatable

lbs of grain
pre boil volume
pre boild SG
post boil volume
post boil SG
fermenter volume
post fermentation SG
bottled volume

J.

 

[aviator24]

Thanks Guys for the good advice. Planning on a 10 gallon full boil BIAB for Saturday. I will collect ALL the data jurgenph suggests I get. Also, I have a BRIX device, should I grab some readings with that? It is super handy to use but I understand it has its limitations vs a good ole hydrometer, of which I have 2 and will probably use both just to be sure.
I keg but will try to get this volume as well when the time comes.

 

[Morrey]

You are in the middle of your learning curve, so yes, everything is swirling in your brain just now. All will come together with time and experience.

A refractometer with a Brix scale is helpful when you take your initial readings before fermentation. After or during fermentation, alcohol in your beer skews the refractometer readings. You'll need to use an online calculator to convert Brix to SG for this value. Due to this, I use a refractometer when I read OG or original gravity, then shift to a floating hydrometer later once alcohol is being produced.

Take notes so you can compare one brew to the next and ask questions on HBT so members can offer advice to help you improve. You truly learn valuable lessons when you make mistakes so don't be afraid to make some as we all do.

Above all else, ENJOY!!

 

[aviator24]

Morrey, your post make me LOL because it is true. This is consuming my brain!! I am a bit OCD so that does not help. This is a whole new level from all my extract brewing years and I am trying to get it all down.
That being said, my first BIAB attempt was a 10 gallon batch (dbl choc stout) and the first batch went pretty quickly. The second batch is in the keggerator and despite missing my numbers bad, screwing up pretty much most of the brew day, it is VERY tasty! Kinda surprised me.

 

[Morrey]

Morrey, your post make me LOL because it is true. This is consuming my brain!! I am a bit OCD so that does not help. This is a whole new level from all my extract brewing years and I am trying to get it all down.
That being said, my first BIAB attempt was a 10 gallon batch (dbl choc stout) and the first batch went pretty quickly. The second batch is in the keggerator and despite missing my numbers bad, screwing up pretty much most of the brew day, it is VERY tasty! Kinda surprised me.

One day you'll look back at all of your questions and think how easy brewing is after all. Right now you don't feel this way...but you will. My dad always said a task or job "shrinks" with an understanding of the process.

One thing that helps me to this day is to maintain records and notes on every brew I make. Its funny how I look back and quickly realize how simple this is and how much ado I made about nothing at first. Keep plugging away, keep notes and keep asking questions.

 

[aviator24]

OK, so I did my brew and recorded everything I could possibly think of, I hoped? When plugging in my numbers into the Priceless Brew in a Bag Calculator, I see it asks for some Sparge Temps and Sparge Volume? I do not sparge, I did do the 170 degree mashout for 10 mins but do not see how/where to enter this data? Or does it not matter here?

 

[doug293cz]

OK, so I did my brew and recorded everything I could possibly think of, I hoped? When plugging in my numbers into the Priceless Brew in a Bag Calculator, I see it asks for some Sparge Temps and Sparge Volume? I do not sparge, I did do the 170 degree mashout for 10 mins but do not see how/where to enter this data? Or does it not matter here?

No, the mash out doesn't affect anything in the calculations, and there's a good chance it didn't affect your wort either. If you didn't sparge, just put in 0 for sparge volume, and this case it doesn't matter what you put in for sparge temp. (The sparge temp, as well as all other temps, are just used to adjust volume measurements to compensate for thermal expansion/contraction.)

Brew on

 

[bajaedition]

great advice here and it boils down to
Accurate measurements
very meticulous notes
that is what it takes. the advice here is good, but your system and techniques are what effect the efficiency.
To Dial it in, your next brew should be your baseline. Make sure all measurements are accurate, and note everything.
Then only change one thing each brew so you see what works and what does not. after all if you change 2 things and it stays the same you do not know if they both did nothing, or if one helped and the other hurt.
Experimentation is good, without it the entire BIAB revolution would have never started.