Efficiency For Dummies

[Hilbert]

I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction?

I am completly ignorant with efficiency and need a very high level explaination. I have beersmith so I don't need to know all of the math behind it but how do I figure out efficiency?

To get efficiency do I take a gravity reading pre-boil and post boil and compare it to what Beer Smith tells me 100% efficiency would be?

Do I adjust recipes based on what my efficiency is? If so what do you do for the very first batch?

Honestly I have no clue so don't think you'll offend me by talking too simple.

I'm looking to make the switch to all grain post xmas and I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I jump in.

 

[bob1852]

try braukaiser.com

or look for Bobby_M's all grain primer in his signature line. He explains it very well.

 

[Hilbert]

thanks i'll take a look

 

[bob1852]

thanks i'll take a look

here's the link to Bobby_M's:

http://www.suebob.com/brew/allgrain.htm

 

[greencoat]

here's the link to Bobby_M's:

http://www.suebob.com/brew/allgrain.htm

Reading that made me feel at ease about all grain. I'm going to HD to make my MLT tomorrow! I can't wait!

 

[bob1852]

Reading that made me feel at ease about all grain. I'm going to HD to make my MLT tomorrow! I can't wait!

It did the same thing for me....

I read Palmer and Papazain, but it wasn't until I read this that I did exactly like you did!

Thanks again to Bobby_M

 

[GoldMiner]

Reading that made me feel at ease about all grain. I'm going to HD to make my MLT tomorrow! I can't wait!

This series of videos on Youtube really brought it home for me:


It's much easier than I thought it would be to make the leap to all-grain.

I wouldn't advise using the burner in the basement though.

 

[Hilbert]

Just finished reading Bobby_M's post from end to end. Man that is well written.

The efficiency piece now makes complete sense. I've found sometime people over explain stuff and it complicates everything.

Thanks for pointing me to that and thanks Bobby_M for the great article.

 

[KayaBrew]

Yeah, at the risk of inflating Bobby's ego, I credit him and his YouTube tutorials in my success in AG brewing, as well as mastering the BeerTools software. Thanks again, Bobby.

 

[Hilbert]

Yeah, at the risk of inflating Bobby's ego, I credit him and his YouTube tutorials in my success in AG brewing, as well as mastering the BeerTools software. Thanks again, Bobby.

That's the next part I need to figure out .... BeerSmith. If anyone has any good tutorials on all grain in beersmith that would be awsome too.

 

[ForRealBeer]

All I can say about Bobby's tutorial is that I wish I had read it twenty years ago. That was the explanation I was looking for back then to put all of the pieces together and give AG a shot.

Well done, sir, very well done.

 

[jeffmeh]

I have to concur regarding BobbyM's page. I am venturing into all-grain soon, and he made it about as clear and concise as I can imagine.

 

[norwegiangeek]

I just wanted to also thank BobbyM for his description. I've recently started brewing, and that answered quite a few of the questions I had.

 

[Bobby_M]

Jeez, I just stumbled into this major ego stoke. Wow, thanks guys, my hat won't fit anymore. ;-)

I drafted that article for some of the same reasons mentioned. I was struggling with all the books and tech and when it finally clicked for me, I wondered "really, is this the best way to bring all grain to the masses?" I'm really only saying the same thing but I'm somewhat sanitizing details that I feel are less important.