Efficiency help AHS v Homebrew Mart grain?

[UTDoug]

I moved from Austin to San Diego a year ago, and I'm trying to figure out why my brewhouse efficiency greatly decreased. My first batch out here was in my new 10 gallon square igloo cooler mash tun, and I came out about 10 points of gravity (1.04 instead of 1.05) from where I wanted. I thought it was because I was using a different mash tun or my mash temp was higher than anticipated. Anyway, the next few batches also turned out about 10 points under, so I finally switched my ball valve and ss braid manifold back to to my trusty old 5 gallon round igloo cooler mash tun for my last batch and, same thing, 10 points under.

I don't want to bash my LBS, but my primary hypothesis is Austin Homebrew did a "better" job of crushing the grains than Home Brew Mart since I never had trouble in Austin.

My second hypothesis is the water is different, and the 5.2 pH stabilizer I've added to the mash both here and in Austin doesn't take care of some important differences in water quality.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Doug

 

[david_42]

Very good chance it is the crush. If you can, run the grain through the mill twice or ask them if they can reduce the roller gap slightly.

 

[A4J]

I don't want to bash my LBS, but my primary hypothesis is Austin Homebrew did a "better" job of crushing the grains than Home Brew Mart since I never had trouble in Austin.

I don't know about Austin since I've been actually been to the shop, but *you* crush your own grains at Home Brew Mart [unless you went there on a slow day and they were bored and crushed them for you]. I agree with david_42's recommendation.

 

[schristian619]

I have not had any problems with Homebrew marts crush. Although everytime I'm there, they crush it for me in the back with the crusher they use for their beers Water may be an issue though, as San Diego has some of the hardest and dirtiest water in the country. I never use our tap water for brewing, hell, I don't even like using it to brush my teeth but I have to. You may want to try asking them to crush it for you, or running it through twice aas noted above.

EDIT: I just went there and their mill is out of order, so I milled my own. I added an extra pound to accomodate any efficiency issues.

 

[carnevoodoo]

I don't know about Austin since I've been actually been to the shop, but *you* crush your own grains at Home Brew Mart [unless you went there on a slow day and they were bored and crushed them for you]. I agree with david_42's recommendation.

What? They crush my grain for me every time. They have that giant commercial crusher that they are totally happy to use for you.

If you want, maybe they will run it through for you twice.

 

[UTDoug]

I have them crush my grain for me; it'd be a deal breaker if I had to grind 25 pounds of grain in that little hand-powered mill they've got near the register.

 

[schristian619]

well...I take back my water comment. After crushing my own grains today there with their little maltmill, 16lbs of it, I got in the low 50's efficiency. Last time I do that. Thank god for my barley crusher coming soon. I guess my arrogant bastard clone will just be a bastard at an expected abv of 5.3%.

 

[UTDoug]

Good luck with the AB clone, I got 60% efficiency w/ my batch from them this weekend using bottled water, but I did only run off 5.4 gallons so some of that is me due to extraordinary circumstance. Stupid grain soaked up more than I planned.

 

[BarleyWater]

For what it's worth, I typically get a better effeciency by 5-10% from the crush at AHS as compared to other homebrew stores. No biggie, just add another pound of base malt, or get your own mill and crush yourself.

 

[UTDoug]

Thanks for the datapoint BarleyWater, and awesome picture.