damdaman
Well-Known Member
Hi, I've been doing all grain 5gal batches for over a year now. I was hoping to describe my process in detail and get feedback on why I may be experiencing low efficiency.
Specifically, I can't seem to get my 5gal OG above about 1.055 no matter how much grain I use. If I'm going for a beer from 1.045-1.055 OG I get fairly decent efficiency, 65-75%, and usually hit within my target OG range (+/- .003).
However, anytime I try and make a bigger beer I can't seem to really crack 1.055 or so. Sometimes I'll get a little higher, but nowhere near 70%. I have to use DME or sugar to up the OG.
My process is as follows. I'll use my latest beer as an example (an oatmeal stout).
Grain bill:
9lbs 2-row
2lbs c80
1lb flaked oats
.5lbs chocolate
.5lbs roasted barley
Mashed at 157* for 60 mins in 4gals of water. Mash tun is a 10gal SS pot fitted with a false bottom. Rested around 158*, put the pot in a warm oven to keep it from losing temp, and finished about 156-157*. I then pulled it out of the oven, stirred thoroughly, put the lid back on, and let it rest another 10 minutes. Drained first runnings and put on the flame.
Batch sparged with 3.5gals 190* water (to bring the sparge to 170*). Stirred thoroughly. Waited 10 mins, drained second runnings added to first runnings and brought to boil.
Went through the 60 min boil, cooled in about 35 minutes with immersion chiller, transferred to carboy. OG: 1.054. At 70% efficiency should have had around 1.065.
Again, it's weird because I can seem to hit 70% eff. for smaller beers, but not bigger ones. I ended up with close to 5gal as I should have, so it's not as if I had too much volume.
Adding more grain doesn't seem to change it much. If I use 6lbs or 10lbs of 2-row, I still get about the same OG.
I don't really mind doing partial mashes for bigger beers, but I guess I'd prefer to figure this out if possible.
Any ideas?
Specifically, I can't seem to get my 5gal OG above about 1.055 no matter how much grain I use. If I'm going for a beer from 1.045-1.055 OG I get fairly decent efficiency, 65-75%, and usually hit within my target OG range (+/- .003).
However, anytime I try and make a bigger beer I can't seem to really crack 1.055 or so. Sometimes I'll get a little higher, but nowhere near 70%. I have to use DME or sugar to up the OG.
My process is as follows. I'll use my latest beer as an example (an oatmeal stout).
Grain bill:
9lbs 2-row
2lbs c80
1lb flaked oats
.5lbs chocolate
.5lbs roasted barley
Mashed at 157* for 60 mins in 4gals of water. Mash tun is a 10gal SS pot fitted with a false bottom. Rested around 158*, put the pot in a warm oven to keep it from losing temp, and finished about 156-157*. I then pulled it out of the oven, stirred thoroughly, put the lid back on, and let it rest another 10 minutes. Drained first runnings and put on the flame.
Batch sparged with 3.5gals 190* water (to bring the sparge to 170*). Stirred thoroughly. Waited 10 mins, drained second runnings added to first runnings and brought to boil.
Went through the 60 min boil, cooled in about 35 minutes with immersion chiller, transferred to carboy. OG: 1.054. At 70% efficiency should have had around 1.065.
Again, it's weird because I can seem to hit 70% eff. for smaller beers, but not bigger ones. I ended up with close to 5gal as I should have, so it's not as if I had too much volume.
Adding more grain doesn't seem to change it much. If I use 6lbs or 10lbs of 2-row, I still get about the same OG.
I don't really mind doing partial mashes for bigger beers, but I guess I'd prefer to figure this out if possible.
Any ideas?