First AG Brew - Efficiency like WHOA.

[Dirt_McGirt]

I've been doing extract and partial mashes for my first 8 batches, but have been anxious to go AG. So even given my small boil kettle (5.75G), I decided to try a scaled down 3.5 gallon Maris Otter / Citra SMaSH.

Brew session went smoother than most - no unexpected hiccups and nailed my mash pH and temp. I also discovered what a godsend fermcap is when you have so little headspace in the kettle, like me.

What really shocked me was my gravity reading - it was .013 higher than BeerSmith predicted. Entering my measured grav and volume in, it told me I was at 88.8% efficiency! :rockin:
So question: Is this just gravy and I should take it into account next time, or is there such a thing as the process being too efficient?

 

[Lazer Wolf Brewing]

The higher your efficiency, the less fermentables you need to reach your target OG.

Why is this good? You save money!

 

[dstockwell]

Since you just switched form partial to AG you can go with the efficiency number and see what happens after the next. If it's not the same keep adjusting until it's consistent - better than efficiency all over the place.

 

[Qhrumphf]

You need to be cautious with BeerSmith's efficiency numbers, especially if you're doing a different than usual batch size. It likes to build in losses to equipment settings by default, and it thinks you have a bigger batch than you actually do as a result. The fermenter volume may include a large factor of loss you don't actually have. Point being, it may assume the post boil volume and fermenter volume have a large trub loss decrease, which without it your expected gravity would be much higher. If you chopped an extra 1.5 gallons off of the batch size and didn't configure properly, that could be substantially higher.

Of course, it's entirely possible to get 88.8% efficiency. I hit that range on all my beers (a little lower for higher gravity beers). However, it took me some time to get my system dialed in to reach that consistently. I'd be surprised for you to hit that right out of the gate (even moreso if you can do it consistently), but it is possible.

Being too efficient happens when you effectively pull so much sugar out of the grain that you start extracting unwanted flavor components as well. As long as sparge runnings remain >1.010-1.012, and sparge pH remains <6, you're usually ok. With session beers reaching that point is fairly easy. It's harder with higher gravity beers. I usually have to push my efficiency into the mid 90% range with average gravity beers before it becomes a concern (which I can do if I put in some extra effort like mashout, fly sparging, extra sparging and long boil etc). With very small beers it's hard to hit >90% without oversparging.

 

[Dirt_McGirt]

You need to be cautious with BeerSmith's efficiency numbers, especially if you're doing a different than usual batch size. It likes to build in losses to equipment settings by default, and it thinks you have a bigger batch than you actually do as a result. The fermenter volume may include a large factor of loss you don't actually have. Point being, it may assume the post boil volume and fermenter volume have a large trub loss decrease, which without it your expected gravity would be much higher. If you chopped an extra 1.5 gallons off of the batch size and didn't configure properly, that could be substantially higher.

Of course, it's entirely possible to get 88.8% efficiency. I hit that range on all my beers (a little lower for higher gravity beers). However, it took me some time to get my system dialed in to reach that consistently. I'd be surprised for you to hit that right out of the gate (even moreso if you can do it consistently), but it is possible.

Being too efficient happens when you effectively pull so much sugar out of the grain that you start extracting unwanted flavor components as well. As long as sparge runnings remain >1.010-1.012, and sparge pH remains <6, you're usually ok. With session beers reaching that point is fairly easy. It's harder with higher gravity beers. I usually have to push my efficiency into the mid 90% range with average gravity beers before it becomes a concern (which I can do if I put in some extra effort like mashout, fly sparging, extra sparging and long boil etc). With very small beers it's hard to hit >90% without oversparging.

I'll admit I haven't fully customized everything in BeerSmith having to do with boil loss, etc - I'm just using the equipment profile that's closest to my setup. But I did change my pre-boil volume and batch size to match my smaller brew, as well as the details of my mash.

Point well taken about consistency. Worth noting that I did an *almost* all-grain batch last week with about a 1/2 lb of DME to get up to grav. My pre-extract efficiency came out at about 80.6%, in that case. So I think I might be somewhere in the 80's, generally.

As for extracting any unwanted stuff from the grains, I guess I'll have to wait until these two beers are done and see how they taste. Thanks for the input. Especially good to know about high-vs-low gravity in terms of efficiency running too high.

 

[kev211]

Just for sh*ts and giggles, what was your recipe and S.G.?

 

[Dirt_McGirt]

Just for sh*ts and giggles, what was your recipe and S.G.?

Batch Size - 4 gallons
7 lbs. Maris Otter
BIAB Mash 60 min. in 2.5 Gal. @149F
Dunk sparge 15 min in 2 Gal w/ 2L pourover at end
Moderate bag squeezes following each step...
Boil 70 min.

Hop Schedule- all Citra (13%)
.5oz First Wort Hop
.25 oz @ 10 min.
.25 oz. @ flameout
.5 oz. @ 140F for 15min. hopstand
.5 oz dryhop for 4 days

Measured OG 1.059

Pitched 1L starter of harvested US-05

Currently Fermenting @ 64-65F

 

[kev211]

Batch Size - 4 gallons
7 lbs. Maris Otter
BIAB Mash 60 min. in 2.5 Gal. @149F
Dunk sparge 15 min in 2 Gal w/ 2L pourover at end
Moderate bag squeezes following each step...
Boil 70 min.

Hop Schedule- all Citra (13%)
.5oz First Wort Hop
.25 oz @ 10 min.
.25 oz. @ flameout
.5 oz. @ 140F for 15min. hopstand
.5 oz dryhop for 4 days

Measured OG 1.059

Pitched 1L starter of harvested US-05

Currently Fermenting @ 64-65F

Sounds about right, BIAB usually results in slightly higher efficiency from what I've read. Should turn out pretty good!