help me with my efficiency

[Leukass]

I am on my second batch with my 3 vessel brewing just switched from doing BIAB. When i was doing BIAB i alway overshot my OG when sticking to the recipe, but now that i switch to fly sparge and pumping, both batch i brewed are way low. Here is my basic method.

i am using 2 pot and a cooler but in a different method. I have a top tier with 2 pots mounted next to each other then i put the color on the shelf high enough to gravity feed into my MT. So i heat water in the boil kettle and then pump it up into the cooler.

Mash as normal at 154* then bring to 168 to 10 minutes, then recirculate with my pump for 3-4 minutes to set the grain bed, slow down the pump to a trickle, and start sparge arm. I am using a Blichmann auto sparge to fly sparge wight he water at 168-170.

Thanks for any help you can offer - a little frustrated i spent all the money on the top tier and can't seem to hit my #'s now.

 

[RM-MN]

Do you mill your own grain?

 

[Leukass]

Do you mill your own grain?

I mill it at the LHBS - so i am using the same mill now as when was doing BIAB. Been thinking a mill will be my next investment.

 

[grathan]

Is there a deadspace on the cooler bottom?

 

[DonArmando]

I had problems in efficiency too. I resolved crushing just before the brewday, "crushing until scared", conditioning grains with water to avoid too much flouering, pre heat the mash tun (I have a Coleman Cooler), 70 Liters and mostly, longer rest, usually 1 h 30 minutes. I do not fly sparge cause my equip is made from scrap but with this method i stay within 74-76% eff. Before I was hitting 60-65 and i kinda know what your feeling are. Check also the PH of the mash cause efficiency and PH are linked one to each other.

My " one cent"

 

[itchygomey]

Seeing as how you had better eff. with BIAB but now it's gone down, I'd be more inclined to look for shorts in your grainbed. If your grainbed isn't getting rinsed properly due to tunnelling that would leave a lot of sugars behind.

 

[Leukass]

Any guessing what I should do differently? Maybe I am recycling too fast before I start the actual lauter into the brew pot?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Riot]

Try a brew day batch sparking with the same system and see where that sits efficiency wise. If there is a big gap I would look at how liquid flows out of the tun and try to increase the drainage area. Channeling is a serious concern if you fly sparge.

 

[Leukass]

So I just thought of something- I am using a old cooler false bottom that is really too small for my pot- could that be cause the issue? I don't get any grain thru it - so I thought it would be ok?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[grathan]

It could promote some channeling and poor flow near the sides. I would try a batch sparge method. You really don't have to watch how slow it drains, you just open and dump. That way all the grains get rinsed equally.

Another thought is perhaps lhbs grain mill gap slipped open a tad.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

What are your volumes? Laughter efficiency can be calculated from water in and wort out from each stage.

Here are some more details:
http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2012/12/when-more-grain-doesnt-add-more-sugar.html

 

[Shooter]

I can't say I have an exact answer, but it seems like we're two pages into this thread and we have yet to describe what you mean by "way low" on your efficiency.

 

[Leukass]

Well, the batch I did this weekend I came in at 1.040 when I was supposed to be at 1.056


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[grathan]

What did you get with BIAB?

 

[Leukass]

I was always above my recipe og levels with BIAB


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[grathan]

If that silicone hose isn't leaking and the tube below the screen reaches the bottom...

I would try hybrid batch sparge.
drain mash tun, flow a little bit of water through to push out any remaining liquid.
second sparge with remianing required water.

This should be %85 if your crush is good.