Help with effeciecny please. sorry.

[ebaynote]

This is torturing me. Sorry to be a noob.
I got a barley crusher so my numbers were out of whack the first time I used it. I'm trying to fig effeciency but not sure if I'm doing the math right. I used the method in Designing Great Beers.
I assumed 75% for 5.5g of Rachbier
SO after mash I collected 7.75 g (90 min boil) of 1.055 wort
55 GU x 7.75=426.25

pils 4.4 lbs x 35=154
munich 1.6 x 33=52.8
smoked 5.1 x 37=188.7
caramunich .70 x 34=23.8
melanoidin .23 x 33=7.59
black malt .12 x 30=3.6 = 430.49

426.25 / 430.49= 99%

Appreciate any help.

 

[motobrewer]

7.75g of 1.055 would be 5.5g of 1.077

using beersmith i calculate 96%

did you adjust the gravity reading for temperature?

 

[ebaynote]

I use a refractometer that supposedly does it.
Is that efficiency possible?

 

[Buna_Bere]

Try a sample of some distilled water on that refractometer, see what it reads. Is it possible you read the refractometer wrong?

Bob

 

[ebaynote]

Anything is possible. My og after boil was 1.077 so I'm thinking it was right. I always take two samples as well. Confused.

 

[ebaynote]

I'll grab some distilled water tomorrow and report back.

 

[Homebrewtastic]

I ran your numbers and came up with 95% efficiency.

 

[Frodo]

Sure your volume is correct? Can't imagine a refractometer adjustment would be that far off, but you should calibrate it. Takes a really small "eyeglass" type screwdriver to do it.

 

[ebaynote]

I don't think it is volume being off. Nvr know though. I had a touch over 5.5g into the carboy. I guess I could check calibration on kettle again. Going to buy feeler gauges as well and see if settings came too fine on barley crusher. Crush was finer than LHBS but wasn't that much finer. I'm stumped.

 

[ebaynote]

Well. It looks like the refractometer was reading 2 brix higher than it should have been. Which kind of explains things. Scared to go back in my brew log and look at my numbers for the past two years. Hmmm.

 

[Special Hops]

If you are getting 99% efficiency there would bean awful lot of breweries interested in your technique.