Help with gravity/ yield

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

CAS0311USMC

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2010
Messages
50
Reaction score
0
Location
Oswego
Made a nice golden ale yesterday and I was puzzled to find that my OG calculation was off considerably. I was expecting 1.064 and ended up with 1.044.

I was hoping someone could tell me what the yield numbers are for 2 row malt and Dextrine(carapils). I'm sure that I miss calculated. I know that LME and DME are roughly 40/pts/lb/gal. And I have used this in the past and it is very accurate.

I suppose my mistake was assuming that the grain was about the same. I steep grains for 20 min and use extract, so I factor all the fermentables into my calculations. As I said before OG are usually right on
 
carapils should be around 33
and two row around 36
You do have to multiply those numbers by your mash efficiency
5 lbs two row would yield 180 points @ 100% efficiency
but only 126 points @ 70% efficiency
 
DME is 45 points (maybe 46)
LME is 36 points.

Grains from steeping:

Crystal ~ 18 (assumes a 50% efficiency).

2-row/Carapils/Pale/Vienna/Munich/Aromatic/etc, would be very low, maybe 10 points. These need to be mashed which usually means a lot less water than steeping to concentrate the enzymes, and a lot longer to ensure conversion of the starches to sugar.

For grains the amount of water, time at temperature, and water used for sparging all have a big influence in the yield. A good mash procedure will get you 30 points per pound of grain.

You said you steeped the grains. To my mind, the differences between steeping and mashing are:

- Steeping uses lots of water. Mashing uses 1 to 1.5 qts/lb to concentrate the enzymes.
- Steeping is quick (maybe 15 minutes). Mashing is usually at least 30 minutes, maybe an hour or more; getting better conversion the longer you mash.
- You generally drain grains when steeping. When you mash, you sparge with clean water to rinse extra sugars out of the grain.

If you listed your recipe and procedures, maybe someone could tell you you should have expected.
 
^adjust the efficiency on the right side until it matches your original gravity, then you will know what your brewhouse efficiency is .
 
here's the recipie

1 lb Pale malt 2-row steep grains 20 mins 155-165
.5 lbDextrine (Carapils)
6.6 lb Pilsen light LME
1 oz mt.hood 60
1oz cascade 30min
1oz cascade 5 min
White Labs yeast American Ale blend WLP060
 
In 5 gallons the LME would give you 1.047 (it would obviously be less if you have more volume).

If you had a good MASH, you would only get 45 points from the grain (80% efficiency), which would give you at best 1.056 for 5 gallons.

Since you only steeped (lots of water, and not too long), I suspect you would probably have only gotten about 15 points from the grain (maybe more, maybe less; the grains are supposed to be mashed, not steeped). That would get you to 1.050 for 5 gallons.

If you had 5.5 gallons, it would only be 1.045.

1.064 was way off.
 
two row is about 36, LME is 38

you won't get much more than a couple points from steeping grains.

so, 6.6 lb of LME in 5 gallons is (6.6*38) / 5 = ~1.050. 5.5 gallons is 1.045, like Calder said.
 
If I steep the grains for more than 20 min will I get more yield? well any significant more yield
 
How about just using crystal malt. This is my first time using 2 row. I wanted to make the beer a lighter color and I achieved that goal. However, I was hoping for a little more gravity. I also understand that the 2 row really is not going to have too much effect on the color. Almost none, and that is fine. I would like to get a higher ABV.

Damn it. I really would like to do all grain brewing but I just don't have the money to invest in the extra gear right now. :(
 
If I steep the grains for more than 20 min will I get more yield? well any significant more yield

steeping 2-row doesn't do much, because when you steep a pound in 5 gallons of water the enzymes just get diluted and can't find the starch to convert. if you mashed (steeped the two row in 1.25-2 quarts per pound of malt around 152F) the 2-row then you'd get 36 ppg.

How about just using crystal malt. This is my first time using 2 row. I wanted to make the beer a lighter color and I achieved that goal. However, I was hoping for a little more gravity. I also understand that the 2 row really is not going to have too much effect on the color. Almost none, and that is fine. I would like to get a higher ABV.

Damn it. I really would like to do all grain brewing but I just don't have the money to invest in the extra gear right now. :(

higher abv, only way you're really going to get there is with extract (pilsen dme is pretty light) or table sugar.
 
I do all of my cooking in 2.5 gallons and then add another 2.5 when the wort is cooled. I stir and mix very well then pitch my yeast.

If I steep/mash in the 1.25 quarts/lb and then fill to my normal 2.5 gallons for boiling; will I still have a good yield? Or will adding the water dilute it?
 
I do all of my cooking in 2.5 gallons and then add another 2.5 when the wort is cooled. I stir and mix very well then pitch my yeast.

If I steep/mash in the 1.25 quarts/lb and then fill to my normal 2.5 gallons for boiling; will I still have a good yield? Or will adding the water dilute it?

if you steep between 149-158F at 1.25 quarts/lb for 60 minutes, that is the definition of mashing.

yes, then you can add water after the 60-minute mash. i'd take your grain bag out, put it in a colander, and pour the water (heated to 180F) over the bag.

note, 1 pound of grain in 5 gallons is only good for about 7 points at 100% efficiency. if I were you, i'd estimate 65%. (or 4.5 points in 5 gal)
 
How about just using crystal malt. This is my first time using 2 row. I wanted to make the beer a lighter color and I achieved that goal. However, I was hoping for a little more gravity. I also understand that the 2 row really is not going to have too much effect on the color. Almost none, and that is fine. I would like to get a higher ABV.

Damn it. I really would like to do all grain brewing but I just don't have the money to invest in the extra gear right now. :(

If your goal in using grain is just to up your ABV, just use more extract. Extra Pale/Light Dry Extract is pretty much the same as a mash of just 2-row, and your OG calculations will be much easier and predictable.

Now on the other hand, if you're trying to reproduce certain styles that require other base malts, or get a specific flavor profile that requires a type of malt that must be mashed, it would be worthwhile to look into partial-mash or the brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) methods on these forums. It's going to take you more time to do a brew this way and require a bit of reading to familiarize yourself with the concepts. You won't have to spend any more money though to do a partial mash, just a pot large enough to hold 4 or 5 pounds of grain + water.
 
Thank you everyone for your help. I really appreciate it. The ABV is not as big of a concern as having more control over flavor. I really enjoy the brewing process so if i can extend that by another hour...SWEET!! :ban:
 
Back
Top