High gravity question

[brewprint]

Those of you that do high gravity beers like 1.09 or so I have a question. I've done them before doing 3.5 gallon batches and have only been able to get 70% efficiency by adding an extra gallon of water to the mash and increasing the boil off rate so that I end up with the correct volume. This was all done using the double crush from the LHBS.

Now, I have my own mill and one batch so far the efficiency was just under 80%. I've come to the conclusion that a crush will make a huge difference.

Does this mean that if I don't add the extra gallon of water to the mash that I should still get good efficiency just using the regular water volume? Or am I better off just adding the extra gallon to the mash?

 

[m00ps]

Mash thickness has something to due with extraction but not enough that it should really effect your numbers so long as its not super thick. Id say you could go with or without the extra gallon

 

[brewprint]

Have you done a gravity that high without issue?

I also do no sparge...forgot to mention that.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

That sounds like a judgement call. I just got a corona mill last weekend and so far my efficiency is comparable to the LBHS grind, but I am going to see if I can taste any difference in tannin levels by running the same recipe on both grinds.

btw, the LBHS manager(?) was pissed that I purchased my own mill. I asked if I could grind 20# of my new big bag of M.O. on the in store mill and he pretty much went off about how the prices of grain there were inflated pretty much to account for the throughput and mess caused by having the mills. I get that, and I get that he wouldn't want to give me one last grind before I set up my own mill, but then he tried a hard sell on their "barley crushers" and how the corona mill was going to produce terrible beer due to shredded husks knowing that I had already purchased a corona. It's not like I haven't spend nearly $400 there in the last few months. We'll see about the tannins, but the husks were a little shredded.

 

[GHBWNY]

A "good" business person does his best to leave his emotions on the shelf. Regardless of how he felt, perhaps it would have been more business-like to say something like, "Your own mill? Great! You may want to be aware that there is sometimes a tendency for that mill to shred the husks. Thanks for the past business and if there's anything more I can do for you in the future, let me know."

Just sayin'...

 

[doug293cz]

...and how the corona mill was going to produce terrible beer due to shredded husks knowing that I had already purchased a corona. It's not like I haven't spend nearly $400 there in the last few months. We'll see about the tannins, but the husks were a little shredded.

Lots of folks around here use the corona style mills with good success. Make sure you keep your mash and sparge pH below 6 (below 5.8 is better) and you won't have tannin issues.

Brew on

 

[brewprint]

That sounds like a judgement call. I just got a corona mill last weekend and so far my efficiency is comparable to the LBHS grind, but I am going to see if I can taste any difference in tannin levels by running the same recipe on both grinds.

btw, the LBHS manager(?) was pissed that I purchased my own mill. I asked if I could grind 20# of my new big bag of M.O. on the in store mill and he pretty much went off about how the prices of grain there were inflated pretty much to account for the throughput and mess caused by having the mills. I get that, and I get that he wouldn't want to give me one last grind before I set up my own mill, but then he tried a hard sell on their "barley crushers" and how the corona mill was going to produce terrible beer due to shredded husks knowing that I had already purchased a corona. It's not like I haven't spend nearly $400 there in the last few months. We'll see about the tannins, but the husks were a little shredded.

I bought the cereal killer from Homebrewing.org. I'm sure they won't mind a bit that I don't have them crush the grain.

I don't get why he would be ticked if you're purchasing grain from him. Probably ticked that you didn't buy the barley crusher from him.

 

[wilserbrewer]

the LBHS manager(?) was pissed that I purchased my own mill. I asked if I could grind 20# of my new big bag of M.O. on the in store mill and he pretty much went off about how the prices of grain there were inflated pretty much to account for the throughput and mess caused by having the mills.

Did you purchase the sack of MO at the LHBS where you asked to use the mill? Either way, I think he should have agreed to let you use the mill "one time". Taking care of customers should be No. 1 priority, even if that means occasionally bending the rules, or grinding a bit of grain purchased elsewhere.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Did you purchase the sack of MO at the LHBS where you asked to use the mill?

I sure did.. there is a new LHBS coming to town too, so I'll have some other options soon. He wasn't completely rude about it, but it was frustrating.

 

[MerlinWerks]

Those of you that do high gravity beers like 1.09 or so I have a question. I've done them before doing 3.5 gallon batches and have only been able to get 70% efficiency by adding an extra gallon of water to the mash and increasing the boil off rate so that I end up with the correct volume. This was all done using the double crush from the LHBS.

Now, I have my own mill and one batch so far the efficiency was just under 80%. I've come to the conclusion that a crush will make a huge difference.

Does this mean that if I don't add the extra gallon of water to the mash that I should still get good efficiency just using the regular water volume? Or am I better off just adding the extra gallon to the mash?

although dialing in your crush will undoubtedly help, you actually may want to add more than a gallon and boil even longer, especially since you no-sparge.

Here's a pretty good read if you haven't seen it already:

http://beerandwinejournal.com/efficiency-gravity/#more-4006

 

[brewprint]

although dialing in your crush will undoubtedly help, you actually may want to add more than a gallon and boil even longer, especially since you no-sparge.

Here's a pretty good read if you haven't seen it already:

http://beerandwinejournal.com/efficiency-gravity/#more-4006

Thanks for posting that article. It makes total sense. I will add an extra gallon to the mash.

 

[brewprint]

Hit the target plus 2 by mashing with an extra gallon. No sparge just extra boil off.

View attachment 1437843030233.jpg

 

[MerlinWerks]

Awesome! I love it when a plan comes together