Since switching to a Brewzilla around Christmastime, I have experienced wild swings in efficiency. At first I attributed this to two base malts purchased during a club trip. Everyone from the club has had issues with them, but as my use progressed, I learned that my numbers are noticeably lower than those the others are experiencing. Then yesterday I brewed a batch without including those malts and still had the issue.
This prompted me to review my recipes and brewing log. I realized that while the batches that included the suspect malt came in lower, it appears that the issue is tied to recipes that I created/modified since switching to the brewzilla.
Since the switch, I've brewed 3 of my "original" recipes. All three came in roughly as expected: one measured higher, the other two just about dead on. It is only happening with recipes created specifically "for" the brewzilla. This leads me to believe it's not exactly an efficiency issue per se.
I use Brewer's Friend to formulate my recipes. I am admittedly no expert with their software. I suspect that I am choosing options which cause my new recipes to report a higher yield than is actually possible at 70-75% efficiency on my system.
Does anyone else use Brewzilla and Brewer's Friend? Or know Brewer's Friend well enough to identify the setting I may be using incorrectly? Another clue is that since entering Brewzilla into the equipment field, it no longer gives me a pre-boil OG. Well, it does, but it's the same as the target OG. That was a major clue that I am doing something wrong in Brewer's Friend as opposed to my actual process/equipment, with the three "good" batches from old recipes as more evidence.
This is yesterday's recipe. The OG came in at 1.041 with almost dead on 5 gallons into the fermenter.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1449814/lager-test
Thanks for any help.
This prompted me to review my recipes and brewing log. I realized that while the batches that included the suspect malt came in lower, it appears that the issue is tied to recipes that I created/modified since switching to the brewzilla.
Since the switch, I've brewed 3 of my "original" recipes. All three came in roughly as expected: one measured higher, the other two just about dead on. It is only happening with recipes created specifically "for" the brewzilla. This leads me to believe it's not exactly an efficiency issue per se.
I use Brewer's Friend to formulate my recipes. I am admittedly no expert with their software. I suspect that I am choosing options which cause my new recipes to report a higher yield than is actually possible at 70-75% efficiency on my system.
Does anyone else use Brewzilla and Brewer's Friend? Or know Brewer's Friend well enough to identify the setting I may be using incorrectly? Another clue is that since entering Brewzilla into the equipment field, it no longer gives me a pre-boil OG. Well, it does, but it's the same as the target OG. That was a major clue that I am doing something wrong in Brewer's Friend as opposed to my actual process/equipment, with the three "good" batches from old recipes as more evidence.
This is yesterday's recipe. The OG came in at 1.041 with almost dead on 5 gallons into the fermenter.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1449814/lager-test
Thanks for any help.
