Mash efficiency survey

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trapae

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I've been wondering, for those of us who batch sparge, what is the average mash efficiency most people are getting? I know the answer that most seasoned brewers will give is "the number doesn't matter as long as you're consistent with your equipment", but i'm still curious.
I use a circular 10 gallon cooler for my mash tun with a false bottom. I mill my own grains with the barley crusher mill with the setting it came with (mill on day of brewing). I use strike and sparge water amounts so as to get approx 50/50 1st and 2nd runnings. I heat my sparge water to 190 and it is about 165-167 after transferring it to the grain. I stir for about 5 min and let a rip. (Pretty much Denny's technique I think).
I just did my 10th all grain brew yesterday and for the last several have been getting right around 72% mash efficiency. Funny that my first 5+ AG brews, I was getting 75-78%, but now that I have my system streamlined and hitting strike temps better etc, it has dropped?
Anyway, what are your numbers and setup?
 
I am usually in the upper 70s to low 80s for a 60 minute mash. I would double check your mill's gap prior to use. I set my mill's gap to the depth of my debit card (sometimes the gap on my BC gets a little loose). A slight gap change could impact efficiency.

While this wasn't one of your questions, I am a little confused how you lose so much heat from your HLT to your tun for your sparge water. The grains are likely at 148-156 after the mash rest, so I wouldn't think your sparge water would need to be that hot. Other than that, my process is very similar to yours.
 
I get around 80% to 85%(if I do a 90 min. Mash) It sounds like you are doing a single sparge. Try splitting your sparge into a double sparge(equal parts). The double sparge has helped my efficiency.


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67-70% consistently over the last 2-3 years. I dough in, stir like a mothefckucker, take PH reading and stir like a mothefckucker after 15 mins, mash 2-4 hours, drain, sparge 18 qts, mash out reaching 168-70, wait 10 and drain.

Fwiw and ymmv and wtf,

Cheers!
Steve da sleeve
 
I average around 80% with my recirculating mash system (RIMS). I use a pretty fine crush and with the RIMS I usually use about 1.5 qt/pound. A little more water than most, but works for my system. Until I got my system down, my efficiency numbers would be as high as 85% and as low as 60%. But since I've been doing the same thing for years, it's stayed pretty stable. Maybe that's where you headed.... :mug: (See I didn't say "don't worry about it" directly....lol)
 
I average 73% with grains crushed at my LHBS. I am happy with that because it is so consistent. I am never more than a point or two off.
 
Bigger beers: 66%
Smaller beers: 70%
Decoction: 75%

Usually around 1.5qt/lb, finally getting my eff. dialed in now that my PH is more stable due to better understanding of water chemistry, but still varies a few %
 
My first AG was very poor, high 60s if I remember. Recently, I am getting mid 80s. I have been mashing about 1.75 qt/lb and doing one sparge to collect the remaining volume, stirring like crazy and raising the temp to approximately 170.
 
85% consistent for regular beers.
80% for bigger beers
73% for really big beers 1.115 og
3 roller monster mill at .039
.33 gallons dead space in tun making 5- 20 gallon batches
Batch sparge
 
Corona mill
Rectangular cooler mash tun with SS braid
Tap water with campden to kill chloramines
Double batch sparge and pure arm strength for stirring.

85% on all batches since I got the rectangular mash tun, that holds temps way better than my cylindrical one did.
 
Can somebody give me a quick answer on how to determine mash efficiency? I tried doing a search and got confused with the various efficiency measurements.
 
I BIAB and since moving to a 10gal pot, larger 24"x24" grain sack, and milling my own grain (cereal killer, relatively fine crush) I average 80-85%.

Low gravity 8-10lbs of grain - 85+%
Average gravity 11-14lbs of grain - 80-85%
High gravity 15-18lbs of grain - 70-75%

I really have it dialed in now and can accurately predict my efficiency within a few points. 2 weeks ago I mashed my largest grain bill to date, 18.5lbs and hit 71% efficiency when I was expecting 70%.

Hitting in the mid 80's is nice, but being able to accurately predict my efficiency is really helpful and what I'm most happy about.

To the OP, if you are looking to up your efficiency, look no further than your mill. Try tightening the gap a bit and see what you get. Crush is the most common and easiest factor to adjust in terms of efficiency.
 
Mill my grain with a modified Corona-style mill.
BIAB with batch sparge, approximately a 50/50 split if water when possible.
Regular gravity beers (<1.066) I get a mash efficiency in the mid 90's, total efficiency 85% to 86%
on higher gravity beers the total efficiency is around 82%
 
73-75%

Mash in a bag, then put bag in strainer over boil kettle and pour the wort through the grains. Repeat for sparge. Ghetto, consistent and a number I can live with
 
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