Mash efficiency

[donshizzles]

Pardon this very newb question but when someone states "I get 85% efficiency" what is used to measure efficiency? Is there some type of flux capacitor that measures that or are y'all eyeballin' somethin'?

 

[Yooper]

Yep, it's the flux capacitator.


:cross:

What it means is actually simple- in any amount of grain, there is X amount of available sugar. Efficiency simply means extraction and conversion of the amount of sugars (first present as starches) in the grain. How to Brew - By John Palmer - Mash Efficiency

 

[donshizzles]

"To calculate your mash extraction in terms of ppg, you need to multiply the number of gallons of wort you collected by its gravity and divide that by the amount of malt that was used. This will give you the gravity (points per gallon) per pound of malt used. Let's look at an example.

Palmer's Short Stout (target OG = 1.050)
Malts
6.5 lbs. of 2 Row
0.5 lb. of Chocolate Malt
0.5 lb. of Crystal 60
0.5 lb. of Dextrin Malt
0.5 lb. of Roast Barley
(8.5 lbs. total)


For our example batch, we will assume that 8.5 pounds of malt was mashed to produce 6 gallons of wort that yielded a gravity of 1.038. The brewer's total sugar extraction for this batch would be 6 gallons multiplied by 38 points/gallon = 230 points. Dividing the total points by the pounds of malt gives us our mash extraction in points/pound e.g. 230/8.5 = 27 ppg. This value is good, if not great; 30 ppg is basically what everyone shoots for. Comparing these numbers to lager malt's 37 ppg maximum gives us a good approximation of our mash efficiency: 27/37 = 73%, while 30/37 = 81%.

Ok so I am still confused where the number 38 comes from in the bold, italicized section???

 

[alz28]

The 38 is the gravity 1.038 just take off the 1.0 and you get 38. So gallons x gravity / pounds of grain / 37 = efficiency%. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[alz28]

I have a question to add about my efficiency. If my recipe calls for 18 lbs of grain at 75% efficiency and I am getting between 85% and 89% I can cut down on my grain bill I know that for sure. My question is will I sacrafice flavor by cutting down on my grain bill. Sorry I'm not trying to hijack you post I just thought this would be a good place to post my question.

 

[Duster72]

Yes, cut down your grain bill.

 

[ChemE]

I have a question to add about my efficiency. If my recipe calls for 18 lbs of grain at 75% efficiency and I am getting between 85% and 89% I can cut down on my grain bill I know that for sure. My question is will I sacrafice flavor by cutting down on my grain bill. Sorry I'm not trying to hijack you post I just thought this would be a good place to post my question.

No, provided you don't get tannin extraction and you scale the entire recipe you would not sacrifice flavor. Now if you cut the specialty malts down but not the base grain, than that is obviously now a different recipe and will taste different.

 

[bob1852]

Yep, it's the flux capacitator.


:cross:

so when your efficiency reaches 88% (mph) do you go back in time?

 

[alz28]

No, provided you don't get tannin extraction and you scale the entire recipe you would not sacrifice flavor. Now if you cut the specialty malts down but not the base grain, than that is obviously now a different recipe and will taste different.

OK so I'm good. The recipe calls for half barly half wheat malt (Belgian Wit). No tannin flavor at all in past batches. I scaled it down from total 18 lbs to 15.75 lbs and still got a 1.052. I just got home from work and I'm sanatizing carboys to rack into the secondary.