Maximize efficiency with coarsely ground grain

[SteveHeff]

So my LHBS sent me off with a pretty chunky grind on my 11# of grain I purchased today. I asked to pass it through again, and he did. It still came out looking like crap. I have whole kernels mixed in with coarse grind material. I disappointed but it shows me that I need to purchase my own grinder so I can adjust accordingly.

I was wondering if by decocting the mash, if I may break down the husk material enough that I might be able to attain a higher mash efficiency from this grain? I purchased some pH stabilizer in an attempt to allow my lauter phase to (hopefully) go smoother.

9# Vienna
10 oz of Munich, Carapils, carared and C10.
Lager yeast to follow.

I've never had issues with a stuck sparge...but I have had issues with low efficiency due to mash tun dynamics. It's a rectangular coleman with a manifold in the bottom, but it still has a ton of dead space. Probably .5 gallon.

Are there any other steps that I can take to maximize this? I really don't have a problem boiling my anticipated 5 gallon batch down to a 3.5-4 gallon batch in order to hit my numbers. Thanks in advance.

 

[ghohn]

You could line your MT with an old, worn bedsheet and create a hybrid BiAB and MT system. After your lauter has slowed to a trickle, pick up the bedsheet/bag and drain the remaining .5 G into your boil pot. This, essentially, reduces your MT deadspace to nil.

 

[acidrain]

Mash longer... maybe 90 minutes. Then drain and sparge normally.
Check you volume and SG to see where you're at. There are on-line calculators to help you figure out how much you need to boil off to hit your number.
Once you know how long you need to boil, remember to add your hop additions at the correct time... not when your boil started.
The longer boil will create a different flavor... it may make it more of a caramel malt flavor. You never know... it might be something you really like and will want to repeat.

 

[SteveHeff]

I consider what I was able to get out of my grain, today, a success. I hit 70.5% efficiency, even with the horrible crush. I normally hit between 68-72%, but that is without a 90 minute mash, pH stabilizer, and a third lauter. I went through my MT after my lauter, and I could pick out whole husked grains without any trouble. I'll run this my my LHBS dude again and see if I can get a finer crush.

I ended up almost completely tipping my MT, in order to get all of the wort from it. But the good news is that it worked, and the beer will be great beer. Who will be in the southern NH area in about 6 weeks?