mini-mash question - efficiency.

[r2eng]

In preparation for trying an AG recipe, I tried a mini-mash one and have a queston.

After searching the forums here, and looking at some of the calculators, I am a bit confused on efficiency.

I used 1.25 gallons of mash water with 4 pounds of grain, 90 min. at 150F. I sparged with 1.75 gallons of 160F water, and finished with 2.5 gallons of wort. My SG after this was 1.035.

Can I calculate efficiency using this data? If not, is this a decent SG? The calculators I checked out have the original boil volume and final volume, but these do not equate to my data...

On a happy note, after adding the extract I hit the high-end of the recipe's SG after boil of 1.056.

Thanks!
Eric

 

[Redweasel]

Beersmith is perfect for figuring mini mash efficiency. What I do is remove the ME from my recipe and change my efficiency on the sheet to 100%, then on the brewsheet it will give you the pre-boil gravity for your mash. I take my pre-boil reading and use the 100% number to figure my actual efficiency. Hope this helps.

 

[Bobby_M]

The grain type matters but if you take an average of 35 PPG, that's 4 x 35 = 140 GP total max. Divide that by 2.5 gallons (140/2.5) = 1.056 at 100%.

You got 1.035 so divide 35/56 = .63 or 63% efficiency. Not bad. Sparging with a little hotter water would have done better. Sparging a little more would have also.

 

[r2eng]

thanks... here's the grain used:

only 3.5#...

1# british 2-row
1# british 60L crystal
12oz British Brown malt
10oz british chocolate malt

I'll check out beersmith. Sounds handy!

Eric

 

[Redweasel]

They have a free trial of their software and it's only $20 to purchase. I could not live without it. http://www.beersmith.com