only 55-60% effciency

50calguy32 · Jul 28, 2012

Hello

Ive brewed twice sense I got a new 8g kettle and a diy mash tun. Both times I got between 55 and 60% effciency. Ive been doing the batch method. I fill the 5g mash tun with 4.25g of water with my calculated temp and with 14lbs of grain. After an hour I drain it into kettle, and fill the tun with about 4g of 170 degree water and let it sit for 10min for mash-out, then drain into kettle again. Using brewersfriend.com calculator I got 56% effciency. Pre-boil water is 6.5g.

Am I doing something work here?

thanks

1Mainebrew · Jul 28, 2012

Try stirring your mash really well when you dough in and when you mash out. Dough in...stir stir stir...mash....vorleuf and lauter....mash out sparge...stir stir stir stir stir...finish vorleuf and lautering into bk.

Pommy · Jul 28, 2012

well it sounds to me like you have two steps; mash, mash out, then no sparge steps. I use a mash out step for consistency but then I also have two rounds of batch sparge following that. Im used to metric so converting isnt my strong point but it sounds like you are brewing a strongish beer (based on a higher efficiency) and getting good efficiency can be difficult due to the reduction in sparge/mash out water. More water and a longer boil will help with efficiency and allow you to break up the additions for batch sparging steps.

duboman · Jul 28, 2012

+1 to the above but to start you need to evaluate the crush, if you are not milling your own grain then talk to those that are and let them know your having a problem with low efficiency and see if they will provide a better crush for you. Better yet, get a mill and do it yourself! Best thing I ever did!

adhomebrew10 · Jul 28, 2012

I don't know what your mash temp is, but 170 I dont believe is hot enough for the sparge. I try to shoot to get the grain bed up to 168-170, and for 4g of water and 14lb grain that would be about 180-185. I also just today stopped waiting between sparging and draining. Just stir like crazy for 3 or 4 minutes and drain. This gave me 78% efficiency.

jma99 · Jul 28, 2012

OK Take a deep breath!

The important thing is NOT your efficiency, but how consistent your efficiency is.

You can make great beer with 55% to 60% efficiency.
You may have to use a bit more grain, but so what!

I would rather have a system that is locked in at 60% than one that bounces from 60% to 90%!

RDWHAHB!!