I know the answer is in here somewhere but I am too tired to search anymore, lol. I have made several all grain beer with poor efficiency. my last batch was my own little twist with an ipa. 12lbs of 2 row pale, 1 lb of caramel malt and 1 lb of roasted barley. i set up the mash and batch sparge for a preboil volume of 6.5 gallons. i am calculating my efficiency at 54%. i am mashing in the low to mid 150s. i typically and very close to 150, but this last batch was more like 155. i did my mashout and sparge water at 175. i am stirring with mashout and sparge water. i have watched numerous videos on youtube and have read several more websites. so here i am turning to an excellent source i should have asked a long time ago. tips, tricks or otherwise at improving efficiency is much appreciated.
poor efficiency
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the_Roqk
Well-Known Member
I agree with djsethall. Do you crush your own grains or do you have your LHBS do the crushing for you?
Not sure also if it could be a bad batch of 2 row. Sometimes that can happen. If that's the case then you could try a different mashing method.
Try this link: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Infusion_mashing#Multi_step_infusion_mashes
I have found that changing my mashing schedule helped with efficiency problems. You gotta give those enzymes time to work. Of course like I stated you may have a problem with a bad batch of grain. Meaning the grain wasn't fully malted. Okay, that's my $.02's worth.
Not sure also if it could be a bad batch of 2 row. Sometimes that can happen. If that's the case then you could try a different mashing method.
Try this link: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Infusion_mashing#Multi_step_infusion_mashes
I have found that changing my mashing schedule helped with efficiency problems. You gotta give those enzymes time to work. Of course like I stated you may have a problem with a bad batch of grain. Meaning the grain wasn't fully malted. Okay, that's my $.02's worth.
CPooley4
Well-Known Member
The most common places to start with would be grain crush and tun drainage. You want a fine crush and you want to drain the tun dry (relatively). Any liquid left in your tun is efficiency left behind.
Good luck.
cp
Good luck.
cp
Guys,
I now this has been asked before over and over but I'm on my 4th AG batch and can get my efficiency higher than 60%. Last night I tried to improve my crushing by passing the grains twice in the mill but the result was the same.
I think I may have a problem with my false bottom. Can you tell by the picture if that's the case?
I now this has been asked before over and over but I'm on my 4th AG batch and can get my efficiency higher than 60%. Last night I tried to improve my crushing by passing the grains twice in the mill but the result was the same.
I think I may have a problem with my false bottom. Can you tell by the picture if that's the case?
stageseven
Well-Known Member
From that picture it looks to me like you have way too fine of a crush. I've never had my grain bed look nearly that compacted. I don't really even see any husks in there...
I agree. What is that? I have never seen a grain bed look even remotely like that.
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Looks like a crapton of flour glued toghether by protein.
I think the OP needs to look at his crush, but in the other direction.
I think the OP needs to look at his crush, but in the other direction.
On my previous batches I was getting a lot of uncrushed grains due to the mill that I use so this time I passed the grains twice in the mill. My mill also produces a lot of dust/powder that is causing this impression of too fine crush. Underneeth most of the grain were broken into 3 to 4 parts.
I got the same comment from other folks and I'll be looking into trying different mills in improve my efficiency.
But does that large gap between the grain bed and my mash kettle indicates that the sparge watter isn't going through the grain bed? Can this cause poor efficiency?
I got the same comment from other folks and I'll be looking into trying different mills in improve my efficiency.
But does that large gap between the grain bed and my mash kettle indicates that the sparge watter isn't going through the grain bed? Can this cause poor efficiency?
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Yes.
How does one make barley tofu, exactly?
Batch sparge or Fly?
Batch sparge or Fly?
brewjester
Member
U could add a half pound of rice hulls to the mash before u sparge. I hear that helps with compacted grain beds as well as wheat/rye mashes. Tasty McDole uses rice hulls in most if his mashes, about half a pound per batch. I batch sparge in a cooler with a SS hosebraid and my efficiency is about 75% or so. Hope this helps.
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