Recipe, efficiency, calculations

[sictransit701]

Brewed Palmer’s Oaked Mild this weekend. I have some questions about my mash efficiency and how to improve it. I have included only the grain bill below. The full recipe can be found in the link below. I would like to compare John Palmer’s expected OG, Beersmith’s expected OG, and my actual OG.

http://brewingtv.com/recipe/2011/9/23/belladonna-tooks-oaked-mild-john-palmer-recipe-for-btv.html

Grains
6 lbs of Maris Otter Pale malt
1 lbs Crystal 60
0.5 lbs Briess Special Roast
0.5 lbs Flaked Oatmeal (instant)
0.5 lbs Flaked Wheat
0.25 lbs Chocoate malt

Palmer:
OG 1.034

Beersmith:
OG 1.046

Me:
OG 1.030

I mashed at 152F for 1 hr following beersmith’s water measurements. I have a water cooler with a bazooka screen. Drained mash tun slowly. It took maybe 20 minutes. Sparged and drained slowly. I boiled for 1 hour. Cooled. Took og measurement.

Why is my efficiency so low? Why are there varying differences between the recipe and beersmiths calculations? How can I do my own calculations to help predict my og?

Thanks!

 

[chickypad]

We can't help you without knowing all of your water measurements. Palmer has figured the recipe for 6 gals post boil and 70% efficiency. You need to match those numbers in Beersmith, probably the easiest way is to set your batch size at 6 gals, and your trub loss to zero. Then the brewhouse efficiency (which you can set to 70) will equal the mash efficiency the way that BS calculates it.

As to why you would be lower - lots of factors. What was your actual post boil volume, do you have a way to measure it reliably? If you had measured the gravity of your first runnings separately you could tell if your conversion was good. The most likely culprit there would be crush but other factors like pH or temp can contribute. See Kai's article for more detail.

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Troubleshooting_Brewhouse_Efficiency

Edit: also I can't tell if you are batch sparging or fly sparging. If fly sparging you don't typically drain the tun first. If batch sparging you should stir the crap out of it but don't need to drain slowly.

 

[sictransit701]

Thanks!
I am batch sparging. I’m confused. I’ve heard by some to drain slowly and by some to drain quickly. I will start to check mash ph and ask my local homebrew shop about grain crush. I will change my settings in Brewsmith. How would changing trub loss to 0 help?

 

[chickypad]

The way Beersmith does it you can't manipulate the mash efficiency, only the brewhouse efficiency (which the way they calculate it is actually the "into fermenter efficiency"). By setting the trub loss to zero and the batch size to the post boil volume it will make the mash efficiency equal the brewhouse efficiency, so when you change the brewhouse number to what you want it changes the mash efficiency with it. I dump everything into the fermenter generally anyway, but if you don't you can add the trub losses to the fermeneter losses to get your actual packaging volume without it messing up Beersmith's numbers.

For batch sparging you do not need to go slowly, that's only fly sparging. Be sure to stir well before you drain though.

 

[sictransit701]

Thanks! I’ve just been using the 5 gallon all grain preset. Guess I need to make my own equipment settings.

 

[spddmn6]

For batch sparging you do not need to go slowly, that's only fly sparging. Be sure to stir well before you drain though.

Is it common to stir after the initial sach rest before your first runnings? I have only been doing that during batch sparge. After reading your posts it seems like it is a good idea to do it.

 

[chickypad]

Is it common to stir after the initial sach rest before your first runnings? I have only been doing that during batch sparge. After reading your posts it seems like it is a good idea to do it.

I was referring to stirring the sparge, to best rinse the grain in a batch sparge you need to stir. I don't know if it's common to stir the mash before draining, I don't really stir at that time.

 

[Oginme]

Thanks! I’ve just been using the 5 gallon all grain preset. Guess I need to make my own equipment settings.

Absolutely make your own equipment profile. Brad has stated in the past that the profiles which come stock with the program are intended to be guidelines and not fit everyone's system. He has some videos on the BeerSmith site to walk you through creating your own equipment profile. Additionally, Marshall Schott of Brulosophy has created some great videos on setting up your equipment profile (though with BIAB process).

 

[RM-MN]

Is it common to stir after the initial sach rest before your first runnings? I have only been doing that during batch sparge. After reading your posts it seems like it is a good idea to do it.

I have anecdotal evidence that when the starch is converted to sugar that wort is more dense than the rest of it and sinks to the bottom of the mash tun. Stirring may get more of the sugars rinsed from the grains. For sure you want to stir vigorously during the batch sparges.