jdecker1978
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- Jan 6, 2015
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So I know this is covered all over this forum, and the rest of the web. But I have read, and read, and read, and can't fix my problem. I am stuck brewing around 60-65%. I increased grain for a while, but really want to try and button it down. I've been brewing about two and a half years, about seven or eight months with my current setup.
15 gallon coors keggle with sight glass and thermometer
48qt coleman rectangular cooler w/stainless braid
Heres my method-
Put all the water in keg
Heat water to around 167, let gravity add Beersmiths quantity to cooler. Close and let heat for 5 min.
Add grain and stir to get a temp of 152.
Let sit for 75 minutes (used to do 60 but some folks said this could help). After my temp is around 148.
Vorlauf a gallon.
Drain tun into bucket.
Add 170 degree water (typically I would split the remaining water and do this twice, but I'll get more into that below). Stir and let sit 10 min.
Vorlauf another gallon.
Drain. Despite what people say, the slower I drain my efficiency goes up a hair. I constantly read in batch sparging that doesn't matter.
I use a bucket because the keg still has sparge water.
When all the water is through I transfer back to keggle, boil, and theres my beer.
Pretty sure my problem is in the mash/sparge as I've checked pre boil OG and it was off. Until recently I was not super accurate with my equipment profile, but this last brew I really got into it and nothing changed. A couple things I thought would help were-
A)checking the "drain mash tun completely" box in beer smith mash profile
B)checked "adjust mash for deadspace"
Previous to today I was using a med body batch sparge profile in beersmith and simply splitting the second addition of water into two. I know this was wrong. I know now that the point is two equal drains, not equal amounts of sparge water. So I measured my deadspace, checked the box did a single batch sparge, and my drain was a half gallon over what Beersmith expected it to be(my deadspace is a half gallon as well). But I'm not sure a half gallon would even make a 10% difference in efficiency.
Im pretty sure the crush is fine. I know someone who uses the same supplier and mill, and does fine. In fact, last week we brewed together and got 78% with his rig. The only real difference is he just got a keggle mash tun. But I don't see how that would effect it either. He hasn't used his new setup enough to know if he's got a consistent efficiency.
I brew 6.5 gallon batches, so I don't need to be greedy with transfers and can still fill a corny to the top at the end of the cycle.
Please let me know if theres any more info anyone needs to hopefully help me fix this nightmare!!!
Thanks in advance.....
15 gallon coors keggle with sight glass and thermometer
48qt coleman rectangular cooler w/stainless braid
Heres my method-
Put all the water in keg
Heat water to around 167, let gravity add Beersmiths quantity to cooler. Close and let heat for 5 min.
Add grain and stir to get a temp of 152.
Let sit for 75 minutes (used to do 60 but some folks said this could help). After my temp is around 148.
Vorlauf a gallon.
Drain tun into bucket.
Add 170 degree water (typically I would split the remaining water and do this twice, but I'll get more into that below). Stir and let sit 10 min.
Vorlauf another gallon.
Drain. Despite what people say, the slower I drain my efficiency goes up a hair. I constantly read in batch sparging that doesn't matter.
I use a bucket because the keg still has sparge water.
When all the water is through I transfer back to keggle, boil, and theres my beer.
Pretty sure my problem is in the mash/sparge as I've checked pre boil OG and it was off. Until recently I was not super accurate with my equipment profile, but this last brew I really got into it and nothing changed. A couple things I thought would help were-
A)checking the "drain mash tun completely" box in beer smith mash profile
B)checked "adjust mash for deadspace"
Previous to today I was using a med body batch sparge profile in beersmith and simply splitting the second addition of water into two. I know this was wrong. I know now that the point is two equal drains, not equal amounts of sparge water. So I measured my deadspace, checked the box did a single batch sparge, and my drain was a half gallon over what Beersmith expected it to be(my deadspace is a half gallon as well). But I'm not sure a half gallon would even make a 10% difference in efficiency.
Im pretty sure the crush is fine. I know someone who uses the same supplier and mill, and does fine. In fact, last week we brewed together and got 78% with his rig. The only real difference is he just got a keggle mash tun. But I don't see how that would effect it either. He hasn't used his new setup enough to know if he's got a consistent efficiency.
I brew 6.5 gallon batches, so I don't need to be greedy with transfers and can still fill a corny to the top at the end of the cycle.
Please let me know if theres any more info anyone needs to hopefully help me fix this nightmare!!!
Thanks in advance.....