Thick Mash

[rodwha]

I'm using a 5 gal Igloo that I installed a bottling spigot on and use my BIAB bag as the filter. I use a metal stand to keep the bag off of the spigot as I found it stops up the flow.

I'm still working out this new process and was trying to brew a somewhat stronger beer, but as my brew pot and mash tun limit me I only have 6.5 gals to work with. I use 3 gals in the mash and 3.5 gals for the sparge (batch).

Trying to reach max volume and wondering about a 1.07 qts/lb ratio. It seems a quite a bit thicker than anyone else seems to do. I have successfully worked with 1.15 but don't know if I can go much lower and effectively convert my starches. I believe I have just a hair of space left that I could add maybe another pint to quart to get closer to 1.1 if need be.

What's the lowest ratio that will work well enough without dropping below 75% efficiency?

 

[eluterio]

I'm using a 5 gal Igloo that I installed a bottling spigot on and use my BIAB bag as the filter. I use a metal stand to keep the bag off of the spigot as I found it stops up the flow.

I'm still working out this new process and was trying to brew a somewhat stronger beer, but as my brew pot and mash tun limit me I only have 6.5 gals to work with. I use 3 gals in the mash and 3.5 gals for the sparge (batch).

Trying to reach max volume and wondering about a 1.07 qts/lb ratio. It seems a quite a bit thicker than anyone else seems to do. I have successfully worked with 1.15 but don't know if I can go much lower and effectively convert my starches. I believe I have just a hair of space left that I could add maybe another pint to quart to get closer to 1.1 if need be.

What's the lowest ratio that will work well enough without dropping below 75% efficiency?

Get a bigger mash tun and pot! Just kidding, If you looking at attempting a higher gravity beer why not just brew a 4 gallon batch instead of a 6 gallon?

I think even at a 1.07 qts/lb if you mash longer might help you out if your worried. Do a conversion test at 60 mins and see. No reason why you couldn't mash for 90 or even 120 mins. I would be concerned if you get a stuck mash.

 

[BigTerp]

I recently made 2 10 gallon batches of a Two Hearted Ale clone. I use a 10 gallon igloo cooler for my mash tun. I mashed at 1.12 qt/lb for 1 hour and 20 minutes. This is the absolute maximum my tun can hold with 26#'s of grain. The first batch came in at 1.065 OG and the second batch I just made over the weekend was at 1.067 OG. That's approaching 80% brewhouse efficiency. With a "normal" mash schedule I typically get about the same, in the high 70's.

As long as you have a good crush, fresh grains and stir the crap out of it to ensure no dough balls you should be fine. I agree that mashing a little longer than normal is good just to be on the safe side.

FWIW, I find when filling my mash tun to its breaking point, it's easier to top off with your last bit of strike water as opposed to trying to get the last few pounds of grain into the tun. If that makes sense? Basically I get all my grains in the tun before I run out of strike water.

Also, the below website was really handy when I was trying to figure out how much I could fit in my mash tun based on grain bill and mash thickness.

http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml

 

[rodwha]

I like to make 5.25 gal batches as it gives me four 12 packs and a couple of extra bottles, which is what I place in the fridge a little early (I shave 3 days from the 21 for conditioning and 4 days from the 7 I give for carbonating in the fridge). I had worked it down to a 4.25 gal batch to keep it around 9% but decided I'd rather reduce the ABV and keep my batch volume.

I am hungrily awaiting a new house as its the stupid glasstop that holds my volumes in check, though my pot and tun are small, but easily remedied.

What I've done is added an extra pint to the mash which brings me up to 1.11 qts/lb. Really pushing it.

I condition my barley and get a finer crush, and really did a number on the wheat berries.

 

[rodwha]

Oh, and I usually mash for a bit over 70 mins but will do a longer mash today. What's another 20 mins?

 

[eluterio]

Another thought use DME if you want to really make a big beer, add some when your about done with the boil to boost your AVB. I don't think a lbs or two will really take away the flavor of your all grain beer. Just use golden light. Just another thought.

 

[rodwha]

When I upgraded I thought I'd be able to do all-grain but found I was getting very poor efficiency with my method of sparge (fly). I had already bought a bunch of ingredients for what I intended. I was helped out and shown that batch sparging would help me out.

I'm not sure what my threshold will be and have no problem using extract for bigger beers again. That is until I can upgrade again. I prefer using LME though.

 

[eluterio]

When I upgraded I thought I'd be able to do all-grain but found I was getting very poor efficiency with my method of sparge (fly). I had already bought a bunch of ingredients for what I intended. I was helped out and shown that batch sparging would help me out.

I'm not sure what my threshold will be and have no problem using extract for bigger beers again. That is until I can upgrade again. I prefer using LME though.

Poor efficiency for me is 65% if im in the neighborhood of 70-80% im one happy camper. One trick I was taught was to slowly drain the mash when fly sparging and look for the bubble! Now its tough for me to explain what the bubble is but I had to move from 1/2 in barb fitting to a 3/4 barb fitting to restrict the flow and the bubble will appear. The rate is something like 1 gallon per 15mins. Usually takes me about an hour and a half for 7 gallons of wort. Im a patient man but when im not Batch sparge is the way to go. You might just have to add a few more lbs of grain or add LME.

 

[rodwha]

I use the factory setting of 75% and prior to changing things I usually was in the mid to high 80's.

In my worst my OG was targeted to be 1.050 but was only 1.036 and so I added emergency DME. My batch size was 5.5 gals then.

 

[dmtaylor]

I doubt you will hit 75% efficiency for a big beer unless you mash really thick at like 0.9 Qt/lb, and double sparge with enough water for a really long boil of at least 105-120 minutes. Then you can hit your goal. Aim for 1/3 of the running each from first runnings, first sparge, second sparge. Works when I do it.

 

[rodwha]

Turned out my OG was 1.073 instead of 1.074. Not bad. This was at 75% efficiency.

I squeeze the grain bag, which no doubt helps. I probably got a quart out of there.

 

[eluterio]

Turned out my OG was 1.073 instead of 1.074. Not bad. This was at 75% efficiency.

I squeeze the grain bag, which no doubt helps. I probably got a quart out of there.

Nice job!