Trouble Shooting Low Mash Efficiency Spike Solo 20g

[IslandLizard]

My starting boil volume was somehow 1gal less as well, and I did not spill anything.

That seems to point to more wort remaining absorbed in the grist than the calculator predicted.

Sorry forgot to post photos. I did forget to take pic of base malt but I had adjuncts left to photograph.

Going by those 2 last pictures, that malt seems barely crushed!
That's most likely the problem you're having reaching anywhere near your target Preboil Gravity and thus OG (gravity of the wort going into the fermenter).

[ADDED] Judging by the first picture, the family cat doesn't seem to like it either.

 

[mashdar]

1224 crush is big but OK. 1223 looks iffy. Are both dehusked? From what I'm told, BIABag typically uses a fairly fine crush, whereas even 1224 is very coarse. Too bad no photo of base malt.

Maybe order another pre-crushed batch online and see if your issues magically disappear? If so, could see if LHBS will adjust gap for you.

 

[Bobby_M]

The crush is a little too coarse but another issue is that the default efficiency for that equipment profile is optimistic for OG over 1.060. Make a copy of the profile and lower it by at least 5% and name it high gravity. Also, adopt a 90min boil on the high grav profile

 

[Corey22]

The crush is a little too coarse but another issue is that the default efficiency for that equipment profile is optimistic for OG over 1.060. Make a copy of the profile and lower it by at least 5% and name it high gravity. Also, adopt a 90min boil on the high grav profile

Great idea, I’m capped out on water so upping boil time probably won’t help (I fill to the rim)

1224 crush is big but OK. 1223 looks iffy. Are both dehusked? From what I'm told, BIABag typically uses a fairly fine crush, whereas even 1224 is very coarse. Too bad no photo of base malt.

Maybe order another pre-crushed batch online and see if your issues magically disappear? If so, could see if LHBS will adjust gap for you.

the grain was cracked but you could still see the hulls if that matters. Here’s a pic during the mash. Probably doesn’t help.

 

[mashdar]

Great idea, I’m capped out on water so upping boil time probably won’t help (I fill to the rim)

the grain was cracked but you could still see the hulls if that matters. Here’s a pic during the mash. Probably doesn’t help.

A bunch of corns I see in that photo look completely in-tact. Those might float better, so inconclusive but suspect. edit: or maybe beautiful husks looking like whole grain

 

[micraftbeer]

I agree with above observations based on 1223 and cat picture, the grain husks are too intact. I would add to this that I see the bulk of your grist is Golden Promise malt. I don't brew a lot with that, but I do know those grains are extra difficult to crack. I think the kernel size must be smaller, because when I've run them through my mill in the past with the same setting I use for everything else, they are poorly cracked (and I had to run them through again because too much effort to adjust mill gap). So I'd say based on the pictures you did send with questionable crush, my experience would expect Golden Promise to be horrible crush.

Here's anecdote about buying a grain mill. I used to just let the LHBS crush the grain. I mean why not- it's free, saves me time, and I don't have to buy and store some other piece of kit. But I would get inconsistent efficiency. And my poor efficiency batches always had a lot of intact kernels in them when studied post-mash. The LHBS would try to make me think it was my problem. He said, "You know how many lbs of grain we crush a day? And how many people complain?" (Implying I was the only whiner.) I then bought a mill, played around with the gap setting until I got good crush and eliminated that variable from my efficiency. Absolutely worth it. I'm always trying to find ways to shorten my brew day and make things more efficient. But I'd never go back to letting my LHBS crush my grain.

 

[Bobby_M]

Great idea, I’m capped out on water so upping boil time probably won’t help (I fill to the rim)

In those cases, pour a sparge into the basket as soon as you lift it into the hang/drain position.

 

[Corey22]

In those cases, pour a sparge into the basket as soon as you lift it into the hang/drain position.

Of fresh water and just boil off more?

 

[mashdar]

Of fresh water and just boil off more?

You said in OP you're using a bag. Is it bag + basket? Bobby is saying to do a (edit: additional) sparge once basket is lifted so you have more open volume in kettle.

No point in adding clear water direct to kettle just to boil it : )

 

[Corey22]

You said in OP you're using a bag. Is it bag + basket? Bobby is saying to do a sparge once basket is lifted so you have more open volume in kettle.

Actually removed that from my equation this time. But the basket can lift.

 

[Bobby_M]

Of fresh water and just boil off more?

For clarity, sparging is rinsing the grain with fresh water. I'm not sure if you use that word for any other aspect of brewing.. For example, recirculation is not sparging and draining the basket is not (that's lautering).

If you're trying to boost efficiency, starting with higher preboil volume and boiling more off for higher gravity batches will do that. Setting the software for a 90 minute boil will automatically call for more starting water. If it tells you that your system will be overfilled, you can change it from no sparge to sparge and then it will tell you how much water to sparge with.

 

[Corey22]

Hi all! Back with GREAT news.

Got a spike Mill and today the efficiency on my westveleteran 12 clone was spot on. Goal was 1.091 got 1.092. Perfect!!

Thank you for all the help. Very excited to continue brewing.