What is my problem?? Low initial SG

[bigloudvtwin]

So I've tried 3 times now. My latest attempt I used 10 lbs of pale 2 row and 6 lbs crystal 60L. Crushed w my Millars mill. Mash temp 149 for 90 minutes. Batch sparged. Wort came out real sweet and dark (I do IPA only). 2 oz of cascade hops, 1.5 oz of Magnum and 1.5 oz of Simcoe at end of boil. Used wort chiller to 72f. Specific Gravity only 1.062!!!! I'm trying for 1.07-1.08.
Ending SG is 1.018 after a 3 week ferment period. Wye yeast American ale # I believe is 1072?
My water here is about 7ph.
Why can't I get my wort to a higher SG?
PS it tastes great, just not enough alc

 

[schoellhorn82]

It's the 6lbs of crystal malt! From my understanding crystal malts do not have much if any enzymes left to convert the starches to sugars. Usually you use only 15-10% of the mash as crystal malts. Try only using 1-2lbs and that should raise your efficiently.

 

[gr8shandini]

What kind of equipment and what process are you using? My back-of-the-envelope figuring says you're getting about 60% efficiency. That's a skosh low, but not all that unusual. First thing I'd do is check the gaps in your mill and take a look at the crush.

Also, some unsolicited advice: 6 lbs is a lot of crystal. That's probably why your FG is relatively high despite a very low mash temperature. Basically, you want to limit specialty malts to no more that 20% of the grain bill. I'd cut the C60 at least in half and make up for it with some darker base malts like Vienna or Munich.

 

[gr8shandini]

It's the 6lbs of crystal malt! From my understanding crystal malts do not have much if any enzymes left to convert the starches to sugars. Usually you use only 15-10% of the mash as crystal malts. Try only using 1-2lbs and that should raise your efficiently.

Crystal malt is already converted and the 2 row has enough enzymes to convert itself and then some, so that's not an issue. But, yeah, that's too much.

 

[bigloudvtwin]

What kind of equipment and what process are you using? My back-of-the-envelope figuring says you're getting about 60% efficiency. That's a skosh low, but not all that unusual. First thing I'd do is check the gaps in your mill and take a look at the crush.

Also, some unsolicited advice: 6 lbs is a lot of crystal. That's probably why your FG is relatively high despite a very low mash temperature. Basically, you want to limit specialty malts to no more that 20% of the grain bill. I'd cut the C60 at least in half and make up for it with some darker base malts like Vienna or Munich.

Mill is good. The grains are getting 1/3rded to 1/2ed. I'm good there. Sounds like the general concensus is too much crystal. Sooo, next batch I'm going to use 3 lbs of crystal and 12 lbs of 2 row pale. It's fun to experiment but I gotta have my high octane IPA! LOL Thanks Lots