Yet more musings on efficiency...

[AviatorTroy]

About ten batches into my all grain brewing experience. Up till now I've done a couple pales, a couple Hefes, a wit, doesn't matter. Anyway, I use the Gott 10 gallon cooler and false bottom for mash and lauter in the same vessel. Did a double batch sparge pretty hot thinking it would help things and it's been not the best but at least consistant. Efficiency has always been between 71 and 75%.

Last beer I did was a batch of Pink Elephant. Only a 3 gallon batch so I mashed in a smaller Coleman cooler at 148 degrees for 90 minutes and then dumped into the larger cooler for lauter and SINGLE batch sparge. Was planning on an OG of 1.54 (before the addition of corn sugar) Ended up with 1.69, which adds up to 93% efficiency!!!!

I pose this question... What caused the huge jump in efficiency? I propose that the dead space under the false bottom is reducing potential efficiency in my 10 gallon round cooler during the mash, due to wasted water volume not in contact with the grains.

Opinions???

 

[v2comp]

I would imagine the weight of the grain and its compaction as a good place to start looking. stir it to death and make sure you have a nice emulsified solution when beginning the sparge and sparge SLOW! I usually do a 40 to 45 minute sparge and am consistently around 80% eff.
I might also suggest that you check for hot spots or cooler spots in your mash at different depths, you may not be getting full conversion for all the grain in the tun.
(I know), but before you tell me that its not probable, I have seen it happen!
I know we have all read "stir, stri, stir, stir, but it really does make a difference as to the extraction if there are any clumps, or thicker parts vs thinner parts of the mash and pay attention to sparge water temps. if your batch sparging, make sure the entire mash is at or slightly over 170 before you begin the sparge!
all I can think of right now

 

[AviatorTroy]

Very good. I found it much easier to stir in the square cooler than the tall round one, so perhaps the mash was a more homogenious mixture. Also Im pretty careful about temp, and I can tell you that because of the much smaller headspace in the smaller cooler, the temp droped maybe one degree in the 90 minute mash. If I'm doing a longer, cooler, more fermentable mash in the tall round cooler I usually have to add an infusion at about the hour mark to keep the temp from dropping out of the range for starch conversion (145 ish?)

 

[v2comp]

I recently added another cooler mash tun to my arsenal, The 72qt igloo 5 day extreme cooler from walmart. for 35 bucks online and free delivery, I have used it twice now, both 10 gallon batches and the temp didnt drop even a single degree over a 75 minute mash.
those things are really great coolers.
you can see it in my gallery pictures along with my copper manifold.