Efficiency bad

[JWR_12]

So I'm getting into mashing and I notice that my efficiency is not good. I'm guesstimating I'm getting like 55%, where I'd like to get somewhere in the 65%-70% range. Or am I dreaming?

Mashing in a nice pot surrounded by a custom made cozy for warmth. I go in at the right temperature. I'm guessing I may be failing in sparging. But any common efficiency robbers I should be looking out for?

Last brew out I thought I'd hit 1.048 and ended up with 1.040, for example.

Thank you!

John

 

[Sandy Feet]

I don't sparge, but water volume, PH, grain clumping, the way the grain is milled just to name a few. I'm BIAB, so I try to squeeze the shit out of the bag to get more sugar out. Even with BIAB, I can get 60 or 62. I have issues with adjuncts: Flaked corn, flaked oats, etc.

 

[J A]

Be sure you're calculating from the right volumes....the calculator can work from pre-boil or post-boil gravity, depending on which boxes are checked. The volumes specified in your system profile make a big difference, as well.
Make your recipe sharable and post a link. I'll be possible to try to find discrepancies in your settings. That's where the problem is in a lot of cases.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

The most common cause for low efficiency is grain crush size. If you have control over it, try crushing a little finer. If you BIAB, then you can crush pretty fine. But you'll probably have more dough balls to break up. I mash in a picnic cooler and batch sparge. My mill gap set at 0.040" (1.016 mm) which is pretty standard and my Brewhouse efficiency is about 70.

This page has a good explanations of brewing efficiencies. It also has an excellent graphic to visualize them.

 

[Bryozoans]

I struggled with this as well (BIAB). I got some great advice from this thread and was able to improve my efficiency a lot: https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/threads/og-way-off.17695/

 

[Zambi]

Yep
Mashing time
Crush
Sparging
All make a difference

 

[J A]

So I'm getting into mashing and I notice that my efficiency is not good. I'm guesstimating I'm getting like 55%, where I'd like to get somewhere in the 65%-70% range. Or am I dreaming?

Mashing in a nice pot surrounded by a custom made cozy for warmth. I go in at the right temperature. I'm guessing I may be failing in sparging. But any common efficiency robbers I should be looking out for?

Last brew out I thought I'd hit 1.048 and ended up with 1.040, for example.

Thank you!

John

I'm curious why you're "guesstimating". There's a mash efficiency calculator and the recipe builder computes the gravity based on the number you put in. How are you arriving at your 55% number? Mash efficiency of 80% or higher is pretty common and if you're not hitting 70-75%, something's not right.

Post your recipe and before you worry about contributing factors, figure out what your numbers actually are.

 

[Dave Y]

Even if you are not using BIAB/brew in a bag, have a look at https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/threads/all-in-one-brewhouse-help-thread.17832/post-212432

Can you elaborate on your equipment?
How about your process?
- are you crushing the grains yourself or buying crushed?
- Old school setup or all in one / brew in a bag?
- Are you recirculating during the Mash?
- are you using a refractometer to check gravity during the mash and post sparge?
- Are you mashing 60 minutes or mashing until you hit your numbers?

We have all had these challenges. A typical all in one system doing a no sparge mash can get about 60-65%, lower if you aren’t on top of it or are still new at it. If you sparge, even a little, you can increase the efficiency to high 60’s, maybe low 70’s on average to medium beers. I found it a challenge to do anything bigger than 1.070 on all grain in the 10.5 gallon Anvil. On the 18 gallon, doing a 6 gallon brew, I’ve gotten 1.080 with the same process and I know there’s room there.

 

[Donoroto]

So I'm getting into mashing and I notice that my efficiency is not good. I'm guesstimating I'm getting like 55%, where I'd like to get somewhere in the 65%-70% range. Or am I dreaming?

Mashing in a nice pot surrounded by a custom made cozy for warmth. I go in at the right temperature. I'm guessing I may be failing in sparging. But any common efficiency robbers I should be looking out for?

Last brew out I thought I'd hit 1.048 and ended up with 1.040, for example.

Thank you!

John

If you are measuring the gravity, after your sparge, you’re not really measuring your efficiency in the way that you think you are. You want to measure gravity after mash and pre-sparge.

Plus, the post above covers it pretty well.

 

[west1m]

I don't think I have ever measured sg before sparge, that would push my efficiency through the roof!

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

I don't think I have ever measured sg before sparge, that would push my efficiency through the roof!

The BF session log calculates sugar conversion efficiency on pre-sparge measurements. Maybe your efficiency really is through the roof!

My main confusion on efficiencies on on Brewhouse Efficiency. The calculator wants to know the fermentor volume after transfer. My issue is that if I transfer everything in the kettle, wort, trub and all, I will have a higher volume than if I just transfer wort and a minimal amount of trub. On my last batch my brewhouse efficiency is either 79% or ~69%. Should I be guesstimating how much trub was transferred to the fermenter and subtracting that off the fermentor volume?

 

[Donoroto]

The BF session log calculates sugar conversion efficiency on pre-sparge measurements. Maybe your efficiency really is through the roof!
View attachment 31783

My main confusion on efficiencies on on Brewhouse Efficiency. The calculator wants to know the fermentor volume after transfer. My issue is that if I transfer everything in the kettle, wort, trub and all, I will have a higher volume than if I just transfer wort and a minimal amount of trub. On my last batch my brewhouse efficiency is either 79% or ~69%. Should I be guesstimating how much trub was transferred to the fermenter and subtracting that off the fermentor volume?

If your actual practice is to leave one or 2 quarts behind with the trub, then just call that kettle losses or something like that. It will assume you don’t transfer those 2 quarts and calculate accordingly.

At least I think that’s what happens.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

If your actual practice is to leave one or 2 quarts behind with the trub, then just call that kettle losses or something like that. It will assume you don’t transfer those 2 quarts and calculate accordingly.

At least I think that’s what happens.

The problem is that I am consistently inconsistent when it comes to how much trub I transfer into the fermentor. But my real question is what is the calculator expecting; with trub or without? I usually hit 73% brewhouse efficiency...or do I?

 

[Donoroto]

The problem is that I am consistently inconsistent when it comes to how much trub I transfer into the fermentor. But my real question is what is the calculator expecting; with trub or without? I usually hit 73% brewhouse efficiency...or do I?

Pick a value and go with it. I use 2 quarts. Close enough.

That being said, I don’t fret my efficiency. It’s usually close.

 

[Craigerrr]

Hey @JWR_12 since you made this post you have had a fair amount of feedback.
As others have suggested, give us more details on your equipment/methods, and post your recipe as well so we can have a closer look.
Cheers!

 

[Mont Y. Märzen]

The problem is that I am consistently inconsistent when it comes to how much trub I transfer into the fermentor. But my real question is what is the calculator expecting; with trub or without? I usually hit 73% brewhouse efficiency...or do I?

Actual volume to fermenter, whatever trub included, goes in the log entry.

The 'kettle loss' figure is for your equipment profile and is used by the recipe editor to estimate targets and strike volume. The actual brew day can vary, but shouldn't by much unless something went wrong.

But before all of that, read this tome: https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/threads/not-hitting-og.17596/page-2#post-208846

Spend a few batches measuring *everything* as accurately as you can, as consistently as you can. (which will mean, transferring a consistent amount, trub or not, to the fermenter) Doing so will help you determine your system losses along the way, which you can use to refine your strike volume so you hit those same pre-boil, post-boil, fermenter and packaged volume figures every single brew. Until you get consistent volumes and losses, your numbers will bounce around.

 

[Mastoras007]

my first batches i had a same problem, i realise that i was mashing at 76-80 celsius
truth is you dont need to to almost nothing to hit a good efficiency, just put grains and maintain 66 celsius for 1 hour, what can you do whrong??
just get sure you have good tempreture, and the correct amount of water -grains

 

[Bigbre04]

this convo is sort of blowing my mind. I have my settings at 80% and i am very consistent with amounts and OGs...makes me wonder if i am doing this correctly.

 

[Mont Y. Märzen]

I'm set at 80% also with a fine-crush (0.24–0.30″) BIAB propane system. (DIY 10gal Bayou Classic) I aim for 5gal packaged and consistently hit my targets across the board. But the Session Log shows lower efficiencies most times, which is odd. I need to take another look and see why 80% gets me targets from the Recipe Editor that I hit, but then the Log takes those readings and calculates a lower efficiency. (70–75%)

I used to use a custom DIY spreadsheet for everything before BF and never had issues or inconsistencies there. I'll take a few recent batches and plug my numbers into it and look for discrepancies to BF. I'm using the same formulas in the spreadsheet to boot.

I suppose as long as our brewing is consistent, it doesn't really matter. But that just bugs me. Thanks for reminding me of that long forgotten itch that needs scratching!

 

[Dave Y]

I may not be plugging in all the variables - for sure I’m not calculating kettle loss, I just adjust my pre-post boil volume to give me enough to transfer to the fermenter without all the sediment on the bottom. I may not be precisely calculating but my consistency & predictability range is with a beer up to about 8% ABV on malt alone, I’ve yet to test higher. I’d say I’m pushing 73-75% at the low range, but I’ve hit 78-80%-ish on some recent efforts. Not that I’m complaining. I’d rather underestimate in my equipment profile than overestimate.