- Joined
- Jan 4, 2015
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- 114
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My efficiency dropped 10% on my last batch. I mashed at 150 for 60 minutes instead of the usual 90, plus I used mostly Belgian pilsner malt which might possibly explain part of it. Moral of the story: I'll be mashing for 90 minutes from now on.
On the other hand, one of my earlier all-grain endeavors was a barleywine with a surprise brewhouse eff. of 90-something percent instead of 70% and an OG over 1100. (I learned a lot about yeasts and their alcohol tolerance with that one.) I figured the most likely explanation was that the guy at the lhbs accidentally gave me an extra pound of Maris Otter for my 2.5 gal. batch.
Btw trub and other solids in suspension don't effect your hydrometer reading. The hydrometer shoves all that stuff out of the way when it's submerged, and only the dissolved sugars affect the gravity. That's my understanding of it anyway.
On the other hand, one of my earlier all-grain endeavors was a barleywine with a surprise brewhouse eff. of 90-something percent instead of 70% and an OG over 1100. (I learned a lot about yeasts and their alcohol tolerance with that one.) I figured the most likely explanation was that the guy at the lhbs accidentally gave me an extra pound of Maris Otter for my 2.5 gal. batch.
Btw trub and other solids in suspension don't effect your hydrometer reading. The hydrometer shoves all that stuff out of the way when it's submerged, and only the dissolved sugars affect the gravity. That's my understanding of it anyway.
I've been really milling down that grains though so more starch available to the enzymes but I'm having a little clarity issue from this I think and I have to be real careful on dough balls that fine crush justs wants to stick together real bad. I need a few more brews to see how this goes but from low seventies to mid eighties is a great improvement in my book mate. If I sparge more or mash in more that hits my efficiency especially if the boil is shorter and I've used same mash liquor volume. But most modified malts will convert in first 15 minutes but at lower mash temp I've herd conversion is slower. But who am I to speak I've left this malt mashing for over 2 hours while I dashed to the shops to grab some vanilla without no probs. stick to ya guns I say!
