strongsidebrewing
Apprentice
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2017
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
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Hey guys,
I see "Efficiency Issue" topics all over this thing, but wanted to start my own to track my own experience here.
I've been brewing all-grain on a 3-tier gravity feed gatorade jug style system for 7 years now. 7Gal HLT, 10Gal MT, 8Gal Kettle - Doing 5Gal batches.
I've consistently hit 70-75% efficiency for every brew since my first (which was low because my temps were all off, beginner's troubles).
Just recently, this year, I've been way low on my OG readings. I used iBrewmaster (iPhone app brewing software) forever and have never had a problem. I switched to BeerSmith and I've been low ever since. I've adjusted every facet of my profiles to match as closely as I can to my actual setup. Volume calculations have been fine, but I cannot get my OG anywhere near the estimation (with an estimated 70% efficiency used to create the recipe). I've consistently coming up 0.010 low.
I don't think BeerSmith is the issue, however, because even when repeating an old recipe I'm coming up low.
For example, I brewed this week, a recipe that I've done in the past:
Coffee Stout:
10# - Pale 2 row
1# - Caramel 20L
0.75# - Black Patent
0.5# - Chocolate
0.5# - Carafoam
12.75# of Total Malt
Mash with 4Gal at 156deg - 60min
Sparge with 4.5Gal at 170deg - 60min
Total runoff: 6.75Gal
Boil 60min - Volume into carboy - 5.25Gal
Est. Efficiency 75% - Est. OG 1.061
***Exact same recipe, brewed twice, results***
Act. Efficiency 74% - Act. OG 1.060 <--- Brewed 3/04/2017
Act. Efficiency 61% - Act. OG 1.050 <--- Brewed 7/18/2017
It's killing me. I'm literally changing nothing.
I always run the grain through the mill at my homebrew shop twice to get a good crush. I hit my temperatures dead on. I mash in for a good 10 minutes to assure no clumps or pockets. I sparge slow for a full hour to assure a slow runoff and continued conversion. I have no idea what could be going wrong.
One anomaly to throw in the mix....I brewed about a month ago, a "Pale Ale" that was supposed to be around 5.5%...11.5# grain bill...and I hit 88% efficiency, OG of 1.070, final ABV of about 7.7%. I can deal with being consistently low because I can compensate for it with more grain...but not if I'm going to have curveballs that come out to be monsters when I'm just going for something light and simple.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks a lot guys. Happy brewing!
I see "Efficiency Issue" topics all over this thing, but wanted to start my own to track my own experience here.
I've been brewing all-grain on a 3-tier gravity feed gatorade jug style system for 7 years now. 7Gal HLT, 10Gal MT, 8Gal Kettle - Doing 5Gal batches.
I've consistently hit 70-75% efficiency for every brew since my first (which was low because my temps were all off, beginner's troubles).
Just recently, this year, I've been way low on my OG readings. I used iBrewmaster (iPhone app brewing software) forever and have never had a problem. I switched to BeerSmith and I've been low ever since. I've adjusted every facet of my profiles to match as closely as I can to my actual setup. Volume calculations have been fine, but I cannot get my OG anywhere near the estimation (with an estimated 70% efficiency used to create the recipe). I've consistently coming up 0.010 low.
I don't think BeerSmith is the issue, however, because even when repeating an old recipe I'm coming up low.
For example, I brewed this week, a recipe that I've done in the past:
Coffee Stout:
10# - Pale 2 row
1# - Caramel 20L
0.75# - Black Patent
0.5# - Chocolate
0.5# - Carafoam
12.75# of Total Malt
Mash with 4Gal at 156deg - 60min
Sparge with 4.5Gal at 170deg - 60min
Total runoff: 6.75Gal
Boil 60min - Volume into carboy - 5.25Gal
Est. Efficiency 75% - Est. OG 1.061
***Exact same recipe, brewed twice, results***
Act. Efficiency 74% - Act. OG 1.060 <--- Brewed 3/04/2017
Act. Efficiency 61% - Act. OG 1.050 <--- Brewed 7/18/2017
It's killing me. I'm literally changing nothing.
I always run the grain through the mill at my homebrew shop twice to get a good crush. I hit my temperatures dead on. I mash in for a good 10 minutes to assure no clumps or pockets. I sparge slow for a full hour to assure a slow runoff and continued conversion. I have no idea what could be going wrong.
One anomaly to throw in the mix....I brewed about a month ago, a "Pale Ale" that was supposed to be around 5.5%...11.5# grain bill...and I hit 88% efficiency, OG of 1.070, final ABV of about 7.7%. I can deal with being consistently low because I can compensate for it with more grain...but not if I'm going to have curveballs that come out to be monsters when I'm just going for something light and simple.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks a lot guys. Happy brewing!