92 % Efficiency

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MattC

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Hi all, My brewhouse efficiency has been running at a constant 75%, but not today!!, Today 92%???

Im brewing a beer ATM with about 40% wheat, I milled the wheat quite fine in an attempt to enhance the cloudiness of the final product. I also milled the barley slightly finer than i usually do. I was expecting a slightly higher efficiency becuase of this, however an increase of 17% was not what I was expecting.

I have checked it 3 times and corrected for temp etc etc, so I havnt made a mistake. So rather than keep the beer as is (which would be approx. 1.059 instead of the targeted 1.048) i have decided to dilute the wort in the boiler with 6 litres of water and adjust my hop additions to maintain hop character and IBU's. This acording to my calcs should bring the OG down to 1.050. I would rather finish higher and add more sanitised water, instead of finishing lower and having to add LDM or drink a weaker beer.

Cheers
 

If you are refering to the tannins myth - try it. It's a myth.

For starters get a bunch of halved grain husks and steep them in 70C for an hour water and taste it. Now finely mill those husks and taste it again.

What? The tannins leach out through undamaged cells as quickly as damaged ones? Well I never - here was I thinking that I'd get no tannins in my tea (or my wine) unless I pulverised.

MYTH. BUSTED. Still perpetuated by those who simply can't mill finely because of their gear.
 

Apart from about 750g of wheat which i milled very fine, the remainder was not super fine, but I what I would call a med-fine crush. What's your thoughts on Tannin extraction?

Cheers
 
To get a brewhouse yield in the 90's just means you probably did EVERYTHING right (assuming the beer is still good). Milling is one part of the equation, the mineral content; temperature of the mash, pH, lautering temperature and speed of lautering are all just as important.

As to the idea that fine grinds and high efficiency extraction will result in tannin extraction, well that's just rubbish. There are several breweries in Australia using mash filters, the grist is hammer milled to talc; brewhouse yields around 100% are expected from these systems. Larger commercial breweries operate on BhY's well into the 90's. Tannin extraction is more related to temperature, pH and wort water chemistry.

Importantly with a very fine grist if you don't get everything else right you will exacerbate all the potential problems - including tannin extraction.
As an exercise I once achieved 102% BhY; it was one of the most painful 10 hours of my life and the beer wasn't all that good. Much easier to accept a lower yield (for me 80% is typical) and enjoy the brewing knowing your making beer your happy with.

Congratulations 90+% is an achievement and a credit to the brewer.
Reminds me of when I was starting Archery, about the 8th arrow I let fly on the 60 meter range smack in the X, the coach said " Remember exactly what you did now do it again", not having a shot, just look long and hard at what you achieved and what you can learn from that brew.

MHB
 
In my experience a sudden 17% increase in efficiency is almost always not related to the crush or the minerals or the pH or the lautering, but to mis-weighing the grain.
 
In my experience a sudden 17% increase in efficiency is almost always not related to the crush or the minerals or the pH or the lautering, but to mis-weighing the grain.


:lol: A couple of us thought it but he said it.

Batz
 
Its a very good point I keep assuming people are competent I know makes an ass out of...
Probably the first place to look

MHB
 
Gee thanks for the vote of confidence fellas!!!!

To be truthful, i thought that myself first, however I have become quite pedantic with my grain measurements of late, so Im pretty confident that I got that much correct!! If I had put in too much grain, one would assume it would take about 1 extra kg of grain to reach the increase of 17% which would mean an increase in grain absorption of 1L. This didnt happen. The pre boil volume was spot on.

Oh I also forgot to mention that it was my first attempt at a double infusion. Protein rest @ 50C for 30 min, Sacc @ 65 C for 40 min, and mash out @ 75 C for 10 min.
So I will put the eff increase down to a variety of variables, one of which was not, incorrect grain weighing. But thanks for the input.

Cheers
 
Gee thanks for the vote of confidence fellas!!!!

I can get in the 90% range every damn time if I can be arsed. I settle for 75-80% just squeezing the bag - no sparge. 65% is shit efficiency.
 
Well if you have put in the extra work then good, you deserve the improved yield.

It's not that hard to get better yields but as a pursuit in its own right, the results can be mixed. At some point there are diminishing returns for the extra time and effort, often brewers feel that their beer is suffering. For me getting to know your system, experimenting with your ingredients and processes are what it's all about.

A happy median where you enjoy the brewing process and the beer is the place to be.

MHB
 
I have just had the opposite experience. After ussng my three roller mill for the 1st tine and doing a superfine fine crush for BIAB, look like coming in for about 65 % efficiency, after being about 75%. Seems to be a lot of compacted grist in the bottom of my bag, and also grain seems to have absorbed less liqiud, throwing volume and gravity out.
Will try sparge in a bucket and less total water next batch and see what happens
 
A happy median where you enjoy the brewing process and the beer is the place to be.

Tis true. I've used a shop-milled batch and changed no other part of my process and I lost 12% efficiency - I'd probably need to run it through one more time to be completely sure, but in my case the fine ground malt = at least 10% free efficiency.

And as you've said, I use this 10% so I don't have to do any sparging fluff. :icon_cheers:
 
I changed the gap size on the Marga and picked up 10% and all is good. I uped the sparge temp and picked up astringency big time.
 
my efficiency is 67 to 70, I think I will buy cracked grain for a "standard" brew to see if that helps, then I know what to start fixing.
 
Tis true. I've used a shop-milled batch and changed no other part of my process and I lost 12% efficiency - I'd probably need to run it through one more time to be completely sure, but in my case the fine ground malt = at least 10% free efficiency.

And as you've said, I use this 10% so I don't have to do any sparging fluff. :icon_cheers:


Nick, what gap are you milling with? I've just got an MM2 from Monster and have set the gap to 0.040". Yet to use it in anger though. Only done a test run. I am BIAB also. :beerbang:
 

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