Can't get my head around my volumes and sparging

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drfad

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Hi all.
I have a gluten 40L and cannot get my head around the water volumes. I have tried beer Smith and now Brewfather profiles that others have pulled together.

They are based around roughly 2.7 to 3L per kg of grain, but I always end up with a sg before sparging that seems on target. Then when I sparge with the volume provided by the profiles the sg drops to at least 6 points below expected. If I sparge with less, I get less volume that is more bitter than expected due to the the hops not being adjusted.

My understanding of sparging is that it is rinsing the sugars of the grain and should therefore raise, then dilute the sg.

My mash efficiency appears around 55%. This hasn't changed despite me trying both bought and grain I've cracked myself.

Can anyone help at all?
 
This sounds like an efficiency question, not a volume one.

Volume is reasonably easy: fermenter volume = mash water + sparge water - grain absorption - boil off - trub and line loss.

If you are not getting enough water into your fermenter, adjust the assumptions above.

Efficiency is a much bigger question. Grain crush, sparge technique, pH, temperature...

Just to clarify, is it not enough volume in the fermenter or the right volume but the wrong gravity?
 
You need to be a bit more forthcoming about what went into your brew.
Post the grain bill, your targets, mash temperatures, any information on water chemistry volumes... everything you can or we are just guessing.

55% is ridiculous, you could get that just by mixing malt with hot tap water and straining through a pillow case. So clearly something is seriously amiss.
The two biggest influences on conversion are temperature and pH. Lots of other things play a role but temperature is a long way out in front, first thing to do is to check that your temp readings are accurate.
Do you have a decent thermometer? If not get one, I would recommend a decent glass laboratory thermometer will set you back less than $20, don't buy a crapp one, they cant be trusted, don't get a digital one either, then you have two just guessing/hoping that at least one of then is accurate with no real way to tell which.

I suspect your temperatures may be out, its the first place to look so lets get that sorted first.
Mark
 
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