So I've attempted a couple of high gravity (1.100+) brews and have ended up with woeful efficiency - in the order of 55/60% - the result of which is that the brews I've tried are obviously going to be nothing like the brews I'm wanted to make. I know there are a couple of improvements I could make in my process. For example, the last brew I mashed for 90 minutes and the mash temp had dropped such that I couldn't get it hot enough to do a decent mash out of 75 degrees. Next time I will adjust efficiency and increase grain volumes but other than that I'm interested to hear from experienced big beer brewers about the particular processes you follow to hit your target SG.
High Gravity Brewing Efficiency
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The easiest one would be to chuck in some extra grain WW, after that I would do a longer/larger sparge so I had more in the kettle and boil for an extra 30-60 mins. A lot of people don't mash out but the theory is that sugars are well dissolved at 76 degrees or some thing along those lines so trying for a mash out may improve things.
raven19
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You've got it already.
The above is what I do. I expect a drop in efficiency for larger beers (even with a slower fly sparge). I drop my efficiency in Beersmith from 70% down to 50 - 60% depending on how big a beer I am brewing. Its only a few $$$ extra in base malt, so nothing to be too concerned over imo.
Nick JD
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You could try upping your sparge volume and lengthening your boil (and intensity) to flush more sugaz but still hit your SG. I always brew high gravity by default (due to small vessel brewing) - and reckon it's not a mash issue you have - but leaving behind too much sugaz in the grain.
Ironically, I always end up with 1.080+ (no sparge) with my method. :blink:
Ironically, I always end up with 1.080+ (no sparge) with my method. :blink:
warra48
I've drunk all my homebrew and I'm still worried.
You will never end up with a high efficiency % if you are aiming at a high gravity beer.
It's really quite simple. There's a theoretical maximum extraction you can get from your grains.
For example, using BeerSmith, say for 5 kg Pale Malt, 30 litres pre-boil at SG 1.053, gives you a mash efficiency of close enough to 100%. You might get it a smidge higher with a very good mash regime, but you'll never get up to your usual efficiency figures.
Now, to achieve your high gravity beer you can do one of two things:
1. Stop your run off when you are at your pre-boil SG target. You'll have collected high SG runnings, but a lot smaller volume than for a normal gravity beer.
2. Use more grains to achieve your original pre-boil volume of 30 litres at a much higher gravity.
In either of these cases it is obvious you are sacrificing something to achieve your high SG. You can't get something for nothing.
How do you deal with this? Do one of two things:
1. Accept your lower efficiency % as is.
2. Do a seperate run-off to capture your first runnings for your high SG beer, and collect the rest for a lower SG beer. In effect, do a partigyle mash.
It's really quite simple. There's a theoretical maximum extraction you can get from your grains.
For example, using BeerSmith, say for 5 kg Pale Malt, 30 litres pre-boil at SG 1.053, gives you a mash efficiency of close enough to 100%. You might get it a smidge higher with a very good mash regime, but you'll never get up to your usual efficiency figures.
Now, to achieve your high gravity beer you can do one of two things:
1. Stop your run off when you are at your pre-boil SG target. You'll have collected high SG runnings, but a lot smaller volume than for a normal gravity beer.
2. Use more grains to achieve your original pre-boil volume of 30 litres at a much higher gravity.
In either of these cases it is obvious you are sacrificing something to achieve your high SG. You can't get something for nothing.
How do you deal with this? Do one of two things:
1. Accept your lower efficiency % as is.
2. Do a seperate run-off to capture your first runnings for your high SG beer, and collect the rest for a lower SG beer. In effect, do a partigyle mash.
Thanks guys for the responses. I've always tried to judge the amount of sparge water I use such that I completely drain the mash tun which gives me my required final volume in the kettle. With high SG brews I feel as though I don't have enough sparge water to rinse all the sugar from the grain, or that the main mash has such a low L/G ratio (2:1 or less) that the wort from the mash is saturated and can't absorb any more sugar. The second (and only) sparge I do with a 20/25L batch isn't enough to get all the sugar I need. I guess it's a balancing act between using too much water to sparge leaving behind unwanted wort (and therefore sugar) in the tun versus not enough sparge water, resulting in the same thing. I guess in either case it's reason for the efficiency hit. Ah well, another brewing lesson learnt.
As Wazza suggests I could do a partigyle mash which is probably the best of both worlds.
As Wazza suggests I could do a partigyle mash which is probably the best of both worlds.
I've had this problem over the past couple of weekends. I decided to brew some bigger beers because I had a surplus of grain & hops. I no longer have a big surplus of grain & hops so it's not likely to be a problem for me in the short term. A couple of batches I collected some runnings in a bucket & boiled longer but that didn't seem to have much of an impact. I always mash 2.5g/L & I'm thinking that a thicker mash would mean more sparge water & better efficiency. I'm not sure that I could fly sparge much slower & I don't really want to close the gap further on my mill. My run is a 50L keg with the round false bottom from beerbelly, would an esky tun & a shallower grain bed help?
I should've thought of brewing a beer just from my 1st runnings & another from the sparge.
At least I've learnt (the hard way) to adjust my hops if my pre boil gravity isn't where I want it.
I should've thought of brewing a beer just from my 1st runnings & another from the sparge.
At least I've learnt (the hard way) to adjust my hops if my pre boil gravity isn't where I want it.
fraser_john
Go Pies
My HERMS usually gives me a constant 90-92% efficiency, but, admittedly if I target 1.100 SG it drops to 80%, I resolve this by doing a triple batch sparge, which boosts efficiency back up to around 86%.
Maybe try multiple batch sparges rather than a fly sparge, cafefully add just enough sparge water so you can recirculate till clear then drain off, repeat three times, usually the third time I excess water in the HLT that I just add to kettle.
Maybe try multiple batch sparges rather than a fly sparge, cafefully add just enough sparge water so you can recirculate till clear then drain off, repeat three times, usually the third time I excess water in the HLT that I just add to kettle.
