Plz help w/ improving mash efficiency?

[lswhi3]

Hey guys,

So I'm using a rectangular/wide esky that I've modified into a mashtun for single step infusion.
Currently, I'm achieving about 55-63% efficiency, meaning I'm wasting money on grain and time on boiling down.
So I'd appreciate any advice on how to improve my mash technique!

Currently:
1) Pre-heat mashtun at 80C with 2-3L water per kilo of grain (beersmith calculation)
2) Wait for 70-75C (depending on how much grain I'm using) and strike.
3) Mix in grain over about 5mins to make a porridge
4) Aim for temp around 69C (temp drops by 5C in 60mins), add ice or boiling water to achieve (usually dead on with temps so don't need to add)
5) Close lid and cover with blankets, leave for 60mins
6) Drain the mash water completely
7) Use pre-heated water to fly sparge over the grain at 77C until achieving desired wort volume.

That's it.
Should I consider collecting the mash water in step 6, placing it back on the element to bring it up to 69C, and then mash again for another hour? Or perhaps my sparge isn't great.

If you want to check out my mash kit, here's the public album on FB: https://www.facebook.com/luke.st.stephen/media_set?set=a.10202069549245272.1073741828.1383251361&type=3
Clearly a student effort!

Cheers guys!
Luke

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Re circulate your mash water. Helps rinse sugars and gives clearer wort into the kettle.

Sparge with boiling water ( this helps make the grain bed more fluid and rinses more sugars out ) and let it sit for 10-15m, giving an occasional stir. Then re circulate sparge water until clear.

Most conversion takes place in 20-30mins so no need for longer than 60min

Grain crush can also have an effect. You want to get 20-30% flour from your crush.

 

[lswhi3]

Ah damn, I ask grain and grape to mill it for me and I definitely don't get 20-30% flour.

What do you mean by recirculate? You mean just pour it out at 64C and put it back in?
Also, are you sure about the boil sparge? I've heard that that can make the beer really thick and at that temp you get less fermentables?
And how clear are we talking here?

 

[Not For Horses]

I used to have the same problem with efficiency in my current esky setup. Add a mashout step and you will see a significant increase in efficiency. My go to mash regime is now 64-69c (depending on style) for 60min then 72c for 10 minutes then mashout at 75c.
All of this done with infusions of boiling water to get to the next desired temperature. This gave me a 10% increase in efficiency compared to single infusion in my system.
I then fly sparge 80c water.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Re-circulate by draining into a jug and pouring back onto the top of the grain bed. Note: Use a bit of al foil, squashed pie tin or saucer to alliw the liquid to evenly flow onto the grain bed.

Using boiling/hot sparge water loosens the grain bed. It does not thicken it.This is for your sparge water only. Dont boil your runnings.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

And how clear are we talking here?

Reasonably clear. You will noticed a marked difference an clarity after a few re-circs. It will still be cloudy, but clearer than your first runnings.

 

[S.E]

Do you have a manifold or false bottom in your mash tun?

If so try not draining the mash completely before fly sparging as in your step 6. Start sparging and drain the mash tun slowly in to the kettle, ensure the wort out of the tun is equal to the sparge water going in to maintain a couple cm of water over the grain until you have used all your sparge water. Sparge for about 1 or1 1/2 hours.

If you have a braid try batch sparging.

 

[S.E]

Actually looking at your pictures it looks like you are just pouring saucepans of sparge water over the completely drained grain bed is that right?

 

[lswhi3]

Add a mashout step and you will see a significant increase in efficiency. My go to mash regime is now 64-69c (depending on style) for 60min then 72c for 10 minutes then mashout at 75c.

Can you explain this mashout step a little more for me? I thought mash out just meant collecting your runnings...

Do you have a manifold or false bottom in your mash tun?

If so try not draining the mash completely before fly sparging as in your step 6. Start sparging and drain the mash tun slowly in to the kettle, ensure the wort out of the tun is equal to the sparge water going in to maintain a couple cm of water over the grain until you have used all your sparge water. Sparge for about 1 or1 1/2 hours.

If you have a braid try batch sparging.

I've got a false bottom I made out of a toilet/laundry pipe, see my FB link.
By sparge for 1 or 1 1/2 hours, do you mean just fill the esky with sparge water at the same time as draining, until I no longer have any more sparge water, but the sparge water is covering the grain bed, and then stop the flow, cover the esky, and then let sit for the time duration?

Re-circulate by draining into a jug and pouring back onto the top of the grain bed. Note: Use a bit of al foil, squashed pie tin or saucer to alliw the liquid to evenly flow onto the grain bed.

Using boiling/hot sparge water loosens the grain bed. It does not thicken it.This is for your sparge water only. Dont boil your runnings.

What does re-circulating actually do? I would've thought it wouldn't make much difference given that the runnings would have reduced in heat to about 63C, and will continue to drop as you recirculate. But obviously this is just a thought.

 

[lswhi3]

Actually looking at your pictures it looks like you are just pouring saucepans of sparge water over the completely drained grain bed is that right?

yep, but I've calculated how much water I'm using. this is my "fly sparge"

 

[S.E]

As you are using a saucepan fill the esky with sparge water a few litres at a time while letting it drain slowly for about an hour but keeping the water level over the grain bed till you have used all your sparge water, then just let it continue to drain slowly till it is finished.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

What does re-circulating actually do? I would've thought it wouldn't make much difference given that the runnings would have reduced in heat to about 63C, and will continue to drop as you recirculate. But obviously this is just a thought.

It gives a clearer wort into the kettle, which gives less trub to deal with post. And it aids in rinsing sugars.

Your first initial sparge re circulation will drop the grain bed temp. This is why I then use boiling water for the next 2-3 sparges ( using batch sparge NOT fly sparge ). The boiling water raises your grain bed temp. Its this raised bed temp that helps rinse out the dissolved sugars. It is, basically, a basic mash-out step,

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Fly ( continous ) sparging is a little more tricky, which is why a lot if brewers use batch sparging.

 

[Not For Horses]

Mash out means increasing the temperature from your main mash to mid to high 70s.
I achieve this by adding a particular volume of boiling waterat the end of the main mash. Your brewing software should be able to calculate this for you.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

But....dont get to tied up in mash-out values. They are more traditionaly used to stop enzyme activity.

Its safe to take your grain bed temps into the mid 80*c range..

There is not real hard & fast rule. Everyone has different brew rigs & methods. You just need to run a few brews thru it to get a base line of what YOUR system will do.

 

[Not For Horses]

I'm more concerned with wort viscosity than enzyme activity. I mashout at 74 or 75 because that's all the boiling water I can fit in my esky.

 

[S.E]

Sounds to me like you are doing an inefficient cross between fly and batch sparging though.

Are you are opening the ball valve fully to drain the tun completely then pouring saucepans of water over the grain with the valve still fully open?
If so that’s your problem.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I'm more concerned with wort viscosity than enzyme activity. I mashout at 74 or 75 because that's all the boiling water I can fit in my esky.

Yep.

Wort viscosity is key, hence my use of boiling water.

I pour 2ltrs of boiling water in the mash tun just before sparging to raise the temp and make sparging a lot easier.

Stuck sparges suck big time.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Sounds to me like you are doing an inefficient cross between fly and batch sparging though.

Are you are opening the ball valve fully to drain the tun completely then pouring saucepans of water over the grain with the valve still fully open?
If so that’s your problem.

Fly sparging is best when using a pump....

But we are getting way ahead of ourslelves with that.

My suggestion is to batch sparge, not try fly sparging at this stage.

 

[lswhi3]

Sounds to me like you are doing an inefficient cross between fly and batch sparging though.

Are you are opening the ball valve fully to drain the tun completely then pouring saucepans of water over the grain with the valve still fully open?
If so that’s your problem.

Yeah this is what I'm doing. Please explain