Target Volume And Effeciency

[jimmyjack]

I just finished my 4th ag brew session today and first time actually looked at my hydrometer. I did not hit my preboil target volume of 30 litres, I got 26 i did however take a hydro sample and I was supposed to hit 1036 I got 1044. I then added my 3 litre of water to get my preboil volume of 30 litre and took another hydro reading and it read 1040. My postboil hydro reading was 1054. My question is this. I calculated in beersmith my effeciency to be 65% Did i actually achieve 71%?

here is the recipe and stuff

Type: All Grain
Date: 7/12/2005
Batch Size: 22.00 L
Brewer: JJ
Boil Size: 30.25 L
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: Brew Pot (12.5 gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.0
Taste Notes: post boil gravity taken @ 34 degrees and adjusted from 1050 to 1054

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 kg Pale Malt, Traditional Ale (Joe White) (5.9 EBC) Grain 94.3 %
0.20 kg Caramalt (Joe White) (49.3 EBC) Grain 3.8 %
0.10 kg Crystal (Joe White) (141.8 EBC) Grain 1.9 %
12.00 gm Chinook [12.10%] (60 min) Hops 17.2 IBU
12.00 gm Northdown [8.50%] (60 min) Hops 12.1 IBU
10.00 gm Simcoe [12.00%] (5 min) Hops 2.8 IBU
10.00 gm Cascade [6.00%] (5 min) Hops 1.4 IBU
20.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50%] (1 min) Hops 0.9 IBU
15.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50%] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
0.28 oz Polyclar (Secondary 1.0 days) Misc
0.91 tbsp Salt (Boil 60.0 min) Misc
1.11 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.049 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.9 %

 

[Stuster]

Jimmyjack

the recipe would help everyone determine the efficiency. Glad you had a more efficient day.

Cheers
Stuart

 

[Jye]

By my calculations you got 72% ... lucky ******* Im still kicking around on 55%

If you are batch sparging you could have added some more water to your sparge to get your preboil volume, this could have increased your efficiency even more.

Congrats :beer:

Any chance of you posting your mashing procedure?

 

[jimmyjack]

I am still getting used to beersmith and trying to calculate dead space with my equip. I think todays session went along way to help me figure out where I loose alot of wort. it confused me that I wasnt able to hit my target volume and get good hydro readings. I think I have done the hydro readings correct as well. I used that tool on beersmith that take temerpature into effect and then gives you the right reading. Mash procedures that may or may not of helped.

I am now cracking my own grain with the factory setting of barley crusher (hand cranked)
I increased sparge temps
I used to do one big sparge now I split it into two eqaual size sparge sessions with rests in between (thanx ROSS)
I did not stir today until drains
I forgot to recirc for like 5 seconds on the second sparge. (I hate it when I do that)

I dont really know, I just hope this one comes out better than the last two. I have it sitting in the ferm fridge still trying to cool it down before I pitch!!!

 

[pint of lager]

Have a read of this beersmith efficiency thread.

Also have a browse through the ag section of this forum. Efficiency, or lack of it, pops up quite a number of times. Make sure that when browsing the subforum that you are looking through all posts, not just the last 30 days.

You need to get the wort chilled as quickly as possible. Slow cooling wort favours DMS formation which is described as corn like and cooked vegetable like aroms in the beer. Rapid cooling aids cold break formation, meaning your beer is cleaner, less chance of haze and will keep longer.

Hydrometer readings using temperature adjustment tables are often inaccurate. A much better way is to take an sg sample, place it in a plastic bag and crash cool the sample in an ice bath to 20 deg C.