What's your best mash efficiency?

[rockeye84]

Nothing ***** me more than way undershooting ya forecast efficiency.

Was banking on 90%, pulled a 89% on today's bohemian lager.

Pretty happy today.

 

[manticle]

I made beer that tasted like I wanted and was packed up by 1pm.

 

[rockeye84]

Nice, I started at 5.30am and am mid boil. What u make?

 

[manticle]

Today I'm making a leftovers apa but that one I'm still brewing.

Quick brew is my dark mild - 30 min hot mash speeds that one along.

 

[nala]

Nothing ***** me more than way undershooting ya forecast efficiency.
Was banking on 90%, pulled a 89% on today's bohemian lager.
Pretty happy today.

Please tell us how you did it so that we can all learn.

 

[seamad]

Nothing ***** me more than getting stuck recirculation ( have a RIMS 3V ) . Last saison I must have run the grain through the mill 3X instead of the usual 2 because the ****** got stuck at least a million times, despite a whole flock of rice gulls being added along the way.Absolute shitload of flour on top of the grain bed when draining the MT. Did hit 94% mash efficiency , but never again.
Wasn't even sure what my mash eff was, use 75% brewhouse, looked up my brewsmith and it says 78.6 %... I value hitting gravity/volume when I brew, and with 75% brewhouse eff in beersmith I get consistent results. I could probably get better eff if I sparged differently, but 1 batch sparge is nice and simple, and gives me nice beer.

 

[thylacine]

I made beer that tasted like I wanted and was packed up by 1pm.

Ahh, I was at 1.20pm. But then I was also up the ladder picking hops for five additions starting with mash-in.

"I made beer that tasted like I wanted" in my 'processes' means add or subtract grain for the next batch according to my taste buds. The latter is what counts to me.

Aside: Hats off to your consistent and positive contributions

 

[rockeye84]

Start by grind my grain reasonably fine. Not to dust but so there is still a decent amount of husk. So the kernels are broken into 8ths or more. Usually put a hand full thru the mill 1st to check if I'm on a new sack or have change variety.

Start ro water, add minimal CaCl & caso4 + some lactic acid, to give some more insight, today's 100l batch I used 12g CaCl & 6g caso4 + 5ml 88% lactic acid straight in the mash. Didn't take mash ph but assume it was in range.

I always run approx 3/1 water grain ratio.

Didn't fool around with protein rests, infused straight to mash temp. 60min @ 67c, 10min @ 70c then 76c mash out.

Fly sparge slowly. Try not to over sparge, I always end up sparging about 30-35l less than what bs2 recommends. Not sure why, mash tun setup maby.

take a hydro sample of what's in the kettle and use a dilution tool to top up with water to reach desired volume and or gravity.

I rather get my specific gravity on target an sacrifice or gain a bit of volume if need be.

I've given up on my refractometer, it's perfectly calibrated but always reads 3-4 points less than my hydro sample, it's an eBay job so probably a cheap piece of ****.

Lastly I not meaning to bag out good ole Joe white but I find my mash eff is always slightly lower when using their malts.

Hope u were wanting the extended version lol.

 

[nala]

Start by grind my grain reasonably fine. Not to dust but so there is still a decent amount of husk. So the kernels are broken into 8ths or more. Usually put a hand full thru the mill 1st to check if I'm on a new sack or have change variety.
Start ro water, add minimal CaCl & caso4 + some lactic acid, to give some more insight, today's 100l batch I used 12g CaCl & 6g caso4 + 5ml 88% lactic acid straight in the mash. Didn't take mash ph but assume it was in range.
I always run approx 3/1 water grain ratio.
Didn't fool around with protein rests, infused straight to mash temp. 60min @ 67c, 10min @ 70c then 76c mash out.
Fly sparge slowly. Try not to over sparge, I always end up sparging about 30-35l less than what bs2 recommends. Not sure why, mash tun setup maby.
take a hydro sample of what's in the kettle and use a dilution tool to top up with water to reach desired volume and or gravity.
I rather get my specific gravity on target an sacrifice or gain a bit of volume if need be.
I've given up on my refractometer, it's perfectly calibrated but always reads 3-4 points less than my hydro sample, it's an eBay job so probably a cheap piece of ****.
Lastly I not meaning to bag out good ole Joe white but I find my mash eff is always slightly lower when using their malts.
Hope u were wanting the extended version lol.

Thank you.

 

[bradsbrew]

Brewhouse efficiency is way more important than mash efficiency. Whilst it is essential to check mash eff, BHE gives the best indicator.
Currently on target for a 89% mash eff and will be happy if i get 80% eff into the fermenter.

Cheers

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I have never been able to get an accurate pre boil gravity reading with either refractometer or hydrometer. Take 3 or whatever tests and get 3 different readings. High readings that say 105% efficiency which is impossible etc. You must need a recirculating mash system or something to get an accurate reading. I gave up but the efficiency calculations don't seem to make sense on beersmith either. I always overshoot on OG with default settings on the grains so I upped the potential gravity of them all to match what I get and the Brew House Efficiency always comes out at 73%. :unsure:
Still I never undershoot expectations so I must be doing ok on mash efficiency.

 

[Rocker1986]

I brew BIAB in an urn and always get accurate pre boil and post boil SG readings. No re-circulation systems or anything. Not sure what your issue is as to why your readings are all different.

If you overshoot the Beersmith OG readings simply increase the brewhouse efficiency to match what you get, not the grain potentials. I've been having to re-calculate mine lately after I discovered my hydrometer is readings 2 points lower than the actual SG.

 

[danestead]

86%

 

[fletcher]

i don't remember

 

[lael]

Highest Mash efficiency using the Brauduino controller on a 1V recirc system has been as high as 93%, based on the calculations out of Beersmith. I usually expect/calculate for 89-91% unless I'm running very high gravity.

 

[TheWiggman]

Whilst it is essential to check mash eff

Strange you said that, I have never checked mash efficiency. Recorded pre-boil yes, checked efficiency no.

 

[bradsbrew]

Strange you said that, I have never checked mash efficiency. Recorded pre-boil yes, checked efficiency no.

yeah you are right checkk
ing sg is more important than eff. You can adjust hops if its off.

 

[Adr_0]

100 ******* % every time, no sparge.

 

[bradsbrew]

100 ******* % every time, no sparge.

Well i didn't want to big note but i get 105% brewhouse eff and that is using already spent grain. Poor.....you think you were poor.....

 

[Danscraftbeer]

If you overshoot the Beersmith OG readings simply increase the brewhouse efficiency to match what you get, not the grain potentials.

ah, never thought of that ha! Took it as a default thing, oh, Duh! :lol:
Cheers.
I'm still confused. It doesn't matter other than the end result that always seems to hit the mark.