Increasing efficiency

[denny]

@bschwoer

@denny

IME, it’s just not that big a deal to hit an exact temp.  I almost never hit what would be called a “mashout” temp.  I simply use sparge water in the 185-190 range (every time, no changes) to increase the temp of my grain to whatever before I run off the sparge.  This encourages conversion to complete.

Be careful with your water temperatures during sparging.  You do want a higher water temp because it helps the wort flow better (lowers viscosity making the fluid flow easier).  However, when you exceed 170 F you will begin to draw the tannin’s (comes from grain husk) out of the grain and this leads to an off taste.  Several accredited sources recommend not exceeding 168 F to prevent the removal of tannin flavors from the grain.

As Gordon pointed out, pH is at least as important, if not more so, than temp.  After all, you boil the grains in a decoction and no one talks about “tannin extraction” there!  Also, Kai Troester has done experiments with room temp sparge water and found no loss of efficiency or other detriments by doing that.  It seems there are many homebrew “rules” that have been repeated over and over that fall when they are subjected to testing and experimentation.

[kylekohlmorgen]

I wouldn’t recommend trying to crush grains any finer… it usually doesnt get you a lot, and most times it just ends up in astringency/stuck sparges if you’re not careful.

I just switched from a bazooka screen to a stainless braid (in a 10-gal Gott cooler) and went from 60% to 79% efficiency on the first brew with it (today). Maybe it was a fluke, but I’d like to think I did it on purpose…

…even though I didn’t account for it in the recipe and now need to buy another package of yeast…

[konrow (Malticulous)]

Get 85% consistently by breaking many of Denny’s rules. I mash around 1.3qt per lb, mashout and double batch sparge. If I just single sparge with no mashout I expect closer to 80%. I have monitored pH and found a little calcium chloride is enough to keep it in cheak. I crush it with a barley crusher at the stock gap and use a Coleman extreme 52qt MLT.

Some will say that 85% is not good for the beer. I like my beer and it scores fine in competitions. Others will say the mashout infusion and splitting up the sparge is too much added work for the 3-5% gain. It’s not very much more work. Granted, it only saves me about a dollar per batch. I brew enough that it adds up.

[denny]

Some will say that 85% is not good for the beer. I like my beer and it scores fine in competitions. Others will say the mashout infusion and splitting up the sparge is too much added work for the 3-5% gain. It’s not very much more work. Granted, it only saves me about a dollar per batch. I brew enough that it adds up.

OTOH, I get an average 85% with a single sparge and usually no mashout.  Whatever works for you.  I brew about every other week, so at $26/year, saving a dollar per batch wouldn’t make much difference to me.

[konrow (Malticulous)]

I have no desire to change yor ways Denny, just saying your way is not the only way. 

[denny]

I have no desire to change yor ways Denny, just saying your way is not the only way. 

As I well know!  I encourage everyone to use whatever methods and techniques give them the results they want and the enjoyment they deserve!