Recipe repetition

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matthuds

Recipe repetition

Post by matthuds » Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:33 pm

I brewed the same beer a month or two apart.
Pale malt 5kg
Wheat malt 500g
Oats 230g
Torrified wheat 230g

First batch 23litres OG 1.060

Second batch 20litres OG 1.055

Any ideas how these are so different?? Best theory I have so far is channeling in the mash tun but I have never had this problem before and am usually a point or two within what BeerSmith says.

The only change I made was raise my mash temp from 65.5c to 66c.

Matt

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Recipe repetition

Post by f00b4r » Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:36 pm

It could also be changes in your water.

EDIT: or human error on some of your measurements (of the wort or sparging amounts etc)

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Hanglow
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Re: Recipe repetition

Post by Hanglow » Mon Jul 03, 2017 10:23 pm

Could be different grain too, if you got some that had perhaps absorbed more water from the air then it could affect the efficiency

matthuds

Re: Recipe repetition

Post by matthuds » Mon Jul 03, 2017 10:30 pm

Water was the same bottled I always use from Tesco but I guess that doesn't mean it hasn't changed.
It's just such a huge difference I feel like there should be something major. It's almost like I missed a kilo of pale malt but I'm sure I didn't.

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Re: Recipe repetition

Post by guypettigrew » Tue Jul 04, 2017 8:25 am

What sort of kit do you have, and how do you sparge?

If all your measurements were correct then sparging's the only place I can think of where you could have dropped your efficiency so far.

Guy

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Re: Recipe repetition

Post by jaroporter » Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:07 am

which result is the anomaly?
dazzled, doused in gin..

matthuds

Re: Recipe repetition

Post by matthuds » Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:15 am

The much lower gravity is the thing I'm trying to bottom out. The second batch is intentionally lower volume as I tracked the graivity of my runnings and realised it was going to end up short.

I have always sparked the same way. Maintaining 2inch of water on top of the grain in a circular mash tun with a silicone hose gently running sparse water onto some tin foil to distribute the water over the grain bed. 18litres of sparse water over about 1hr.

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Re: Recipe repetition

Post by jaroporter » Tue Jul 04, 2017 11:02 am

were they from the same sack of malt? and if so start/end?
are you sure you didn't miss a kilo of malt? i've had brews where i'm convinced i didn't but it would be the only logical explanation!
dazzled, doused in gin..

matthuds

Re: Recipe repetition

Post by matthuds » Tue Jul 04, 2017 11:08 am

The malt was from a local brewery on the second batch and HBS on the first.

I'm starting to think that I must have missed out some malt... interestingly if I change Beersmith to 4kg of pale it gives me an og of 1.055.

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Normski
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Re: Recipe repetition

Post by Normski » Tue Jul 04, 2017 4:40 pm

Hi Matt

1st thing I thought when I read your post was, He's missed out a Kilo.
And I think you are starting to also think this. It's easy done mate.
Norm
The Doghouse Brewery (UK)

matthuds

Re: Recipe repetition

Post by matthuds » Tue Jul 04, 2017 5:36 pm

5.3 abv is still plenty enough for me. Just frustrating when you don't know why things have gone wrong you know.

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Kev888
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Re: Recipe repetition

Post by Kev888 » Tue Jul 04, 2017 8:16 pm

Yes, it could well be a one-off mistake in measuring something (volume, gravity, temperature or some combo) and/or the different grain or crush used. If so, then annoying but no major worries in most homebrew situations.

What would be more concerning is if it were due to inconsistency in your process - making recipe formulation and results somewhat hit and miss, and potentially suggesting a problem. You may get some indication that this is the case if you struggle to predict OGs well, though that can be due to other things (like incorrect yield assumptions for the different grains used). Or if you occasionally get poor/astringent flavours and that kind of thing - more likely if there is something deficient in the process or if you chase efficiency too much.

Its really only if you brew the exact same recipe with the exact same ingredients repeatedly that you'll really get a handle on how repeatable your process is.
Kev

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