Bairds malt. Low extract

[guypettigrew]

A short while ago I bought a 25Kg sack of Baird's crushed Maris Otter pale malt. It was crushed about a week before I received it.

The last two brews have only given me an efficiency of about 72-73%, according to Graham Wheeler's beer engine.

Previously I have used Brupaks crushed malt bought in pre-weighed 3 kilo bags from my local home brew store. This always gave me an efficiency of 83-85%, again using Graham Wheeler's beer engine.

My equipment hasn't changed, nor has my technique. I can only assume the Bairds is, for some reason, lower quality.

This isn't a major problem, as I can compensate by using more grain. It was so cheap to buy in bulk as opposed to small pre weighed amounts I'll still be making a huge saving!

How can it be, though, that one Maris Otter malt is different from another? Shouldn't they all be the same?

Guy

[gregorach]

How can it be, though, that one Maris Otter malt is different from another? Shouldn't they all be the same?

No - the grain itself is variable, and there are further variations in the malting process. It's a natural product after all, not something made in a lab... If you're brewing commercially, you use proper per-batch malt analysis results, rather than relying on rule-of-thumb figures like most homebrewers do.

[guypettigrew]

Thanks Dunc.

So do you reckon a 10 percentage point variance between different is within a normal variation range?

Like I said, now I know the efficiency it's no problem. I'll just lob in an extra amount of malt to compensate.

Guy

[gregorach]

So do you reckon a 10 percentage point variance between different is within a normal variation range?

Couldn't honestly tell you - I haven't compared malt analyses from different suppliers. But I've heard plenty of people saying the same about Bairds malt, so it's not just you.

Like I said, now I know the efficiency it's no problem.

It's not really your efficiency that's changed, it's the potential extract available from the malt. I'd imagine you should be able to track down a typical malt analysis from Bairds and figure it out from there, although maltsters use some bloody weird units (to my mind, anyway ).

[Wolfy]

My equipment hasn't changed, nor has my technique. I can only assume the Bairds is, for some reason, lower quality.

This isn't a major problem, as I can compensate by using more grain. It was so cheap to buy in bulk as opposed to small pre weighed amounts I'll still be making a huge saving!

How can it be, though, that one Maris Otter malt is different from another? Shouldn't they all be the same?

The crush of the grain is probably the most important factor when considering your efficiency.
So while your equipment and technique are the same, the grain has been crushed differently, possibly by a different vendor and most likely - I'd guess - not as fine or not breaking up the grain as much as what you had before.
I very much doubt the 'issue' would be with the malt or brand of malt, but more likely related to how (well or not) it has been crushed by whomever you purchased it from.

[guypettigrew]

Thanks, guys.

I'll hunt round the internet and see what I can find about Baird's expected extract.

The comment about crushing is worth pursuing as well. The sack I bought may have been crushed by the supplier. It would be good to know. As you say, Wolfy, there have been a few comments about low extracts from Bairds bought through the home brew trade. If all it needs is for the grain to be crushed a bit more then Hey Presto! We have a solution.

Guy

[gregorach]

Been poking around this a bit more... Having found typical analysis values for Bairds and read this excellent article on understanding malt analysis, it looks to me like their values are perfectly reasonable, so it's most probably the crush.

[Scotty]

I've just started using Bairds pale and I found that I had excellent extraction and a better run-off.

Time will tell on how it tastes. I believe Bairds pale uses a different variety of barley (Tipple?) and this could have an effect on extraction. However, I think the cost savings outweigh the use of more grain.

[guypettigrew]

I've just started using Bairds pale and I found that I had excellent extraction and a better run-off.

Time will tell on how it tastes. I believe Bairds pale uses a different variety of barley (Tipple?) and this could have an effect on extraction. However, I think the cost savings outweigh the use of more grain.

Hi Scotty

What extract did you get, please?

Guy

[Scotty]

Hi Scotty

What extract did you get, please?

Guy

I got a mash extraction of 82% according to Promash (I batch sparge) and with the malt at least 6 months since being crushed.

[Blackaddler]

I had a sack of ready crushed Bairds Maris Otter a few months ago.

Over 3 consecutive brews, I achieved 90% efficiency every time. Having said that, it's just possible that I was mashing a couple of degrees centigrade cooler than I thought [64-65C instead of 66-67C]. Since then, I double check the mash temperature with a glass thermometer.

[gregorach]

Could be that there's more lot-to-lot variation from Bairds than other suppliers, but without seeing a range of lot-specific analyses, it's impossible to say...

[Scotty]

Could be that there's more lot-to-lot variation from Bairds than other suppliers, but without seeing a range of lot-specific analyses, it's impossible to say...

True. Could be a potential 'bad' batch or it was a last crush on a Friday

[guypettigrew]

Good to know others are getting good extract figures.

Having achieved about 72% both times I'll have to assume the rest of the sack will be the same.

It will be interesting to see if the next sack is better, or if anyone else reports poor extract figures.

Guy

[unclepumble]

Tipple has been a little low on extract this year, especially the new season stuff (back end of last year but still some around) it has also been causing a few haze issue's. I'm talking about large scale production brewing with it not home brewing.

As far as efficiency in home brewing i wouldn't be trying to get too high an efficency , you have a much higher chance of ruining your beers with tanin extraction etc if you chase the big numbers 74% is not a bad place to be, grains not like the price of gold is it?

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