Mash Efficiency Equation
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Danny
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Martin the fish
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Martin the fish
Ok. 
Lets see if i have this right...
5kg Pale Malt-5 x 300/23=65.2
.2kg crystal -.2 x 240/23=2.1
Which gives theoretical max in 23 ltr as 67.3
Measured was 1040 so...
40/67.3 x 100=59.4% efficiency.
Does that seem right? I think it is.
How do i gain more efficiency? Or should i get more efficiency as i get more practised? Do you counteract low efficiency with a bigger grain bill? I guess you do but at a cost to the pocket. Higher efficiency must mean lower grain bill and vice versa? I guess it's impossible to get 100% efficiency but if you could your grain bill would be lower than if you were running at 50%, obviously.
Lets see if i have this right...
5kg Pale Malt-5 x 300/23=65.2
.2kg crystal -.2 x 240/23=2.1
Which gives theoretical max in 23 ltr as 67.3
Measured was 1040 so...
40/67.3 x 100=59.4% efficiency.
Does that seem right? I think it is.
How do i gain more efficiency? Or should i get more efficiency as i get more practised? Do you counteract low efficiency with a bigger grain bill? I guess you do but at a cost to the pocket. Higher efficiency must mean lower grain bill and vice versa? I guess it's impossible to get 100% efficiency but if you could your grain bill would be lower than if you were running at 50%, obviously.
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Martin the fish
Cool. I think i can improve my efficiency by a longer mash-i'm happy with that. Keeps me in the brewery longer and out of the house. 
I will also have the water level on the sparge set so it just floats above the grain bed, i'm quite happy with my sparge device(as a noobie) it seems to trickle water in nicely and pretty much centrally. I'd love a Phils spinny sparge thing but can't seem to find anywhere that sells them? Can someone tell me where to get one from? Failing that does someone have some detailed pic's of one? I could probably make one without too much bother. If they don't sell them anymore and i can make some i'll do a batch of 10 and send them to one of you guys and you can 'spread them around'.
I'm again happy to slow my sparge down somewhat. I thought i may be sparging too quickly but after 15 mins i estimated it would take around 40-45 mins to complete, that seemed to ring bells that were good so i continued as so. I can raise this to around an hour easy enough. I'll just have to keep an eye on my temp in HLT.
I will measure my mash PH next time. I reckon, with my quite soft and neutral water, that i will be achieving near ish that(5.2). Knocking it down a tad will be no bother for me. Or upping it come to that. I'll pop into my chemist before next mash and pick up some 'stuff' I'll also mash for 90mins and see how i go before upping to 2hrs.
Weird that every hobby(almost) that involves using water as an ingredient invariably needs the PH being bought down-relatively difficult as you want to extract or nullify something present. Opposed to buffering it-which is basically adding stuff-easy.
So i'll aim for 70% efficiency or thereabouts next brew. I think i'll be quite happy with that.
I will also have the water level on the sparge set so it just floats above the grain bed, i'm quite happy with my sparge device(as a noobie) it seems to trickle water in nicely and pretty much centrally. I'd love a Phils spinny sparge thing but can't seem to find anywhere that sells them? Can someone tell me where to get one from? Failing that does someone have some detailed pic's of one? I could probably make one without too much bother. If they don't sell them anymore and i can make some i'll do a batch of 10 and send them to one of you guys and you can 'spread them around'.
I'm again happy to slow my sparge down somewhat. I thought i may be sparging too quickly but after 15 mins i estimated it would take around 40-45 mins to complete, that seemed to ring bells that were good so i continued as so. I can raise this to around an hour easy enough. I'll just have to keep an eye on my temp in HLT.
I will measure my mash PH next time. I reckon, with my quite soft and neutral water, that i will be achieving near ish that(5.2). Knocking it down a tad will be no bother for me. Or upping it come to that. I'll pop into my chemist before next mash and pick up some 'stuff'
I'll also mash for 90mins and see how i go before upping to 2hrs.Weird that every hobby(almost) that involves using water as an ingredient invariably needs the PH being bought down-relatively difficult as you want to extract or nullify something present. Opposed to buffering it-which is basically adding stuff-easy.
So i'll aim for 70% efficiency or thereabouts next brew. I think i'll be quite happy with that.