Efficiency

[Buzz]

Just a quick one. When measuring one's efficiency, do you use the quantity of wort achived after boiling or, the quantity that actually ends up in the FV

The reason I ask is that I tend to lose a fair bit of volume to trub and hops so, whilst my volume at the end of the boil is acceptable, by the time it gets into the FV it's not quite as good.

It doesn't really bother me either way as I'm brewing nice beers now and I know the quantities of grain I need to hit the target I'm after but, I've a friend coming along for my next brewday to see how it all works and I'd like to be able to quote the efficency terms accurately.

[Jim]

There are various ways of working out efficiency, depending on which part of the process you want to measure.

I always work on 'brewhouse' efficiency which is the ratio of the potential extract of the ingredients to the gravity of the finished wort in the fermentation vessel.

However, you can just do the calculation on your mash and sparge, which would be the ratio of potential extract to the gravity of the wort collected after sparging.

[Buzz]

Thanks Jim, it was the 'brewhouse efficiency' I was after. So it's what ends up in the FV then Todays Brew only puts me at 62% then, whereas my notes tell me I've nearly had 80% before. Interesting

[Gurgeh]

did you have a bigger grain bill?

[Calum]

Thanks Jim, it was the 'brewhouse efficiency' I was after. So it's what ends up in the FV then Todays Brew only puts me at 62% then, whereas my notes tell me I've nearly had 80% before. Interesting

Jim and DaaB have answered clearly enough.

FWIW, I think of efficiency as a very personal calculation. We all have different measuring equipment with, probably, unknown levels of error. So if you are looking for a way to compare each brew it is important to select a system for measuring your efficiency and stick to it as the only persons brew it is going to relate to is your own.

Well, I'm glad I got that off my chest...

[Aleman]

Todays Brew only puts me at 62% then, whereas my notes tell me I've nearly had 80% before. Interesting

PAH! My last brew achieved 26% efficiency! you are just showing off

[Buzz]

did you have a bigger grain bill?

Yes, the best efficency I hit was with 6.1kg grain bill and collected 24l @ 1059 and that was without any water treatment. That's the only time I've got anywhere near that sort of figure though. I'm usually around 65/67%.