BeerBorg

That's not a bad problem IMO. It's easy to dillute at the end if you want to hit the same gravity, but harder to add points. Ok not really if you ahve some DME on hand, but you get my point.

Have a great brew day and let's hope you convert this person to become a brewer.

16.5 and 5.8 strike water after sparge

It does fit but was a little close


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I made another batch and got crappy efficiency again.

I don't really know how bad it was this time, because I goofed up somehow and had a lot more volume post boil than I should have. I think I lost rack of how many pitchers of water I sparged with. I ended up tossing a lot of wort. In retrospect, I probably should have dusted off (and sanitized) one of my old LBKs. Then, at least I'd have more beer.

So here's what I did:

Milled 10 lbs 2 row, 5 lbs raw wheat (I use the raw because it's a cheap fermentable and gives me a fermenter when I finish the bucket of wheat, but I've skipped it and it makes no difference), 1/2 lb C60. I used my kitchenaid mill and milled really fine.
I used several handfuls of rice hulls.
I used a paint bag inside the drain pipe this time rather than the silicone mats, hoping it would make cleanup a little easier (it did).
I used 5 gallons of water for the mash (both BS and M&B came up with the same number).
I added 2.5 tsp 88% lactic acid per BS.
I set it to 162 to be ready when I woke up with a long window because I knew I'd sleep in.
When I got up, I added the grain, stirring regularly.
I set it to 150 for the rest of the mash.
I mashed for 60 minutes.
I didn't use a pump, but I recirculated a pitcher a couple of times.
I usually don't do a mashout, but decided to see if it would make a difference, so I did it this time.
I sparged with room temperature water (I've done this in the past and it doesn't seem to make much, if any, difference)

I boiled for a total of 60 minutes.

With efficiency set at 72%, BS estimated an OG of 1.082. I got 1.052. However, I had at least an extra gallon, and maybe closer toan extra two gallons of wort, so some of the difference is due to that. But 1.052 still seems far to low for that grain bill.

I don't care a whole lot about not getting great efficiency. I can compensate by using more grain. It's just frustrating to see that people seem to expect 80% efficiency with the M&B, and I can't even seem to hit 70%.

It would also frustrate me less if I knew why my efficiency is so poor.

FWIW:

Beersmith set at 72% brewhouse efficacy is going to expect > 80% mash efficiency (and that's what I'm talking about when I say 80%+ in my case, the mash efficiency, NOT the brewhouse).

Also 2 extra gallons of volume in a 5 gallon batch would be the equivalent of taking a 1.82 grain bill down to 1.057 or so. 1.052 is not that far off from 1.057 comparatively speaking, so you probably actually got better results then before I think besides that over volume issue.

Also instead of dumping the wort, next time just boil it longer to boil it down. Then you will end up with the same end result, except a bit darker perhaps. Just don't start your hop timing until you are at an amount of wort you expected to start with.

If your in a hurry, pour some of that extra wort into a pot or two and boil it down on the stove to a thin syrup and then add it back in. Worst case there is you end up doing a "pseudo-decoction" mash and end up with a slightly darker beer. But this might actually be a good thing depending on the style.

Also, for total clarity with the raw flour, you probably should be doing a step mash with a glucan/protein rest. IE start at 95 or so and let it heat up to your mash temp from there while set at 1000 watts.

Thanks for the info. I feel a lot better about my efficiency now. Maybe I've been trying to fix something that wasn't broken.

I don't think about doing a longer boil or boiling some separately until it was too late. As you point out, that would make a significant difference.

Yay me!

Kealia wrote:Yay me!

Woohoo!

I predict you'll like it.

It's a beaut!

Good luck to you Kealia.
I hope to do the first brew with mine this weekend.

Thanks guys. I owe my wife a Berliner Weiss that I normally do as a 3g DME batch but I'm thinking I might use this for it since I can 'kettle sour' in it at 90.

If not, it will be mid-January before I get to use it.

Kealia wrote:Thanks guys. I owe my wife a Berliner Weiss that I normally do as a 3g DME batch but I'm thinking I might use this for it since I can 'kettle sour' in it at 90.

Just remember to set the timer so that it doesn't turn off long before you want it to. By default it will only run 3 1/2 hours or something like that.

Kealia wrote:Thanks guys. I owe my wife a Berliner Weiss that I normally do as a 3g DME batch but I'm thinking I might use this for it since I can 'kettle sour' in it at 90.

If not, it will be mid-January before I get to use it.

LIGHT BULB just went off!!!! I can do that in my T500 boiler with the Inkbird controler!!!! THANKS RON!!!!

berryman wrote:3) standard Hydra will fit.

FYI, this is not true. I ran a small boil test today and then tried to use my Hydra and it doesn't fit. I'm going to have to sell it and buy the SCYLLA that JadeD sells to fit in the M&B.
More of an inconvenience than anything as I'll have a solution that works in the end.

I've heard other people say it fit, so that is weird... but I know they redesigned the lip of at the top of the mash & boil at some point, it is thicker I think, IE there is some copper lid that Williams sells that fits on old ones that doesn't fit on new ones. So if it doesn't get past the lip, that's probably why there are differing opinions.

My old chiller doesn't fit in mine, so that's why I've been slow chilling. It's good to know that I need the Scylla one day if I get enough $$$ laying around to justify it.

mashani wrote:

Kealia wrote:Thanks guys. I owe my wife a Berliner Weiss that I normally do as a 3g DME batch but I'm thinking I might use this for it since I can 'kettle sour' in it at 90.

Just remember to set the timer so that it doesn't turn off long before you want it to. By default it will only run 3 1/2 hours or something like that.

What do you mean by that? I did read about the 3 1/2 hour run time so how can it be set to keep say 90 degrees for 48 hours?
Or is that 3 1/2 hours CONTINUAL run time meaning I can set it for 90 and it will hold for 48 hours assuming it doesn't run for 3 1/2 hours continuously?


Yeah, it was a bummer on the Hydra but I think I can sell it for close to what I paid for it (I got a deal) and only be out a few more bucks for the Scylla.
Now that I've boiled water in it, I'm anxious to use it!