All grain efficiency help?

[46binder]

Brewed Lemon Lime Hefe Weizen today, but messed up on volume and target OG. 11.25 lbs grain in recipe, I batched sparged with 4 gallons , 1st runnoffs getting me 1.063 gravity, 2nd batch sparge 3.25 gallons at 1.025, and had to add 1/2 gallon water to get me 5.75 gallons pre boil, and got 5 gallons post boil with a OG of 1.045. Supposed to be 1.051. So I'm 1/2 gallon short and low on the gravity. I grind my own grain, everythings got a good crush, and did a separate double crush of the wheat. I usually add extra lb of grain, but didn't this time. It all seemed to go good, looking at getting a newrefractometer, my hydrometer is used, maybe 15 years old, weight has crushed the end of the paper. Maybe I've been good all along. I also want to start testing the PH, using city water.

 

[Gixxer]

Immediately after mashing and sparging, I check the volume to see if I need more to get to my target pre boil volume. If I am low, I sparge the extra volume I need instead of just adding water. Then I make adjustments to my process for next time.

 

[BlindFaith]

I check my volume after the first runnings to see how much sparge I will need. I heat up enough water to make sure I will have enough, but I only add what I need.

e.g. If my pre-boil volume goal is 6.5 gallons and I have 2.5 gallons after first runnings, then I add 4 gallons of sparge.

I used to calculate my sparge water and always use that much, but my volumes were getting all screwed up that way. I use 1.33 qt/lb for mash btw.