back-to-back brews - 80% and 58% effeciencies, what?!

[bjohnson29]

I typically get ~75% efficiency, but yesterday I hit 80% on my APA, then 58% on a wheat porter. I'm not going to ask what went wrong because it could have been any number of things, but I've never missed a target gravity by this much (target of 1073, came in at 1056). My question is, what can I expect in terms of flavor differences? I pitched a 2L starter of wyeast 1275 (thames), probably too much given my SG. Also, not that it matters, but I did mash higher on purpose (154-55 as opposed to 152), to add more body to the beer and know I traded some fermentables for doing so. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[EdWort]

The higher mash temp contributed to some of the difference and perhaps the wheat malt was not crushed sufficiently since it is smaller kernal than 2 row pale.

 

[bjohnson29]

Okay, so my wheat porter has been stuck at 1016 (from 1056) for three days. I mashed at 155 and this was 3 weeks ago to the day. Thought it would be lower...thoughts, advice? Am I good to keg or should I let it tide longer?

 

[Yooper]

Okay, so my wheat porter has been stuck at 1016 (from 1056) for three days. I mashed at 155 and this was 3 weeks ago to the day. Thought it would be lower...thoughts, advice? Am I good to keg or should I let it tide longer?

1.016 seems about right for a porter, and if you mashed at 155, I'd expect it to have finished even a bit higher!

 

[Dogphish]

will higher mash temperature cause better or worse efficiency?

 

[Yooper]

will higher mash temperature cause better or worse efficiency?

No.

 

[bjohnson29]

will higher mash temperature cause better or worse efficiency?

You just have to account for it. Im no expert on the science of it, but when you mash higher, you wont get as fermentible wort, thus less conversion.

Thanks Yooper ...kegged, we'll know in a few days...

 

[mcaple1]

The higher mash temp contributed to some of the difference and perhaps the wheat malt was not crushed sufficiently since it is smaller kernal than 2 row pale.

How would a higher mash temp contribute to differing efficiency? Sure you will get more unfermentable sugars from a higher mash temp, but it's still sugars regardless. Your OG should hardly be affected at all by mash temp....your FG on the other hand, will matter, unless of course you use amalayse enzyme or beano.

 

[mcaple1]

You just have to account for it. Im no expert on the science of it, but when you mash higher, you wont get as fermentible wort, thus less conversion.

Thanks Yooper ...kegged, we'll know in a few days...

NO NO NO. You guys are mixing up unfermentable sugars with conversion. Your OG will remain relatively unaffected by a higher mash temp, just more leftover unfermentable sugars in the end.

 

[doctorRobert]

And I think you could argue that higher temps could cause greater efficiency, as conversion happens faster at higher temps. JZ recommends up to 90 minute mashes when mashing low (like 148 or so) - likewise a mash at 156 might be over in as little as 20 minutes.

What about PH? Would the darker malts in the porter throw off the ph a bit, causing lower efficiency?

 

[bjohnson29]

How would a higher mash temp contribute to differing efficiency? Sure you will get more unfermentable sugars from a higher mash temp, but it's still sugars regardless. Your OG should hardly be affected at all by mash temp....your FG on the other hand, will matter, unless of course you use amalayse enzyme or beano.

Not disagreeing...might not have been clear in my earlier post

 

[Dogphish]

i was thinking that higher mash temp may give better efficiency. i know you are supposed to sparge with hotter water in order to rinse the sugar out of the grain, so heat has to be related somehow.

 

[day_trippr]

Some folks aren't understanding what "extract efficiency" actually relates to...

Cheers!

 

[Yooper]

i was thinking that higher mash temp may give better efficiency. i know you are supposed to sparge with hotter water in order to rinse the sugar out of the grain, so heat has to be related somehow.

No, that has nothing to do with efficiency. You can sparge with cold water with really good results. But most people use hotter water simply because it makes the sugar more soluble and more likely to be easier to rinse out of the grain bed, as well as work as a "mash-out". It doesn't have a thing to do with conversion.

The temperature, as long as it is in the general temperature range of 140-160 will NOT affect conversion. Conversion is conversion, which happens at the proper temperature.

 

[mcaple1]

Thank you Yooper....I think some of these people need to go and buy Joy of Homebrewing or else at the very least re-read it before posting statements like "mash temp can affect efficiency". Sure....mash temp can affect efficiency....if its outside the conversion range or if you dont mash long enough at the mash temp (longer for lower temps for full conversion) But to say that mash temp (in the correct conversion range) will actually change efficiency....well that's just bad information.