Efficiency on Beersmith.

[Sippingainteasy]

I have been missing my numbers by 3-6 points the last few brewdays. I am using 72% efficiency but when I click on the tab it says actual efficiency is around 67% depending on the day. Should I change my efficiency on the main page to match that number to try to get near the projected OG?

 

[505-Brewer]

Thats one way. Ive dialed mine down to 65% on beers over 1.060. The alternative is go through all the settings (mash tun false bottom vol, boil off etc) and set them if they are off. Its all about volume control for me. Hit your volumes spot on and you should be right on target.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Or you could try to work out why you are only getting 67% efficiency.....it should be easy to boost your efficiency (assuming 'normal' gravity beers (say, 1.050 or so) and using a sparge). It normally comes down to either a poor crush (do you crush your own?) or channelling of the sparge (do you fly, or batch sparge?). If you are consciously brewing in a way that gives low efficiency (like no-sparge) then change the efficiency in beersmith.

 

[Sippingainteasy]

I do crush my own, and I batch sparge. Maybe I need to set my gap a little tighter I used to get stuck sparges, but I haven’t in a while and I use the same amount of rice hulls.

 

[Bobby_M]

Highly recommend conditioning your malt and tightening up the mill gap. No hulls needed in most cases.

 

[Oginme]

Brew house efficiency is controlled in two places. The first is the mash/lauter efficiency which is how well you convert and pull the sugars from the grains in the mash tun or mashing operation. Volume losses and grain absorption here reduce your lauter efficiency and impede your ability to get the most amount of sugars into the boil kettle. Others have given you some feedback which can improve your process performance in this area.

The other place influencing your brew house efficiency is your volume losses throughout the rest of your process. If there is a large drop between your mash efficiency and brew house efficiency, then you are losing a lot of sugars and volume, most often post boil to fermenter. Here you need to look at where the wort is going and ways to minimize these losses.

 

[kevin58]

If you don't create a custom equipment profile you will find yourself chasing your tail trying to nail this down. Here is a good tutorial on dialing in your profile...

 

[Smellyglove]

I'd start with measuring SG and volume preboil, to get mash efficiency, and then measure the rest, boiloff and losses. I myself always use mash efficiency for setting the amount of grains needed for a recipe to hit my OG, as mash efficiency varies with grist size, but losses and boiloff (pr hour) is usually the same.

 

[Sippingainteasy]

Thanks everyone.