I know that "missing my OG" threads are abundant here but please help me figure out what I can do in my particular situation. I will list everything that I think needs improvement but I'm not exactly sure how I can do that.
I'm doing all-grain and mill the grain myself (I'm sure the grain crush can be improved but there must be more to my problem). I'm using a converted cooler mash tun and do batch sparging, all volumes and temps calculated with BeerSmith 2.0.
First off, I have NEVER hit my mash temperatures using the strike temps suggested by BS. This frequently results in a thinner mash because I have to add additional water (mostly boiling). My thermometer is accurate so that's not the reason. Guess I have to adjust my equipment profile for that.
Conversion is usually good after one hour as indicated by the iodine test. I do a Vorlauf until the wort is mostly clear and add it back to the mash. I then drain the wort into my brew kettle (but don't start the boil). I do batch sparging so I heat the water, dump it into the grain bed and stir it for a few minutes. I then let it sit for about 10 min so the grain bed can settle again. I repeat the Vorlauf and drain into the kettle once more.
And here's where my real problem lies: My OG is usually between 6 and 12 points low even with an efficiency adjusted to 68%. My pH at the end of the sparge is around 5.5 and the SG of the run-off is >5 Plato. My last brew started at 18.0 P pre-boil (should have been 19.9) but the larger volume (7 gal instead of 6.4) made up for this. However, the run-off, after 3.3 gal of sparging, was still 16 P! What can I do to recover the sugars in a smaller volume? Is it advisable to "recirculate" the sparge over the grains again? I have a pump and could do it but it would be more a "batch recirc" since I don't have any fly-sparging manifold.
Thanks for reading all this. :rockin:
I'm doing all-grain and mill the grain myself (I'm sure the grain crush can be improved but there must be more to my problem). I'm using a converted cooler mash tun and do batch sparging, all volumes and temps calculated with BeerSmith 2.0.
First off, I have NEVER hit my mash temperatures using the strike temps suggested by BS. This frequently results in a thinner mash because I have to add additional water (mostly boiling). My thermometer is accurate so that's not the reason. Guess I have to adjust my equipment profile for that.
Conversion is usually good after one hour as indicated by the iodine test. I do a Vorlauf until the wort is mostly clear and add it back to the mash. I then drain the wort into my brew kettle (but don't start the boil). I do batch sparging so I heat the water, dump it into the grain bed and stir it for a few minutes. I then let it sit for about 10 min so the grain bed can settle again. I repeat the Vorlauf and drain into the kettle once more.
And here's where my real problem lies: My OG is usually between 6 and 12 points low even with an efficiency adjusted to 68%. My pH at the end of the sparge is around 5.5 and the SG of the run-off is >5 Plato. My last brew started at 18.0 P pre-boil (should have been 19.9) but the larger volume (7 gal instead of 6.4) made up for this. However, the run-off, after 3.3 gal of sparging, was still 16 P! What can I do to recover the sugars in a smaller volume? Is it advisable to "recirculate" the sparge over the grains again? I have a pump and could do it but it would be more a "batch recirc" since I don't have any fly-sparging manifold.
Thanks for reading all this. :rockin: