Low efficiency?

Dodes

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Hi,
I'm struggling with the low efficiency for few batches now. I'm using fly sparge.

Today my conversion efficiency was 88.9%, preboil 67%, ending kettle 70%. My last batch was even lower, where ending kettle efficiency was 65%. I was expecting to have about 80% with the fly sparge (at least this is what I hear from other people using fly sparge - and they are getting as fas as 85% kettle efficiency). My mash was 60 C for 45 minutes and 70 C for 45 minutes. Also done mashout at 77 C. My pH was cca 5.6. I was using pilsener malt and carapils.
I was searching about bad efficiency but haven't found something to help me out (There most occured topic was bad crush. I'm using corona mill but I have adjusted the setting to get the very soft crush but not the flour). I'm using the electric mash tun. I'm measuring the temperature with digital and also classic thermometer. For the SG I'm using hydrometer and also refractometer. I'm measuring all my samples at the room temperature, that is 20 - 22 C. Fly sparge duration was 1 hour 30 minutes.

What efficiencies do you get? Do you know where could be the problem? Should I mash a little bit longer?

Thank You

Dodes
 
its just possible your grain was very dry and needed to be step mashed to get the best out of it, carapils has no sugar also
 
I also use a corona mill, and on my last batch I hit 76% brew house efficiency. Could be the crush, or could be the grain. Was the recipe just pilsner and Carapils? To little base malt will hurt your efficiency if you do not mash long enough. For the mill I have found that getting the removable plate fairly secure, but still able to float (the run out on mine is crazy bad) works best, along with conditioning the grain. I am betting you need a better crush. Some flour is not bad, as long as you are not getting a stuck sparge. For a test you could purchase the grain for your next brew already crushed (however this can be hit and miss also).
 
Hi,
thanks fro reply

Ozarks Mountian Brew said:
its just possible your grain was very dry and needed to be step mashed to get the best out of it, carapils has no sugar also

Maybe I could use doug-in procedure to get some water to the grain. The carapils amount was only 8% so not much. Or did you mean the grain conditioning?

Foster82 said:
I also use a corona mill, and on my last batch I hit 76% brew house efficiency. Could be the crush, or could be the grain. Was the recipe just pilsner and Carapils?

The receipt was 92% pilsener, 8% carapils.

Foster82 said:
For the mill I have found that getting the removable plate fairly secure, but still able to float (the run out on mine is crazy bad) works best, along with conditioning the grain. I am betting you need a better crush. Some flour is not bad, as long as you are not getting a stuck sparge. For a test you could purchase the grain for your next brew already crushed (however this can be hit and miss also).

Ok I'll try the more fine crush next time. And also grain conditioning (haven't heard of this till now). Regarding the purchasing the crushed grain, I don't have option for this because we don't have homebrew shop here, I'm buying through the net (and don't know any locals who's got the good malt mill. The one I know is 600 km away).

Thanks for your opinions.

Dodes
 
Given the conversion numbers you cite, you lost wort somewhere. I either batch sparge or do a poor man's fly sparge (slowly pour sparge water through the grain bed as the wort drains) and get about the total brew house efficiency of 70%. Dry grain is a possibility, I'm guessing it was wort trapped under a false bottom or in a mash tun somewhere that runs the efficiency down.
 
Nosybear said:
... Dry grain is a possibility, I'm guessing it was wort trapped under a false bottom or in a mash tun somewhere that runs the efficiency down.
Maybe I need to tune up my fly sparge procedure. Probably I've used a lot of sparge water. Or added it too soon and then the wort was dilluted. The one thing that is weird that even at the end of the fly sparging, when the last liters was being grabbed from thr lautern tun, the wort SG was 1.033! I was expecting the numbers around 1.015 and lower. I have find a many info about fly/continuos sparge in the past but if you got some more info i'll be glad.
But I definitely need to try malt conditioning.

Thanks

Dodes
 

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