103 replies to this topic

[Poptop]

Then I guess I have to set my rollers to "scared."

[Brauer]

Based on yesterday's run I'd say it's a bit over a gallon.

That's going to cause efficiency problems, especially with big beers. If you are leaving a gallon behind and only draining 3, you are leaving 25% of the sugars behind (not even counting the sugar left in the extra grain you had to add to make up for that). I solved this problem with a few inches of copper tubing, shaped like an "s" , to connect my outlet to a braid laying on the bottom of my tun. Now I drain all but a cup or less. You'll also need tubing connected to the outside of the tun drain, or you won't form a siphon to fully drain the tun.

[positiveContact]

That's going to cause efficiency problems, especially with big beers. If you are leaving a gallon behind and only draining 3, you are leaving 25% of the sugars behind (not even counting the sugar left in the extra grain you had to add to make up for that). I solved this problem with a few inches of copper tubing, shaped like an "s" , to connect my outlet to a braid laying on the bottom of my tun. Now I drain all but a cup or less. You'll also need tubing connected to the outside of the tun drain, or you won't form a siphon to fully drain the tun.

 

i was thinking the same thing but forgot to post it.  a gallon seems like  A LOT!

[codemonkey]

Since I still have my brewing shit all over the first floor of the house I might as well measure deadspace tonight with just water.

 

I have 3/8" tubing on the outside so I'm getting a decent siphon.

[positiveContact]

Since I still have my brewing shit all over the first floor of the house I might as well measure deadspace tonight with just water.

 

I have 3/8" tubing on the outside so I'm getting a decent siphon.

 

i personally would not rely on siphon when talking about draining the mash tun.  i'd want it to be able to drain with just gravity b/c towards the end of the drain the tubing won't even be filled with liquid so your siphon won't be doing much of anything.

[codemonkey]

i personally would not rely on siphon when talking about draining the mash tun.  i'd want it to be able to drain with just gravity b/c towards the end of the drain the tubing won't even be filled with liquid so your siphon won't be doing much of anything.

I do that too (gravity).

[MyaCullen]

I do that too (gravity).

I have to tip mine up to get that last half gallon out

[positiveContact]

I have to tip mine up to get that last half gallon out

 

i tip it just to accelerate things but it may yeild a tiny amount more.  my cooler has a local low spot where the drain is so there is very little dead space.

Edited by TheGuv, 14 April 2014 - 07:18 AM.

[pods8]

i personally would not rely on siphon when talking about draining the mash tun.  i'd want it to be able to drain with just gravity b/c towards the end of the drain the tubing won't even be filled with liquid so your siphon won't be doing much of anything.

 

If the discharge end is in the liquid level it will stay full until it draws air on the suction end. 

[codemonkey]

I have to tip mine up to get that last half gallon out

I didn't do that this time. Is HSA still the phantom beer ruiner that it was 6-8 years ago?

[MyaCullen]

I didn't do that this time. Is HSA still the phantom beer ruiner that it was 6-8 years ago?

nope

[denny]

Anyone out there with a Barley Crusher find that the rollers shift and require adjustment?

 

I don't use one, but I've heard of quite a few people with that problem.

[denny]

I didn't do that this time. Is HSA still the phantom beer ruiner that it was 6-8 years ago?

 

HSA is possible, but it's also not a huge issue.  Especially becasue by the time you drain your kettle the temp should be below the HSA "danger zone".

[codemonkey]

HSA is possible, but it's also not a huge issue.  Especially becasue by the time you drain your kettle the temp should be below the HSA "danger zone".

I was more concerned about aeration from mash to kettle. Tipping the mash tun to get the last bit out is going to cause air bubbles/gaps in the transfer line. The last time I brewed the jury was still out on whether or not this was a concern.

[positiveContact]

I was more concerned about aeration from mash to kettle. Tipping the mash tun to get the last bit out is going to cause air bubbles/gaps in the transfer line. The last time I brewed the jury was still out on whether or not this was a concern.

 

my transfer line spends a lot of time with bubbles/air in it.  it's a 1" hose and my tun simply can't drain fast enough to keep it filled.

[Steve Urquell]

Codemonkey, I get my highest efficiency when I step mash or decoct. I also infusion mash in a blue ice cube. If I step mash, I get 85-90% efficiency. If I don't step mash I like to stir every 15-20 mins and get 70-75%. On a recent brew I did a single infusion and never touched it--no stirring. Got 60%-- worst I've gotten in years.Someone recently brewed one of my recipes with a 144/158F multi rest infusion. He reported his highest efficiency yet, 82%. I dont know if its extra time at mash temps, attacking beta and alpha amylase separately, extra stirring, raising temp at the end of the mash allowing for more sugar soluability or all of the above, but multi rest infusions really work to boost my efficiency.

[positiveContact]

Codemonkey, I get my highest efficiency when I step mash or decoct. I also infusion mash in a blue ice cube. If I step mash, I get 85-90% efficiency. If I don't step mash I like to stir every 15-20 mins and get 70-75%. On a recent brew I did a single infusion and never touched it--no stirring. Got 60%-- worst I've gotten in years.Someone recently brewed one of my recipes with a 144/158F multi rest infusion. He reported his highest efficiency yet, 82%.I dont know if its extra time at mash temps, attacking beta and alpha amylase separately, extra stirring, raising temp at the end of the mash allowing for more sugar soluability or all of the above, but multi rest infusions really work to boost my efficiency.

 

i do none of those things.  i'm a very lazy brewer.  single infusion, no mid mash stirring, no mash out, not super hot batch sparge water, etc.  i make sure to hit my mash temp and pH and that i have a reasonable crush.

 

the other day i got over 80% into the fermentor which probably translates to 83-84% into the kettle (loss on transfer from kettle to fermentor, hops absorption, etc.).

[positiveContact]

just a list of gravities and "into the fermentor" efficiencies.  I probably average in the upper 70s overall but if you only look at sub-1.060ish beers I'm usually around 80%.

 

1.058 80%

1.056 76%

1.073 73%

1.068 71%

1.064 77%

1.054 82%

1.054 71%

1.057 81%

1.070 73%

1.070 72%

1.063 82%

[Steve Urquell]

i do none of those things.  i'm a very lazy brewer.  single infusion, no mid mash stirring, no mash out, not super hot batch sparge water, etc.  i make sure to hit my mash temp and pH and that i have a reasonable crush..

I also do all of the above, pH is always in line, water built from RO with sensible additions, acid malt to drop pH to 5.2-5.4, temps hit on the money, crush is good. I don't know nor can I account for the difference but, for my system, it is there. I never chased efficiency and was always happy with the 70-75% I used to get with single temp rests. However, my first step infusion was an eye opener.

[dmtaylor]

Those numbers look good, Guv.  Thanks for the data.  Similar to mine.  Looks like your efficiency is pretty constant up to a gravity of around 1.065, same as mine.  1.065 seems to be the natural cutoff for the definition of a big beer, beyond which efficiency will suffer a little unless special measures are taken to prevent losses.

 

I, too, tilt my mash tun.  Part of maximizing efficiency, for those who care, is to collect every last drop possible.  To those who might be losing a gallon, you're losing a butt-ton of fermentable sugars and efficiency.