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Efficiency

G

goldshark

I must be missing it ( not unusual ) but where do I see what efficiency I've attained in a brew session ?
I would think it would be in the brew log.

    AL  Clermont, Fl
 
Hi,
  Open your recipe and click on the "Brewhouse Efficiency" button within the open recipe.  If you enter you volumes and measured gravities it will calculate the actual efficiencies for you.

Brad
 
I'll add that accurate volumes are very important for accurate results.

Fred
 
And don't forget you can add an "Actual Efficiency" field to the "My recipes" view. Just click on the "View" drop down menu and then " Customize columns", there are heaps of other fields you can add too.

Andrew
 
Ah, I see it now.  Thanks guys.

So let me ask this:  if my actual efficiencies keep coming in at the high 60's..... should I reset my brewhouse efficiency to the same number ? 
 
That's what you should do Goldshark, once you have consistently brewed to a certain efficiency set that as your brewhouse eff in the option window, then when you create a recipe BeerSmith will give you an accurate estimate of your O.G based on your efficiency.

Andrew
 
I'm a little bit confussed about the different efficiency numbers..

For my yesterday batch they were as follows after I inputted all the volumes plus pre- and post boil gravity:

Actual Eff.: 80.89%
Eff. into boiler: 82.9
Eff as calculated from actual boil volume: 79.14%

Recipe was calculated with a "Brewhouse Efficiency" of 74%, and I overshot my target OG a bit.

When I build my next recipe, which number should I use for Brewhouse efficiency to best estimate OG?

regards,
beerer

 
Hi,
  I would use around 80%.  The "Efficiency as calculated from actual volume" at the bottom of the Efficiency Dialog is the one that corresponds to the overall brewhouse efficiency used by BeerSmith as an input.

Cheers!
Brad
 
Not to completely hijack the thread--
I did a Partial mash and the efficiency numbers come out "weird"

Actual efficiency based on target volume 73.58%
Efficiency into boiler 15.92%
Efficiency into fermenter 80.22%

If I look at the BrewSheet
Estimated pre-boil gravity is: 1.060      I got 1.034 (Panic on my part )
Estimated OG 1.053                            I got 1.052(in fermenter)

So how could I hit the target with a mash efficiency of 15%

I do note that pre-boil gravity is:1.060 with all extracts/grains added

Is this an error in the combination of using late addition extract and efficiency?
How would I calculate my efficiency with the mash? I want to get an Idea of how the crush & mash/lauter tun are working together so when I get a "big" kettle I can move from partial mash.

Fermentables
4 lb 2-row
0.5 munich
0.5 flaked oats
0.25 carahell
0.25 roast barley
3.3lb can of Malt syrup at 15 min
 
Hi,
  Calculating partial mash efficiency is notoriously difficult because the mash is usually a very small portion of the overall malt bill, and small variances in volumes and extracts can throw your numbers off quite a bit.  To get a more accurate idea, try creating a separate mini recipe with just the mash portion of your recipe and using the brewhouse efficiency button to calculate OG and efficiency into the boiler for the amount of water you mash.  This will give you an idea of where you are with mash efficiency, though your brewhouse efficiency will be lower than that.

  Note that the estimated pre-boil gravity includes your extracts, so the 1.060 would be after you add your extracts.

Cheers,
Brad
 
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