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Efficiency Questions from [soon to be] new all grain brewer

KipDM

Master Brewer
Joined
Feb 15, 2013
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Location
Durham, NC
I am hoping to be able to finally go all grain sometimes in the first half of 2018 and have some questions.

Have you found your efficiency goes up by increasing your [strike water] volume to grain ratio? [Such as: which is better for efficiency, 1.25 qt/lb or 1.5 qt/lb?]

Does adding 5.2 pH stabilizer ever actually hurt your efficiency?
If not then should I use some [even if only half the recommended] in ever mash? I don't mind paying extra for pH stabilizer if it keeps my mash and efficiency consistent.

For brewers with forms of RIMS systems, if your re-circulation is going faster than the wort drains through your grainbed, is it good practice to turn off pump and wait for wort to drain, or is it better to let wort go through overflow tube [back down to pump level]? For preventing pump cavitation as well as for efficiency...

If you are dealing with mash tun space constraints do you find it better to use the Texas two step [do 2 1/2 sized mashes] or to mash as much as you can and use extract to supplement?

Thanks for any replies, I'm really looking forward to finally going all grain after years of extract or extract with partial mash batches!
 
KipDM said:
I am hoping to be able to finally go all grain sometimes in the first half of 2018 and have some questions.

Have you found your efficiency goes up by increasing your [strike water] volume to grain ratio? [Such as: which is better for efficiency, 1.25 qt/lb or 1.5 qt/lb?]

Does adding 5.2 pH stabilizer ever actually hurt your efficiency?
If not then should I use some [even if only half the recommended] in ever mash? I don't mind paying extra for pH stabilizer if it keeps my mash and efficiency consistent.

For brewers with forms of RIMS systems, if your re-circulation is going faster than the wort drains through your grainbed, is it good practice to turn off pump and wait for wort to drain, or is it better to let wort go through overflow tube [back down to pump level]? For preventing pump cavitation as well as for efficiency...

If you are dealing with mash tun space constraints do you find it better to use the Texas two step [do 2 1/2 sized mashes] or to mash as much as you can and use extract to supplement?

Thanks for any replies, I'm really looking forward to finally going all grain after years of extract or extract with partial mash batches!

Buy a robobrew and as to pH 5.2 it's not worth it. Add minerals yourself :) get your water tested. I do single infusion mashes or triple decoction.
 
Strike water:  a little, but the difference is not worth worrying about.  Consistency is king.  Keep it simple pick a ratio and stick with it.  I like a thinner mash and strike at 1.65 g/lb. No magic to that number.  Just what I always do.

5.2 stabilizer.  Just leave that at the store. You don't need it.  It's not the best thing for your beer.  Your mash ph will be fine unless you are making a very blond beer.  So make an amber or a brown ale or anything with some darker grains in it. Porters and Stouts are good this time of year.  Keep it simple for your first few batches. Get comfortable with the process. 

Once you are happy with your all grain basics, you can start working on mash chemistry.  You can then manage ph by working your water salts and using a ph meter and acids to manipulate the ph.

I don't do rims. Just a plain old cooler mash tun.  So, can't help you there. But, my advice would be the same as above. Keep it simple to start.  I've made hundreds of batches in the last 20 years with a plain old cooler. 

Texas two step : my advice here is to get a bigger mash tun then you will ever need. I recommend 2x your batch size.  I've done every permutation of small tuns and mashing.  They all suck.  It's not worth it more than once a year.  If you get a 2x tun, then you can mash pretty much any style of beer except maybe the largest barley wine. 

 
1. The difference in efficiency as water/grain ratio changes, within a reasonable range, is negligible. I find 1.5qt./lb. is easier to work with. For the best batch sparge efficiency you want to get about half of your wort from first runnings and the other half from the sparge. Anything close will work well. For fly sparging a slow and evenly distributed flow works best for efficiency.

2. Never add anything to your water if you don't know what its makeup is. 5.2 may work well with certain water profiles, but can be detrimental with others.

3. Generally, you would have a ball valve on the output side of the pump and use that to slow the flow rate. If you're using a Grainfather or Robobrew you just let the excess flow down the center tube.

4. Either will work. There is another alternative that has gained popularity as of late. Reiterative mashing. Mash the first half and use the runnings as strike water for the second half.(heat as needed to reach strike temperature.)

I would advise starting off with a couple of simple batches when you switch to all grain and go to the more complex as you get used to the process and dial everything in. 

Happy brewing.
 
Thanks everyone!
I think I'll go ahead and change my equipment default from 1.25 qt/lb to 1.5 qt/lb.
I would get a mash tun for 10 gallon batches but I literally don't have the room unless I want equipment sitting in the floor of a room [that's in use] so I have to go with compact 5 gallon options.

I was/am considering one of the following:
Brewer's Edge Mash & Boil and add a pump for recirculation
Keg King Robobrew w pump
Grainfather
I know I'm forgetting the names of some of the other new, cheap, compact AG machines, but all are still under consideration.

Because they are all very compact and relatively cheap. I'll be able to fit any of those systems in a closet after getting rid of a couple cases of bottles [I started kegging years ago but still bottle some to take home for my brother during the holidays].
 
It's up to you. But I will note that the igloo ice cube 48 qt cooler is 17.5 inches on all sides. The igloo 5 gallon round cooler is 15" wide (2. 5" narrower) and 21 inches tall (3.5 inches taller).  So they are almost exactly the same size.

That gives you  mash tun that can easily to a 1.060+ 10g batch or a 1.12+ barley wine. All in a single mash.  Depending on your boil pot you night be able to fit it inside the cooler.  Things to think about for trying to make storage compact.    Nesting vessels helps a lot!
 
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