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Low Original Gravity
- Thread starter MikeinRH
- Start date
Maine Homebrewer
Grandmaster Brewer
Crush does greatly affect the efficiency. Too little and you have chunks of grain that never fully convert. Too much and you get a stuck sparge. Ideally you want something in the middle where the grain is crushed well, but the husks remain mostly intact. That way the grain converts while the husks allow water to flow through it. I keep a bag of rice hulls on hand just in case.
Last winter I was making light pilsners. They need to be balanced just right since they don't have much bittering hops. Well, I tightened up my Corona mill a bit, and it ruined the batch. I was expecting a 1.040-1.045 OG and got 1.060. It was too much for the little amount of hops that I put in. Came out terrible. First batch I dumped since my string of infections a few years back.
So yeah. Try a finer crush and I bet you'll increase your efficiency. But not too much or you'll get a stuck sparge. Just in case, get a bag of rice hulls. If it gums up, mix in a handful or two in and it should drain just fine.
Last winter I was making light pilsners. They need to be balanced just right since they don't have much bittering hops. Well, I tightened up my Corona mill a bit, and it ruined the batch. I was expecting a 1.040-1.045 OG and got 1.060. It was too much for the little amount of hops that I put in. Came out terrible. First batch I dumped since my string of infections a few years back.
So yeah. Try a finer crush and I bet you'll increase your efficiency. But not too much or you'll get a stuck sparge. Just in case, get a bag of rice hulls. If it gums up, mix in a handful or two in and it should drain just fine.