T
therobot
So I'm working on trying to improve my efficiency, which is currently almost always exactly 60%. I like the consistency, but really would like to try and work up the numbers a bit. Here's some areas I have questions/comments in.
1) I batch sparge, but feel pretty good the process. I always make sure I do the 'mash out' style batch sparge where my first sparge addition is to the water already in the mash, bringing the temp up to 168, and then the second half is at approximately the same temp to keep the mash at 168 for sparging. I try and make sure to use equal volumes on the two, and seem to have pretty good luck with it. I've know fly sparging can get me a couple points, but I've also heard the results can be the same. I've heard this conversation go on and on and on, in fact. Seems like a really volatile debate, and I really like the ease of batch sparging, so I wanna stay there. Any recommendations inside of this technique to improve?
2) I know that I'm having some problems with my mash temperature. Mainly, it seems to be uneven throughout the mash tun. At some places I'm right at the 154 i want to be (in the center of the tun, for example) but at the outside it always seems to be lower, and there's also places that seem to be higher. And yes, I do stir. Is this common, and should I just take an 'average' of the temps I take, making sure they're in the same range, or is it a symptom of the mash tun, etc? I use a square cooler style mash tun.
3) I do use 5.4 Buffer to stabilize PH, so I don't think I should have an issue there. Plus, even without it, using John Palmer's water calculation sheet, I'm right in the range I want to be for the Pale I'm trying to perfect.
4) Crush. This is where I think I'm having the biggest problem. My LHBS has a rather antiquated grain mill (one's actually a big, but typical grain mill, the other is actually a coffee grinder. i don't use the coffee grinder one.) and I'm starting to think that I'm just not getting a good crush. Really looking at a Barely Crusher, and am just wondering what kind of percentage increase that I could expect from having the right crush every time. I figure this is a big one, and am just guessing (and hoping) that I could see at least a 10 percent increase.
Phew. If I think of anything else I'll add it, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.
1) I batch sparge, but feel pretty good the process. I always make sure I do the 'mash out' style batch sparge where my first sparge addition is to the water already in the mash, bringing the temp up to 168, and then the second half is at approximately the same temp to keep the mash at 168 for sparging. I try and make sure to use equal volumes on the two, and seem to have pretty good luck with it. I've know fly sparging can get me a couple points, but I've also heard the results can be the same. I've heard this conversation go on and on and on, in fact. Seems like a really volatile debate, and I really like the ease of batch sparging, so I wanna stay there. Any recommendations inside of this technique to improve?
2) I know that I'm having some problems with my mash temperature. Mainly, it seems to be uneven throughout the mash tun. At some places I'm right at the 154 i want to be (in the center of the tun, for example) but at the outside it always seems to be lower, and there's also places that seem to be higher. And yes, I do stir. Is this common, and should I just take an 'average' of the temps I take, making sure they're in the same range, or is it a symptom of the mash tun, etc? I use a square cooler style mash tun.
3) I do use 5.4 Buffer to stabilize PH, so I don't think I should have an issue there. Plus, even without it, using John Palmer's water calculation sheet, I'm right in the range I want to be for the Pale I'm trying to perfect.
4) Crush. This is where I think I'm having the biggest problem. My LHBS has a rather antiquated grain mill (one's actually a big, but typical grain mill, the other is actually a coffee grinder. i don't use the coffee grinder one.) and I'm starting to think that I'm just not getting a good crush. Really looking at a Barely Crusher, and am just wondering what kind of percentage increase that I could expect from having the right crush every time. I figure this is a big one, and am just guessing (and hoping) that I could see at least a 10 percent increase.
Phew. If I think of anything else I'll add it, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.