100% Efficiency?

[jonmuni]

alright chaps,

I did a brew yesterday on my GrainFather and ended up with some nuts numbers. Generally, I get it very close or on the money but yesterday was a different story.

Here's the details:

2Kg Minch Pale Malt
1Kg Pilsner Malt
1Kg Maris Otter Malt

Mash In @ 55c protein rest 10 mins
Raise Mash to 65c 60 mins
Mash Out @ 75c for 10 mins
Mashed at 5.3 pH - added some gypsum 1.3g and Phosphoric acid to reduce mach pH - 3.8ml

Fly Sparge @ 75c with 12L H2O @ 6pH - added some gypsum 1.3g and Phosphoric acid to reduce mach pH - 3.8ml. I took about an hour as the sparge was stuck a bit and so took my time.

Pre-Boil volume 23L @ 13 Brix / 1.052 ( checked with refractometer and hydrometer )
Post-Boil volume 20L @ 15 Brix  / 1.061 ( checked with refractometer and hydrometer )
90 Minute Boil

Various hop additions and finings etc.

Any calculators that I check this on say that I should not be getting 1.061 on 4Kg of grist. Basically, efficiency calculators are saying that I am getting 100% efficiency!

I'm suspicious about this and so wonder if anyone can offer any suggestions as to what might be going on? This was my first time using Minch Malts.

Cheers!
Jon

[Leann ull]

Using beersmith will give you brewhouse and mash efficiency

[jonmuni]

I use Beersmith....!

[Leann ull]

Throw up a screenshot of your session data page

[jonmuni]

screen shot attached

[BrewDorg]

I assume you added the Minch malt yourself? What conversion potential do you have entered for it? Should be around 1.038. I'm not sure what the actual figure is for Minch, but 1.038 is what BS has down for most base malts. Anything lower and your calculated efficiency will be bumped up.

[jonmuni]

yep!

1.038 - I got that from one of the chaps here on another thread about adding it in...

[BrewDorg]

Strange, that was the only thing I could think of. Unless the potential is actually more than that in reality, but I don't know if that's possible or realistic.

[Leann ull]

Your mash efficiency is 93% and correct for a grainfather and bh 83% it's not 100!

[jonmuni]

yeah, I have found the right efficiency over time and my BH efficiency are generally at 83%

Other brews up to this have generally been right on the money

You think it might be the minch malt? Ive used the same pilsner and MO in my last brew and was bang on...

[dcalnan]

There's something wrong there, your measured attenuation is over 4500% and the measured abv is 0%

Never mind, you haven't entered a fg so that won't affect the rest.

[Leann ull]

Can you update the correct volume into fermenter should be 19 and just as a guesstimate at this stage put bottling volume 18.5, or just over as you get absorption by hops etc and post screenshot again

[jonmuni]

it was 22L into the fermenter. There was 3L boil off and 1L starter added

I dont see how that affects the post boil gravity though...

Will re-do the screen shot later today

thanks guys

[imark]

You efficiency is dependent on post boil gravity and post boil volume. If you boil off more it concentrates the wort. So if both your volume and og aren't accurate you'll get an incorrect efficiency.

[Leann ull]

Also gravity of your 1L starter is circa 1035-1038 so that will also bring down your reading, did you tick the box in beersmith on the starter page saying adding starter to bottling vol?
Don't forget to sign up for all this free advice