[majorvices]

I doubt its conversion problem, especially if you are mashing for an hour. Try the colorpHast strips or buy a meter. You cna get them under $100.

FTR I haven't messed with an iodine test in years. I don't think it is necessary. If your pH is in the correct range you are going to get full conversion, especially if yo mash for 45-60 minutes.

[klickitat jim]

I prefer cold and time. Its amazing how much clearer homebrew gets when you're not trying to go fermentor to glass in a week.

[majorvices]

I prefer cold and time. Its amazing how much clearer homebrew gets when you're not trying to go fermentor to glass in a week.

Yeah, but if your pH is right you shouldn't need extra time for clear beer. I never have haze problems. A little fining and a week at cold temps and the beer is clear.

[klickitat jim]

Zactly, but how many are going from 68° fermentor to bottle for a couple weeks at 70°, to a day in the fridge then wondering why it's not clear. A week in the fridge might make a difference. I'm pretty convinced that my past clarity issues were yeast and maybe fine malt particles like roast powder. Time and cold cures it for me. I'm not sure cold and time will do much for starch or infection though. Or will it?

[denny]

I didn't mean for you to check pH. I meant for you to check the actual conversion. e.g. an iodine test. If that is negative, then you know your conversion is the issue that needs working on.

That's pretty unreliable.  I use Kai's conversion efficiency test....http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Troubleshooting_Brewhouse_Efficiency#Determining_Conversion_Efficiency

[morticaixavier]

I le that chart. I should print that out.

[erockrph]

I le that chart. I should print that out.

+1 - I don't think I've seen that before. Thanks for sharing that Denny. I might have to tape that to my mash tun for quick reference.

[AmandaK]

I didn't mean for you to check pH. I meant for you to check the actual conversion. e.g. an iodine test. If that is negative, then you know your conversion is the issue that needs working on.

That's pretty unreliable.  I use Kai's conversion efficiency test....http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Troubleshooting_Brewhouse_Efficiency#Determining_Conversion_Efficiency

I've used that as well and quite like it. I just didn't want to scare the OP with super nerdiness right off the bat.

[denny]

Better than scaring him into doing a 4 hour mash because the iodine test screwed up! 

[AmandaK]

Better than scaring him into doing a 4 hour mash because the iodine test screwed up! 

Touché!

[Steve L]

I'm definitely up for the chart. My beer nerdiness know no bounds! Gotta read up on that.

[klickitat jim]

But...

The chart is handy. The trouble is that there are two things occurring. CONVERSION and EXTRACTION. The chart tells you what would be measured at a given thickness at 100% conversion AND extraction. So I suppose the chart could be used to see if you are hitting 75% (or whatever your anticipated % is) but it's still a guessing game that the missing 25% is due to extraction not conversion. That might be why Kai's next sentence is to check conversion with iodine if your below 90-95%.

My method is kind of an educated guess. If your pH is good, temp is good, etc then you should achieve conversion in 20 min. I go three times that to be sure, then at 60 minutes if my wort is clear of anything that resembles starch haze, I mash out and sparge. I'm too lazy to deal with iodine and not certain I would be able to accurately interpret it anyway.

[HoosierBrew]

Yeah, I haven't done the iodine test in over 15 years. So unreliable, it's about worthless IMO. I kinda agree, Jim - I know the efficiency of my system pretty well and hit my target gravities and pH consistently. My beers are consistently clear which they wouldn't be with a bunch of unconverted starch present. I think conversion is a given in a cooler if you hit your temp accurately, close it and leave it alone.

[klickitat jim]

Yup. I guess if it was a grist with a lot of low or no diastatic power, or a different crush, or... my method works for me that's about all I know

[klickitat jim]

One thing that does occur to me is the difference between efficiency and brewhouse efficiency. So once you try to figure in the % from sparge compared to the mash... I'm confused. But its clear that at 75% brewhoue efficiency the mash would be much higher than that. I do know that I'm not interested in doing all that math.