[jaftak22]

I am right around 70-74% efficiently. I love my set up except for my mash tun. I mash in a 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler and I can't wait to switch. It's hard to do 10 gallon batches and it's always hotter at the bottom than it is the top from what I have seen. The temperature variation is what really gets me.

[dmtaylor]

It's interesting to see how identical threads on AHA vs. Northern Brewer have taken quite different paths.

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=121820&p=1064630#p1064630

[klickitat jim]

My 73-78% is brewhouse efficiency. I set Brewer's Friend at 75% then compare my final 5 gallons OG to what was predicted, and adjust brewhouse efficiency to reflect my actual OG. I have no idea what my actual mash efficiency is. Its probably more like 80-85% because I always end up with about 2 qts in the BK plus whatever is in the pump and lines.

[denny]

Is there possibly a difference in the tun, round or square?

Maybe for fly sparging, but not for batch sparging.

[denny]

I'm on my 5th AG batch now so still learning my own system.  My last three have all been around 68%, which seems disappointing.  I have a rectangular cooler with a SS braid and pretty much do as the others above except I've been sparging with 170F water.   I crush my grains at my LHBS and have considered running them through twice.  Now I'm wondering whether to try 180F water first.  I'm getting good beer but feel like I'd like to increase my efficiency for no particular reason other than just because.

In my experience, crush is always the first thing to look at.  Kai has shown the even sparging with 60F water will no effect efficiency.  My own trails bear that out.

[blatz]

I hit 80% on the head almost everytime, occasional deviations, but usually a standard deviation of <2%.

"60% of the time, it works every time"

[beersk]

I hit 80% on the head almost everytime, occasional deviations, but usually a standard deviation of <2%.

"60% of the time, it works every time"

Ha, great quote.

I brew 4 gallon batches using a 5 gallon round cooler, braided hose, and Barley Crusher set to .032". I consistently achieve between 75 and 80% efficiency. I sparge with 180 degree water. I'm happy with it.

[theDarkSide]

Rectangular, blue coleman cooler (72qt), with bazooka screen.  I generally get around 70-78% batch sparging.  I have a barley crusher that I changed the gap to .30.

I think the next brew I do, I'll try double-milling the grain.

[HoosierBrew]

"60% of the time, it works every time"

[Iliff Ave]

I average 68.6% efficiency and never over 71.9%. I batch sparge with a 10 g round cooler with false bottom. I mill grains at home and the crush looks good to me. I have not addressed water and probably won't for some time. My process has become more streamlined lately with more predictable results so even though my efficiency is a bit lower than I would like I am ok with it for now.

[Stevie]

...even though my efficiency is a bit lower than I would like I am ok with it for now.

That is the best way to look at it.

[trapae]

It is good to hear everyone's setup and numbers. 
Dave, I usually post at NB too and I agree, usually the posts take very different paths which is interesting.

[Wheat_Brewer]

I'm usually around 75% efficiency.

I mill my grains at my LHBS, use a rectangular cooler mash tun, and have a simple copper manifold I made myself.

Cheers!

[dbarber]

For average strength beers I usually hit 75%, that drops to 65% for high gravity beers.

I use a rectangular coleman extreme 36 qt. with ss braid.

[mabrungard]

In my experience, crush is always the first thing to look at. 

+1 on crush being the first variable to consider and its probably one of the most influential on efficiency. I have to say that the second most important variable is the runoff rate. The slower you go, the higher the efficiency. Even with batch sparging, I'd have to say that extending the duration should have a positive effect. A mashout temperature step to the high 160's is also worth a couple of points increase.

Even though I'm a proponent of getting your water chemistry right for mashing, I'm not really sure that it is a big factor in improving efficiency. A number of brewers have told me that it made a difference for them, but I don't understand why that would be. The only thing I can imagine is that their mashing chemistry conditions were so far off that it was negatively effecting their efficiency.

With that said, I used to get around 80 to 82 percent efficiency with my old system. Then I upgraded my system and my efficiency dropped well into the 70's while I learned what my water volumes needed to be. My LHBS also was having mill troubles and I knew they had poor crush. That moved me to buy a good mill. I now pre-condition the malt before the crush and have been able to crush fairly fine. Since I've figured out the water volume issue and been using a good crush, my efficiency is nearly 90 percent. That is not a good thing when you have figured your recipe based on 82% !!