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Author Topic: Anvil Foundry 10.5 - First Brew 80%+ efficiency??  (Read 660 times)

Offline MadDawg

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Anvil Foundry 10.5 - First Brew 80%+ efficiency??
« on: November 21, 2021, 01:33:29 pm »
As title says, got my Anvil Foundry this weekend and brewed a quick batch of Cream of Three Crops to test it out. After reading a bunch of tips, I purchased the small batch adapter to use so it covered the side holes. Now I forgot to take a pre-boil gravity reading (whoops), I did have Pre and post volumes and post boil gravity of 1.053. From what I understand I can get a pretty good estimate of my pre boil gravity reading. For reference, I did a 90 min mash @152, with a 1 gallon sparge. So total mash volume was 6.75 gallons, with 5.5 gallons post boil.

Following this formula: Pre-boil Gravity = (((OG-1)* post-boil volume)/pre-boil volume)+1

This formula leads me to a pre-boil gravity of 1.039.

Plugging all the info in the various efficiency calculators from Brewer's friend gives me 81% give or take.

Am I missing something here? TBH I'm shocked at that high of efficiency cause when I was on my keggle outside I was barely hitting the 60s. Just want to make sure I am not crazy, especially with lots of discussion on various sites about efficiency issues with the Foundry.

Thanks y'all!

Offline denny

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Re: Anvil Foundry 10.5 - First Brew 80%+ efficiency??
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2021, 01:37:32 pm »
I regularly get 85% with my GF G40, so your number seems reasonable.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline Bob357

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Re: Anvil Foundry 10.5 - First Brew 80%+ efficiency??
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2021, 04:51:02 pm »
Getting low to mid 80% range with my Digimash too. BHE ~74%.
Beer is my bucket list,

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Offline Saccharomyces

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Re: Anvil Foundry 10.5 - First Brew 80%+ efficiency??
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2021, 03:02:13 pm »
In this case, you are using efficiency correctly.  However, most homebrewers use the word "efficiency" when they actually mean "extraction rate."  For example, if one produces a higher original gravity from a different base malt, one's efficiency did not go up.  One's setup and processes are still extracting the same percentage of the available substrate ("efficiency" is shorthand for "extraction efficiency" in all parts of the brewing universe except for BeerSmith).  What happened is that one's extraction rate went up because the amount of available substrate went up and the table of maximum extract values is incorrect in the brewing software or calculator being used.  That is the major flaw in the efficiency calculations encoded in brewing software and other calculators.  A efficiency percentage is only as accurate as the set of metrics used to compute it.   In reality, all an efficiency is when we are talking about yield is one's extraction rate in points per pound per gallon divided by the result of the sum of the weighted grist components theoretical maximum extract potential in points per pound per gallon divided by the weight of the grist.   Efficiency is not a brewer's metric.  It is a bean counter's metric that is used to determine how much of the raw ingredients are going to waste.  The way it is used in homebrewing is yet another example of brewing illiteracy replacing brewing knowledge. 
« Last Edit: November 25, 2021, 08:33:15 am by Saccharomyces »