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Author Topic: Efficiency drop  (Read 2240 times)

Offline gmac

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Efficiency drop
« on: July 06, 2011, 08:31:51 am »
Just wondering how much impact the malt plays in driving efficiency?  I switched 2-row malt and my effiiciency seems to have dropped dramatically.  I did not adjust my roller spacing although I'm considering tightening them until I get through this bag.  I mash at 2L/lb, same as before.

I was running 82-85% and all of the batches I've done with this grain have been in the 70-72% range.  Yesterday I used 8.5 lbs 2-row, 1 lb of corn and 0.5 lbs of C45 and got 18L of 1.052 OG.  Did I screw up the math?
Thanks

Offline udubdawg

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Re: Efficiency drop
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2011, 09:31:43 am »
I see quite a bit of difference between maltsters on given malts.  Are you using the malt report or a default in BeerSmith/ProMash?

that said, that is a bigger difference than I would expect even by just using the default numbers.

cheers--
--Michael

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Efficiency drop
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2011, 06:59:58 pm »
There are some pretty big differences in malts.  For me the biggest difference is between my cooler (ala Denny), which is around 80-82% and my keg with false bottom, which is around 72%.  Both are batch sparges with the same grain.  But some brands crank a little more sugar than others, for sure.

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Offline bluesman

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Re: Efficiency drop
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2011, 07:48:55 pm »
Maybe your malts DP is lower than usual.

The malt analysis generated by the maltster lists the specs for a given grain. The specs, in particular the diastatic power of the grain, can vary from lot to lot and from maltster to malster. Nowadays there is a tighter range of results as the process control today is better than in years past.

The higher the DP, the greater the ability for the malt to convert.

Here's a chart showing some malts and ther typical DP.

Ron Price

Offline Will's Swill

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Re: Efficiency drop
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2011, 07:54:17 pm »
I don't think his problem is a drop in DP, it would have to be a severe drop to impact his efficiency since his recipe is mostly 2-row (or did you mean to post this to Martin's thread on DP?). 

Just shooting in the dark, but could this be a percentage of starch/sugar available difference?  Less well modified? Perhaps the new grain has more moisture content throwing everything off?  Like I said, total shots in the dark.
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Efficiency drop
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2011, 08:01:34 pm »
I don't think his problem is a drop in DP, it would have to be a severe drop to impact his efficiency since his recipe is mostly 2-row (or did you mean to post this to Martin's thread on DP?). 

Just shooting in the dark, but could this be a percentage of starch/sugar available difference?  Less well modified? Perhaps the new grain has more moisture content throwing everything off?  Like I said, total shots in the dark.

I wanted him to be aware of this potential.

There are so many variable involved in measuring efficiency that it becomes quite an effort to accurately measure with a high degree of confidence. If the weights and volumes are accuratey measured, the water pH is measured, the temperature is accurately measured and the gravity is measured correctly...etc...

All of these measures are required and must be performed fairly accurately to obtain a good measure of efficiency. If one of these variables gets away from you, there will be error in the measurement.

This brings me back to DP... ;)
Ron Price