What is your brewhouse efficiency trend?

If it makes you feel any better, that's my old average. Recently I've been experimenting with a very slow boil and got just 13% on my last couple of batches. Perhaps this would be an improvement in your opinion? However I also cannot conclude (not yet anyway) that it has vastly improved the flavor of my beers either. That would require some side-by-side blind triangles, which I have not done yet, and perhaps never will, I dunno.

Cheers Bryan.

 

BeerSmith does a few things that I don't really agree with and by recognizing them (if you don't already) you can increase your efficiency a little. BeerSmith uses FGDB, which is basically a congress mash consistency (ground to a powder) - this can create potential extract amounts that aren't really attainable for homebrewers. I use CGAI since I'm milling my grain at 0.045" (you want to go a little coarser for recirculating systems like mine to avoid channeling), which takes into account the coarser crush and moisture. The theoretical maximum potential extract is lowered this way (so whatever you actually obtain will be closer to the max and you'll have higher efficiency). In terms of your OG after you boil, BeerSmith utilizes the "batch size" (aka vol into fermenter) - I also find this inaccurate, so I use the post-boil, post-chill volume in the brew kettle (BrewCipher uses this too I believe). I have a dead space of 2 gallons in my kettle, so if I have 13 gallons post-boil, post-chill in my kettle, only 11 gallons makes it to the fermenters (beersmith is basically saying that the wort density changes due to this reduced volume, which is incorrect if you stir and homogenize the wort before racking since you're transferring both sugar and water). Some may disagree, but I believe this is a logical approach.