I made a beer the other night and was trying to figure out my efficiency, if what I figured out is right then my efficiency was 50%. Could someone please double check my numbers, I would like to see if I did the math correct. I started off with 14.75 pounds of grain. 14 lbs or 2 row pale malt .5 of cyrstal 60l .25 of chocolate malt 1/2 lb of belgian candy sugar I sparged at 154 for an hour. I collected 6.75 of wort at a pre boil gravity of 1.040 I put 4.25 gallons of wort into my carboy at a OG reading of 1.070 I was shooting for a OG of 1.077, is being .007 away from my target gravity a big deal? (only collecting 4.25 gallons of wort is another question) Thanks
By my calculations, with that grain bill (and sugar), 1.070 OG into 4.25 gallons translates to roughly 53% mash efficiency.
Shooting for 1.077 and getting 1.070 is not a big deal. Did you use a batch sparge or no sparge process before the boil? I only ask because expectations re: mash efficiency are different depending on the process you use.
It's kind of a big deal (efficiency-wise) when that seven-points-low OG is in 4.25 gallons rather than the 5 or more he was (presumbly) shooting for. I'd be pretty concerned about a 50-ish percent efficiency no matter what my process is.
I honestly don't know what the expectation is with a no-sparge process. I agree it seems that a lot of sugar never made it into the kettle.
I do a lot of no-sparge batches. (Not BIAB, but no-sparge in a traditional mash tun.) My efficiency on those is typically in the low 70's.
