Help me tweak Brew cipher for my equipment....

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by ghostinthemachine, Jan 23, 2016.

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  1. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    Hi all,
    I had posted a while back about getting a 10 gallon mash tun to make the jump from BIAB. I brewed my first time yesterday. I was pretty pleased with the results but somewhere my numbers on water/deadspace/grain absorption are off.

    Saison. Estimated OG: 1.055 with 5 gallons into the fermentor
    Calculated at 70% mash efficiency

    9.5 lbs pilsner, 1.2 lbs white wheat, .6 lbs flaked oats, .4 lbs acid malt.

    1.5 q/lb grain ratio. 4.4 gallons of strike water and 4.8 gallons of sparge water.

    I was off a little on the mash temp. I had to add some cold water so I will be adjusting the mash tun initial heat absorbtion value. I had to drop the mash temp by ~3 degrees.

    I measured my mash tun dead space at .8 gallons and.


    I ended up with 6.5 gallons of wort at 1.056. Estimated mash eff: 84%

    I'm not complaining about having more beer. Id just like to be more accurate with what I am producing. Is this as simple as adjusting my efficiency?

    thanks
     
    #1 ghostinthemachine, Jan 23, 2016
  2. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    Did you measure the actual crushed grain temperature and mash tun temperature?
     
    #2 Brew_Betty, Jan 23, 2016
  3. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    How much cold water did you add? If you added water to teak the mash temp, but didn't deduct that from the sparge water, that's a one-for-one increase to your final volume.

    Does any of that "dead space" also happen to contain grains? Or is it all below a false bottom that doesn't allow grains to pass?
     
    #3 VikeMan, Jan 23, 2016
  4. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    I added a pint glass full of cold water. The dead space is under a false bottom.
     
    #4 ghostinthemachine, Jan 23, 2016
  5. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    The house stays at 72 degrees. They had both been in my house for a couple of days.
     
    #5 ghostinthemachine, Jan 23, 2016
  6. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    I used to use the same logic in guesstimation until I measured the actual grain and tun temps one day.
     
    #6 Brew_Betty, Jan 23, 2016
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  7. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah


    Something is way off here...
    - did you adjust boiloff to match your system?
    - was that 6.5 gallons not including trub?
    - do you know what your actual pre-boil volume was?

    I wouldn't mind taking a look at your BrewCipher file. BeerMail me if you're interested.
     
    #7 VikeMan, Jan 23, 2016
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  8. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    Thanks, beermail sent
     
    #8 ghostinthemachine, Jan 24, 2016
  9. ghostinthemachine

    ghostinthemachine Initiate (0) Aug 14, 2015 Louisiana

    I think my pre boil volume was over 8 gallons. With BIAB I had my method down to where I only measured the the strike water then I was good to go after that. I knew how it worked.
     
    #9 ghostinthemachine, Jan 24, 2016
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