Quick sparge / Low OG

[Caramel Ox]

Well try a batch sparge by draining 12l of first runnings to a spare bucket then add sparge water and stir. But I still suspect sparge is not the only problem as the description is not unlike my mashes and I don’t end up too far from my expected numbers.

I also find its hard to get the wort mixed well enough for a true reading as it tends to stratify.

 

[MashBag]

I brewed a beer using David Heath's APA grist this weekend, which should have come out at 1.050, but was 1.032 in the end.

That's not just sparge imo. Whatever method you use.

To confirm is that 23litres @ 1.032 @ 20c in the fermenter?

Until you find your brew length, use a bit less water. You can always top up the fermenter. It is not a crime against humanity

Calibrate your fermenter by weight and mark it.

 

[Redgrave_3]

How often do you stir during the mash? Could be a stuck mash I.e the recirculating was just channeling through parts of the mash

 

[Sadfield]

It's a wild idea, but the one change the brewer made to the process could be the cause of this one off anomaly.

 

[MashBag]

I had hydrated the wort, now that I think about it - with the drill add on. Might that have had an effect?

Do you mean aerated, presumably after boil?

 

[MashBag]

It's a wild idea, but the one change the brewer made to the process could be the cause of this one off anomaly.

Which one?

 

[Sadfield]

Which one?

I suspect this was due to a quick sparge.

 

[MashBag]

You can't be serious...
My favourite at the moment is a clogged mash, not doughing in thoroughly enough.

 

[Sadfield]

You can't be serious...
My favourite at the moment is a clogged mash, not doughing in thoroughly enough.

Then the thread would be titled 'Didn't Dough In Thoroughly / Low O.G.", but it isn't. Perhaps the OP suspects what went wrong, as they were there when it happened.

 

[Redgrave_3]

@Sadfield he does say in the original post “More often than not it seems like Im not hitting my numbers and not sure how to correct it.” So it’s not an anomaly per se, but I’ll admit if that was what the post was about the first thought would be what is efficiency is versus what the recipe calculation is based on.

 

[Buffers brewery]

Joining the party a bit late but if you haven’t got one I’d recommend investing in a refractometer so you can monitor SG through the whole process but only require small samples and no worries about temperature correction. If you’re looking for an OG of 1.050 you’d need to be over that before thinking of sparging (obviously). A good stir at intervals could help and reduced strike water volume.

 

[Sadfield]

“More often than not it seems like Im not hitting my numbers and not sure how to correct it.”

This and suggests that the numbers are sometimes hit, so in the ballpark rather than being 18 points out. To me that's an anomaly, confirmed by the fact the OP is primarily asking about one particular brew, where they are way off, rather than always being a few points out due to "slightly too much water".

"My question is, would the sparge have this much impact or might there have been more wrong?"

The maths clearly demonstrate that the sparge could account for the lost 18 points, although it's plausible that some other factors may add to the deficit. The OP still observed the sparge being the potential problem. Not a completely different issue as some are suggesting.

The most important thing the OP needs to do, before they can even begin to look at efficiency or any other process change, is to address the know issue and find a way to consistently sparge. Otherwise they'll be forever chasing the numbers.

 

[Agentgonzo]

and no worries about temperature correction

Be cautious about this. It takes a little bit of time to stabilise and I can watch the reading on mine change as it cools down.

Though I've found it's a lot easier to cool a teaspoon of wort quickly in a mug just with the thermal capacity if the mug, then put the few drops on the refractometer to take your reading

 

[Buffers brewery]

Be cautious about this. It takes a little bit of time to stabilise and I can watch the reading on mine change as it cools down.

Though I've found it's a lot easier to cool a teaspoon of wort quickly in a mug just with the thermal capacity if the mug, then put the few drops on the refractometer to take your reading

I hear what you're saying @Agentgonzo and don't disagree. However, I only use my refractometer during the mash and sparge to "indicate" where the SG is. My OG is taken using a hydrometer after cooling.

 

[Agentgonzo]

I hear what you're saying @Agentgonzo and don't disagree. However, I only use my refractometer during the mash and sparge to "indicate" where the SG is. My OG is taken using a hydrometer after cooling.

I've never found my refractometer to be accurate enough, so like you just use it as a guide

 

[lancon]

Isn't iodine test after mash, pre sparge something worth doing. The problem might not be in the sparge after all?

 

[sifty]

Something is amiss. I use the BZ35 and usually overshoot OG. Typically 5-6kg malt, 20-24 litres mash water and 9-12 litres sparge.
I normally dough-in then manually stir for 5 mins before setting the pump running over the top screen at a volume to keep level below the overflows, controlled via the top valve. After a good stir at the start the valve can be 50 - 80% open, sometimes fully...

Sparge by drizzling 76 deg water over screen on lifted malt pipe in 1 litre batches. I just use a 1l graduated jug and a tea urn.

Unless your process is off, or the grain is milled wrong I'm not sure why you're so far under...

 

[MashBag]

I normally dough-in then manually stir for 5 mins

Me too. Get the paddle in there and make sure you have a good smooth porridge.

 

[Steven Thompson]

Do you mean aerated, presumably after boil?

Sorry, yes

 

[Steven Thompson]

Something is amiss. I use the BZ35 and usually overshoot OG. Typically 5-6kg malt, 20-24 litres mash water and 9-12 litres sparge.
I normally dough-in then manually stir for 5 mins before setting the pump running over the top screen at a volume to keep level below the overflows, controlled via the top valve. After a good stir at the start the valve can be 50 - 80% open, sometimes fully...

Sparge by drizzling 76 deg water over screen on lifted malt pipe in 1 litre batches. I just use a 1l graduated jug and a tea urn.

Unless your process is off, or the grain is milled wrong I'm not sure why you're so far under...

Do you find the internal thermometer reliable? I only use this to gauge temp at the minute.