![brewhouse efficiency beersmith brewhouse efficiency beersmith](http://beersmith.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/EquipProf.png)
- #Brewhouse efficiency beersmith how to#
- #Brewhouse efficiency beersmith update#
- #Brewhouse efficiency beersmith software#
- #Brewhouse efficiency beersmith free#
#Brewhouse efficiency beersmith how to#
In both of these scenarios, your overall efficiency in the brewhouse would be a measurable number, but you might not always know how to identify where in your process that greater output was achieved. Or, you might obtain an equal gravity measurement between two batches, but would have used less grain in one of the batches, also yielding a higher efficiency in the batch with less grain than in the batch with more grain. All else being equal, you might have extracted more fermentable sugars (and have a higher starting gravity) with the same amount of grain as in the other batch. In a brewing setting, when comparing two batches, a higher efficiency in one batch might indicate a greater yield per unit of grain. In other words, you might say it measures "how much bang for your buck". It is usually represented by a percentage, with higher values indicating greater output. The general definition of how efficiency is measured, no matter the context, comes down to approximating the best estimate possible of how much return we get from the energy or cost put into the producing of a certain product or result. Your brewhouse is all the equipment used to make and wort. Because losses can occur at any point in the wort production, calculating the amount of gravity obtained in the final volume, post boil, is the main idea behind calculating brewhouse efficiency. This extends beyond just the mash it includes all pumps, hot liquor tanks, boil kettles, grants or anything else you might use to produce the wort. The term brewhouse usually is intended to refer to the equipment used to produce wort. To really tackle this question I want to first break down the phrase into its two components individually, and take a moment to better understand them.
#Brewhouse efficiency beersmith software#
This may appear in an article, blog post, recipe, or even your favorite brewing software that is offering to calculate something for you. Then you land upon the term “brewhouse efficiency”.
![brewhouse efficiency beersmith brewhouse efficiency beersmith](https://d3pddo38v7j30h.cloudfront.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/bsequip-144x144.png)
#Brewhouse efficiency beersmith update#
Return samples to pot, update information collected in BeerSmith from brew day sheet.Īt this point the pot is close to or just starting to boil.« Back to Questions How to Calculate Brewhouse EfficiencyĪt some point in your homebrewing career, you are likely to take a gravity reading during a brew session, and think, "what the heck went wrong?" If you can be bothered, you search through the vast halls of the university of homebrewing that lives on the Internet. Take hydrometer reading, put pH probe in excess wort for pH reading (2 minutes) Weigh out hops for each addition (10 to 15 minutes)Ĭheck temperature of wort sample (usually it is within a couple of degrees of target) (2 minutes) Shut off running water cooling down sample jar and fill bowl with ice and water (2 minutes) Stir again and take 3 to 5 refractometer readings (3 minutes) Mix and remove 300 ml sample in canning jar for hydrometer test and place jar in bowl with running cold water (3 minutes) Use dip stick to read and record volume of wort (2 minutes)
#Brewhouse efficiency beersmith free#
Squeeze bag for remainder of free wort (another 5 minutes) Remove bag from pot and hang to drip for 5 minutes during which I check conversion with starch test, heat goes on under pot. With lots of brews under my belt, I have the timing down pretty good. It takes me about 20 minutes to cool the wort sample down for a hydrometer reading and about 45 minutes to bring the pot up to a boil. I use this refractometer reading to help adjust the boil time as needed if I am off just a bit.
![brewhouse efficiency beersmith brewhouse efficiency beersmith](https://braukaiser.com/wiki/images/5/56/Mash_parameter_range_illustration.gif)
As that is cooling, I also take refractometer readings as well, usually 3 to 4 to make sure they are consistent. As the wort is coming up to a boil, I can stir the wort and take a sample for a hydrometer reading. Once you start the boil, the gravity reading is dependent not only on your mash efficiency but also on your boil off rate. I take my pre-boil gravity after pulling and draining the bag as the pot is coming up to a boil.