Poor mash efficiency - help please

I am a few all-grain brews in using the Robobrew (poor mans Grainfather) and they have actually turned out great!. One thing I haven't been able to figure out though is how to improve efficiency. People say not to worry about it, but it is frustrating having 5.5 - 7kg of grain and then still only producing a 4.5-5.5% abv beer. Also becomes an economical issue - spending more on grain than necessary.

So far I have had the stores mill it for me. I will look to get my own grain mill, however would like to ensure I am doing all I can without it first. I have included some examples below - all at Single step mash - 67c for 60 min, recirculate the mash using pump, mash out at 76c for 10 min, approx 20 Litres water + 10-14L fly sparge, standard 60 min boil. Please let me know if any more detail required:

**Brew 1**
Marris Otter Pale 5kg, 
Flaked Oats - 500g
OG: 1.049
Using brewers friend calculators this equates to ~68% mash efficiency

**Brew 2**
American Ale malt (Gladfield) - 5.50 kg
CARAMALT - 500g
CRYSTAL LIGHT - 300g
OG: 1.053
Mash efficiency: 73%

**Brew 3**
Marris Otter Pale 5kg, 
Flaked Oats - 500g, 
Dark Chocolate - 500g
Roast Barley - 500g
Dark Crystal - 250g
OG: 1.055
Mash efficiency: 66%

How can I improve efficiency?

Things tried so far (which have now improved efficiency): 1. stirring the mash regularly 2. 2 step mash at 62c and 66c

Cheers!

Topic mashing sparge homebrew efficiency

Category Mac

1
answered at

Forget about the mash timer. A mash is done when there's no more starch.

The finer the grain crush, the more mash efficiency you will get. Up until it's so fine that it gets stuck. Finding that balance on a system is usually trial and error. Though in your case you may find other robobrew users and follow thier suggestions.

Yes pH and water chemistry play a big roll in mash effeciency, but only to the extent that ideal levels save time as the enzymes can work more efficiently.

So more time will compensate for other short commings in a mash. Use an iodine test every 20 min to know when the mash has converted all available starches.

1
answered at

Water chemistry, particularly mash pH, can have a large effect on efficiency. My first step would be to check the pH of the mash and make sure you're in the 5.2-5.8 range (ideally closer to the low end of that range). It's also important to measure volume correctly, have you calibrated whatever you use to measure out water?

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