I am not hitting my gravity numbers, what's wrong?

 

From: Ssupport Michael <ssbtsupport@icloud.com>
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 12:18 PM
To: Ss Brewtech <support@ssbrewtech.com>
Cc: Thomas
Subject: Re: [Ss BREWING TECHNOLOGIES] Contact Form from November 16 at11:39AM

Tom,

No problem! Low wort fermentability is typically a result of temperature considerations and grain bill composition. Mash temperatures in the low 150 degree range is widely considered the mid-range to create a well-rounded beer. If more fermentability is desired, shoot for a slightly lower mash temp such as 146-148, this will create a dryer beer. Conversely, a higher mash temp such as 156-158 will create a less-fermentable wort, which will create a sweeter beer with more body.

Depending on the composition of your grain bill, a typical recipe will encompass roughly 80% base malt to 20% specialty malts. Base malts such as 2-row, pale, or pilsen will create a more fermentable wort, yet contribute fewer unique flavors. On the other hand, specialty malts such as crystal malts are specifically designed to be less fermentable but add unique flavors, colors, and/or body to the finished beer. The more crystal malts you utilize in a recipe, expect a less fermentable wort.

The fermentability of wort is primarily derived from a starting gravity reading, which could be put up against the recipe you are using to measure your wort in comparison to what the recipe calls for.

However, since you referenced not reaching your final gravity numbers, be mindful that you are also introducing the concept of attenuation. Attenuation is the amount of sugars that the yeast have convert into alcohol in the finished beer.

If you are experiencing under-attenuation it could be a result of pitch rate, yeast health, temperature control, water chemistry, or one of the factors listed above. Furthermore, different yeast strains result in different attenuation charecteristics. So a way to counterbalance these effects is if you are aware you are working with a relatively low attenuating yeast, seek to lower your mash temp in an attempt to give the yeast a more fermentable wort to work with.

Start by making small adjustments, and seek to identify what would be causing the issue by tackling one potential problem at a time, that way you can isolate the cause.

Cheers and happy brewing!
Michael

 

From: Thomas 
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 11:04 AM
To: Ss Brewtech <support@ssbrewtech.com>
Subject: Re: [Ss BREWING TECHNOLOGIES] Contact Form from November 16 at11:39AM

Thanks for the feedback. Just wondering too if the low maltose extraction would ultimately have an effect of the fermentability of the wort. I had noticed that I would never get down to my expected final gravity. Seems I would always be about .010 higher in final gravity than what was expected.

Do you have a date in December when the 20 gallon Mash Tun will be available?

Thanks
Tom

On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 2:38 PM, Ss Ssupport Team <support@ssbrewtech.com> wrote:
One of our brewers / gear heads came back with this:

Tom,

Excess space underneath your false bottom wouldn't be directly linked to poor mash efficiency numbers, however, you may be adding more water volume to your mash to compensate for completely covering the grain bed. That in and of itself may be inadvertently changing the dynamics of your mash efficiency because you may be left with less volume to sparge with to reach your terminal kettle volume; as a result, low overall maltose extraction could be a run-on effect.

Our infussion line of mash tuns is designed to maximize water contact with grain by factoring in virtually zero-dead space. Furthermore, our own testing and feedback from users indicate that with the proper crush, sparge volume, etc. that efficiency numbers can reach 80%+ and be easily repeatable. Remember that an ideal mash thickness is roughly 1.5 quarts per pound of grain. You can adjust to thicker (2.0 qts/lb) or thinner (1.25 qts/lb) mashes depending on the needs of a particular brew.

All-in-all you are likely to experience excellent results with our infussion line in comparison to your existing setup.

Thanks
Michael


From: Ss Brewtech <support@ssbrewtech.com>
Date: Monday, November 16, 2015 at 10:10 AM
To: Thomas 
Cc: <ssbtsupport@icloud.com>
Subject: Re: [Ss BREWING TECHNOLOGIES] Contact Form from November 16 at11:39AM

Hey Michael,
You want to take crack on this one?
Thanks
Chad


From: Thomas
Date: Monday, November 16, 2015 at 10:07 AM
To: Ss Brewtech <support@ssbrewtech.com>
Subject: Re: [Ss BREWING TECHNOLOGIES] Contact Form from November 16 at11:39AM

Hi Chad,

Do you know if that would present a problem having such little volume under the false hood when recirculating? I just don't know enough about the mechanics of how that works. I can say that my current set up (polar ware brew pot) there is a ridiculous amount of space under the false bottom and I think that it really fouls up my mash efficiency

Maybe if I just recirculate slow the lack of volume shouldnt be a problem. Just looking for an expert opinin on the matter

Thanks
Tom

 

 

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