Maximizing Brewhouse Efficiency: Tips and Techniques for Pro Brewers

In this episode of the Quality Focused Pro Brewers Podcast, hosts Hendo from Rockstar Brewery Academy and Adsy discuss the critical importance of achieving a consistent 90% brewhouse efficiency in a commercial brewery. They delve into the significance of monitoring the mill gap, calculating brewhouse efficiency, and differentiating it from mash efficiency. The hosts explain the factors that influence brewhouse efficiency, such as mash temperature, liquor-to-grist ratio, and lautering techniques. They also highlight the importance of regular mill gap checks, adjusting for different malt types, and proper use of grain sieves. Concluding with actionable steps, they encourage brewers to baseline their current brewhouse efficiency and work towards optimization. The episode emphasizes the financial and quality benefits of maintaining high brewhouse efficiency in today’s challenging economic climate.

00:00 Introduction to Brewhouse Efficiency 01:28 The Importance of Efficiency in Brewing – Being “Artisinal” Does Not Mean You Need To Be Inefficient 02:46 Understanding Brewhouse vs. Mash Efficiency 06:22 Factors Affecting Brewhouse Efficiency 16:17 Maximizing Efficiency: Practical Tips 18:35 Mash Temperature and Brewhouse Efficiency 19:02 Liquor to Grist Ratio Explained 20:23 Lautering Techniques and Tips 21:49 Grain Crush and Permeability 23:04 Grist Analysis and Mill Gap Settings 29:31 Calculating Brewhouse Efficiency 36:02 Final Tips and Community Resources

The formulae for Brewhouse for Brewhouse Efficiency% are:

Brewhouse Efficiency% = TE / TPE

Calculating Total Extract aka TE:

TE For Plato/BBL/lb brewers: TE = (((259+G)*G)/100)*WV

TE for SG/L/kg brewers: TE = G * WV

Where:

• G = Gravity of Wort (Whole Gravity Units if using SG i.e. 1.047 = 47)
• WV = Wort Volume @ Start of Boil

Calculating Total Potential Extract aka TPE:

Plato/BBL/lb brewers: TPE = SUM((WM1 * CG1)+(WM2 * CG2)+(WM3 * CG3) …. Etc)

SG/L/kg brewers: TPE = SUM((WM1 * CG1)+(WM2 * CG2)+(WM3 * CG3) …. Etc) * 384

Where:

• WM1, WM2, WM3 etc = Weight of each malt/grain.
• CG1, CG2, CG3 etc = Coarse Grind as-is percentage of each malt/grain from your CoA as a number e.g. 80.6% = 0.806

Be sure to connect with us at https://qualityfocusedprobrewers.com where you can join our Facebook group, chat with fellow Pro-Brewers in a constructive environment and chat with Hendo & Adsy!

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