I brewed the Lefse Blond Ale AG yesterday and was totally blown by the efficiency numbers. I got 93% pre-boil efficiency (before adding the 1 lb of Candi sugar) and 89% brewhouse efficiency (factoring in the sugar and approximately 2 qts of cold break and trub making the final volume 5 gallons). I double and triple checked my numbers and math. I still wonder if I did something incorrectly. We’ll see what the FG is and what the final ETOH% will be to confirm the math. My question is relating to the fact that the grain bill for this beer is almost all Pilsner Malt. I’ve never brewed with Pilsner before. Is it usually easier to extract higher levels of sugar from it compared to 2 row? This was a single infusion batch sparge mash. I ended up mashing at 154 instead of 150 as I didn’t recalculate my numbers to factor in the warmer temperature in my house than I had predicted. Belgian Pilsner Malt has a maximum PPG of 36 while 2 row is 38, so that will boost the efficiency numbers a bit because we’re expected to get less from the Pilsner to begin with. But still, I didn’t expect this.
Curious as to yer mashing method,BIAB ? I switched up my mash tun to brew in a bag, er actually a basket, and now my efficiency has jumped up. I will keep tracking for a few more batches just verify my results. I don’t think one malt to the next, as you are referring to, extracts easier. You did git great results and keep tracking on the next few. Sneezles61
I didn’t do BIAB. I used the same cooler MT with copper manifold I have been using since I started AG a year and a half ago. I switched over to batch sparging 6 months ago and haven’t seen any drop in efficiency. One detail I forgot to mention is that I mashed at 1.6 water:grain ratio when I usually mash at 1.3 to 1.4. Can’t see how that would make a difference. It was a smaller grain bill than what I’m used to brewing, so I bumped up the ratio to try to equal out the sparges a bit.
Iv read that different malts and also maltsters get different efficiency. Its something I’m trying to dial in now that I buy bulk. I just did a batch with avengaurd pilsner and got very good efficiency.
I’ve mashed a few sacks of pilsner malt with my previous system, and did anywhere from 63 - 70 efficiency. I have yet to do a pilsner with this new setup…. Belgium strong on the horizon! Sneezles61
I believe it might be the smaller than usual grain bill.
At least for me, my efficiency drops when my grain bill increases.
