So I’ve read the books, tried to do the math myself, but not sure I understand it right.
Can someone please help me understand how to configure my efficiency? For instance, last night, I brewed a RIS and hit all my anticipated gravities right on the money. The calculator said I should hit a post boil SG of 1.088 and I hit it right on. The calculator was set at 75% efficiency.
Brewhouse efficiency also depends on volume measurements. Did you get the volume correct as well? Did your software tell you that you would have 5.5 gallons or something, and you hit that directly on the mark as well, or is your volume lower than that? If you boiled too hard and ended up with less volume, then your efficiency isn’t really 75%. But if you nailed both your volume and your gravity, then your efficiency is definitely exactly 75%. If so, congratulations – this makes life easy!
Calc. was set at 5 gal batch size. Said I’d have 5 gal. I ended up with less than about a pint? less than 5 gal.
I usually hit this volume. which is why I wanna be able to figure my system efficiency so that I can set that in my calc. and go from there. In reading how to brew, he gives the formula, but it’s lost on me. Math was never my strong suit. Haha :cheers:
If you figure you are with in 1 pint of volume, I’d say you hit the mark.
I have a understanding of the math and enjoyed math in school, but I’m not going to try and long hand out the numbers. That’s why we have computers. 
My dumbed down explanation: Each grain has a maximum sugar content.
If you have 1.037 points per pound per gallon. 1lb @ 100% efficiency will give you an OG of 1.037 in 1 gallon of water. In 5 gallons, 1lb would give you ~1.007
10lbs then would give you OG 1.370 in 1 gallon. And ~1.074 in 5 gallons.
If after the boil you have 1.060 in 5 gallons, 1.060/1.074 = 81%
Hmm. I guess I could just RDWHAHB but I’d kinda like to know what the formula is.
It’s something like if, for example, 2-row is 38 ppg maximum and I used 6lbs of 2-row in 5 gallons.
It would be 38x6 / 5 which would be 31.6 points. Or 1.031 then I’d take 1.031/1.038 and have my efficiency? 31.6/38 = .83 which would mean 83% efficiency?
You might have been typing while I added some to my post.
38pt x 6lb = 228 / 5g would be 45.6 max points in 5 gallons.
45.6 x 80% = 36.48 or 36.48 / 45.6 = 80%
So if you had a OG of 1.036, you achieved 80% efficiency.
You have to remember that each grain has a different sugar content. If you have 4 grains in a recipe, you have to calculate out each one.
You can do the math or just get some software. Plug in your gravity and volumes and it will tell you efficiencies . Nice and easy.
Ok cool. So I was wrong. Cool. Now I know. I know Palmers book has a list of grains and max ppg, is there anywhere I can get a complete list of grains and there values??
Software’s got all the values you need.
This is the calculator I used. Screw math. We can’t all be engineers like Dave.
Agreed. Google beer calculator efficiency. Science teacher here still using the easier approach!
