r/Homebrewing • u/worcesterbeerguy • Apr 23 '21
Recommendations for bumping up the efficiency of an anvil foundry 10.5?
My first 3 recipes with this system I was significantly under the og of every single one. My efficiency is hovering around 30/40% right now. I've actually had to spike my gravity up with dextrose/sucrose a bit to get close but I've been making session beers for no reason. I've read old posts on this sub that recommend the small batch anvil insert, rice hulls, hop spider, and the brew bag designed for this system.
Looking for personal experience from any who own or have owned this system and how you got your efficiency up using those methods above or others.
Also those homebrewers who are experienced I'd love to hear your recommendations as well.
I'm tired of buying grain and then not getting all I can out of it. Just looking for input to avoid making session beers. I want to brew higher gravity beers in the future and need help.
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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '21
Here is what I posted on the Anvil Foundry Users facebook group. It has helped many people increase their efficiency:
I have received many inquiries into how I regularly achieve 81-83% mash efficiency on the Anvil 10.5. So, I've decided to make a post detailing my process. So, here goes. Apologies for the essay you are about to read:
I use the small batch adapter. I theorize this increases efficiency due to the wort/sparge water being forced through the last 5 inches of the grain bed. Without the adapter, fluid will take the path of least resistance and go out the perforations in the sides of the malt pipe, missing a good chunk of the grains and sugars in the bottom. I have had my grain milled by 2 different LHBSs and achieved the same efficiency. I add 4 oz of rice hulls to every batch I brew. It makes a huge difference. Rice hulls are cheap. I keep a bag around at all times. I am using 220V.
Step 1: Preheat strike water. I use 1.25 quarts of water per lb. of grist. Do not follow Anvil's recommended strike water volumes. They utilize a greater volume of strike water, only leaving a gallon of sparge water, which isn't nearly enough. The more sparge water, the more sugars you can extract from the mash. I add 2 mL of lactic acid to each the strike and sparge water.
Step 2: Mash in. Stir vigorously while recirculating wort. Make sure to break up any dough balls. Leave the perforated sparge plate off the top for the first 30 min of the mash. Continuously, but slowly, recirculate.
Step 3: "Rake the mash" Stir the entire grain bed at mash in, 50 min, 40 min, and 30 min. Recirculate the entire time.
Step 4: Vorlauf. After stirring at 30 min, affix the sparge plate and recirculate for the last 30 min. Do not stir the mash during this step. This will leave you with beautifully clear wort.
Step 5: Mash out. Yes, do it. I know there is much debate over mash out. I get it, I used to think it was crap, but since doing a thorough mash out, I have increased my efficiency by 3% on average. Raise the temp to 170 and recirculate until the temp normalizes above 168. This takes about 15 min.
Step 6: Sparge. With the sparge plate on, sparge with 170F water until you've reached your preboil volume. I go for 7.3 gallons estimating 1 gallon of boil off.
I usually see a few % less efficiency if my grist is either wheat/adjunct heavy or over 12 lbs.
Easy peasy.... Time for a beer. Prost!