thick mash vs thin any effect on efficiency?

[jimlin]

Is the water to grain ratio going to effect my efficiency (OG) or my amount of fermentable sugars (FG)? Neither? Both?

I use a big old rectangular cooler for 5 gal batches, so I have plenty of room to make it as thin as I want. Typically shoot for 1.35 quarts per lb grain and then add water at end of mash to hopefully hit half my desired preboil volume with first runnings.

Have never really considered the pluses or minuses of the water/grist ratio though.

[dmtaylor]

Based on things I have read in the past, the water to grist ratio (e.g., 1.35 qts/lb) has very little if any bearing on efficiency, or fermentability either for that matter. If anything, it might be better to use *more* water such as 2 qts/lb, to assure all the grain is adequately wetted and thus communicating with the enzymes, not to mention that it is easier to stir, etc. I have also heard it said at Brew Strong that you don't really want to let this ratio get higher than 3 qts/lb, which most batch spargers wouldn't be doing anyway. I don't think they specified a reason why, but I can see how it might have something to do with enzyme density -- if the enzymes are too dilute, they won't be as effective in changing starches to sugars.

The exception to all this might be only for high gravity beers, where you might be exceeding 1.090 or 1.100 post-boil. If you want to maximize your efficiency with a batch sparge, then you really need to divide your water volumes into thirds and sparge not just once but twice. And in this case, you'll find that the maximum efficiency requires that you mash very thick at like 0.85-0.90 qts/lb -- at least, that is how it's worked out when I've done it a handful of times. Works great. You can still get efficiencies in the 70s if you double sparge. That is to say, aim to get 1/3 of your pre-boil volume from the first runnings, then 1/3 from the first sparge, and the final 1/3 from the second sparge. Works like a charm.

[LukeD23]

If you listen to the CYBI episode of Maximus from Lagunitas, Jeremy Marshal talks about how they change their mash water to grist ratio to get less and more mouthfeel. In my brewery we found that upping our water to grist ratio from 1.3 qts/lb to 1.4 qts/lb improved effeciency from 76% to 79%. cheers

[spiderwrangler]

I like that episode.. There was a recent discussion on the forum on this subject where Kai T.'s page was brought up in regards to fermentability.

[beerhog]

in my experience going from biab wich can be extremely thin mashes to 3v where i have mashed in extremely thick on some beers just to make some space in the tun, the difference is not enough to worry about. if there is a difference it probably is less than you would get simply from batch to batch grain differences.

[Kbar]

I guess the question I have always had is what happens to the ph level. I would assume that it would rise, hampering conversion. The BIAB people seem to not have an issue with this. I have always worried about not being able to hold the ph at 5.2 to 5.5 if too much water is present.

[Ozwald]

I guess the question I have always had is what happens to the ph level. I would assume that it would rise, hampering conversion. The BIAB people seem to not have an issue with this. I have always worried about not being able to hold the ph at 5.2 to 5.5 if too much water is present.

This was something I never tested when I was experimenting with thickness ratios. I will say that my numbers were spot on every time, so even if there is a shift in pH, it's slight & doesn't appear to be affecting conversion.

[spiderwrangler]

This was something I never tested when I was experimenting with thickness ratios.

The thicker she is, the harder you can pound without bruising yourself on her pelvic bones?