How to Increase Mash Efficiency

Of course one of the most important things to figure out in brewing is how to increase mash efficiency. Mash efficiency means a greater yield for your grain, a larger supply of product, and, truly, a better beer. So, how do you achieve this efficiency?

The Mash

The mash in brewing is the grains used to brew combined with warm or hot water, depending on the mash approach.

First, grains are sprouted, or malted, to allow the starches to convert to sugars. Then, the grains are ground, cracked, or milled, to expose those sugars to water. Finally, the cracked grains are added to warm or hot water, or “mashed in.”

The mashing process can go through three different iterations of basically the same steps.

Decoction mashing is the oldest form of mashing, wherein the brewer mashes in portions of the grain at a time in hot water and then returns that mash to the original batch, allowing the hot mash to warm up the cooler mash. This mash is done several times, and many brewers believe this creates a thicker, richer product in the end, with more sugars for the yeast to consume and a fuller mouthfeel as a result.

Infusion mashing is how most brewers in the UK are getting the job done today. They simply add the grains to a “mash tun,” where the water is kept at a temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour. Then, the mash is sprayed with hot water, a process called sparging, while it is strained through a filter, to clean off all the wort from the grain. That strained water is then either added to the wort or separated out for a smaller session beer.

Finally, many brewers outside the UK use a process called temperature-programmed infusion brewing, much like infusion brewing except the temperature of the mash is slowly elevated and held at individual temperatures for a specific time and then elevated again and again until it reaches the final temperature. The heat is increased by passing steam or hot water through panels and the mash is mixed with each elevation.

The purpose of each of these approaches to mashing, of course, is to increase mash efficiency.

How to Calculate Mash Efficiency

Mash efficiency refers to the percentage of sugars you are able to extract from your grain. First, it is important to note that you are never going to extract 100% of the sugars from your grain.

Second, you calculate your mash efficiency by figuring out your gravity points. Essentially, what you are trying to figure out is how much gravity is gained in your wort before you boil it versus after you boil it. This will show you how much sugar has been added to the wort.

First, you take the number of possible points you should get from your grain. Each grain has its own possible points per pound per gallon, or PPG. Let’s imagine we have 10 pounds of malt with 38 PPG. We multiply those two together to get 380 points. Thus, theoretically, we should be able to extract 380 points from this grain.

Next, we figure out what we actually have.

We do this by figuring out how many gallons of wort we have and what the final gravity reading is. Let’s say we got 6 gallons of wort, and our gravity reading is 1.048. Our points then would be 6 multiplied by 48, which is the percentage above 100%. That gives us 288 points.

Finally, we simply divide 288, the points we have, by 380, the theoretical points, to get 75.8% mash efficiency.

In general, brewers aim for between 70% and 80% mash efficiency, so this is good!

If all this sounds too complicated, use instead our handy Mash Efficiency Calculator!

Brewhouse Efficiency vs Mash Efficiency

Also, be sure not to confuse mash efficiency with brewhouse efficiency. Mash efficiency is only concerned with how much sugar is converted from the grain during the mash and lautering. Brewhouse efficiency looks at every single step along the brewing process to see where losses may occur.

How to Increase Mash Efficiency

There are a few simple ways to increase mash efficiency and be sure you get every single sugar extracted and into your mash possible.

First, you can crush your grains finer. The finer the grain, the more exposed your sugars will be to the warm or hot water during the mash in.

You can also take several steps in the lautering and sparging process to be sure you’re not leaving any sugars behind. Reducing mash tun dead space by redesigning your tun will help ensure you don’t have sugars trapped behind lids and false bottoms or along strainer lines. Further, eliminate all hose and pump losses by clearing out those spaces before finishing.

Of course, you should always sparge, rinsing out your entire tun, pump, and hoses to be sure all sugars are washed into either your wort or a smaller session wort.

Finally, you can use more water overall. If you do use more water, note that you will have to boil your mash a bit longer to avoid a thinner product.

Summing It All Up

In the end, you can always look for ways to increase your overall mash efficiency and even your brewhouse efficiency, which will yield you more product, a better product, and of course more revenue and happier customers.

But do be sure not to beat yourself up or come down hard on yourself for a lower efficiency with one batch versus another. Sometimes things simply fall apart along the way and you can use a “failure” as an opportunity to learn and make an even better product next time.

Remember, we are mastering our craft. We don’t come out of the gate perfect. Perfection is something to aim for but also something we rarely achieve.

Which is the whole point, right? The aiming.

Cheers!

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Sources:

1. https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/BkD3Ilopul/
2. https://blog.homebrewing.org/calculating-improving-mash-efficiency/
3. http://sonsofalchemy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Mash_Efficiency_and_Brewhouse_Efficiency.pdf
4. https://beersmith.com/blog/2014/11/05/brewhouse-efficiency-vs-mash-efficiency-in-all-grain-beer-brewing/

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