1. What is Brewing Efficiency?

Brewing efficiency measures how effectively sugars are extracted from grains during the brewing process. It's expressed as a percentage and indicates the brewer's ability to convert potential sugars into fermentable wort.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the efficiency formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Extracted Sugar} \) — Amount of sugar actually extracted during brewing (grams)
• \( \text{Total Sugar} \) — Total potential sugar available in the grains (grams)

Explanation: This calculation shows what percentage of the available sugars were successfully extracted during the mashing process.

3. Importance of Efficiency Calculation

Details: Understanding brewing efficiency helps brewers consistently reproduce recipes, optimize their brewing process, and make accurate adjustments to grain bills to achieve desired original gravity.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both extracted sugar and total sugar values in grams. Extracted sugar should not exceed total sugar. Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is considered good brewing efficiency?
A: Most home brewers achieve 65-80% efficiency, while commercial systems often reach 85-95%. Higher efficiency means better sugar extraction.

Q2: How can I improve my brewing efficiency?
A: Improve crush quality, optimize mash temperature and pH, ensure proper stirring, and extend mash time if needed.

Q3: Why is my efficiency lower than expected?
A: Common causes include poor grain crush, incorrect mash temperature, short mash time, or sparging issues.

Q4: Should I aim for maximum efficiency?
A: Not necessarily. Very high efficiency can extract tannins and cause astringency. Consistent efficiency is more important than maximum efficiency.

Q5: How do I measure extracted sugar?
A: Measure the original gravity of your wort and use brewing software or calculations to determine the amount of extracted sugars based on volume and gravity.