5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Beer Grain Efficiency

The process of improving beer-grain efficiency requires constant innovative thinking and improvement of each step of the brewing process. At all times, your equipment must be kept performing at the optimal levels. There are a number of ways a brewer can incorporate in their system, to increase beer efficiency. Use of modern technology such as green energy solutions present an excellent way to improve brewing efficiency in the whole process.

This guide looks at some relatively simple ways and techniques that home-brewers can use, to increase the effectiveness of their brew.

1. Improve the grain milling

The milling process to be use on the grain in the brewing process makes a huge difference in the overall efficiency of the whole brewing process. Experts point out that the brewing process requires grains which are finely crushed as they help in maintaining the optimal brewhouse efficiency. When you leave hulls (the outer casing of the grain) it facilitates filter bed that prevent clogging. Hulls also aid in ensuring that the milling process does not crush grains too finely. When crushing grains, a dual-roller mill makes an efficient tool that separates hulls from the crushed grain, to make the grain suitable for mashing.

2. Slow down the sparging

Sparging relates to the process in whereby hot water extracts sugar in the grains used in the brewing process. Many beginners normally try sparging their mash too fast. Never try to sparge to quickly as doing so makes the hot water not to extract as much sugar as possible. Slowing down the sparging process typically increase efficiency by allowing more time for the hot water to suck sugar from these grains, and this leads to a better final product. 30-50 minutes is the ideal time to allow the sparging process to take place. When the sparging process is done too quickly, you might be forced to start over the brewing process again.

3. Minimize losses in the brewing filtration system

The brewing filtration system involves a lot of hoses, filters, pumps and containers. You need to repair kinks, leaks or clogs in these components to help improve the efficiency and thus increase the whole quality and effectiveness to the finished products. When you make these repairs, the filtration system will be able to retain more of the mashed wort or grain. If the filtration process is inferior, sugar is removed in the wort during the filtration process, and this leads to some inferior consumables. Any brewer can increase the efficiency by checking the piping and any hoses for spots in areas where liquid stagnate or pool.

4. Control the temperature

Yeast hates variation in temperature, particularly when using liquid yeast. Temperature varied to the higher levels will produce off tastes. Also, during the beer brewing process, avoid using raw sugar. Raw sugar can affect the quality of your beer. As you get more experienced in the brewing process, you will find different types of sugar that suit your style.

5. Improve the brewhouse electricity

Green initiatives, including streamlining electrical systems can greatly benefit a brewer by increasing the energy efficiency. You can tap steam that is released during the beer brewing process and use it to preheat water that enters the system. It is advisable to use green energy sources for electricity.