How the brew efficiency calculator works
Mash efficiency measures how much of the sugar locked in your grain actually ended up in the wort. The tool multiplies your gravity above water by the batch volume to get the points you extracted, compares that to the maximum the grain could give based on its potential, and reports the percentage. Higher means you pulled more sugar from the same grain bill.
What efficiency means
Grain potential is often expressed as points per pound per gallon, or PPG, with most base malts around 36 to 37. The maximum points equal grain weight times PPG, and what you measure in the kettle is the actual yield. Efficiency is the ratio. It tells you how well your crush, mash, and sparge pulled sugar out, and it lets you predict gravity for future batches.
Typical efficiency ranges
All grain home brewers commonly land between about 65 and 80 percent, with well dialed systems near the top. Deciding which number to design recipes around matters more than chasing a perfect figure, since a consistent 70 percent is easier to plan for than a number that jumps around. Extract and partial mash brewers see different figures because less depends on the mash.
Improving efficiency
A finer crush exposes more starch, a steady mash temperature in the right range converts more sugar, and a thorough but gentle sparge rinses more of it into the kettle. Give the mash enough time, check your crush gap, and avoid channeling during the sparge. Small consistent improvements beat one off changes you cannot repeat.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good mash efficiency? For all grain brewing, roughly 70 to 75 percent is a solid, repeatable target.
What is PPG? Points per pound per gallon, the sugar potential of a grain; base malts are usually around 36 to 37.
How do I raise efficiency? A finer crush, stable mash temperature, and a careful sparge are the biggest levers.
Related calculators: Fermentation Sugar, Hydrometer Correction, Beer Priming Sugar.