Brewhouse efficiency is the sugar you actually extracted versus the theoretical max from the grain. It drives recipe scaling and tells you if your process is on target.
The example
280 actual of 350 potential points.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Value |
| 2 | 280 / 350 | — |
| 3 | Efficiency | → 80% |
The formula
The formula:
How it works
How it works:
- Gravity points = (gravity − 1) × 1000 × volume (gallons).
- Potential points = grain weight × its PPG × (assuming 100% extraction).
- Divide actual by potential for brewhouse efficiency (typically 65–80%).
- Use your measured efficiency to size grain bills for a target OG.
Knowing your efficiency makes grain bills predictable. Once you measure that your system runs ~75%, you can size any recipe’s grain to hit a target OG: needed potential points ÷ efficiency. Without it, you’re guessing and either missing gravity or wasting malt. Efficiency drifts with crush, mash, and batch size, so track it batch to batch and use a recent average for scaling.
Try it: interactive demo
Actual and potential gravity points.
Variations
Actual points
From OG:
Potential points
Grain × PPG:
Grain for a target OG
Size the bill:
Pitfalls & errors
Points = (G−1)×1000. Convert gravity to points first.
Volume matters. Points scale with batch gallons.
Zero potential. No grain potential gives #DIV/0!.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate brewhouse efficiency in Excel?
How do I get gravity points?
How do I size a grain bill?
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