Your efficiency will get better / more predictable once you’ve done a few more batches. The fact that you didn’t sparge at all accounts for the low efficiency. I actually had the opposite problem – my first AG batch, I was shooting for 1.060 and ended up around 1.070…

Thanks to Scott Bieber for stopping by for awhile and bailing me out with the propane.

Kinda took all day. Had to make adjustments to my wort chiller for the new pot, so I made two trips to Home Depot for tubing fittings.

My idea was to use straight hot tap water in the first 10 minutes or so of the mash, then raise temp with my heatstick. Don’t ever try that without a method of controlling the heat, like a dimmer switch! It immediately scorched the mash before I could stir.

Used Beersmith for calcs. I ended up using the rest of my water inventory and a lot of propane to raise to the correct temperature. So, wasn’t able to rinse the grains, just drain. Calculated 1.055 turned out 1.044.

Live and learn. The yeast like it. A lot.