Trouble with numbers

The Downtown IPA is done. If I got anywhere near 100% efficiency it would have turned out to be an Imperial IPA with an OG around 1.090. But, I didn't and so it's a run of the mill IPA. Just kidding, this beer is gonna have some serious kick to it, and with 68% efficiency, I got a 1.063 OG which will still produce a pretty big beer. 4 ounces of hops in the boil and one waiting to be dry hopped. Mmm mmm. Can't wait

My last two batches have produced less than stellar efficiency. I got 65% for the pilsener and 68% today with the IPA. I'm not complaining about the numbers here, anything above 65% is considered good in homebrewing. What I am concerned about is the drop in efficiency. In my first three batches I got an average of 76% and then all of a sudden it drops to 65%. I think I may have narrowed it down to one of two factors. I didn't add gypsum to either of the last two batches, and they both also got stuck during sparging. I think if the grain were crushed a little less fine, and I added gypsum during the mash, my efficiency would go back up to the 70's. I'll have to wait until next time to find out. Darn, that means I get to brew again

Long time coming

Well, since the last time we talked, I have brewed a pilsener and it seems to be going just fine. I got about 64% efficiency which isn't bad in homebrewers terms but I would like higher efficiencies for my beers. Thats just me though. I let it ferment longer, and gave it a good two day diacetyl rest, which, by bringing the temp of the beer back up to room temp, it gets rid of the buttery flavor that cold fermentation leaves behind. It's going to be a session beer for sure coming in at a whopping 3.47% ABV.

I'm going to the brew store today to get ingredients for my first IPA since my first batch that I brewed over a year ago. It's gonna be a darker IPA, going for a big malt backbone on this one to try and balance out the big hops I plan on using. Gonna look something like this

9 lbs 2 row
1 lb munich
1 lb aromatic
1 lb 40 L

1 oz Galena for 60 min
.5 oz Cascade for 60 min
1 oz Willamette for 30 min
.5 oz Cascade for 15 min
1 oz Willamette for 5 min
1 oz Cascade dry hopped