So I use a 9 gallon brew pot and a 10 gallons MLT for batch sparging. I recently got beersmith and on my second batch i set 1.24 qts/pound of grain. It called for 3.41 gallon of mash water, 2.71 gallons for batch sparge 1 and 4.80 gallons for batch sparge 2. The boil volume is suposed to be 6.6 gallons but this volume was WAY over that. I do use 90 min boils but I had to boil about 2 hours to get down to that...any ideas?
Under your equipment profile, check the evaporation rate.
Also, in the mash step, the water/grain ratio is gallons per pound, not quarts per pound. So to set to 1.24 qts per lb, you would enter .31 gallons per pound (.25 * 1.24).
it factors in the grain absorbtion for the mash. so you may be using close to 8 gallons of water but will ony get 6.5 gallons. just sparge till you get your pre-boil volume.