Question about Beersmith 2 and batch sparging

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ohallerman

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I will do a batch sparge on next brewing day for the first time and have read that you should add 10-15% more grain to your grain bill. I assume that you do this without adding more water volume.

In Beersmith 2 I try to use the Scale recipe function and lower the efficenty to e.g. 68% which only result in more grain and more water. Do you know a way to add more grain to the grain bill without Beersmith 2 automatically calculate more water volume?

Many thanks for your help and guidance!
 
More grain equals more absorption, thus more water needed to yield same final volume. Can't really avoid that.
 
Im actually having the opposite trouble. Beersmith is telling me to use 4.98 gallons of water for my mash. Which makes no sense to me because i should be getting somewhere around 6.5 gallons to boil, right?

Seems after absorption i will have to top off with way too much water and end up with a weak beer.. and i was planning on needing to use about 7 gallons based on 2 quarts per pound i read in how to brew

This is my first ag AND my first time using bs2, so its a little confusing i guess lol
 
Im actually having the opposite trouble. Beersmith is telling me to use 4.98 gallons of water for my mash. Which makes no sense to me because i should be getting somewhere around 6.5 gallons to boil, right?

Seems after absorption i will have to top off with way too much water and end up with a weak beer.. and i was planning on needing to use about 7 gallons based on 2 quarts per pound i read in how to brew

This is my first ag AND my first time using bs2, so its a little confusing i guess lol

Yes, first infusion is probably 4.98g for the mash, but there should be another infusion for sparge (maybe multiple infusions). I hate the printouts from BS. Not very easy for newbies to read.
 
For the mash you will put in 4.98 gallons in and will only get 3 something out because of the water absorbed by the grain.

You also have to adjust the profile to your equipment and how much wort gets left behind in each stage.

Your sparge will then add to your volume partially based on your expected boil off rate.

I collect right around 7 gallons preboil to end up with 5.25 into the fermenter.

Take notes on how much volume you get at each step and record it. It will probably take a few sessions to fine tune the settings. I have done about 15 batches on BS2 and I am still working things out.
 
I think I might have figured out where I'm misreading it.

It says Mash in 4.98 gallons at 170.4 F for 45 min
Batch Sparge with 2 steps (2.98, 1.82) of 168 F

So does this mean I do 3 batches basically? one at 4.98 for 45 min, drain, Another at 2.98, drain, and then a final at 1.82? If so then I can read it now lol.
 
That is how I read it.

On the last couple I just did a single sparge.

I measured the wort collected from the mash then used enough sparge to get to 7 gallons. It came out the same as the previous batches and ended up with an OG .005 low. All my last 4 batches have been .004 or .005 below predicted.
 
So does this mean I do 3 batches basically?

Sort of. Your mash is likely 4.98 for 60 minutes then vorlauf then drain first runnings. Then Sparge #1 for 10-15 minutes, vorlauf/drain 2nd runnings then Sparge #2 for 10-15 minutes, vorlauf/drain 3rd runnings.

Since you are batch sparging (and assuming you have enough cooler space to hold it), you could just throw all ~5 gallons in and just do a single sparge and call it a day; the current Mash Profile you are using likely just shows the 2-step sparge process.

The "mash" tab is the place where this lives, but the User Interface for this is not intuitive. I personally find that Beersmith as a pretty high learning curve due to strange UI choices and its reliance on "brewhouse efficiency". I'm still trying to dial in my batch size/water volumes to get the results I expect. It does its job though where it needs to though.
 
Sort of. Your mash is likely 4.98 for 60 minutes then vorlauf then drain first runnings. Then Sparge #1 for 10-15 minutes, vorlauf/drain 2nd runnings then Sparge #2 for 10-15 minutes, vorlauf/drain 3rd runnings.

Since you are batch sparging (and assuming you have enough cooler space to hold it), you could just throw all ~5 gallons in and just do a single sparge and call it a day; the current Mash Profile you are using likely just shows the 2-step sparge process.

The "mash" tab is the place where this lives, but the User Interface for this is not intuitive. I personally find that Beersmith as a pretty high learning curve due to strange UI choices and its reliance on "brewhouse efficiency". I'm still trying to dial in my batch size/water volumes to get the results I expect. It does its job though where it needs to though.

I'm using a 10 gallon cooler, so that would hold the 5 gallons easy. I was planning on making a false top to lower my temp loss from dead space. How will it affect flavor if I do one sparge vs. 2?

I'm noticing that high learning curve. But I like to read, so I'll be searching for info probably all night. I love this forum though, so much info to take in.
 
Wow.. that's a heck of a wiki page.. I'll be trying to wrap my head around that for a while :) thanks.
 
there is virtually no efficiency gain from multiple sparge additons. Denny has proved it and my own experience bears it out, too. the only reason to do it is if your mash tun cant handle a large single sparge addition.

there is also little-to-no benefit from letting a sparge addition rest. just add the water, stir, and vorlauf/drain. its just rinsing.
 
ok.. So I should just add the 2 sparge additions together in one round.. then drain, and it'll be easier/ have really no effect/ save time. I like that idea lol.
 
Roadliner said:
ok.. So I should just add the 2 sparge additions together in one round.. then drain, and it'll be easier/ have really no effect/ save time. I like that idea lol.

if it will fit, yes
 
ok.. So I should just add the 2 sparge additions together in one round.. then drain, and it'll be easier/ have really no effect/ save time. I like that idea lol.

I have set up Beersmith two different ways. The first set up allowed for two sparges of equal volume. I then decided to forgo the two and do one, larger sparge and move on with my life.

There is an adjustment, and I believe it is found in the mash tun volume area that allows for a sparge volume calculated at a percentage of mash tun volume. Play with that and I think you will work it out.
 
Under mash settings, you can adjust so that it doesn't give you that annoying 2nd sparge...

bs2sparge.jpg
 
Thanks beergynt! I didn't even see that setting. One more quick question, which I think I know the answer to. I guess I was wrong on my cooler size when I pulled it out of the attic. It's only 5 gallons. So I'll have to do more batches. Not that big a deal I guess.

But Now that BeerSmith shows me using 2 more batches. I can't see what temp they should be.. Is it just the same as my mashin? It just says Batch sparge with 3 steps, (Drain Mash Tun, 2.35 gallons, 1.85 gallons.)

Screen shot 2012-12-02 at 12.29.35 AM.jpg
 
Essentially you'd sparge with about 180* water at first, to raise the grain bed to 168 (if you believe you want to do a mash-out, I think it's really inconsequential for homebrewers, personally) then just use the rest of the sparge water at whatever temp it is, probably in the 160's. I use 180* water and do one giant sparge. If you're doing multiple, I'd probably let it cool for the second sparge where your gravity is lower and PH starts to become a potential factor.
 

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