Post Mash Gravity using Beer Smith

I just finished my third partial mash, and I have been using beer smith to figure out how much DME I need to add to reach the gravity I am shooting for.

What I have been doing is from the recipe design view, I delete the DME from the ingredients list, and adjust the efficiency until the Orig Gravity Estimate matches up to my post mash & sparge gravity readings. Then I re-add the DME item to the ingredient list and adjusted the quantity until I get the Orig Gravity estimate I am looking for.

After a bit of thought, I realized that this probably wasnt correct. Being that the gravity reading I take is pre boil and that beer smith is taking into account the boil and the top off water. Please, can someone help set me straight.

By the way, this is my 100th post! Just goes to show how many lessons there are to learn in this hobby

Congrats on #100.

You should be fine as long as the batch size shows your pre-boil volume. Change this and the efficieny to match your gravity reading. This is what I used to do and found it rather awkward. The Recipator made this easier, but I went with Beersmith since it has so many more features.

Kai

Ok, that makes sense, remove the DME and make the batch volume = the boil volume. Then i can adjust my efficiency so the diplayed orig gravity estimate = my post mash gravity reading.

Is that right?

Beersmith will tell you the estimated pre-boil gravity, you just have to be looking at the actual brewsheet, not the recipe page.