Assistance calculating mash and sparge water volumes

Hi folks, looking for a poll here on what you are using to calculate mash and sparge water volumes for all-grain brewing.

Typical 5 or 6 gallon end product wort.

Thanks.

-Jeff

I use this: http://www.brew365.com/mash_sparge_water_calculator.php

I, as do many on here, use Beersmith. They have a free trial if you want to try it out before buying. Spot on every time!

I keep meaning to pay for a copy of beersmith... but I never have.

I use this ALOT.

I also use brewtarget, which is a free open source project one of the guys here on HBT is working on. Works well.

I think I have learned a lot using different calculators.

Thanks, folks. Leading this group of first-time ruffians tomorrow in an all-grain adventure. Want to make sure my numbers are close or else I'll lose face as the 'veteran' (of 6 all-grain batches), haha!

-Jeff

Brew simple and save face!

I switched my brew schedule when I invited a friend over... was going to brew Yuri's pumpkin for the first time.... decided to hide that one in case the sparge was kooky!

Did 10 gallons of stout instead.

We hit it all on the head!

phatuna said:

I use this: http://www.brew365.com/mash_sparge_water_calculator.php

Click to expand...

So, my Beer Tools Pro recipe is going with an end volume (end wort) of 5 Gal.

8.75# grist
7.61 Gal water.---now, which stage is this, though?

I'm boiling 1.5 hrs, figuring 1 gal/hr loss, 75% efficiency. "Kettle Volume" says 6.7 Gal. Not understanding where these water volume numbers are coming from. I want to end up with 5 gallons, so figuring I need at least 6.5 (thus the 6.7 result here I assume) in the boil.

So would I be just running mash at around 1.25 gal / lb of grain? I guess I'm just not seeing where this is figured in the software. Because that would be around 11 Gallons of water for mashing. Not anywhere related to 7.61, or 6.7

Grr. Arrgh.

New calculations:
5 gal end wort desired
8.75# grist
Boil time 1.5 hrs
Trub loss (default .5 gal)
Equipment loss (default 1 gal)
Mash thickness 1.33
Wort Shrink .04 default
Grain Absorption .20
Boiloff percentage .12 / hr

Says total water 9.74 gal
2.91 gal mash
6.83 gal sparge

but, then........... if you figure boiloff is 6.83 x .18 (.12 times 1.5 hrs), that's result of 1.23 gal; leaving remainder of 5.6 gal. Not seeing how the trub loss and equipment loss factor in, as that would be POST BOIL factors, which should theoretically leave me with only 4.1 Gallons of wort.

Whatever; guess I'll find out when I follow those calculations and see where I'm at first time out with this equipment! Less wort = more krausen headspace... (shrug)