https://pricelessbrewing.github.io/BiabCalc/#EfficiencyEvaluation
Another update!
New features
- Using new lauter efficiency formula
- Automatic user generated efficiency curves
- Efficiency Feedback calculator
- Simple Layout (volumes/temps only)
- Advanced Layout (volumes, temps, efficiency, gravities, etc)
- Yeast Cell calculations, and approximate starter size (Advanced only)
- Donation button
- Some cleanup
Near future to-do
- Considering changing layout drastically to get ready for recipe formulation, I would move to a table setup that lists each Brewday step together, witht heir volumes, temps, gravities readings etc.
- Standalone pot size boil off estimator
- mashTemp Graph after recipe formulation basis is created
- Dynamic Efficiency feedback
- Add metric support to efficiency feedback page
Known Issues
- Unit conversions appear to have broken at some point, will need to trace the bug.
This has been a relatively big process, as I had to learn several programming concepts and libraries that were new to me. Super happy with the current result, but there’s some format and layout changes planned.
The initial concept for this project was that I had been using Braukaisers formulas for batchsparge lauter efficiency simulations, which @Doug293cz first laid out. It served me well, but I knew there had to be a faster and simpler way to calculate the lauter efficiency without converting to extract weight, plato, and sg and back and forth multiple times. The result is a new derivation, as far as I know, for estimating lauter efficiency for batch sparge, and no sparge, mashing that's is much simpler to calculate, and easy to comprehend while getting to the same numbers.
There were two major breakthroughs in deriving this formulation:
1) Using run off volume divided by mash (not water) volume to calculate lauter efficiency, and calculating the mash volume from the predicted mash sg and densities. Before it required calculating the extract weight, which was a much more convulated method requiring several unit conversions.
2) Using Grain potential to get mash sg, and densities instead of using grain yield and converting units four times for each infusion step.
I'll clean up all the math and post a blog post soon laying out the derivation, but it's live now!
There are actually two calculators on this page;
First is the Efficiency Evaluation calculator in the center blue column, and the top right Feedback section. You enter all of the necessary measurements, and it will automatically calculate your Conversion, lauter, sparge, mash, and brewhouse efficiencies. After those are calculated, it compares to what my formulas would predict, and assigns a score to it. Scores greater than 10 should be viewed with skepticism, as it's greater than a perfect batch sparge, and may indicate a measurement error. I can see this getting used daily given the frequency of efficiency troubleshooting posts on various forums.
The Second is the Efficiency Estimation graph.
To-do: Create dynamic feedback suggestions in the textarea in the bottom right when applicable. Example: "You're getting ~XX% Conversion, which is a little low, suggestions are to mill finer, check your mash pH, and ensure adequate dough in procedure."
There are some other updates in the background, like the thermal expansion calculator, and working to get ready for recipe formulation, and other standalone calculators (refractometer, stuff like that).
I've also decided to go forward with a donation button. My mash software will always remain free to use, with no subscriptions or payment necessary.