Beersmith: Change Loss to trub = More mash efficiency?

This is a stupid question. But I don't get this.

I upped the loss to trub and chiller for a recipe from 2L to 3L. The thing BS does is just upping the mash efficiency. I'm pretty sure my mash efficiency doesnt magically rise if I have more loss to trub. I would assume I'd have to use more ingredients since I'm losing more wort, and thus have to make a bigger volume of wort.

I don't get this. I've tried changing the trub-number and scaling and stuff. How can I maintain all numbers (IBU/OG/etc) while changing the trub/preboil volume-setting?

 

About all I can tell you is that you have to get all the numbers you input as accurate as possible to get BS to give the right numbers. It def takes some playing with.

 

I've been hitting my volumes and OG consistently. It's just that I want less trub in the fermentor, so I'd want to make a bigger wort. But I can't seem to figure out how with existing recipes.

Even if I make a new Eqipment profile with the new amount of trub, and scale a recipe to this profile. It just changes the mash efficiency and some of the hops. Why doesn't it change the amount of grains?

 

Maybe you need to change the sparge numbers? Or strain the wort into primary like I do to get less trub to begin with? That would help numerically.

 

Doh! I've been keeping the same samebrewhouse efficiency. Of course the mash efficiency will rise if I keep the same brewhouse efficiency.

 

Well. The batch size should still be the same as it's defined by volume into fermentor. I think I just need to try different numbers with the brewhouse efficiemcy until it hits my irl mashefficiency, and then scale to that brewhouse efficiency which I landed on.

 

The batch size as defined by beersmith (actual wort into fermentor) should be the same. The brewhouse efficiency changes.

 

I actually agree with your original post. I own and love beersmith but the deadspace loss/trub loss/mash efficiency/brewhouse efficiency calculations drive me nuts. Deadspace shouldn't change using the same equipment, but all of the others can and will based on recipe, and while mash efficiency will have some variance it will be less than trub loss & mash efficiency. My approach would be to have the user enter mash efficiency, assume adjustments to efficiency based on mash thickness & amount of sparge water/lb grain, assume deadspace loss of first runnings wort, estimate trub loss* based on gravity/grain weight and weight & type of hops, then use that to estimate brewhouse efficiency & SG based on the volume into fermenter we're looking for. To me this is closer to my actual brewing process and where precious wort is lost. Instead we enter a brewhouse efficiency which is IMO the most inconsistent of the variables. Thankfully I have a pretty good idea how my brewhouse efficiency will change with regards to hops and SG and can adjust it pretty well based on my recipe.

*adjustable user constants, kind of like the specific heat of mash tun option

 

Well. BS was actually more manual then I thought on this occasion. I've been using it for over a year and I love it, after you've gotten to know the quirks and how to use it that is. Before I knew how it acually worked I was on the brink of ripping my balls off.

I don't use the deadspace box at all. It just messes things up. Even though I have a deadspace, I'm able to drain it. I sent Brad (Beersmith Brad) a mail, and he said that somewhere in the future there will be an option where you can select if you can drain this deadspace in your MT or not.

For now I just set 0 and do that math manually, and it works nicely. I just calculate my wanted grist/water ratio, and add 4 litres (which is my deadspace+coils/tubing volume) and divide this with the amount of grain, to get the grist/water ratio I type into the box under mash options.

But I've had zero problems with wort lost to trub, just this once (where I altered it), and before I understood how BS works.