beersmith help

[Indygunworks]

Going to brew yoopers oatmeal stout as my first all grain brew day. I will be using a 10 gallon round cooler MT.

I have downloaded the free trial version of beersmith but cant seem to figure out how to enter all the recipe stuff in so it gives me the directions and everything.

Also not sure what I should be putting in for the default numbers on some things since I don't have any baseline data yet.

 

[kh54s10]

Click the help icon. In the drop down menu go to videos. Watch them all.

The first step is to set up your equipment profile. There are a bunch already there, look through them and find the one that is closest to your set up. Edit it then save it with a new name, something like "Indy's equipment"

Play around with it a bunch before you do a brew. Make changes and try to figure out what happens.

It will take a few brews and going back and adjusting settings before you will hit your numbers closely.

Beersmith is a tool, not a plug and play app. You will have to learn how to use it properly.

The directions are in a couple places. File - Print will get you a recipe page. On the task bar is Brew Steps, you can print this for step by step instructions.
On brew day use the timer so you don't forget additions.

 

[Morrey]

Going to brew yoopers oatmeal stout as my first all grain brew day. I will be using a 10 gallon round cooler MT.

I have downloaded the free trial version of beersmith but cant seem to figure out how to enter all the recipe stuff in so it gives me the directions and everything.

Also not sure what I should be putting in for the default numbers on some things since I don't have any baseline data yet.

Per the advice of kh54s10, videos can really help you learn these programs. I bet I watched 5 or 6 YouTube videos on BeerSmith as well as Bru'n Water mineral management software. Log onto YouTube and search for BeerSmith. You'll find several self help segments.

 

[Indygunworks]

watched a few of the videos... it appears the search function was just not acting correctly... I found the recipe for a 3 gallon biab and opened it, converted, and saved.

Next question, it says that my mash water is 8.61 quarts of 163.7 degree water and my sparge is 5.13 gallons at 168 degrees.

First I don't understand why one measurement is given in quarts, at the TOP of the page, and the sparge is given in gallons at the Bottom.

I also didn't expect to use MORE water for the sparge, than for the mash, are these correct?

 

[Indygunworks]

I take that back, its requiring TWO sparge steps, with 168 degree water 1.9 and 3.23 gallons, but its not saying "yet" for how long each.

I was under the understanding batch sparging was just one extra step, not two, although its not that big of a deal.

 

[Indygunworks]

also it looks like the recipe I downloaded calls for 4 pounds 6.1 oz of pale malt but reading her recipe on this forum for her 5.5 gallon batch its calling for 7 pounds.... so there is something wrong here somewhere.

 

[vance]

Not OP but any tips for adjusting the equipment profile? I'm having a hard time figuring out how people are measuring the volume between each step.

 

[Indygunworks]

I think I had the wrong recipe... the one I have now looks identical at first glance and says HBT in the title... and the pale malt lines up.

It says though batch sparge with two steps (drain mash tun 2.97 gallon) of 168 degree water.

What does that mean for the mash/sparge phase?
it has me mashing with 19.25 qts of 168 degree water for a 156 degree mash.

Do I had 3 gallons of water twice?

If I understand this right, I will be adding 4.8 gallons of 168 for an hour
then 3 gallons of 168 for (10 min?)
then 3 gallons of 168 for ( 10 min?)

that's to much wort.... so the 3 gallons of sparge split in half? and each sparge is 1.5 gallons of 168?

 

[kh54s10]

There is a place somewhere that you can change for output of quarts or gallons.

The mash will produce less water than you started with because the grain will absorb some.

You can also set the sparge for equal amounts and probably for one. I ignore this. I measure how much I get from the mash. I know my boil off rate so I know how much more I need. I split it in half, measure after the first half to adjust how much I need for the second half to get the right preboil amount.

I need a little over 7 gallons, preboil to end up with just over 5 gallons into the fermenter.

I just add the sparge water, stir, vorlauf then drain. I don't wait any x amount of time. You are just rinsing the sugars out of the grain. Waiting extra time does not get you more sugars. Actually, waiting may allow the sugars to get absorbed back into the grain husks.

 

[Indygunworks]

for whatever reason the IBU's were at 41 and yooper said they should be 32, so I adjusted them, and it dropped a little under .5oz of hops. I also adjusted the color to her preference as well.

I do not know my boil off rate but I will figure that out this time around, probably not that great though, its only a turkey frier burner with a bayou classic 10 gallon kettle

Thanks for the sparge tips.

 

[Morrey]

for whatever reason the IBU's were at 41 and yooper said they should be 32, so I adjusted them, and it dropped a little under .5oz of hops. I also adjusted the color to her preference as well.

I do not know my boil off rate but I will figure that out this time around, probably not that great though, its only a turkey frier burner with a bayou classic 10 gallon kettle

Thanks for the sparge tips.

Takes a bit to fully understand the program, but seems you are getting the hang of it.

The boil off rate depends on a few factors including your kettle dimensions, ambient temps and humidity, how hard you boil and of course how long you plan to boil.

I have a sight glass on my kettle which aids in knowing my volumes, not sure if you have a gauge. If you boil at a reasonable roll for 60 minutes, I'd plug in a boil off for 1 gallon to start just to get a value in the program....or use the default value. This should get you close but take notes to have the real value next time.