Brewing Concern

[Bill B]

I have been using a Robo Brew (5 Gal) for about 5-6 batches. I always build my recipe in Beersmith. My current brew will be an Irish Red Ale. Beersmith calls for a mash water volume of 2.73 gal. and 4.74 gal sparge. Does the mash water volume seem correct?

 

[Biggz1313]

I have been using a Robo Brew (5 Gal) for about 5-6 batches. I always build my recipe in Beersmith. My current brew will be an Irish Red Ale. Beersmith calls for a mash water volume of 2.73 gal. and 4.74 gal sparge. Does the mash water volume seem correct?

Really depends on your recipe and your equipment profile. It will make those calculations based on those two things. Can you share a little more information?

 

[doug293cz]

I have been using a Robo Brew (5 Gal) for about 5-6 batches. I always build my recipe in Beersmith. My current brew will be an Irish Red Ale. Beersmith calls for a mash water volume of 2.73 gal. and 4.74 gal sparge. Does the mash water volume seem correct?

These volumes could make sense for a fly/pour-over sparge - as long as you have at least 1.25 qt of strike water per lb of grain. If doing a single batch sparge, you get near optimal efficiency by using 60% of your total brewing water for strike, and the remaining 40% for sparge (for a double batch sparge 50-25-25 is better.)

Brew on

 

[RufusBrewer]

Seems odd to me. Typically your strike volume is greater than your sparge volume.

The rudimentary formula is:
Strike volume = Half boil volume + allowance for wort absorbed by grain
Sparge volume - Half boil volume

 

[Bill B]

Seems odd to me. Typically your strike volume is greater than your sparge volume.

The rudimentary formula is:
Strike volume = Half boil volume + allowance for wort absorbed by grain
Sparge volume - Half boil volume

Seems odd to me. Typically your strike volume is greater than your sparge volume.

The rudimentary formula is:
Strike volume = Half boil volume + allowance for wort absorbed by grain
Sparge volume - Half boil volume

I thought the same thing. My last batch I had a similar issue and compensated by running my pump and adding some of the sparge water during the mash.

 

[day_trippr]

Just for grins I pulled up a random BS3 "Irish Red" 5 gallon recipe and loaded the Robobrew equipment plugin.
Surprisingly, the OP's strike volume is pretty close to this one...

Cheers! ("It's A Mystery" )

 

[cmac62]

I don't know about the robobrew, but I have an anvil 10.5 and there is a lot of deadspace under and around the basket and I don't think that amount of water will be even close to a good ratio of water in contact with grains.

 

[Bill B]

I don't know about the robobrew, but I have an anvil 10.5 and there is a lot of deadspace under and around the basket and I don't think that amount of water will be even close to a good ratio of water in contact with grains.

That was my concern as well, but another responder checked a similar recipe and the water requirements were almost identical. Thanks for your comment

 

[Bill B]

Just for grins I pulled up a random BS3 "Irish Red" 5 gallon recipe and loaded the Robobrew equipment plugin.
Surprisingly, the OP's strike volume is pretty close to this one...
View attachment 728253

Cheers! ("It's A Mystery" )

Weird, eh. Thanks for the response and the time that you took to do some research that I should have considered I'll move forward with my brew day

 

[Bill B]

These volumes could make sense for a fly/pour-over sparge - as long as you have at least 1.25 qt of strike water per lb of grain. If doing a single batch sparge, you get near optimal efficiency by using 60% of your total brewing water for strike, and the remaining 40% for sparge (for a double batch sparge 50-25-25 is better.)

Brew on

It looks like my ratio is the opposite

 

[Bill B]

Really depends on your recipe and your equipment profile. It will make those calculations based on those two things. Can you share a little more information?

Thanks, I think I got my answer

 

[RufusBrewer]

I am going to say that the recipe or style of beer is irrelevant. At least as as far as sticking within the original OP. Any recipe with a 10 lb grain bill, on your rig should pretty much use the same strike volume and sparge volume as any other 10 lb recipe. (somebody might chime in with some example where you need to tweak the values a bit)

What is your experience with other recipe/batches on your rig? Were you happy with the results?

 

[Bill B]

I am going to say that the recipe or style of beer is irrelevant. At least as as far as sticking within the original OP. Any recipe with a 10 lb grain bill, on your rig should pretty much use the same strike volume and sparge volume as any other 10 lb recipe. (somebody might chime in with some example where you need to tweak the values a bit)

What is your experience with other recipe/batches on your rig? Were you happy with the results?

For the most part, yes, I was happy, but the mash/sparge ratio was closer to 60/40. This recipe just seemed to be too far off.