Can I trust Beersmiths OG estimate?

[atromic]

Looking back at my logs, every single brew I've done has been higher than the estimated OG in beersmith... Is this normal? I'm pretty confident that I'm mixing well and taking accurate readings with my hydrometer so I'm not sure whats up.

I want to start formulating PM recipes in beersmith for the 3gal MT I'm building... Can I trust the numbers that beersmith is giving me?

 

[TipsyDragon]

are you 100% sure you are measuring your ingredients correctly?

if the calculations on beer smith where so bad would everyone use it?

 

[atromic]

Well, all my recipes have been extract... So it would be up to the LHBS or brewmaster's warehouse to measure it out right.

My brews from both have been higher than beersmiths estimates. Also, my first two brews used LHBS recipes, and I hit the gravities dead on... The same recipes show lower estimated OG in beersmith.

 

[TipsyDragon]

well. assuming your correct and i don't see why you wouldn't be. i would report the bug to beersmith. just back it up with as much iron clad evidence as you can.

and also you have to realize any calculation can at best get you in the ballpark. some calculations can get you into a smaller ballpark than others. but still its an estaminet at best.

just curious how far is beersmith usually off?

 

[greeneyed]

Was your target yield correct?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

So it would be up to the LHBS or brewmaster's warehouse to measure it out right.

This is the likely culprit. If you aren't measuring your ingredients, you cannot blame a piece of software for inaccuracy. In my experience, vendors sometimes slightly overfill orders for bulk ingredients in order to keep the customer happy.

Additionally, Beersmith's stock ingredient list may not include the exact brand and type of extract you are using. It's up to you to get the pertinent data and input it.

Beersmith is incredibly accurate when used correctly. However, if you don't take the time to set it up, it's only a tool for rough estimation.

 

[atromic]

My gravities were .007, .013, .009, and .008 higher on the 4 brews I have logged.

All recipes were topped off to either 5gal or 5.5gal depending on the recipe.

I was pretty hammered by the time I took my hydro reading on the .0013 brew... So that could explain why that one is so much higher .

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Either you've misplaced a decimal or your hydrometer is incredibly accurate. My bet is on the former.

 

[atromic]

Additionally, Beersmith's stock ingredient list may not include the exact brand and type of extract you are using. It's up to you to get the pertinent data and input it.

Great advice! I just looked up the details on the LME I use for most of my brews, and the OG range is higher than the default values in beersmith.

I changed the OG to the average, and the estimated OG went up to 1.052. I got 1.053 on that particular brew.

 

[atromic]

Whoops. You've assumed correctly.

 

[TipsyDragon]

My gravities were .0007, .0013, .0009, and .0008 higher on the 4 brews I have logged.

with the exception of the .0013 those aren't even full point errors. this is not an acceptable margin of error?

and let me guess thats after temperature correction by a piece of software. which is at best another approximation.

 

[atromic]

with the exception of the .0013 those aren't even full point errors. this is not an acceptable margin of error?

and let me guess thats after temperature correction by a piece of software. which is at best another approximation.

Nope. Check out Yuri's post and my response on the last page.