Figuring out water amounts

[nyer]

I know I probably need a software program like promash to get my recipies and procedure perfect. I am planning to buy something as soon as my wife decides which new laptop to get.

For now I would like to know how to figure out the amount of water used for sparging. I did a bourbon barrel porter yesterday and I used 5 gals. of water to mash with. I have been figuring 1.25 qts. per pound (16 pounds for this one). However I don't have a clue how to properly calculate the amount for the sparge. Usually the recipes I buy give me that information but this one didn't. I decided to go with 5 gals. I did a double sparge and while I turned away for a minute I ended up with 7 gals. instead of 6.5 gals. I boiled for 1 hour and got 6 gals. in my primary. I figured my OG would be low but when I checked it I got exactly what the recipe called for, 1.065. Was 5 gallons too much?

 

[PaulStat]

I use this

http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/batch_calculator.html

 

[MN_Jay]

Although 1/2 gallon of water per pound of grain is about maximum, a lot of people with smaller kettles base the amount of sparge water on the maximum volume the kettle can handle. If your kettle can only handle a maximum of 7 gallons total, then that's how much wort they collect, first runnings included. If it's a big recipe, such as the 16 lbs that you have, obviously 1/2 gallons per lb isn't feasible because it just is too much wort to boil down. (not saying that some don't do it anyway)

Bobby_M's all grain primer says that a good rule of thumb is to heat the same amount of sparge water that you want for a final volume, so if you want 5.5 gallons in the fermenter, then that's how much sparge water to heat - although you may not need all that but it's obviously way better to have too much than not enough.