Mash & Sparge Volumes

[jd20phill]

Hey guys,

This is my first foray into all-grain and Beersmith and I just want to see if I'm using the program right and if these numbers look right to ya'll.

Using McAustin's Mocha Stout All Grain Recipe so I can compare it to the Extract Version I made last month: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f68/mcaustins-mocha-stout-w-cold-brewed-coffee-27958/index3.html

Grain:
9.0 lbs 2-row
1.5 lbs Crystal 60L
1.0 lb barley, flaked
.75 lb roasted barley
.50 lb chocolate malt

Hops:
60 min 1 oz Northern Brewer
20 min 0.75 oz Fuggles

Other:
15 min 8.5 oz lactose
5 min .75 cup Hershey's special dark cocoa

Yeast:
White Labs WLP005 British Ale Yeast (making a ~2 L starter as we speak)

Boil off is ~1.25 gal/ 60 min boil (measured tonight: Bayou Classic 44qt Kettle)
Tun Deadspace is .44 gal
Grain Temp: ~72F
Est Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.057
Pre Boil Vol: 6.25
Post Boil Vol: 5 gal

And the Volumes
Mash in: 4.74 gal of 163F water.
Mash: 152F for 60 min.
Sparge: 3.6 gal @ 168F.

I know that you are suppose to sparge until you get you pre-boil volume, but I'm worried about adding too much water for the sparge and watering down my wort (been there done that on my first brew; 3.2 ABV beer is no fun for no one!)

Thanks in advance!

 

[insanim8er]

First off it depends. If your efficiency sucks, you'll need less water to up the gravity. If your efficiency is amazing, you'll end up with higher gravity, and you will need to add more water to hit your target.

The best thing you can do is take gravity reading. If you don't have a refractometer, you'll have to cool the wort down to room temp for your hydrometer reading. Remember to temp correct.

If you're under target, add DME or boil longer. Just be careful with the hops if you're boiling longer.

If I were you, I'd personally roll with hitting the boil volume and learn from the batch.

 

[jd20phill]

Sadly, no refractometer (yet). Cooling the wort twice seems like a pain in the butt; is there any chance that an adjustment calculator like this would work?

http://www.brewersfriend.com/hydrometer-temp/

Edit: nvm, you said to temp correct! I guess all this stuff is usually trial and error anyways, so I might just roll with beersmith and rdwhahb.

 

[insanim8er]

I mean collect your boil volume, take a sample reading but make sure you cool the sample down. Then you know where you are pre boil.

If you're crazy low, add DME or boil longer, but adjust your hop schedule if you do. You can pull samples from the boil, but also have to cool it... It's a pain. That's why a refractometer is great.

I'd just aim for volume, check pre boil gravity sorta adjust from there and learn from the Batch.

 

[501irishred]

Looks like your in the right track! Make sure to keep good notes on volumes and temps over the next couple batches to help you tune the equipment profile.
As for watering down the wort, I would suggest going with the volumes BS suggested. If you find the pre boil SG is consistently low then make one change at a time till the culprit is found. Hitting your mash temps is one of the biggest helps in getting OG and especially FG come out correctly.

 

[501irishred]

is there any chance that an adjustment calculator like this would work?

They work to a point, but the closer you are to calibration temp the better. More than 90-100 degs and the chart is worthless.

 

[jd20phill]

Sounds like this batch might be a trial and error endeavor then. Time to put that engineering degree to work!

 

[eltorrente]

I think you are worried about something that shouldn't be an issue.

You aren't going to water down the wort by using too much sparge water. Sparging will pull the sugars out of your mash and give you as much gravity as you can get based on how well your mash was doing. If you use less sparge water, then you will need to add water to make up for what you will boil off. Best to use the sparge water that you need to make up your boil volume.

Most of the time, the end of my sparges (the last 1/4 gallon or so) are right in the 1.009-1.012 range, so it's not an issue with over sparging. Your not going to water anything down. Sparge until you hit your pre-boil volume, then boil it down and all will be well.