[denny]

Thanks for the input.
I ended pitching without a starter.
My OG ended up at 1.043.
Ever since I started using BeerSmith my gravities have been high.
I could never figure out how to change the mash efficiancy. But I have it figured out now. Brewed a second batch and hit my gravities dead on.
I don't understand why Beer Smith can't just let you enter a mash efficiancy in the mash profile. I had to work backwards changing brew house efficiancy until my predicted mash efficiancy matched what I am actually getting.
I also think the way it figures batch sparge water additions is confusing.
Sometimes it gives me something like add 5 sparge water additions of 1.62 cups.

Always remember that as great as Beersmith is, it's not instructions about how to brew.  It's a tool you use to help you brew the way you want to. 

[dzlater]

Thanks for the input.
I ended pitching without a starter.
My OG ended up at 1.043.
Ever since I started using BeerSmith my gravities have been high.
I could never figure out how to change the mash efficiancy. But I have it figured out now. Brewed a second batch and hit my gravities dead on.
I don't understand why Beer Smith can't just let you enter a mash efficiancy in the mash profile. I had to work backwards changing brew house efficiancy until my predicted mash efficiancy matched what I am actually getting.
I also think the way it figures batch sparge water additions is confusing.
Sometimes it gives me something like add 5 sparge water additions of 1.62 cups.

Always remember that as great as Beersmith is, it's not instructions about how to brew.  It's a tool you use to help you brew the way you want to.

 I get that.
I'm just trying to figure out how to best use the tool.

[Stevie]

My trick is this... When I first enter a recipe, I use a profile that has my end of boil kettle volume (5.5 for me) entered in the batch volume field with zero losses to the kettle or fermenter. This will make the efficiencies match. From there I switch to a profile for the equipment I will be using. I do the switch with or without using the scale function depending on the equipment and batch size.

I recently switched to beersmith because I feel it has the best chance for future development and is cross platform. That being said, it is missing a lot of features that other solutions offer. Don't get me started on how useless the phone app is.

[HoosierBrew]

My trick is this... When I first enter a recipe, I use a profile that has my end of boil kettle volume (5.5 for me) entered in the batch volume field with zero losses to the kettle or fermenter. This will make the efficiencies match. From there I switch to a profile for the equipment I will be using. I do the switch with or without using the scale function depending on the equipment and batch size.

I recently switched to beersmith because I feel it has the best chance for future development and is cross platform. That being said, it is missing a lot of features that other solutions offer. Don't get me started on how useless the phone app is.

Exact same thing I do. And I agree about the phone app - not good.

[dzlater]

This is what I did seemed to work.
https://youtu.be/bIoeFuNbDbU