[alekmager]

I just started all grain, have 2 15gal kettle, one for mash one for boil. I batch sparge, and last few brews have been short of target OG. Ive done a few spot on in BIAB, but recently switching to All Grain I've been falling short. How do you properly go about calculating strike water, sparge water volumes to b appropriate for boil volumes. I've taken an average of mash loss, kettle loss, boil off and fermenter  loss but even then my mashes typically end up to watery with beersmith recommendations. I think that's my smoking gun.

[tommymorris]

I just started all grain, have 2 15gal kettle, one for mash one for boil. I batch sparge, and last few brews have been short of target OG. Ive done a few spot on in BIAB, but recently switching to All Grain I've been falling short. How do you properly go about calculating strike water, sparge water volumes to b appropriate for boil volumes. I've taken an average of mash loss, kettle loss, boil off and fermenter  loss but even then my mashes typically end up to watery with beersmith recommendations. I think that's my smoking gun.

First, are you boiling longer until you hit your batch volume (boiling extra to make up for the extra water) or are you just boiling 60 minutes and stopping? If you have too much preboil wort you can increase boil time to compensate. Just add the extra boil time before the first hop addition.

The easy way to know the amount of sparge water to use is to measure the amount of wort from the initially draining your mash. There are no water losses during sparge. So, sparge with just what is needed to reach your required preboil volume (boil volume + boil loss).

Say you need 6.5 gallons preboil to have 5.5 gallons after boil. You’re equations might say to sparge with 3.25 gallons. Heat 3.25 gallons sparge water. But, when your volume after first draining your mash tun turns out to be more than expected (example you measure 4 gallons instead of the predicted 3.25) then sparge with only 2.5 gallons. That on the fly reduction will get you the right preboil volume.  You can fix your equations after making the adjustment a few times or just get used to adjusting on the fly.

[KellerBrauer]

I just started all grain, have 2 15gal kettle, one for mash one for boil. I batch sparge, and last few brews have been short of target OG. Ive done a few spot on in BIAB, but recently switching to All Grain I've been falling short. How do you properly go about calculating strike water, sparge water volumes to b appropriate for boil volumes. I've taken an average of mash loss, kettle loss, boil off and fermenter  loss but even then my mashes typically end up to watery with beersmith recommendations. I think that's my smoking gun.

While I cannot tell you exactly why you’re targets are off, I can tell you that I have been using BeerSmith for nearly 5 years and my targets were also off until I finally dialed in my Equipment Profile. Getting the Equipment Profile to match your equipment AND brewing style takes some time.  You can get close, but it requires a lot of tweaking to get it exact.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe this forum allows us to upload files otherwise I would ask you to upload your equipment Profile and I can have a look.  However, BeerSmith has a forum that does allow uploads:

http://www.beersmith.com/forum/index.php

There are a number of brewers that contribute to that forum who are very good at finding issues with the equipment profile.  Once your EP is dialed in, you’ll hit the marks every time unless you do something out of the ordinary in brewday.  Good Luck!

[denny]

I'd start by figuring out what your efficiency really is and adjust recipes to that.  Easy.