BeerSmith 2.0 not calculating extract gravity correctly

[h22lude]

I normally brew AG but decided to try extract again for fun. Trying to use BeerSmith to get my volume and gravity readings. Volume seems to be right on but it seems like BS calculates extract gravity incorrectly (at least I think it does).

I'll be using 6 pounds of DME. My post boil volume will be 6.5 gallons. I leave 1 gallon in the kettle and 5.5 gallons goes into the fermentor. I would think I would calculate my OG based on my post boil volume of 6.5 gallons. Using what BS has for DME PPG (44), I get just about 1.041 OG. What it seems like BS is doing is calculating OG based on what goes into the fermentor. 44 PPG and 5.5 gallons into the fermentor, I get 1.048. So if I'm correct, my actual OG will be 7 points lower than what BS calculates.

My thinking is, after the boil, nothing changes the gravity of the beer. So whether I put the full 6.5 gallons post boil into my fermentor or leave 1 gallon back and put in 5.5 gallons, the gravity will be 1.041. Am I missing something?

 

[Oginme]

Make sure that your recipe type is set to 'extract.' If you don't the program uses the brew house efficiency in your equipment profile to determine the amount of sugars which make it to the fermenter, even if those sugars don't exist due to process losses within the system.

 

[h22lude]

Neither extract nor partial mash calculate steeping grains correctly, unless I need to select something. BS calculates the grains I'm using with 2 points but using John Palmers grain list, I get 6 points. So that would make my final gravity even more off when I add in my above problem

 

[Oginme]

Steeping grains when doing extract batches is controlled in BeerSmith by the 'steeping efficiency' percentage which is under 'options' > 'advanced'. Generally, steeping extracts less of the available sugars than when the same grains are mashed. If you find your actual extraction is different from the default setting, you can adjust it as needed.

Unfortunately, I am not at home right now to consult Palmer's book for the grain list to compare how his calculations may be different.

 

[h22lude]

That did it. I had to mess around with steeping efficiency until I got what I calculated for crystal 60 using Palmer's list. I also had to adjust some grain potential on BS to get it correct for steeping grains. I'm going to measure the gravity after steeping to see if I was close. Steeping is only 5 points so it isn't much but it was off by 4 points which when added with the extract error it would have been a lot.

I also figured out partial mash calculates gravity of extract using into fermentor volume and not post boil volume. Extract uses post boil volume. Weird...but I got it to work.