The Awesomest Brewer You Never Met

[Mexibilly]

Here's the deal
Beersmith 2 isn't a 100% mystery anymore, but using it to calculate strike and sparge volumes and temps is.
The only all grain I've done my buddy entered my info into Ibrew and gave me the strike and sparge volumes and temps and I brewed a pretty good porter (for my wife), if it was a little light in body.
So I bought beersmith2.
My wife bought me several brewing books, including a clone book, and I need to replicate a few of these recipes to show her I appreciate and am making use of the gift.
I enter the grain bill and hop schedule and it seems to readjust after a few days.
The clone book is extract recipes with partial mash and all grain excerpts at the end.
So I enter the excerpt grain bill and hop schedule. Then I look at the tutorial. Then I look again and try to figure out what mash temp, PH and volume. Then I try to figure out the sparge info.
I'm using RO water and am willing to skip additions on this first all grain IPA on my own batch. I have a red to brew too, grains are crushed already, and from what I understand I need to brew before 2 or 3 weks of having been crushed or it might end up being a sh*tty beer.
So maybe I'm brainfvcking the situation, and maybe I could find a similar recipe and shoot for a similar temp and volume, but in the end I'd like to utilize my purchased beersmith as I learn the craft of all grain brewing.
I don't guess I have a specific question, I simply need strike and sparge volumes and temps and haven't found them easy to determine from the software I purchased.
The HBT member who helps me to wrap my head around this will receive an awesome prize, assuming he/she lives within a 70 mile radius of New Castle, Indiana
18.25 UK 2 row
1lb Cane sugar
8oz Torrified Wheat
4oz 10L american crystal
4oz Belgian Cara Munich
2oz Chinook at 90
The other hop additions seem to be geared around a 90 min boil but again, I'm working with an all grain excerpt from what appears to be a 60 min extract recipe. Hop additions aren't my main concern. Efficiency and best mash/sparge practice are.
Disregard if this is incoherent, but I'm just trying to brew at least one this weekend...

 

[rokfreek]

Have you set up an equipment profile in beersmith? It is kinda important to get correct volumes. If your profile is set up or you are using one of the defaults you then go to the mash tab and pick a mash profile. If you batch sparge you will choose, single infusion batch sparse light body, or whatever body you are looking for. It should display mash temps and volumes on this tab.

 

[Fedora]

Go to view mash profile to find the strike temps and volume. To find sparge volume, leave the recipe calculator screen and scroll down on the recipe in the recipe screen. If that makes sense.

* advice from a drunk and also technologically retarded guy.

Beer Smith works but is a bit hard to navigate.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

I'm here to help. Use my calculator for your volumes and temps. The only thing to be aware of is to change your grain absorption to 0.125 and to either preheat you mash tun or add a few degrees to compensate.


http://pricelessbrewing.github.io/BiabCalc/
Or
http://pricelessbrewing.github.io/BiabCalc/TestingA

Once you start figuring out your beersmith settings they should line up with my numbers.

The testing page will only be up for a little bit, it has a couple new features I'm working on. The ones displayed are the first and second runnings (aimed at traditional mash tun batch spargers).

 

[Darwin18]

Have you reviewed the help videos? Setting up an equipment profile is critical - otherwise the software is fairly useless. Here's the link:

http://beersmith.com/video/

 

[Homercidal]

Beersmith can work great if you set up your equipment and some other things. It does take a bit to get configured properly. There should be help available on their website too, if you have questions.

 

[Mexibilly]

I did set up my mash tun details. Didn't see a 7.5 gallon boil kettle.
Working until 8:30 at night all week isn't helping either.
I'll get it...

 

[Homercidal]

I did set up my mash tun details. Didn't see a 7.5 gallon boil kettle.
Working until 8:30 at night all week isn't helping either.
I'll get it...

That's all got to be in there too. You can tweak the preset equipment profiles or set up your own.

The dimensions of the kettle will affect how much you boil off. And you can tweak the boil-of rate directly in there if you need to.

The important thing to remember when you are working late and trying to brew as much as you want to is to RDWHAHB. Brewing should be a way to take your mind off the work, not something to add to the frustration.

In the end you are making beer. Eventually you will get your BS settings to work for you. It's all good.

 

[Mexibilly]

Thanks dude

 

[Mexibilly]

You win Darwin18. Took a few minutes from my work schedule to review the videos.
Next time you're in east central Indiana give me a heads up and you can claim your price.
Thank you