ArrogantBastardAle
Apprentice
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2013
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I recently made a youtube video explanation of this super awesome post on how to use BS to calculate your Brewhouse and Mash Efficiencies (http://www.beersmith.com/forum/index.php/topic,8579.0.html). I received an interesting question from a viewer... he asked, can this be done with Partial Mashes. Here was my response to him:
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Although I have never done a mini-mash, I believe that you can calculate your brewhouse efficiency with what Beersmith calls "Partial Mashes", or what I know you would call "Mini-Mashes". The numbers will look a little bit strange though compared to an All Grain recipe. You would take a pre-boil volume measurement, which would be like 2.5 gallons for a 3 gallon pot, for example. You would also take a pre-boil gravity reading after you add all of your liquid/dry malt extract. This gravity reading obviously would be rather high since all those sugars are concentrated. You could then use the same method I describe in this video to figure out your brewhouse efficiency. Note that equipment profiles are just as important here. I believe this is how it would work, anyway. It would be nice to get some confirmation on this.
One thing to note is that Beersmith assumes you will get 100% "efficiency" with extract. This makes a lot of sense when you think about it. The extract is going to always give you X amount of sugars. So, in effect you would be working with a "hidden" value which is what your mini-mash efficiency is. Beersmith combines whatever your mini-mash efficiency is with that 100% extract "efficiency" to calculate your overall Brewhouse Efficiency.
Also, note that what you would call "Partial Extract" Beersmith calls "Extract". When using an "Extract" recipe in Beermsmith, the Mash Tab is unavailable and the brewhouse efficiency value does nothing. Again, this is because Beersmith assumes all extract will give you 100% "efficiency". If you are finding that Beersmith is under or over estimating your gravities for "Extract" recipes, you can double click the Extract and change the "Yield" or "Potential" up and down until the recipe matches up with the Original Gravity that you actually got.
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My question to you all, am I right?
Thanks,
Dan
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Although I have never done a mini-mash, I believe that you can calculate your brewhouse efficiency with what Beersmith calls "Partial Mashes", or what I know you would call "Mini-Mashes". The numbers will look a little bit strange though compared to an All Grain recipe. You would take a pre-boil volume measurement, which would be like 2.5 gallons for a 3 gallon pot, for example. You would also take a pre-boil gravity reading after you add all of your liquid/dry malt extract. This gravity reading obviously would be rather high since all those sugars are concentrated. You could then use the same method I describe in this video to figure out your brewhouse efficiency. Note that equipment profiles are just as important here. I believe this is how it would work, anyway. It would be nice to get some confirmation on this.
One thing to note is that Beersmith assumes you will get 100% "efficiency" with extract. This makes a lot of sense when you think about it. The extract is going to always give you X amount of sugars. So, in effect you would be working with a "hidden" value which is what your mini-mash efficiency is. Beersmith combines whatever your mini-mash efficiency is with that 100% extract "efficiency" to calculate your overall Brewhouse Efficiency.
Also, note that what you would call "Partial Extract" Beersmith calls "Extract". When using an "Extract" recipe in Beermsmith, the Mash Tab is unavailable and the brewhouse efficiency value does nothing. Again, this is because Beersmith assumes all extract will give you 100% "efficiency". If you are finding that Beersmith is under or over estimating your gravities for "Extract" recipes, you can double click the Extract and change the "Yield" or "Potential" up and down until the recipe matches up with the Original Gravity that you actually got.
--------------------------------
My question to you all, am I right?
Thanks,
Dan