Hi,
First, excuse my bad English!
I have been thinking that cooling shrinkage in beersmith is a bug. If you change the shrinkage from 0% to 4%, the software compensate the "cooling loss" adding more sparge water, this has no sense for me. I don't understand how a shrinkage that it is not a real loss could be affect the total water needed.
In other words, If I set cooling shrinkage to 0% and I measure post-boil volume at room temperature, beersmith suggest use less sparge volume than if I set cooling shrinkage to 4% and I measure post-boil volume while wort is hot. As consequence, pre-boil gravity also change. How these numbers could be correct? Is the same brewing process, the only thing that change is how I measure post-boil volume. Shrinkage is only important if you are going to precisely measure your water at flame out, but should not be influencing total water needed.
Here you can find similar topics:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=290185
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=225571
http://www.beersmith.com/forum/index.php?topic=8777.0
https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/5l4lyk/cooling_shrinkage_and_gravity_in_beersmith/
What do you think about? I hope you can tell me if I'm omitting something important.
First, excuse my bad English!
I have been thinking that cooling shrinkage in beersmith is a bug. If you change the shrinkage from 0% to 4%, the software compensate the "cooling loss" adding more sparge water, this has no sense for me. I don't understand how a shrinkage that it is not a real loss could be affect the total water needed.
In other words, If I set cooling shrinkage to 0% and I measure post-boil volume at room temperature, beersmith suggest use less sparge volume than if I set cooling shrinkage to 4% and I measure post-boil volume while wort is hot. As consequence, pre-boil gravity also change. How these numbers could be correct? Is the same brewing process, the only thing that change is how I measure post-boil volume. Shrinkage is only important if you are going to precisely measure your water at flame out, but should not be influencing total water needed.
Here you can find similar topics:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=290185
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=225571
http://www.beersmith.com/forum/index.php?topic=8777.0
https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/5l4lyk/cooling_shrinkage_and_gravity_in_beersmith/
What do you think about? I hope you can tell me if I'm omitting something important.