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Deadspace and BeerSmith

B

BrewMe

I'm not sture if this is the correct forum to ask this question but here goes...

I brew with a B3 500, and my MLT has a false bottom.  Under that false bottom is 1-1/2 gallons of liquid, and my question is: is there a way to tell BeerSmith to include this 1-1/2 gallon when it calculates strike and sparge volumes?

Thanks!

Marc
 
In the equipment section there is a space for lauter tun deadspace.

PrOst!
 
I've added the 1.5 gallon to the lauter tun dead space in the equiptment section but it does not seem to change the calculated amount of strike  or sparge water.  Is this a bug in BeerSmith or am I missing something?

Marc
 
Marc,
  The losses are not going to change the amount of strike water - that is because even if the water is in deadspace it still adds heat to the mash tun.  If you want to have a thinner mash to compensate for the deadspace, the best approach is to simply set the water to grain ratio higher in your mash profiles.

Cheers!
Brad
 
I'm not sure I understand...or maybe I'm using the wrong terminology.  I don't lose the wort under the false bottom, so the issue is not losses.  Basically, when BeerSmith tells me to strike with 13.5 qts of water I know I have to add 1.5 gallons of water to the 13.5 because without that extra water (that sits under the false bottom) my grist doesn't get covered.  The water level ends up an inch or so below the top of the grist.  So...I was looking for a way to get BeerSmith to automatically add the 1.5 gallons (I can always do the math myself).  Adding the extra 1.5 doesn't effect the over all product...it's just necessary for the initial strike and mash.

:)

Marc
 
Brew I think what he is trying to say is that that liquid in the dead space is not able to mix with your grain. The heat value of the liquid is the same, but the amount of liquid that will mix with your grain is less. Bumping the water/grain ration will allow there to be more liquid in the grain. This will help keep your grain bed from being to dry. the dead space liquid will still be there but the program will even it out for temp purposes.
 
I agree that adjusting the water/grain ratio would work but this creates a new challange.  Mabye its not an issue...

If you increase the water/grain and correct for let's say 10 lbs of grain in order to add in the extra 1.5 gallons under the false bottom, then when you are mashing 8 lbs or 12 lbs you'll have less or more water - not necessarily 1.5 gals - as we're dealing with the water/grain ratio and not just adding 1.5.  Maybe the difference is not all that much and I shouldn't be concerned with the difference.

Marc
 
I am having the same problem. for me by adding 1 gal. to the loss lauter tun deadspace I end up with 1 gal. to much in the boil pot and my efficiency goes way down. So I have to boil off the extras Gal. and so  this really messes with my recipes as I want to try for a specific gravity so I can copy or have consistency on recipes. I am thinking of trying to leave the Loss To Lauter tun deadspace at '0' then just add 1 gal. from my hot liquor tank to make up the differance, the calculations should be correct.
 
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