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Equipment setup in BS2

devils4ever

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I just upgraded to Beersmith 2 and I have a few questions on setting up the equipment profile.

1. I'm using an 8-gallon SS pot for my mash/lauter tun. I have a false bottom that contains about 1.6 gallons under it. However, I can recover almost all of this water. It's not deadspace, it's foundation water or slack water. In any case, I can't figure out how to get this set correctly in BS2. If I claim it's deadspace, all the water volumes are off.

2. For my mash profile, I have selected: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Full Body. When I go into the Mash tab, it shows Fly sparge. I'd like to change it to Batch sparge but it is grayed out and I can't change it. Is there a way?

Thanks.
 
I would fill your mash/lauter tun up with water and then drain out as much as you usually would.  Either measure what is left and use that number or record the difference in amount of water added and amount of water recovered as your dead space.  When you build your mash profile, you may want to increase the water to grain ratio a bit to compensate for the amount of water under your false bottom, or add this amount of water in as a separate step, so that you have enough water in your mash to convert and extract efficiently.

On your mash profile, check to make sure that the profile is not set for a BIAB mash.  Having this checked will turn off the sparge option.
 
Ok. I guess that makes sense, but it would be nice to have a foundation or slack water option.

I think I got it. I found if I click on the checkmark box next to the mash profile, it give me options. So, I checked the Batch Sparge option and it gives me 3 steps: Drain mash tun, 2.4 gal, 1.0 gal. I don't want to drain mash tun. I want 2 steps. I don't have the "Drain Mash tun" option checked. What's up with that?

 
Regarding the mash volume, you can simply start the mash profile using your preferred liquor to grist ratio. Once the recipe is settled, just add the foundation water volume to the strike water amount. BeerSmith will show you the new liquor to grist ratio and adjust the sparge volume.

The directions you're given for batch sparging come from the mash tun size specified in the equipment profile and your preboil volume. Make sure that the mash tun volume is correct. Then, in the sparge options, make sure that the percentage of fill you want is at or above 90%

If you want two steps, then step one is certainly going to be draining the mashtun.
 
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