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Beer Smith software

markok

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Nov 9, 2012
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I hit my preboil gravity of 1.068. Post boil gravity as supposed to be 1.077 but instead was 1.058. I think I know what went wrong.

1. My starter contributed 1.5 quarts that I don't think B.S. accounted for.
2. My evaporation rate was less than I programmed. It was only .7 gallons instead of the 1 gallon that I programmed.

Still the above additional water doesn't seem like it would cost me 19 gravity points. I'm trying to figure out what to change in B.S. to account for this so that next time it accounts for all this and I can hit my post boil gravity. I couldn't keep the boil going because it was an IPA and I didn't want to over boil the late hops additions.
 
Assuming no information was omitted, such as you adding a bunch of water post boil, when your post boil is lower than your pre-boil gravity, your measurements are wrong.

You may have misread something
You may not have temperature adjusted something
Something is not calibrated

You also mentioned post boil and your starter.  To clarify terms:

Pre-Boil gravity is the gravity reading after all wort is collected from the mash.  You must stir this heartily to ensure the wort is fully mixed so your sample is most representative.  The reading is adjusted to the calibration temperature of the tool (hydrometer, refractometer).  Usually 60F.

Post Boil gravity is the wort after boil that is cooled to fermentation temperature.  The reading is adjusted adjusted as above.

Starting Gravity is sometimes Post boil gravity and sometimes after the starter is added in the fermenter.  Your starter will not dilute the wort that much.  You can let the starter settle and decant off the beer and pitch mostly yeast if you are worried about dilution.  This sample is also adjusted as above.

I take three independent readings with my SG being after the yeast is pitched.

Cheers!
 
What you say makes perfect sense. Therefore my problem must have been with mashing not the boil. I would then think that my efficiency must be really low. I used 68% in B.S. which is already very low. I mashed at 150 and lost 2 degrees after 1 hour (stirring after ten minutes). I then did the 2 step batch sparge calculate by B.S. I still think I have something incorrectly programmed in B.S. I just haven't figured out what it is yet.
 
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