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Water/Grain Ratio

soflabrewer

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Jan 22, 2013
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Hello all. Fairly new to BeerSmith. 

I have a question about the water to grain ratio displayed in the mash step window. The program had me strike with 14.63qts of water to 8.5 lbs of grain. I see this as a ratio of 1.72qt/lb. BeerSmith shows this as 1.25qt/lb. It looks like the program is only taking into account 10.63qts. Where is the program hiding the additional 4qts? Grain absorption is 4qts and mash tun dead space is 4qts.  Is one of these losses the culprit? I'm still trying to understand how the program comes up with its numbers. Can anyone shed some light on this please? Slainte.
 
Mash tun dead space.

The water grain ratio only applies to the grain. Dead space is the volume under the lauter screen.  This water is not in contact with the grain so it doesn't contribute to the thickness (or thinness) of the mash.

14.63 - 4 = 10.63

10.63 / 8.5 =1.25

 
Thanks Tom. That's kinda what I figured.

Now that brings up another general question. I am using a rectangular cooler with a rectangular manifold. I don't have much grain that is not in contact with water during mashing so my water to grain ratio is fairly true. I do, however, leave wort behind during lautering. While this may not be deadspace as you describe, it is a loss of liquid to the kettle. Should I just recover this loss during sparge to preserve the water to grain ratio during the mash?
 
Could the grain adsorption also account for some of this?
 
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