Equipment/Sparge Mismatch

[jpalmersdc]

I have added a 16 gal. stainless steal mash tun with a false bottom in the equipment section of BeerSmith 3. This mash tun has a recoverable dead space loss of 3 gallons. I have also used the "Batch Sparge" profile in BeerSmith. When this profile is added to a recipe the instructions on the sparge tell me to 1. Drain the mash tun. 2. Add 2.47 gallons of  168 degree water for the sparge. Well, if I have a 3 gallon dead space below the false bottom how can I batch sparge with only 2.47 gallons of water when all of the wort has been drained out? Obviously this 2.47 gallon addition is simply going to stay in the dead space below the false bottom leaving no water to sparge with?  Any ideas on what might be missing or an incorrect entry in the software? Information on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks - Jeff -

 

[Oginme]

Dead space in the mash tun (recoverable or not) really only affects the calculation of the initial strike water volume and temperature.  After that, the program really does not have this volume included.  Additionally, the calculation of sparge water is basically a variable for the program to balance the water demand in the process in order to balance out all the water inputs which are user fed to the system.  As the brewer, it is up to me to look at the values which are spit out by the program and either adjust or rationalize them for my process by manipulating the values I have input or managing my process to make the system work. 

So, if I were in your shoes with your process, I would look at two different options.  The first would be to adjust the water to grain ratio to provide for a greater requirement for sparge water.  The second, and probably the one that I would be more likely to employ is to drain the mash tun down to attain a known amount of first runnings in the boil kettle and then adding the sparge water.  Since the image you posted is too low res to see clearly on my computer I am making up numbers for the example below.

For example, if I had a strike water value of 8 gallons (3 being dead space) and I had 1 gallon to grain absorption, I would drain the mash tun to get approximately 4 gallons of wort in the boil kettle and then add in the sparge volume.

 

[Kevin58]

When batch sparging you ideally want equal volumes with you first runnings and your second, sparge runnings. So as Oginme says, adjust your water to grain ratio but also keep an eye on achieving equal runnings while doing so.

One other thing... Are you simply using the mash tun profile as provided in the program or did you customize it to fit your particular tun? Do you know that there is three gallons of dead space? Do you have a pickup tube to recover some of that volume? If so, how much is recoverable? If the answer to the first question is yes and you haven't actually measured your volumes then you are in for some frustrating brew days using Beersmith.

The profiles provided with the software were submitted by users. They are great profiles... for that particular user. You however will use that same piece of equipment differently. So it is very important that you measure all of your volume losses and prepare a customized equipment profile. Below are a couple of links to equipment profile tutorials. I like the first from Short Circuited Brewers best but the one from Brulosophy also has value. In addition I will included the Brulosophy mash profile setup which you will want to replicate.

https://youtu.be/HwEbjOt8OR8

https://youtu.be/QmW7pwQP5mQ

https://youtu.be/CZ0TFtMnzxs

 

[jpalmersdc]

Dead space in the mash tun (recoverable or not) really only affects the calculation of the initial strike water volume and temperature.  After that, the program really does not have this volume included.  Additionally, the calculation of sparge water is basically a variable for the program to balance the water demand in the process in order to balance out all the water inputs which are user fed to the system.  As the brewer, it is up to me to look at the values which are spit out by the program and either adjust or rationalize them for my process by manipulating the values I have input or managing my process to make the system work. 

So, if I were in your shoes with your process, I would look at two different options.  The first would be to adjust the water to grain ratio to provide for a greater requirement for sparge water.  The second, and probably the one that I would be more likely to employ is to drain the mash tun down to attain a known amount of first runnings in the boil kettle and then adding the sparge water.  Since the image you posted is too low res to see clearly on my computer I am making up numbers for the example below.

For example, if I had a strike water value of 8 gallons (3 being dead space) and I had 1 gallon to grain absorption, I would drain the mash tun to get approximately 4 gallons of wort in the boil kettle and then add in the sparge volume.

 

[jpalmersdc]

Thank you very much for your reply.
The answer seem to be in the water to grain ratio.
As an FYI I did customize my equipment in the profile.
I'll certainly give this a go.
Again, much appreciated.
-Jeff-