Recipe way off on brew day

[capjwz]

Anyone have any suggestions on why my numbers were way off on brew day?

I have created many recipes and have never experienced this before I attached my recipe, and here are the differences between the recipe and actual numbers

It seemed like more water volume then wat was need, I?m baffled on how this happened

Post mash volume into the boil kettle 9.5 Gal , recipe was 8.9
Post mash gravity was calculated at 1.066 actual was 1.047
Had to boil it for 2 hours to my target  gravity of 1.078, and was left with 6 gallons not 7.81 the recipe had calculated
Racked into fermenter and ended up with 5 Gallons, Topped off with water to get 6.0 into the fermenter which lowered the gravity to 1.069
I added 1 Lg of Pale DME boiled in .5 Gallons of water which gave me 6.5 Gal into Fermenter and a gravity of 1.074
I hit all my temperatures and volumes, and I can?t figure out what went so terrible wrong

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Kevin58]

It would be much easier to diagnose the issue if you export the recipe as a .bsmx file and upload it here. My first thought at any brew day discrepancy like this always goes to the equipment profile. Did you create one or just click one that was included with the software? If you didn't create a custom profile to fit your specific system then you will be plagued with these kinds of issues. Why not just use the profiles provided? Because most, if not all have been provided by users like you and me. They may work very well for that brewer but you and I, on the same system, will almost always have very different results because of the way we do things. But I digress... upload that .bsmx file and let's see what's under the hood.

 

[xuledywo]

Anyone have any suggestions on why my numbers were way off on brew day?

I have created many recipes and have never experienced this before I attached my recipe, and here are the differences between the recipe and actual numbers

It seemed like more water volume then wat was need, I?m baffled on how this happened

Post mash volume into the boil kettle 9.5 Gal , recipe was 8.9
Post mash gravity was calculated at 1.066 actual was 1.047
Had to boil it for 2 hours to my target gravity of 1.078, and was left with 6 gallons not 7.81 the recipe had calculated
Racked into fermenter and ended up with 5 Gallons, Topped off with water to get 6.0 into the fermenter which lowered the gravity to 1.069
I added 1 Lg of Pale DME boiled in .5 Gallons of water which gave me 6.5 Gal into Fermenter and a gravity of 1.074
I hit all my temperatures and volumes, and I can?t figure out what went so terrible wrong
Find your ideal seaside retreat with apartments for sale in Batroun. Enjoy the coastal charm and breathtaking views of this vibrant Lebanese city. Your dream home in Batroun awaits!
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated

It can be frustrating when your brew day doesn't go as planned, but there are several factors that could explain the discrepancies you experienced:

1. Water Volume: The initial discrepancy in water volume might be due to differences in your equipment or how you measured the water. Ensure your measuring instruments are calibrated and your equipment's dead space is accounted for in your recipe calculations.
2. Efficiency: A lower post-mash gravity could be due to lower than expected mash efficiency. Factors like grain crush, water-to-grist ratio, and mash temperature can affect this. Check if these factors were consistent with your previous brews.
3. Boil Evaporation Rate: The higher-than-expected boil-off rate may be due to differences in humidity, temperature, or boil vigor. Ensure your boil-off rate is consistent for future batches.
4. Final Volume: The lower volume in your fermenter may be due to variations in trub (hop and protein matter) loss or dead space in your equipment. Properly measuring and accounting for these factors can help you achieve the desired final volume.
5. Gravity Adjustments: Adding water and later adding DME can affect the gravity. Ideally, you'd want to make gravity adjustments with malt extract before the boil.
6. Software or Equipment Calibration: Ensure that your brewing software and equipment are correctly calibrated. A small change in equipment setup can lead to significant differences.
7. Ingredients: Double-check your ingredient quality, especially the malt, to make sure it's up to standard.

Consider meticulously documenting your brewing process, measuring equipment, and being consistent in your methods to help identify any potential issues. It's also a good idea to consult with fellow brewers who might have experienced similar challenges and can offer valuable insights.

 

[KB]

Also, malt stats change over time...

 

[stevebonny]

I just sparge until I have the right post mash volume (measured in the kettle). This would take out that error.

 

[Kevin58]

Anyone have any suggestions on why my numbers were way off on brew day?

I have created many recipes and have never experienced this before I attached my recipe, and here are the differences between the recipe and actual numbers

It seemed like more water volume then wat was need, I?m baffled on how this happened

Post mash volume into the boil kettle 9.5 Gal , recipe was 8.9
Post mash gravity was calculated at 1.066 actual was 1.047
Had to boil it for 2 hours to my target gravity of 1.078, and was left with 6 gallons not 7.81 the recipe had calculated
Racked into fermenter and ended up with 5 Gallons, Topped off with water to get 6.0 into the fermenter which lowered the gravity to 1.069
I added 1 Lg of Pale DME boiled in .5 Gallons of water which gave me 6.5 Gal into Fermenter and a gravity of 1.074
I hit all my temperatures and volumes, and I can?t figure out what went so terrible wrong

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated

It's been a long time since I've been to this section of the forum... and I even replied to this one! But I believe it should go in another section. It's a question about a recipe and not a tried recipe for sharing.