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Mash Profile

NaymzJaymz

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First of all, please forgive me if my question sounds naive, or if it has been answered already. Why does the projected ABV of a recipe change with different mash profiles? I'm finally beginning to get with the program in regards to BeerSmith, and since completing my new system I've updated my equipment profile, but when I when I use my mash profile, which I titled "Herms",  the ABV of my recipe changes(which I've noticed with other mash profile changes) and the Brew Steps instruct me to sparge with 12.48 gallons of water, and then top off for a pre boil volume of 7.97 gallons-- all for the same 5 gallon batch. What did I do wrong? The mistake must be in my mash profile, right? Thanks.
 
NaymzJaymz said:
Why does the projected ABV of a recipe change with different mash profiles?

As mash temperatures approach 150o F, fermentable sugars increase because you're favoring Beta Amylase. As you get up to 156o F, you'll be creating more dextrines because you're favoring Alpha Amylase.

Brew Steps instruct me to sparge with 12.48 gallons of water, and then top off for a pre boil volume of 7.97 gallons-- all for the same 5 gallon batch. What did I do wrong? The mistake must be in my mash profile, right? Thanks.

Your mash profile will set water ratios, temperatures and time. Your equipment profile will set volumes and top up water to achieve your pre-boil volume.
 
Thank you, sir. What about the seemingly outrageous amount of sparge water(12.97 gallons for a 5 gallon batch)? Is that a mistake by me, or a glitch?
 
I would look at the equipment profile. Make sure the volumes for everything are accurate. It seems like there is a dead space issue that's adding the extra water.
 
Posting a file would help people to diagnose your problem. Otherwise it is just guessing. Post your equipment and mash profiles or a recipe that includes them.

--GF
 
Herms


Grain Weight Basis: 10 lbs
Grain Temperature: 152.0 F
Tun Temperature: 152.0 F
Batch Sparge: FALSE
Batch Sparge Percent: 95.00
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F
PH: 5.20


 
Notes: 
Created with BeerSmith


My Equipment 1


Batch Size: 10.00 gal
Mash Volume: 26.00 gal
Boil Volume: 13.17 gal
Mash Tun Weight: 40 lbs
Evaporation Rate: 11.4 % Mash Tun Specific Heat: 0.12 cal/g-deg C
Boil Time: 90 Mash Tun Deadspace: 3.00 gal
Top-up for Boiler: 0.00 gal Equip Hop Utilization: 100.00 %
Losses to Trub/Chiller: 0.50 gal Cooling Loss (%): 4.00
Top up water for Fermenter: 0.00 gal 
Notes: 
Created with BeerSmith




Thanks guys. Tell me what you can. Sorry if the answer is right there, and I can't see it.

 
NaymzJaymz said:
Herms


Grain Weight Basis: 10 lbs
Grain Temperature: 152.0 F
Tun Temperature: 152.0 F
Batch Sparge: FALSE
Batch Sparge Percent: 95.00
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F
PH: 5.20


 
Notes: 
Created with BeerSmith


My Equipment 1


Batch Size: 10.00 gal
Mash Volume: 26.00 gal
Boil Volume: 13.17 gal
Mash Tun Weight: 40 lbs
Evaporation Rate: 11.4 % Mash Tun Specific Heat: 0.12 cal/g-deg C
Boil Time: 90 Mash Tun Deadspace: 3.00 gal
Top-up for Boiler: 0.00 gal Equip Hop Utilization: 100.00 %
Losses to Trub/Chiller: 0.50 gal Cooling Loss (%): 4.00
Top up water for Fermenter: 0.00 gal 
Notes: 
Created with BeerSmith




Thanks guys. Tell me what you can. Sorry if the answer is right there, and I can't see it.

Your batch size is listed as 10 gallons.  You also have 3 gallons of dead space in your mash tun.  With your pre-boil volume at 13.17 gallons (or thereabouts), that gives a water volume of 16.17 gallons, which when added to grain absorption is probably isn't too unreasonable depending upon your grain bill [20.5 gallons -16.2 gallons = 4.3 gallons, 4.3 gallons at 0.96 oz/oz of grain = ~36 lbs of grain -- give or take with the rounding I did.]
 
Thank you. I noticed the 10 gallon batch size before I posted, but I thought that was one of the categories where the default setting was usually kept, at least I thought that's what the tutorial said. Also the correct batch volume of 5 gallons is in the recipe. Perhaps I should have a different equipment profile for each batch size? In other words, maybe I should call this "My Equipment 5 Gallon Batch"? Again it only does this with the Herms mash profile. My mash tun dead space is exactly 3 gallons.
 
Changing my batch size to 5 gallons in equipment profile made no made no difference. It still tells me to fly sparge with almost 13 gallons.
 
If you change the equipment profile outside of the recipe, you will need to update the recipe with the new profile.  BeerSmith treats every recipe as a self-contained archive in order to preserve your previous information.  Any change made inside the recipe will also not affect the profiles in your library of profiles.
 
You need to customize both your equipment profile and mash profiles to fit your system. The profiles included in Beersmith are OK starting points but they are set up for someone else's system.

Customizing means taking several tedious and time consuming steps like measuring your volumes and losses. Not the most exciting things to do but it has to be done to get the most out of Beersmith.

Brad at Beersmith has tutorials for setting up the software but I found this guys videos easier to follow.

https://youtu.be/QmW7pwQP5mQ
 
Thanks guys. Rest assured I watched all the tutorials and have tried to get all the numbers right before I did the post. If you could be a little more specific as to the dialing in of the numbers, ect.  I obviously did something wrong someplace. My equipment profile worked fine(or so it seemed)until I created the new mash profile.
 
Export a recipe with this profile as a .bsmx file and post it here. We can then see the full activity of the profiles and try to determine if there is something off in how the program is calculating your volumes.
 
When you alter an equipment profile you need to reselect it just as you would normally select the profile when constructing a recipe. Until you do this the recipe will keep the old profile.
 
Bob, just a reminder that it was my mash profile that appeared to change things. To review, I created a mash profile "Herms" with no change to my equipment profile.(I added a herms coil to my brew setup, which is of course the equipment in my profile). The brew steps then instructed to fly sparge with 12.97 gallons of water for a 5 gallon batch. There was never any change to my equipment profile. When I switch back to "single infusion, medium body", the sparge volume goes back to a normal 4 gallons. That was the inspiration for this thread. I will keep working on this and follow the advice from you and the other brewers. Oginme I will try to do what you said.
 
Holiday Cheer
American Amber Ale
Type: All Grain Date: 11/8/2017
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal Brewer: James Belton
Boil Size: 7.97 gal Asst Brewer: 
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: My Equipment 1
End of Boil Volume 5.72 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.50 gal Est Mash Efficiency 79.2 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes: 
Ingredients


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Great Western 2 Row (2.1 SRM) Grain 1 88.1 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 2 3.7 %
2.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 3 0.9 %
1.00 oz Ginger Root (Boil 60.0 mins) Herb 4 -
2.00 oz Cascade [6.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 44.7 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 6 -
3.00 oz Orange Peel from 4 oranges (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 7 -
0.50 oz Saaz [2.40 %] - Boil 2.0 min Hop 8 0.0 IBUs
1 lbs Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 9 7.3 %

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.069 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.062 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.2 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.8 %
Bitterness: 44.7 IBUs Calories: 206.7 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 14.3 SRM 
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Herms Total Grain Weight: 13 lbs 10.0 oz
Sparge Water: 12.48 gal Grain Temperature: 152.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 152.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.20


Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 12.48 gal water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: 
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Bottle Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 3.53 oz Carbonation Used: Bottle with 3.53 oz Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage Storage Temperature: 65.0 F
Notes


Created with BeerSmith


My Equipment 1


Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Mash Volume: 26.00 gal
Boil Volume: 7.97 gal
Mash Tun Weight: 40 lbs
Evaporation Rate: 18.8 % Mash Tun Specific Heat: 0.12 cal/g-deg C
Boil Time: 90 Mash Tun Deadspace: 3.00 gal
Top-up for Boiler: 0.00 gal Equip Hop Utilization: 100.00 %
Losses to Trub/Chiller: 0.50 gal Cooling Loss (%): 4.00
Top up water for Fermenter: 0.00 gal 
Notes: 
Created with BeerSmith





 
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