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BeerSmith and the Anvil 10.5

DadFrack

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I am new to BeerSmith and the Anvil 10.5. Looking to do my first all grain brew with the Anvil. I have found several stout recipes I want to try. My problem is when I use the scale button to change the original to the anvil. Most recipes show more grains than the anvil will take. The scale button changes values but is not getting the grain down to the 16lb or less the anvil will take. So, what am I doing wrong? I am using the standard equipment profile that comes with BeerSmith 3. Do I need to change settings? Am I not pushing the right button? Any help would be much appreciated.  THANKS
 
OK, let's get some details.

What is the OG of the original recipe you are scaling?  The total weight of the grain bill?  Batch size?  The brew house efficiency of the recipe (if listed)?

What is the brew house efficiency in your equipment profile? What is your target batch size?

Once we can see the numbers and figure out approximately how the recipe should scale, then we can see what might be driving the issue or if it is at all possible with the Anvil.


 
Would like to do a thin Mint stout found on Beer Smith. The OG on the recipe is 1.046. The weight of the grain is shown as 36.5lbs. The original batch size is 10 gal. The BH efficiency is shown as 72%. The equipment BH efficiency is set at 72%. I am looking to make a 5gal. batch. When I scale using the anvil 10.5 under equipment it reduces the grain from 36.5 to 19.15. According to Anvil the grain basket will only take 16lb of grain. This is my issue.  Again I am very new to this and appreciate you taking the time to help.
 
Since this is your first all-grain brew on the Anvil and you really don't know where your efficiency will come out don't sweat the actual numbers, especially since this is your firs tall-grain brew on the Anvil.

I am guessing that this is the Thin Mint Stout recipe on the BeerSmith Cloud.

The recipe on my end comes out with an OG of 1.096, so this is a high gravity brew.  I have always expected my efficiency to drop as the gravity gets up over 1.080 or so and plan on that.  At least in my opinion, this is pretty ambitious for your first all-grain attempt.

Having said that, anecdotal information from other people with the 10.5 Anvil have them being able to fit up to 19.5 lbs of grain into their Anvil with some work.  You may need to change your mash volume versus sparge to get everything to fit right.  The other aspect to look at is that of your fermentables, approximately 1 lb of that will be the lactose, which is a boil addition and not in the mash.  So this gives a little relief on your grain bill for the mash. 

Alternatively, you might want to consider would be to cold steep some of the roasted grains (roasted barley and chocolate malts) which will give you additional volume in the mash tun.  The wort from the cold steeped grains can be added at the end of the mash. 

Another option would be to cap the mash with these malts, so you would mash those malts which need conversion (brewer's malt, Vienna malt and flaked barley) and then add the dark grains at the end of the mash just before you do a mash out.  My experience is that you don't usually get as much of the color or potential when doing this, but considering the low potential of the malts it might not make that much of a difference.

When I got my Anvil (6.5 gal), my first brew was a Scottish ale since that is a lot easier for the grain bill and more forgiving in the gravity. 

Best of luck and let the community know if you have any other questions







 
Thank you very much. will explore the options and give it a try.
 
I just watched a Youtube video where they tested the Anvil 10.5 capacity and were able to brew a barleywine using 20lbs of grain. They did experience stuck recirculation during the mash but found a way to work around that problem.

https://youtu.be/plaATj7DcQc
 
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