Greetings: US or UK Gallons?

[Beta B4 Alpha]

Hi all.
Just set up a basic all grain brewing system at home and looking around for recipes to try out.
Are the recipe volumes listed on the BeerSmith website in US or UK gallons? The difference between the two units is about 20%.
Cheers
Peter

[Oginme]

Most of the recipes are probably in US Gallons.  When uploaded the units are set by the user who uploads the recipe based upon their setting in BeerSmith.

Want to change the units, not a problem.  When you download or open a recipe in your version of BeerSmith, the units will convert to the units you have set for your version.  I use metric units, and any recipe I grab off of the BeerSmith web site shows up in liters and kilograms automatically.

[Oginme]

I forgot to add, that recipes will download with the equipment profile of the user who uploaded the recipe.  Once you have teh recipe opened, you can (and should) adjust the recipe to your custom equipment profile.  You can do this by using the 'scale recipe' function, putting in your customized equipment profile for the scaled recipe, and making any adjustment for ending volume if you choose.

[Beta B4 Alpha]

thanks for your reply.
I just sent you a message asking the same question as you were the only other person online at the moment.
I am in Australia so we use the metric system - everything in Litres.
Cheers
Peter

[Oginme]

Just saw the message.  Hopefully the post answers your question.  Let the program do the heavy lifting of conversion for you! 

I am in US, use metric, but conversant in US customary units.  I find myself converting back and forth in my head frequently in my job so having the program convert for me is nice.

Feel free to ask any and all questions.  There are a number of good regulars here who are happy to help!

[Beta B4 Alpha]

Take this recipe as an example.
I boil volume is 6.53 gallons whilst the batch size is 5.00 gallons. (I will assume these are US gallons)
The boil size of 6.53 Gallons is the initial strike volume water
Cheers
Peter

(my new system is custom made so I cant use any of the standard equipment brands)

[Oginme]

Even with the standard equipment profiles on BeerSmith, I highly recommend users take measurements and adjust the equipment profile to better reflect their system and process. 

The boil size is the volume of wort collected from the mash, so it does not represent the initial strike water volume.  The strike water volume is set based upon your equipment profile and your mash profile.  The equipment profile helps to determine the amount of water which will be needed for the mash and sparge, the mash profile will determine the split between the amount of water used in the mash, adjusted for any dead space in the equipment profile, and the sparge water which will be any volume not used for the mash to make the difference between the total water needed and the water used for the mash.

When you scale the recipe to your equipment profile and apply the mash profile which you will use, the volumes used for mash and sparge will adjust automatically to reflect your process.

[Beta B4 Alpha]

Thanks for the response - much appreciated.
I am planning to brew small batches - almost laboratory scale (around 3.7 Liters).
It's a research project that focuses on a new brewing design system so I am collecting performance data using some typical beer styles and recipes.
The actual beer I make at this stage isnt as critical, but I do want to get the general volumes, grain additions, hops etc consistent for comparison purposes later on.
The fermenter is a different design and the mashing stage has some novel inclusions as well.
Thanks again for the assistance.
Cheers
Peter
(Australia)

[Oginme]

As a (former and forever) process engineer, I can understand the need for repeatable variables.  I would highly recommend that you track the following measurements during your first few brews (actually I track them for every brew):  actual water used, mash and sparge; pre-boil volume; post-boil volume; pre-boil gravity; post boil gravity; volume to fermenter; and trub loss from end of boil to fermenter.  From these variables and the calculated efficiency which is found on your 'session' tab once you enter in the measurements, you can calculate out all the actual values for the equipment profile inputs.  It will also give you an idea of how variable your process is.

I have a post on how I developed an equipment profile for my Anvil Foundry AIO system in the equipment topics section where I step through how I develop a profile and the measurements I record along the way.  It may help in understanding how an equipment profile is created and improved.

[Beta B4 Alpha]

We have something in common - I work as a consulting chemical engineer is various industrial sectors which includes the Food processing industry (Dairy and Brewing).

I have a Specific gravity, temperature and pressure monitoring system that data logs via WiFi or Bluetooth. Also take intermittent samples for specific chemical analysis.

One Laboratory scale set up and a small pilot scale set up. Initially I'll be running all the preliminary trails through the lab scale equipment. Then depending on the results shifting the trials to pilot plant.

Cheers
Peter

[Oginme]

Cool!  More than one thing in common.  I spent 25 years in the pulp and paper industry doing everything from process control to technical management to production manager.  I then switched to doing product development for a start-up technology company where we focus on products and technology around manipulation of the electromagnetic spectra from the UV to the long range IR.

On the side, I have a farm of LaMancha dairy goats. 

Best to you!

[Beta B4 Alpha]

Dairy goats?
I remember a Dairy project I was involved with that tackled the problem of Biofilms forming on processing equipment like Plate and Frame heat exchangers, piping etc. Biofouling is a huge challenge in the Dairy processing industry (and in the food industry in general)
   
I make cheese at home and Feta is my favourite. Sheep and goat's milk is difficult to get hold of and more expensive. Unpasteurised and unhomogenised milk even more rare.
I need to add CaCl2 to pasteurised/homogenised cow's milk so that the curd forms and sets properly.

Manipulating the EM spectra for what purpose? Sounds interesting.
Cheers
Peter

[Oginme]

Many goat breeders here in the US do not advertise. Might be the same in AUS.

You may want to check the Dairy Goat Society of Australia to see if they will give you the names of breeders near you.  I only know one personally, and he is in Singleton, NSW. 

[Beta B4 Alpha]

Thanks for the info.
When I make Feta cheese at home I normally use either 4L or 8L of milk so it's not worthwhile driving out to a diary farm for these sorts of volumes. Especially seeing as I live in a big city. Typically Greek Feat cheese is made from 70% Ewe's milk and 30% Goat's milk.

Using cow milk works fine but you need to add a mesophilic culture as well as the liquid rennet.