BIAB setup

I've just registered BeerSmith and am trying to setup my equipment. I use a 40l electric urn and the BIAB method. I have set my target volume to be 23l and the calculated boil volume is just short of 32l. I have been happily using 32l to start with over the last few brews so this ties in nicely. However, when I review the brewsheet it suggests a sparge step with nearly 5 litres of water. I'm confused!

I've had a look through the forum and can't find an answer, apologies though if it has been answered before.

Cheers
Welly

welly,
        For all things BIAB check out http://www.biabrewer.info/ Many people there use BeerSmith and can help you out. There is some help on this site if you can find it. Also BIAB features will be forth coming in the new BeerSmith. Right Brad?

Thanks for the reply Bob.

I am already a member of biabrewer (just not a very vocal one!) and have enjoyed your posts - I'll have another hunt around on there. I guess I was just wondering if I'd set BeerSmith up wrong. I've seen Brad's comments on here about adding more to the next version for BIAB, I just wasn't sure if that would be more of a convenience feature or that the current version can't really cope with BIAB.

I've been happily BIAB brewing for the last year or so but recently thought that it would be more interesting to "know" what my OG and FG will be rather than looking with great expectation at the hydrometer, hence my purchase of BeerSmith.

Cheers

Welly

Welly,

      I am no expert with BeerSmith. I use it more for inventory and printing brew sheets. (sorry Brad) I am a lazy (and sloppy) brewer and I still make great beer. I just don't get too worked up over numbers unless it's money. I was in a contest where we had to brew with grocery store items. I choose dried instant potato flakes, tapioca and sugar. It took 6th place but was infected and was quite funky. It sat around in my garage waiting to be dumped. Last week I was going to dump it on the flowers and on a whim I took a swig. To my surprise it was now drinkable! It's now called an "open fermented Belgian".

      So to make a long story short (to late) Even if you miss your temps, screw up your amounts, and your fermentation temps are wrong. The beer does it's best to (self brew) to compensate. Maybe the the most important ingredient is TIME?

BIAB forever!

Just in case anyone else stumbles across this thread. I think I have solved my problem thanks to searching around on the aussiehomebrewer.com forum.

If you set tun losses to zero in your equipment setup then it works as I expected with no sparge water added. You then just need to adjust the amount of water in the mash schedule to match whatever the calculated boil volume is.

I haven't used BeerSmith in anger yet, but from playing around with sample recipes and previous brews it all seems to be working now.

Cheers

Welly