My 2 cents after 60 seconds with BS2

Man, I was expecting trouble.  I can see some people's gripe with circular menu tabs, but overall, I think this is going to be a great program.  I had ZERO effort or trouble loading my old profiles and recipes. 

I also like how some of the more important things are in the ribbon bar.  It's as though Brad put all the basics there.  If they are set the way you want them, you are can print the brewsheet and ignite your strike water.  Then the expanding menus let you dig deeper as needed.

I'd say this should be easier for new users and allow experienced users to utilize more features.  I need to read up more about the changes and improvements.  I will brew in 2 weeks and look forward to using it.  Hopefully, I can utilize the new tool even better.

This is all money well spent for me to continue to support the overall best product and hands down best support out there. 

SOGOAK,

Since you appear to be a "Grand Master" I'm wondering if you might take the time to help out a newbie. BS2 is my first brewing software purchase and from what I've seen on the surface I also like it a lot. I also have to mention that I'm somewhat new to brewing and still in the "Partial Extract" mode of my evolution. That said, I've having some issues figuring out the Basic correlations between the Equipment Profile and Recipe Batch size. (And yes, I've seen the video.)

I'd like to nail down the correct approach to the Batch size so BS can guide me to the correct Steep and Boil volumes. I want to hit 6 gallons in my primary fermenter so when I rack off twice I finally hit 5 gallons in the keg.

Where can I get some detail around which values drive the Recipe calculations? For example, since I'm not mashing what does the Mash volume drive on the equipment side?

Please comment...

Sorry for the delay.  I'm only a grandmaster because i post with some frequency and quantity.  I am fairly knowledgable about BS but would say im only using 70% of it.  This takes some tinkering.  You need to know: 

1. How much water your grains are going to take away. - I was steeping as much at 7lbs of grain towards the end of my partial days.  I think it took up at least .5 gallons.
2.  How are you getting the boiled wort into the primary fermentor?  My setup leaves about .5 to .75 gallons behind, but that is hops (whole hops absorb a lot of liquid too) and hot break so I am ok with that.  If you are racking it off you can get almost all of it.
3.  Are you using a Mash or Lauter Tun.  There is a LOT of abosorbtion there.  And chances are you get a little left behind.
4.  How are you chilling?  A Immersion chiller doesn't really take away wort.  But a nice plate chiller will have a bunch inside it and in the tubing.
5. Boil time will also affect it. more evaporation with longer boils.
6. pellet hop crumbs also hold liquid and hop, yeast, and proteins also make the primary seem more full than it its, but it soulds like you plan to loose .5gal on that.

May I suggest a dowel rod or something you can start using as a guage.  I made one that I marked (with a hacksaw) for target post boil volume and target post boil volume with my chiller in. 

The other school of thought is to plug in a few losses for the various things above, aim high.  wouldn't you rather have 64oz extra wort that could be a starter?  Then if you get the volume and efficiency (OG) you want, you can start bringing it down and save a little on extract.

This is one less thing to learn about if you want to move to all grain.  You'll have to recalibrate your equipment, but you'll have the jist of it down.