Question on "batch tweaks" verses ""planned recipie"

Hi,
I have been using Beersmith for (beersmith2) for planning my beers (I currently do BIAB or Extract)- I really like it to guide me but feel either I am missing how to use it at a couple of points - or there seems to be a couple of things lacking

My problems focus on "Batch adjustments"

Sorry if this gets long winded but the thought process is as follows:

I am working on hitting my targets but find the challenge is how to address missed numbers

Suppose my mash efficeiency was low/high and/or I did not squeeze my BIAB as much (or more)  thus instead of X liters at SG Y I get A liters at SG B

The volume can be adjusted easy enough (add water or boil it down a little extra)

but..
if the SG is off and I boil down to a set volume I will have the wrong OG
Or I boil down to a volume that gives me a specific OG

Either way my hop utilzation is going ot be off ( Sanity question!! Would the variance be enough to worry?)

The only way to calculate the "adjust" is to modify the actual recipie - which seems silly as I want to track what i started with not some simulated starting recipie that may get me to a similar current situation

When I enter my SG and Volume i would want an additional "Brewday HOP TAB" to see what the bitterness would be like if I used my planned hop scedule then to have a slider/input section that could provide the tweaks such that the original hop schedule is adjusted (but not changing the original recipie just a "drew day actual hop schedule")

"After some time come bottling day"

It seems the sugar calculation is based on the "batch size" - which I understand as "into the fermentor" as thats the way the math seems to work for water volume calculations..

However - I may take several samples,there are trub/transfer losses ect such that my final bottling volume will be less than the "batch size"

So now the calculation is off - to adjust it I have to go back and actually modify the batch size - which of course throws all the numbers and caluclations of the beer it self off - just to get a sugar calc (then I 'd best remeber to change the batch size back)

Shouldnt the sugar calculation be based off the actual measured bottling volume?

Or provide the "est" and "measured" values as the program does for various other things.

Help and guidance is appreciated if either I am doing somethign wrong and/or someone has figured out the "workaround"

Whew!  Lots of questions in there. 

We all struggle with the lack of a "batch" concept.  Everyone has found a different workaround, but all the different variations I know about involve making a copy of the recipe when you start to brew a new batch.  I use the copy-to-brewlog function.  Then I update the recipe as I go based on measured values. 

As far as post-fermentation losses go, I just adjust my batch size up a bit to allow for those losses.  I make "6 gallon" batches into the fermentor...in order to have 5 gallons into the keg, and I'll bottle a quart or two depending on the process losses.

Again, if you "copy-to-brewlog" then you don't have to worry about putting measurements back at the end. 

You're worrying too much. If you miss your preboil by a couple points it's not going to throw your IBU off by a large amount. I just went from concentrated boils in a 5.5 gallon pot to diluted boils in a 7.5 gallon pot (that's a lot more than missing your preboil by a few points) and the hops adjustment wasn't that great.
If you want something that will mess with your IBU worry about the age and storage of your hops.

Yes I think carbonation should be based off measured volume. Brad suggested he could make that happen. Until then I adjust my fermenter losses to make the estimated volume match the measured. You can also use the carbonation tool.

You do want to adjust the actual recipe because that is the record of what actually happened. That is what will likely happen when you brew it again.

Tom, we don't all struggle with the batch concept. After picking the brains of those wanting batch vs recipe I've decided I'll go to a different program if there's no way to ignore it and keep BeerSmith acting like the brewing program I started with.

Myk,

We've had this conversation.  I see no need to hijack someone else's topic to rehash it.