Query About Using Beersmith

[Crusty]

85 :huh:

One too many Ales.
I think 75 was as high as I used to go when batch sparging.
I Biab now so haven't sparged for quite some time. 85 is way too high.
I was muddling myself up with my mash out temp which I used to heat my strike water up to near boiling so suggested 85 would be fine.

 

[Truman42]

Couldn't it use the same formula it works out the strike water calculation on? It seems to work that out correctly. Just change the grain and vessel temp from the 22c (or what ever setting you have used in the software) to the temp of the last step in the mash? My only guess is Brad/ software programmers don;t want to tell brewers to add really hot water.

That's exactly my point Kev.
If it can work out your strike temp based on grain temp etcwhy can't it do the same for sparge temps. Instead you have to manually calculate it. Not a problem for me as I do a mash out step at 76C and so strike temp is around 80C to allow for a little loss when transferring from HLT to MLT.
I then recirculate through my herms at 76C.
But for those who don't raise to mash out they have to work out their strike temp manually.
Or use brewmate.

 

[browndog]

Couldn't it use the same formula it works out the strike water calculation on? It seems to work that out correctly. Just change the grain and vessel temp from the 22c (or what ever setting you have used in the software) to the temp of the last step in the mash? My only guess is Brad/ software programmers don;t want to tell brewers to add really hot water.

No, because people sparge at such differing speeds depending on their systems and some people drain then sparge others add sparge water first then drain, I think it would be all guesswork unless you knew the minutia of everyone's sparking techniques.

 

[Truman42]

No, because people sparge at such differing speeds depending on their systems and some people drain then sparge others add sparge water first then drain, I think it would be all guesswork unless you knew the minutia of everyone's sparking techniques.

Yeh but shouldn't the strike water for the batch sparge be calculated based on the last mash step temp and desired sparge water temp?
So if your last mash step was at 67C what temp does your batch sparge water need to be to raise this up to your desired sparge temp of say 76C.

 

[bum]

So if your last mash step was at 67C what temp does your batch sparge water need to be to raise this up to your desired sparge temp of say 76C.

Are you mashing out? Do we care about grainbed temp after mashout (tannin extraction aside)? We just want our sparge water to be a certain temp to promote good flow, right?

 

[Truman42]

Are you mashing out? Do we care about grainbed temp after mashout (tannin extraction aside)? We just want our sparge water to be a certain temp to promote good flow, right?

Good point Bum. I suppose it wouldn't matter what the grain bed temp is.

What about those that add there sparge water to the mash without a mash out to the kettle first? Excuse my ignorance as I don't know much about that process but I do recall reading about it.
I suppose its not a very popular method so not worth beersmith allowing for it.

 

[bum]

Good point Bum. I suppose it wouldn't matter what the grain bed temp is.

Not necessarily a good point at all. I phrased most of those statements as questions as they are my understanding but I do not know that this understanding is 100% correct. My practice is very much gist-based.

 

[glaab]

I read the OP and thought it wasn't calc'ing mash out ,
I thought you was just after this

 

[QldKev]

I read the OP and thought it wasn't calc'ing mash out ,
I thought you was just after this

View attachment 59610

The main difference, you have an infusion step for mash out into the mash profile. As I mentioned back in post #13 this issue is if you don't have either a mash infusion or temperature step in the mash regime.

If you did not perform the infusion step to heat it up, and go straight into the sparge routine. This is what is currently produced on mine,






Hence following BeerSmith instructions we would be batch sparging with 75.6c water onto a 66c mashbed, resulting in a 69c (approx) overall sparge step temp.


I personally always have a temperature step in the mash profile, but I know at least one local brewer who does not have the final step to save time on brew day.


QldKev

 

[np1962]

Is it actually necessary to raise your grain bed temp to 75.6C?
In a homebrew situation is this actually achieving very much?

For me the answer to both those questions is No.

If you believe the answer is yes then add a mash out step to your routine, either by infusion, decoction or heating.

Don't stress either way.

FYI... I sometimes do and I sometimes don't. Depending on how high my CBF meter is reading that particular brew day.
Cheers
Nige

 

[browndog]

Yeh but shouldn't the strike water for the batch sparge be calculated based on the last mash step temp and desired sparge water temp?
So if your last mash step was at 67C what temp does your batch sparge water need to be to raise this up to your desired sparge temp of say 76C.

Here is what Brad Smith said an answer to a question similar to yours.

"Hi,
If you make a copy of the existing batch profiles and add a "mash out" step similar to the ones you see in the other profiles you can have BeerSmith do the calculation for an infusion needed to raise the grain bed temperature before sparging"