Calculating OG allowing for losses

[Paddington]

I have set up my equipment in both Beersmith and Brewers Friend and have the same problem.

I write a recipe that comes up at, say 1.050 OG for 21 litres in the fermenter. However, due to dead spaces etc, I know that I will need 25 litres in the kettle, so clearly I need to put more grain in to make 25 litres of boiled wort at the same OG. I can do that easily enough by multiplying the grain requirements by roughly 1.2. However, as the point of setting up all the details of your equipment is supposed to be to work everything out for you, I shouldn't have to.

I played around today with both systems expecting if I put a dead space of say 10 litres it would affect the OG of the wort unless I add more grain. However, they correctly adjust the volume of water I need but leave the OG the same. Surely, if I have a 10 litre dead space, I am making 10 litres more wort with the same grain so the OG has to be adjusted by the software?

[MashBag]

I gave up on all that BS years ago. Brew it yourself you will learn more and understand it better.

'BS' = brewing software - oops

[Paddington]

It just seems a glaring error which makes me think I'm missing something. But I am thinking that just keeping my own records will be just as good.

[WalesAles]

Pad,
How can you have 10ltr dead space?

WA

[IPA]

I have set up my equipment in both Beersmith and Brewers Friend and have the same problem.

I write a recipe that comes up at, say 1.050 OG for 21 litres in the fermenter. However, due to dead spaces etc, I know that I will need 25 litres in the kettle, so clearly I need to put more grain in to make 25 litres of boiled wort at the same OG. I can do that easily enough by multiplying the grain requirements by roughly 1.2. However, as the point of setting up all the details of your equipment is supposed to be to work everything out for you, I shouldn't have to.

I played around today with both systems expecting if I put a dead space of say 10 litres it would affect the OG of the wort unless I add more grain. However, they correctly adjust the volume of water I need but leave the OG the same. Surely, if I have a 10 litre dead space, I am making 10 litres more wort with the same grain so the OG has to be adjusted by the software?

Use Graham's calculator on this forum and if you are expecting 75% efficiency it will come out bang on

[Paddington]

I have set up my equipment in both Beersmith and Brewers Friend and have the same problem.

I write a recipe that comes up at, say 1.050 OG for 21 litres in the fermenter. However, due to dead spaces etc, I know that I will need 25 litres in the kettle, so clearly I need to put more grain in to make 25 litres of boiled wort at the same OG. I can do that easily enough by multiplying the grain requirements by roughly 1.2. However, as the point of setting up all the details of your equipment is supposed to be to work everything out for you, I shouldn't have to.

I played around today with both systems expecting if I put a dead space of say 10 litres it would affect the OG of the wort unless I add more grain. However, they correctly adjust the volume of water I need but leave the OG the same. Surely, if I have a 10 litre dead space, I am making 10 litres more wort with the same grain so the OG has to be adjusted by the software?

Use Graham's calculator on this forum and if you are expecting 75% efficiency it will come out bang on

I'm tempted to agree. Unless anyone convinces me there is something I'm missing, I will pretty much be giving the big software guys a swerve.