Equipment

Configure equipment profiles with batch volume, efficiency, losses, and boil-off settings for accurate recipe calculations.

Setting up your equipment profile

Overview

Equipment profiles define your brewing system's physical characteristics and efficiency settings. Accurate equipment profiles are essential for proper recipe scaling, water calculations, and achieving your target volumes and gravities.

How to Use

1. Create Profile: Go to Profiles → Equipment → tap the + button

2. Enter Basic Settings:

   • Name your equipment profile

   • Set batch volume and batch volume target

   • Enter boil time

   • Input efficiency percentage

3. Configure Losses:

   • Trub/chiller loss

   • Fermenter loss

   • Mash tun dead space

4. Set Boil-off Rate: Enter your typical evaporation per hour

5. Save: Tap save to store the profile

6. Apply to Recipe: Select this profile when creating or editing recipes

Key Settings

Volumes

• Batch Volume Target: Choose whether batch volume should match the final fermenter volume or the hot end-of-boil kettle volume (Post-Boil Volume)

• Batch Volume: Your target volume based on the selected batch volume target

• Boil Size: Pre-boil volume in kettle

• Fermenter Top Up: Water added directly to fermenter

Efficiency

• Brewhouse Efficiency: Overall system efficiency (65-75% typical)

• Mash Efficiency: Conversion efficiency in mash (often 5-10% higher than brewhouse)

• Efficiency Type: Choose between "Fermenter" or "Kettle" based on your measurement point

Losses

• Trub/Chiller Loss: Volume left in kettle after transfer (liters/gallons)

• Fermenter Loss: Volume left in fermenter after packaging

• Mash Tun Dead Space: Unrecoverable volume below mash tun outlet

Evaporation

• Boil-off Rate: Volume lost per hour during boil (liters/hour or gallons/hour)

• Boil Temperature: Adjusted automatically based on altitude if enabled

• Boil Expansion: Volume expansion percentage during boil

Hop Settings

• Hop Utilization Multiplier: Adjusts hop utilization calculation. Normally left at 100%.

• Aroma Hop Utilization: Option to calculate aroma hop utilization separately, with a "Calc aroma hop utilization" checkbox.

• Whirlpool / No-Chill Time: Extra minimum whirlpool or hopstand time.

Volumes (Additional)

• Calc Boil Volume: Toggle to automatically calculate boil volume.

• HLT Deadspace: Hot Liquor Tank dead space volume.

• Sparge Water Overflow: What to do with excess sparge water (default: Top-Up).

• Sparge/Mash Water Volume Limits: Min/max limits for sparge water, HLT water, and mash water volumes, with an enable toggle.

Losses (Additional)

• Mash-Tun Loss: Unrecoverable mash volume (distinct from Mash-Tun Deadspace which is recoverable).

Efficiency (Additional)

• Calc Mash Efficiency: Toggle to automatically calculate mash efficiency.

Water Calculations

• Water/Grain Ratio: Mash thickness (liters/kg or quarts/lb)

• Grain Absorption: Water retained by grain (liters/kg or gallons/lb)

• Sparge Water: Calculated automatically or set custom formula

• Sparge Temperature: Target sparge water temperature.

Advanced Settings

Temperature Settings

• Hop Stand Temperature: Default temperature for hop stand additions (°C/°F)

• Grain Temperature: Default grain temperature for strike water calculations

• Ambient Temperature: Room temperature for heat loss calculations

• Mash Tun Heat Capacity: Thermal capacity of the mash tun (for strike water calculations).

• Calc Strike Water Temperature: Toggle to calculate strike water temperature from equipment settings.

Altitude Adjustment

• Enable to automatically adjust boil temperature based on elevation

• Enter your altitude for accurate calculations

Custom Formulas

• Mash Water Formula: Override default mash water calculation

• Sparge Water Formula: Override default sparge water calculation

• Water Calculation Type: Choose from Default, No Sparge, or Custom

Other

• Description / Notes: Free text notes field for the equipment profile.

Tips for Accuracy

1. Measure Actual Volumes: Track your actual volumes over several batches

2. Calculate Efficiency: Compare expected vs actual gravity to determine your efficiency

3. Account for All Losses: Include losses from transfers, sampling, and equipment

4. Temperature Calibration: Verify your thermometer accuracy

5. Boil-off Test: Measure actual evaporation rate with a water-only boil test

Common Equipment Profiles

All-in-One Systems

• Grainfather G30/G40/G70

• Brewzilla/Robobrew

• Anvil Foundry

• Clawhammer Supply

Traditional 3-Vessel

• HERMS (Heat Exchange Recirculating Mash System)

• RIMS (Recirculating Infusion Mash System)

• Direct Fire Systems

BIAB (Brew in a Bag)

• Single vessel with bag

• Full volume mash

• No sparge method

Extract Brewing

• Simplified profile

• No mash efficiency needed

• Focus on boil volume and fermenter size

Troubleshooting

Missing Target Volume?

• Check boil-off rate

• Verify all losses are accounted for

• Confirm grain absorption rate

Wrong Original Gravity?

• Adjust efficiency percentage

• Check mash efficiency vs brewhouse efficiency

• Verify grain crush quality

Water Calculations Off?

• Review water/grain ratio

• Check dead space volumes

• Verify sparge water settings

Profile Management

• Set as Default: Star/mark an equipment profile as your default.

• Copy: Duplicate a profile.

• Reset: Reset default profiles to factory settings.

Related docs

• Setting Up Your Equipment Profile

• Recipe Designer

• Mash-Tun Calibration