Equipment

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 + button

  2. Enter Basic Settings:

    • Name your equipment profile

    • Set batch size (fermenter volume)

    • 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 Size: Target volume into fermenter (liters/gallons)

  • 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

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

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

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

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

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