Online Mash Calculators

[Morrey]

Is there an online mash calculator that I haven't searched out yet that can help me determine a grain bill and the ABV of the wash that I'll get?

For brewing beers, I use a program called Beer Smith that helps me design recipes. For distilling, I plan to use flaked maize, pale two row malts and some cane sugar if needed to boost potential ABV. Just wondering if there was a program to help with this calc.

[rgreen2002]

You can still use Beersmith I believe but my favorite is http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... alculator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow . It has quite a few grains and I think it helps get me in the ballpark. Plus its free... (limited a little but free)

[Morrey]

You can still use Beersmith I believe but my favorite is http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... alculator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow . It has quite a few grains and I think it helps get me in the ballpark. Plus its free... (limited a little but free)

I'll try that. For some reason when I plugged in flaked maize into BeerSmith the program doesn't want use that grain as a fermentable sugar. Even when I did 10# flaked maize and 5# two row, the OG was only what the two row brought to the table. What did you do to make BS work to give you an OG?

[rgreen2002]

You can still use Beersmith I believe but my favorite is http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... alculator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow . It has quite a few grains and I think it helps get me in the ballpark. Plus its free... (limited a little but free)

I'll try that. For some reason when I plugged in flaked maize into BeerSmith the program doesn't want use that grain as a fermentable sugar. Even when I did 10# flaked maize and 5# two row, the OG was only what the two row brought to the table. What did you do to make BS work to give you an OG?

I only used it once or twice before finding out about Brewer's Friend and that was quite a while ago so I cannot recall. Brewers friend has flaked maize and will certainly give you an sg based on it. I always choose all grain and I bump up my efficiency a little as well (liquid enzymes sure can convert!).

[Morrey]

You can still use Beersmith I believe but my favorite is http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... alculator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow . It has quite a few grains and I think it helps get me in the ballpark. Plus its free... (limited a little but free)

I'll try that. For some reason when I plugged in flaked maize into BeerSmith the program doesn't want use that grain as a fermentable sugar. Even when I did 10# flaked maize and 5# two row, the OG was only what the two row brought to the table. What did you do to make BS work to give you an OG?

I only used it once or twice before finding out about Brewer's Friend and that was quite a while ago so I cannot recall. Brewers friend has flaked maize and will certainly give you an sg based on it. I always choose all grain and I bump up my efficiency a little as well (liquid enzymes sure can convert!).

I am familiar with Brewers Friend and actually use it to calc brew house efficiencies. I'll try that program and see what it calcs my OG to be. I have a dry sachet of amylase enzyme to use in my flaked maize/two row wash. Even though I think the 2 row will probably provide enough diastatic potential to take care of the flaked maize conversion, a teaspoon of amylase cant hurt anything. 7.5G adjusted ph strike water, 10# flaked maize, 5# two row.

[ShineRunner]

Beersmith will work, but so will Brewers friend. I like BF a little more for the overall design and calculators.

In beersmith, you may have to go into the grain details. Mine has a check mark for "not fermentable" that I had to uncheck. Potential is 1.037. May have to set it up as an all grain mash as well? You probably need to set up a new equipment profile which accounts for no boil-off and such. It's a little wonky for making a distillers mash, but once it's set up, it will work.

SR

Edited to add: 50% 2 row is plenty! Most grain bills only need about 20-25% malt to convert itself and the corn. You can figure that out by looking at the diastatic power.. Good luck!

[still_stirrin]

6 of one...1/2 dozen of the other. Both calculators are very useful for formulation. If you use one rigorously and regularly, you can "hone" your brewery efficiency which will help you hit the target gravity time after time.

Only shortfall is that they don't have cracked corn in the databases. They do have flaked corn/maize which is close but I've found that it is overly optomistic (predicts too high OG). But again, through repeated use and adjustment of the extract values (use the custom grain setting), you will get very close.

Great tools for the home brewer and distillers alike.
ss