Help with Beersmith gravities

[Jonnycheech]

Ok so I have been brewing with AG a little less than a year and I still can't get my head around what's going on with the gravities.

My set up is a three pot system. I batch sparge as I have no sparge arm as of yet. Usually I brew a medium body beer and I'll mash in @ around 74C to get a step temp of about 66C, raise temp after 75 mins to around 75C and hold for 5 mins. I'll then add my first addition of sparge water @ around 75C, stir and perform a vorlauf until the grain bed has compacted and then drain off a few litres. I'll then add the rest of the sparge water and drain until I have my pre-boil volume.

My mash efficiency tends to be in the high 70's, although Beersmith says I should be hitting low 80's. My end of running gravity varies between 1.025 - 1.038 for beers that usually have an OG of around 1.050-1.065. Are these numbers correct? What is a good end of running gravity? Mine seems a tad high.

Also my pre-boil gravity tends to be a few points lower than what Beersmith anticipates, but my after-boil O.G. tends to be a good few points higher than what Beersmith anticipates, so my Brewhouse efficiency is coming in around 82% usually. I'm definitely entering the correct boil time, all the boil volumes and it is not even a crazy rolling boil.

Am I missing something? Why are my readings off compared to Beersmith. Any help appreciated!!!!

[DEMPSEY]

I take the beersmith as a close guide but your own equipment and your process will determine your own return. If you sparge and drain a little slower you might effect your %.

[Qs]

Also my pre-boil gravity tends to be a few points lower than what Beersmith anticipates, but my after-boil O.G. tends to be a good few points higher than what Beersmith anticipates

I get that too with the preboil gravity, though my OG is usually correct or close now but I've been tweaking my beersmith efficiency for a while. If you are getting 82% efficiency then you should your BS to that so you can create recipes more accurately.

Batch sparging can vary too. I get better efficiency if stir the mash more. And I'm not anal enough to always stir the same every brewday. Another thing that effects my mash efficiency a bit is the PH. Thats something I'm working on getting consistently where I want it at the moment.

[Leann ull]

its also grain dependant, the more brews you do the better feel you get for efficiency. Do you have the grain and equipment temp button ticked?
75 mins is long.
Don't get hung up on efficiency leave that to the pros unless you are aiming for 1050 and get 1060 regularly.

[Jonnycheech]

its also grain dependant, the more brews you do the better feel you get for efficiency. Do you have the grain and equipment temp button ticked?
75 mins is long.

No I didn't have this ticked actually. Should this affect things considerably?

I started to go to 75 mins as my efficiency wasn't great at 60 mins, 75 mins made a big difference.