Oddball mash profile issue.

Having a bit of an odd issue with setting up a mash profile.

I'm trying to  set up a Hochkurz step mash for BIAB.

If I manually enter everything, from the initial infustion to the temperature steps, the profile works but the final gravity estimate is off by a pretty large margin.

If I use the 'factory' BIAB step mashes, the final gravity numbers are closer to expected.

What's the difference between one and the other?

Also, if I try to copy and edit the built in profiles, the temperature steps become corrupted.  Instead of a temperature rise, it's calling for an infusion of -.01 gallons, and the instructions for the step also call for an infusion.

Not sure how to fix/proceed with this.

Just for the hallibut, I went in and directly edited the beersmith files with wordpad. Copied the BIAB Pilsner Step Mash profile in place of the profile I created, then manually edited the tags to rename it and reduce the steps to 4, then modified the steps to suit what I was looking to do. Still no dice, the estimated final gravity is still off. Probably not a big deal in the long run but it's making me crazy that I can't create a mash profile that will give me the correct final gravity. 

OK! Finally figured this one out.  Very strange bug.

It's temperature dependent. If your first saccharification rest temperature is below 145.4f (63c)  Beersmith doesn't count it as a saccharification rest, and calculates the F.G. based on the second, higher rest temperature. This only seems to happen if you have multiple saccharification rests. Single Infusions at temps below 145.4 work just fine, even with a mash out temperature step.

This was driving me bonkers.

The issue is that there are few (read: none that I have found) sources of information on multiple steps within the prime conversion zone (145?F to 163?F) and the effect on wort fermentability.  Given no active data to model how this would work, it really cannot be successfully added to the software.  That there is an effect is well documented, but a good study on the mash steps, rest times at those steps and resulting final gravity has not been published.  I think that BeerSmith tends to default to the closest mash step to the prime (153.5?F) mash temperature around which the model for fermentability which is used in the software has been benchmarked.

I completely understand your point. However, what is odd about the program's behavior is that it'll completely ignore the 145 degree mash step, but if you raise it to 145.4 suddenly things change. Seems like there's some sort of cut-off for temperature with multiple steps.  Just unexpected.

As an example:

Dough in at 122F, Maltose rest at 145F for 45 minutes, Dextrinization rest at 160F for 20 minutes results in an estimated FG of 1.016.

Dough in at 122F, Maltose rest at 145.4F for 45 minutes, Dextrinization rest at 160F for 20 minutes results in an estimated FG of 1.007.

Meanwhile, a single infusion mash at 145F for 60 minutes shows an estimated FG of 1.007.

The limits that it sets for determining fermentation quality does not cover 145?F.  This was brought up a couple of years ago and I am surprised that it is not corrected for the current version.  Though, since I don't mash at that low of a temperature, I had not given it another thought.  I think the upper cut off is just below 160?F as well, though I know I get pretty good conversion (and fairly high FG) when I have mashed at 162?F.  There are just so many variables that affect the calculation of FG, I really don't hang too much on that estimated value.