Web Based Brewing Software

jtaylorq · 03-30-2011, 06:22 PM

Hey guys,

How much would everyone pay (per month) for a web-based version of Beersmith that gave you all the functionality from anywhere you had an internet connection, but also had a completely automated mash and boil timer/countdown instead of just cranking out a printable brewsheet?

-Justin

**diatonic** · 03-30-2011, 08:54 PM

I wouldn't want to pay monthly for something like that. I currently use BeerSmith on my computer, the upload my recipes to BrewBlogger. Then I put all of my brew logs in BrewBlogger.

On brew day I use BrewTimer to keep track of boil additions from my phone. I just can't see myself subscribing to a service which I pay for monthly to do that.

Flywheel · 03-30-2011, 08:59 PM

I agree with diatonic.

diatonic, are you using pythagorean tuning? .... ahhh.....sorry too many music theory classes ...

**509inc** · 03-30-2011, 09:20 PM

I'm not down with software as a service. I would never pay a monthly fee for a brew software.

**diatonic** · 03-30-2011, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flywheel

...
diatonic, are you using pythagorean tuning? .... ahhh.....sorry too many music theory classes ...

You should win some kind of award for being the first Internet person to pick up on the meaning of this nickname I've used for about 12 years.

I'm a classically trained pianist. My mom has her masters degree in piano pedagogy, and my brother has his phd in music, and is a viola professor.

jtaylorq · 03-30-2011, 09:58 PM

So, you guys hate the idea of a web-based software that matches and exceeds BeerSmith's functionality or the monthly fee?

**diatonic** · 03-30-2011, 10:24 PM

Well, there's a few things I don't link about it. Even a small monthly fee would be more expensive than BeerSmith quickly. I also don't like that you refer to it as a "web-based version of Beersmith" when you have no rights to BeerSmith. I would have received it better if you called it "web based brewing software."

There are a lot of free web-based brewing apps. I would need to see what you have to offer before commenting on what it is worth.

What BeerSmith does, it does very well. Brad has worked hard on it, and is rolling out a new version in the coming months.

I also didn't like that your first post on this board was "how much would you guys be willing to pay (per month) for a web-based version of Brad Smith's brewing software?"

**Revvy** · 03-30-2011, 10:27 PM

I wouldn't pay anything for something like that since Beercalculus is free.....Even though I use beersmith now I only made the jump to it because originally you couldn't save recipes, but a month after I bough Beersmith beercalculus added a save feature....so no, I don't see folks paying for an online brewing software where beercalculus and a bunch more are free. Including beer times which I even have on my phone for free and never use because I usually just use my digital timer.

jtaylorq · 03-30-2011, 10:45 PM

Fair enough guys. I apologize if I ruffled any feathers, but the guys in my brew club have been rumbling for months about how frustrating it is to have to keep using a software that looks circa 1995 and to only have it available on PC.

One of the guys in the group, and myself, was just wondering what other brewers thought about the idea of something web based. Thanks for all the replies.

**diatonic** · 03-30-2011, 10:50 PM

I probably came off more curt than I intended to. I've run BeerSmith 1.4 on Mac and Linux under Wine (though the internet explorer dependence makes it more of a pain than it should be.)

BeerSmith 2 is currently being beta tested on Mac & Windows and is expected to release in a couple of months.

I agree that the UI is not the prettiest, but it makes a lot more sense to me than others I have tried. Beer Tools Pro, Pro Mash, etc. I even bought Brew Pal for my iPhone, and while pretty, is not very intuitive.