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sumoweasel

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Mar 16, 2008
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Okay so I am frustrated. I have brewed plenty of batches and even come up some recipes on my own. My problem is that I can't find a reference out there to building my recipes and what I should end up with. Is there a website or software out there that I can plug in my ingredients and it will tell me what I should end up with? (Lager, Ale, Pilsner, etc.)

My frustration lies in that the Beersmith demo that I downloaded has you pick a style that you are making, let's say an ale. Then it is free form as for the ingredients (grain, malt, yeast, hops). I want something that if I plug in 60L Crystal Malt, Gambrinus Honey Malt, Munton's DME, Cascade hops, and Mt. Hood with Cooper's Yeast....it will tell me what I should end up with......
 
I don't know of any site or program that will do that, but I've never really looked. As far as I see, there are two ways to go about it, but both require a bit more work.

1. Check out a book like Designing Great Beers that explains history and recipes of classic styles. From those recipes, reverse engineer to your ingredients.

2. Brew a beer with the ingredients you're curious about. Keep it simple: base malt/extract, one specialty grain, one hop. Each time you brew, change one (and only one) element and keep track of how it changes the end product.
 
I used these two links for about a month before I broke down and bought BeerToolsPro. The software is good for determining OG, FG, SRMs and IBUs. As far as what ingredients go into what...the BJCP guidelines give a good overview.

I also second the idea of picking up Designing Great Beers. It has that info as well in addition to some historical notes on each style.


http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.html

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/recipe.html
 
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