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Just went over to the Beer Alchemy site, looks good - any complaints?

Has anyone used both Beer Alchemy and Beer Tools?

EDIT - just found the thread comparing the two. Thanks for the replies!
 
Not quite what you want to hear, but I think Beersmith via Parallels is the best option out there.
 
I have heard wonders about Beersmith... unfortunately setting up parallels just for beer software is a little beyond my (wallet's) reach.

Thanks for the suggestion though!
 
I tried both, and just ended my 30 day trial. I have to say that I'm probably going to go with Beer Alchemy, but one thing I did like about BTP was that they had a forum which made me feel connected with other users. I haven't seen that for BA.

Also, try Brewtarget. Why not, it's free, and there's a Mac version (as long as you install the QT libraries first, also free)?! It's a very young project, but it's moving right along.
 
...but one thing I did like about BTP was that they had a forum which made me feel connected with other users. I haven't seen that for BA.

This is a forum and there are many BA users here. :p

I have had correspondence with the developer of BA and he posts here on occasion. He seems very nice and devoted to making improvements and further developing BA.
 
I have heard wonders about Beersmith... unfortunately setting up parallels just for beer software is a little beyond my (wallet's) reach.

Thanks for the suggestion though!

Couldn't you just run BeerSmith through Wine(free). I have done it with Linux just fine. Pretty easy actually. Wine works with OSX but I have no experience with Macs.
 
I use Beer Alchemy and like it very much. I also have emailed the developer, and he replied back to me right away, though he couldn't help my situation. (It had to do with BeerXML importing from BA to BrewBlogger, I guess it's a problem on BrewBlogger's side. Importing BeerXML files from other sources into BA works fine.)

I tried BTP, but I liked the BA interface much better. I also tried Brewtarget when it was still early in it's development, but haven't tried it since purchasing BA.
 
This is a forum and there are many BA users here. :p
Got me there. :)

I have had correspondence with the developer of BA and he posts here on occasion. He seems very nice and devoted to making improvements and further developing BA.
I will say that I've seen him pop in and answer specific questions, and that's a good sign.

That said, so has the Brewtarget developer. Plus, I like that his project lives on in open-source, even if he decides to walk away from the code. That, and the code works on the Mac as well as in Linux and Windows.

BeerTools Pro does have the benefit of running in OS X as well as Windows, so they have a large audience, but I see Beer Alchemy taking that away slowly but surely on the Mac. The BA interface follows Apple design guidelines very well, so it "fits" for a Mac user. BeerSmith, running in Wine/Crossover/Parallels/VMware/Boot Camp still has a Windows feel, not only in its interface but in how it presents data. It just feels like a big MS Access database to me. At least BA feels like its own program, not just a GUI for a Filemaker DB. BTP feels to me like a simplified version of BeerSmith. Not a bad thing. To each his own... :)

I see hints of brilliance in Beer Alchemy, such as Suggest-A-Beer and Shopping. BeerTools Pro has a better looking presentation when printed (I'm a sucker for dead-tree records), and the BBCode export is a nice touch, though I don't see a way to export BeerXML (BA can do that, as well as .rec files). If you use MobileMe, BA can export recipes as webpages and go directly to your site.

I think I just talked myself off the fence and into buying a BA license ($30 for three installs on your own machines). I still would suggest keeping Brewtarget in your sights, though. I like rooting for the underdogs. :mug:
 
Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

. . .Boot Camp still has a Windows feel, not only in its interface but in how it presents data. It just feels like a big MS Access database to me.. . . :mug:

I think you got me on that one... I have been a loyal Mac user for several years now, and it sounds like a Beer Alchemy / Brewtarget combo might be right up my alley.

I'll probably go for that first, then once I advance in my brewing (and my budget) Ill get BTP, see what those super databases everyone keeps talking about are about.

Thanks again!

Corvax
Bald Dog Brew
 
...I have been a loyal Mac user for several years now, and it sounds like a Beer Alchemy / Brewtarget combo might be right up my alley.
I bought my license last week, and the more I play with BA, the more I like what it has to offer. I now have my inventory plugged in, and was able to do a brewday run with one of the recipes I used to test all of the apps.

It'll be worth your time to run through the advanced ("More Details") help to see how the Target/Actual brewday batch setup works. That's one thing I'd like to see with BA, an actual user's guide. I'm not a fan of Help in OS X, as it floats over all app windows (that's one thing that Microsoft got right years ago. But just that one thing!).
 
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