Returning HBT'er here!

[bradsul]

Hey everyone! Former MOD for this forum and finally making my way back to the brewing world, it feels like it's been a lifetime!

I'm excited to read about new things going on. It's amazing when I walk into the beer store these days and see things that we were just playing around with back when - on the shelves!

I haven't done a search yet but does anyone know what happened to ProMash? ALL of my recipes are in promash .rec format and I can't find my software installer or license after all this time. Am I SOL? I really hope not!!

Cheers,
Brad

 

[Yooper]

Hey everyone! Former MOD for this forum and finally making my way back to the brewing world, it feels like it's been a lifetime!

I'm excited to read about new things going on. It's amazing when I walk into the beer store these days and see things that we were just playing around with back when - on the shelves!

I haven't done a search yet but does anyone know what happened to ProMash? ALL of my recipes are in promash .rec format and I can't find my software installer or license after all this time. Am I SOL? I really hope not!!

Cheers,
Brad

Hi Brad! Long time, no "see"- and welcome back.

I heard a while back that promash was defunct, but haven't had that confirmed. Most recipes now are in a XML format- can you convert?

 

[Pappers_]

Welcome back, Brad! We've missed you!

 

[bradsul]

Hi Yooper! Good to see you're still around these parts! The avatar looks familiar too!

BeerXml I'm guessing? I remember that was just coming into being (I don't think Beersmith supported it yet) when I had to leave homebrewing. From what I can tell the only converter is from promash text printouts to Xml which I can't create without the software.

I did find an eval installation of promash which won't let me do the export, but at least I can read my recipes off the screen. Might have to do it the hard way and hand enter into Beersmith once I buy it.

 

[passedpawn]

Holy mother, there's a name from the past. Looks like you decided to start brewing again. Hope you didn't throw everything away. Anyway, welcome back, glad to have you, I'll be looking for you around the forum.

 

[kh54s10]

Google search found this for Promash:http://promash.software.informer.com/1.8/

 

[bradsul]

Holy mother, there's a name from the past. Looks like you decided to start brewing again. Hope you didn't throw everything away. Anyway, welcome back, glad to have you, I'll be looking for you around the forum.

Unfortunately I had to get rid of anything with any kind of size. So my mash tun and HLT are gone, all my better bottles and kegs, my kegerator.

I did keep my large boil kettles but even my burner is gone. I kept a bunch of fittings and some ingredients that don't spoil. My monster mill and motor should be kicking around in a box somewhere too. It's going to be a bit of a slog getting back into it but that's half the fun. Though I imagine a lot of what I custom built is just available for purchase now.

The first few brews will be simple extract with steeping grains until I get can a new mash tun built. Though the SO wants a cider so I think I'll use that to re-christen the fermenters.

 

[Homercidal]

You might consider doing BIAB to get re-started. With most any vessel you can add a strainer bag and mash in it, then lift the bag up and let it drain. Super simple and super cheap mash tun. Lots of brewers are doing this now, and with a no-sparge method you only need one vessel (Boil Kettle). I would not be shocked to hear you decide to just keep using that method from now on.

This reminds me to check my steel inventory and see if I can design a simple one-vessel BIAB rig with integrated lifting arm. Something small and portable that can be packed in the trunk and taken to brew days gatherings.

 

[bradsul]

That sounds interesting, I'll have to check it out. I always loved the mash/sparging process though so I can't imagine I'd stay away from it forever. I really enjoyed decoction brewing as well - though I doubt I'd have the time to devote to that these days.

Clearly I'll have to do some research before I get going again. I was originally just going to pick up a new 40L round cooler and a stainless false bottom to do batch sparges.

 

[Homercidal]

That sounds interesting, I'll have to check it out. I always loved the mash/sparging process though so I can't imagine I'd stay away from it forever. I really enjoyed decoction brewing as well - though I doubt I'd have the time to devote to that these days.

Clearly I'll have to do some research before I get going again. I was originally just going to pick up a new 40L round cooler and a stainless false bottom to do batch sparges.

With BIAB you can still do that. BIAB is not different from any other AG process, except the lauter method is different. You can do it a few different ways, including batch sparge (dunk sparge), or No-Sparge (For faster, easier brewing). Many people simply add the total batch volume of water to the mash and lift the bag and let it drain into the kettle while they start heating the wort.

Some would say this would produce an inferior wort, due to a high water to grain ratio, but I've had more than a few beers made this way and I can't honestly taste a difference.

In any case, I'm not saying BIAB is superior, just that it's becoming a very popular process for many people due to it's low cost, and ease of process. I'd much rather do any BIAB method than extract, anyway.

 

[bradsul]

I'll definitely take a look. I still need to do some research and see about the state of online homebrewing supplies in Canada these days and what's available. Ordering from the US is just not an option anymore.

 

[Homercidal]

That's too bad. I've seen many people in Canada who have a hard time finding things that are common here in the states.