beersmith vs brewersfriend

[brewfun]

I have used BS for years and like it... my only "beef" is that the Versioning/Brew Day aspect is very clunky for me.

Are you using the Brewlog? This is the folder that captures your brewday session data. Just click the "copy to log" button and beersmith will create a log folder if one doesn't exist. At that point, you just change the recipe date to match the date you're brewing.

Protip 1: Change the dates of all your base recipes to something obvious and sortable. I use 1/1/01 so that all unbrewed recipes sort to the top of the log, by date.

Protip 2: Create a base recipe with all of the most common items you use in every beer. Add a bit of base grain, your favorite hops and yeast. Then add your typical fermentation and carbonation profiles and zero out all the measured fields. Save this as your default recipe. Now, each time you add a new recipe, all the tedious inputting is done.

 

[kh54s10]

I use Beersmith, once you have set all your variables, especially your equipment profile, there is not too much adjustment to be made.

I don't have any experience with Brewers Friend.

BS is a tool, you have to learn how to use it properly, it gives you a lot of control over recipe development. If you want plug and play you will have to accept assumptions and averages that are built into more simplified programs. I am not saying that BF is one of the "simplified plug and play programs".

Also Beersmith is getting close to releasing a fully updated version that will use a lot of newer UI that was not available when the last update was made. It will supposedly be a lot easier to use.

 

[murphyslaw]

Are you using the Brewlog? This is the folder that captures your brewday session data. Just click the "copy to log" button and beersmith will create a log folder if one doesn't exist. At that point, you just change the recipe date to match the date you're brewing.

Unfortunately, that folder wont sync with the app. I think adding a brew log to the cloud function would be great.

Theres also the version field, but i cant seem to figure out why sometimes it adds the version # to the name field and sometimes it doesnt. Seems useful but i havet quite figued it out.

 

[CBelli]

Unfortunately, that folder wont sync with the app. I think adding a brew log to the cloud function would be great.

There's also the version field, but i cant seem to figure out why sometimes it adds the version # to the name field and sometimes it doesnt. Seems useful but i havet quite figued it out.

Agreed, versioning is truly clunky... as a result, I have changed my recipe list now to have a "folder" for each beer and then inside I have all individual versions. I just wish that when you do a 'save as' for a recipe it updated the date but for some reason it always keeps the same date?.
The BREW LOG is not user friendly.. seems like an after thought shoehorned into the software.

I like the desktop software for recipe formulation, never use the inventory section and I use the app for brewday only because
I think the app is very confusing, but it is a necessary evil to get through a brew day. (yes I have the paid version of the app)

The app terminology is different from the desktop app.... "timers" that shows the mash volumes really???

It is easier to land a man on the moon than to update any mash or equipment settings on the app. Also recently the brew day alarm isn't firing correctly and it doesn't highlight items as completed, example: a 15 minute hop addition I did at 15 minutes still shows un-changed in the list when there is 10 minutes left (I think it changes color to indicate a past event) this can get very confusing

And trying to use the app to create a recipe is painful!!!

The app UI really shows lack of continuity between the desktop version. I believe it was written with software that spit out IOS and Droid versions at once and thus has limitations.... I think it is time for a better thought out app.

Maybe I can get some time with Brad at NHC next week. I really want to show him the misfiring issue in the boil timer on the app