Brew Pal software in the iTunes App Store

[Irrenarzt]

Speaking of adding malts, I would like to add torrified wheat and acidulated malt but I cannot find the "p" values anywhere. Any suggestions from my brewing brothers and sisters?

 

[Beernik]

The Brewmaster's Bible says 25 - 30 for torrefied grains, 30 - 35 for acid malt.

 

[JayInJersey]

I use the BrewBuilder at Ed's BrewmastersWarehouse.com to get all my numbers

Then I save the recipes there too so I can buy them at my leisure

 

[Irrenarzt]

Thanks fellas

 

[WortMonger]

I am loving playing around with this. I can't wait to see how much more is corrected and/or added on to this little program. Way cool. I see a lot of good suggestions for improvements. Worth way more than a buck!!! Great job!

 

[hendomatic]

Bought the app and really enjoyed using it. Makes recording your brew data painless as well as providing guidance along with what you see when brewing.

A couple of things I'd like to see.

A more flexible handing of step mashing when you're using your own heat and not adding water to increase temperature. If I enter 0.00 infusion volume for the various steps, nothing is saved and the step does not show up in the recipe data sheet.

I wasnt able to tell if there was an audible sound letting the user know its its time to start the next mash step or perform the next addition during the boil. An ability to alert the user and pause to allow the step to occur in the mash would be useful.

Other than that, the app is wonderful.

Hendo

 

[Bulkman]

I downloaded this when I got my iPhone about 3 weeks ago & love it. I am having trouble with one recipe though. 2 different online calculators show 4% ABV for my nut brown ale, but Brewpal shows it as 4.9%.

Here is the recipe:

5# English Pale 38PPG, 3L
1# Victory Malt 35PPG, 25L
8oz British Crystal 50-60L 34PPG, 55L
8oz British Crystal 70-80L 33PPG, 75L
6oz Chocolate Malt (US) 29PPG, 350L

Everything else is calculated the same, but the ABV is off. The pre-boil OG in Brewpal is the post-boil OG in the other sites calculators (they only use post-boil).

Any ideas?

 

[WortMonger]

I am having a problem. I was using it and it just went off, like it does sometimes. This time I haven't been able to get it to load back up. Any suggestions?

 

[tamoore]

I am having a problem. I was using it and it just went off, like it does sometimes. This time I haven't been able to get it to load back up. Any suggestions?

I've had luck rebooting my iPod from scratch.... Just power it all the way down, and then back on.

Good luck.

 

[neumann]

I am having a problem. I was using it and it just went off, like it does sometimes. This time I haven't been able to get it to load back up. Any suggestions?

That happened to me once before and what I ended up doing was uninstalling it and then reinstalling it. It sucks because you lose all of your settings and saved recipies but these things happen sometimes.

 

[bendavanza]

You may want to try restoring the ipod/iphone with itunes

 

[Beernik]

I think the program leaks memory like crazy, which makes it unstable.

 

[WortMonger]

Leaks memory? I have wondered about the program (still like it) since downloading. It does shut down quite often when entering data, forcing you to reopen it. Could you explain what leaking memory is to me? I don't understand that sort of thing. I figure the creator can fix any of these problems easily, given time to do so.

I haven't even started to critique it yet, but I am not liking certain things. After I get more used to it I will give my advice on changes. I will say I do wish it allowed more control on every step, such as the allowing of metric and US choices independently for hops/grains/mashing/etc. Also, allowing a chosen attenuation specifically to get a more accurate "per person" FG. The spectrum it gives for yeasts makes it miss style profiles sometimes, even when you know your yeast will finish it drier. Maybe this could be accomplished via the mash temperatures (ex. lower mash temperature allowing for more attenuation or something similar), but I don't know. I do love this little program though. Great idea!

 

[Beernik]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_leak?wasRedirected=true

Essentially, a program stores something in memory and then doesn't release it before storing the next piece of memory. So the program keeps using more and more memory until there isn't any left to take. Once all the available memory is taken, it crashes out.

I agree that the programmer should track down the memory leak and fix it. But I don't see him publishing am update any time soon.

 

[bendavanza]

I would agree with Wortmonger about the mash temp vs attenuation thing. Mine crashes out occasionally but not to the extent he's experiencing.
There is a new version of the software in the works, and there have been quite a few updates since I bought it. I'd like to see more grains listed and maltodextrine, which I still have not found.

 

[Beernik]

Mine crashes out at least once while I'm using it especially if I'm altering my grain bill a lot while formulating a new recipe.

 

[Jedimaster1]

I love this app. However, I'm just starting out as an extract brewer and I find the extract options a bit lacking... especially partial boil and efficiency. When I enter the batch amount (5 gallons) the app automatically calculates a 6.11 gallon boil. If I boil 3 gallons then my hop utilization is different. In addition the main screen shows 75% efficiency and extract is theoretically 100%.

What he said! ^^^^

 

[philrose]

Anybody else running this on iPad?

I can't get the decimal point to work. Always works on my iPod touch

 

[Brewham]

I use it with no problems. Very handy for making last minute adjustments when the LHBS doesn't have what I planned to use.

Ditto the comments on memory leaks. All computers benefit from an occasional restart.

 

[WortMonger]

Well, I just lost all my data again! I really like using this thing, but man is this getting irritating. If they offered a fully functional upgrade with weekly updates fixing problems, I would pay $20 or so bucks no problem!!! Is it rude to like something but hate it at the same time? I see such potential in this, but if it doesn't quit dumping my inputted grains/hops/yeasts then I am going to quit using it as a brew designer and only as an adjustment calculator in the grain store. It really is worth every penny I spent on it though... all 99 of them

I'm not upset like I wasted my money, just that I keep wasting my time and good ideas. I still can't get the email the recipe thing to work for me so I at least have a hard copy to reference.

 

[dragon99]

What version of iPhone OS are you on? I'm assuming your on the latest (3.1.3)

We can always hope that the app gets updated for 4.0 with some fixes.

 

[godofcheese]

I found a bug. iOS4, jail-broken. I can't add decimal places when I try to put a hydrometer reading in. It also will not take more then one number. So, aparently my gravity is 5.000 on my Belgian pale ale.

 

[neumann]

I found a bug. iOS4, jail-broken. I can't add decimal places when I try to put a hydrometer reading in. It also will not take more then one number. So, aparently my gravity is 5.000 on my Belgian pale ale.

I am experiencing this bug as well in iOS 4 as well. My device is not jailbroken, however so it appears to be a matter of updating for iOS 4.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

I am experiencing this bug as well in iOS 4 as well. My device is not jailbroken, however so it appears to be a matter of updating for iOS 4.

Good to know. I'll hold off updating my OS until after Saturday's brew day.

 

[Beernik]

Crap. I have the same problem now.

 

[cyraxx]

I haven't read the whole thread, but are there any plans to port this for Android. My AT&T contract is up come August, and I'm planning on getting some sort of Android phone.

 

[JayInJersey]

The OP doesn't plan on it.

But according to his site they are working on the 1.7 version to address the bugs and add some features.

 

[deepsouth]

iphone 4, not jailbroken, no decimal place.

 

[jwatkins56550]

On his website, he says he is working on the decimal point thing. For a way around the problem try copying a decimal point in another app and pasting it where you need it in BrewPal.

Hopefully the update will bring some new features...like maybe a conversion table for all brewing weight and volume conversions. A boil timer that will update you without the timer being open (actually I'm not sure if it does this or not, just assumed it didn't)

 

[BeerCanuck]

Just won an Ipod touch and a $25 Itunes gift certificate from work.
I downloaded Brewpal v1.69 as my first app.
Just figured out how to save and export a test recipe I created
Cant wait till 1.7 releases with the import xml recipe support so I can "sync" with BeerSmith ( that will be killer )


Cheers;
BeerCanuck