Brewing Software - Comments Please

[Lathe poland]

While I will say there are a lot of things in the list before that I wont rule it out. I wonder how well the beertools.com online calculator runs on a newer pda. That may be a handy way to keep BeerTools with you (although I imagine on a small screen like that it would be a pain).

Lathe
BeerTools

 

[Dude]

Someone on BB posted some batch sparging sinstructions...I know I'm memorizing this:

Okay, here's my way of setting up a Batch Sparge Schedule in BeerToolsPro:

First, go to “Display>Schedule” and Create a “New>Mash In”. Call it “Mash In”.
Double click on the new step or hit “Edit” and... Enter your “Target Temp” and “Infusion Rate” and the program will do the rest of the math.I set the “Vessel” to my mash tun because the volume displayed in the main window is the total mash tun volume.

Create a “New>Rest”. Call it “Saccharification Rest”. Hit “Edit”. You should only need to enter the “Duration Time”.

Create a “New>Infusion”. Call it “Mash Out”. Hit “Edit”. Set the “Target Temp” and play around with the “Infusion Rate” until you get something you like. Hit “OK” and reopen the window, this will sometimes refresh after you close the window (seems to have a bit of a glitch and needs a “lock” box, but it works.) The Final Volume” displayed in the main window is the total volume of liquid and grain, so you know if it will fit in your tun. Adjust accordingly, this seems the scetchiest part of this process, so far.

Create a “New>Collect”. Call it “First Runnings”. Hit “Edit”. I set the “Vessel” to “Boil Kettle”, because the “Final Volume” displayed in the main window will, from now on, be the volume collected to boil. Set the “Sparge Volume” to “0” and it will display the Runoff in this and the main window. The tricky part here is to then set the “Residual”. Either set it to 0 to get the total unabsorbed volume, or set it to the void volume of your tun. Hit “OK” and the volume in your main window will display your first runnings.

Create a “New>Collect”. Call It “Sparge 1”. Set “Sparge Temp”, “Sparge Volume”, and “Residual”. The sparge runoff will display in this window. Hit “OK”. the total collected volume will display in the main window.

Add another “New>Collect” if you, like me, want to do a “Sparge 2”. Edit accordingly.

You can then go back and manipulate the volumes until you get roughly equal runoffs if you want to optimize your proccedure, but watch those “Residual Volumes”, they’ll change as you change “Sparge Volume”, and you have to reset them or you’ll get screwy “Final Volumes.”

I hope I remembered everything and this gets you started.
There might be a way to use Infusion step as sparge steps, I'm just passing on the method that worked for me and fit the way I think about these things. I used this Saturday and hit all my numbers almost spot-on.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

I know I'm memorizing this:

Why Dude? Are you considering getting rid of your evil sparge arm and joining the batch sparge team (AKA the winning team)?

 

[Dude]

Why Dude? Are you considering getting rid of your evil sparge arm and joining the batch sparge team (AKA the winning team)?

I batch sparge most of the time actually. Only when I'm teaching someone who hasn't brewed will I break out the old whirlygig.

I've learned that efficiency isn't that big of a deal. Throw another pound of grain in there and call it good.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

I batch sparge most of the time actually. Only when I'm teaching someone who hasn't brewed will I break out the old whirlygig.

I've learned that efficiency isn't that big of a deal. Throw another pound of grain in there and call it good.

Oh, my bad. I thought you were a staunch fly-sparger. I'm curious as to what your percentages are for both of your systems.

 

[Dude]

Oh, my bad. I thought you were a staunch fly-sparger. I'm curious as to what your percentages are for both of your systems.

I consistently get 86-88% when I fly sparge, and about 76% batch sparging. I am going to upgrade my system to a false bottom and mash pad eventually, but right now I use a simple braided stainless steel screen and it works pretty well.

So what do you get with your system? You use a copper manifold right?

FWIW, SwAMi is the fly sparging stooge.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

I consistently get 86-88% when I fly sparge, and about 76% batch sparging. I am going to upgrade my system to a false bottom and mash pad eventually, but right now I use a simple braided stainless steel screen and it works pretty well.

So what do you get with your system? You use a copper manifold right?

FWIW, SwAMi is the fly sparging stooge.

Wow, those are great fly sparge numbers.

I use a braided SS hose for my system and I'm usually in the low 80s. But like you, I don't really care what I hit, as long as I hit the same number every time. I wish more people would get that through their heads. Repeatability is king!

 

[Beer Snob]

Well I was playing with this method and another that the BrewTools board had said, but my volumes was real screwed up. At least with the recipe I was working on for my next brew. My first running I get like 6.7 gallons.

I figured it out... or at least think I do.... my next brew is an IPA. Going to post the recipe as soon as I figure out how to.... but its 12 pounds of grain. Does this make sense that I get a large first running of 6.7 gallons?

I did another brew with 8 pounds of grain and now the first and second runnings make sense and are appropriate.

Trying to figure out how to post the recipe.... anyone got that far?

 

[Beer Snob]

And Dude, what do you want to do with a maxi pad........

....

.... oh wait... mash pad... mash pad.... ....

Currently well buzzed.....

 

[Treekiller]

I have two computers that I use on a frequent basis, my laptop is used during brewing, and my desktop is used to develop/gather the recipes.
Can BeerTools Pro be dowloaded to multiple computers like I can with Promash?

 

[Lathe poland]

Can I install it on both under one license, or would I have to purchase two copies?

The EULA allows for that as long as you are the only end user.

If there are two end users on two computers then there should be two licenses.

Lathe
BeerTools

 

[BrewStef]

Can I install it on both under one license, or would I have to purchase two copies?

The EULA allows for that as long as you are the only end user.

If there are two end users on two computers then there should be two licenses.

Lathe
BeerTools

When will a demo be available? It is unlikely that I would buy another brewing software package without a demo.

Thanks.

BrewStef

 

[the_bird]

OK, is anybody out there familiar with both BeerTool and Beer Smith? I've been using the demo of the latter, and I really like it. Very simple interface, I like the layout of the output, seems to be exactly what I'm looking for. What does BeerTools do differently that I might light better?

At this point, for me, ProMash is no longer an alternative.

 

[Desert_Sky]

At this point, for me, ProMash is no longer an alternative.

what happened?

 

[the_bird]

I just like Beer Smith a LOT, LOT better. More intuitive, I like the output better, handles batch sparging with no work-arounds... Nothing against ProMash, no problems, per se, I just like Beer Smith better.

 

[Beer Snob]

Has anyone else been playing with this program?

I am pretty new with Brewing Software, but so far it looks real good. I love the stlyle page. You add ingrediants and these little tic markers move showing you if you have stayed or strayed in the style your brewing. There has been an update on it already. ProMash recipes import in very easily. There is also A LOT of information in the program.

So far I am only having one problem. I am hoping that an update soon solves it because for me its a big one. So far there is no way, that I have found, to copy the recipe and mash scheduale so I can post it here. This, for me, is a major problem. I like to have feedback on recipes and the brew process I'm using before I brew.

 

[Lathe poland]

Michael,

Your feature request is on the list. I was wondering if like on a Mac there is a way to print to PDF on a PC? I have been seeing BeerTools Pro recipes as PDF files showing up on forums around the world. Obviously this wont help you if there isn't a way.

Thanks for your support!
Lathe
BeerTools

 

[Beer Snob]

I'm a patient guy

 

[Cregar]

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything about a demo version of BeerTools Pro yet?

 

[ryser2k]

I used the demo of Promash and was disappointed. This week I checked out BeerSmith and was blown away... I bought myself a copy within 2 days and have used it to craft two recipes already. I love it!

 

[Tony]

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything about a demo version of BeerTools Pro yet?

I have Beer Tools Pro already and like it. It compares to BrewSmith in my opinion. I have always used the Beer Tools online platform to formulate and store recipes, and decided to try it out. So far so good.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Any other BeerSmith to Beer Tools Pro converts? I'm highly considering buying a copy of Beer Tools, but I'd like to hear another opinion or two first.

 

[Beer Snob]

For all those interested in the continual devolpement of Beer Tools, they just added an Export on the latest update. This was last weeks brew.

Thunder
14-B American IPA

Size: 5.36 gal
Efficiency: 60.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 192.63 per 12.0 fl oz
Original Gravity: 1.058 (1.056 - 1.075)
|=========#======================|
Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.010 - 1.018)
|================#===============|
Color: 18.3 (6.0 - 15.0)
|=============================#==|
Alcohol: 5.69% (5.5% - 7.5%)
|=========#======================|
Bitterness: 49.63 (40.0 - 60.0)
|===============#================|
Ingredients:
10 lbs Pale Malt(2-row)
1.5 lbs Victory Malt
0.5 lbs Munich Malt(2-row)
0.5 lbs Extra Special Malt
0.5 lbs Soft White Wheat Malt
0.75 lbs Crystal 80L
0.5 lbs Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt
0.0 tsp Irish Moss - added during boil, boiled 15.0 min
1.6 oz Perle (8.2%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
0.5 oz Goldings - E.K. (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
1.0 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
0.5 oz Cascade (5.8%) - added during boil, boiled -5.0 min
0.0 fl oz White Labs WLP001 California Ale
Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.0.5

 

[Beer Snob]

The print was much smaller on the BeerTools forum.... not sure why it's larger here.

 

[olllllo]

For all those interested in the continual devolpement of Beer Tools, they just added an Export on the latest update. This was last weeks brew.

Thunder
14-B American IPA

...
Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.0.5

that's a big beer.

 

[Phan71]

I was wondering if like on a Mac there is a way to print to PDF on a PC? I have been seeing BeerTools Pro recipes as PDF files showing up on forums around the world. Obviously this wont help you if there isn't a way.

Only with third party software (like the actual Acrobat application, but I think there's other (cheaper) shareware type options for this). It's not built into the OS like on a Mac.

 

[ryser2k]

that's a big beer.

Hahaha I laughed out loud when I read that

 

[Beer Snob]

that's a big beer.

Yeah I tried to make it a big beer But you know how hard it is to brew and explain what your doing to a dozen people..... oy.... Got some help to alter the code.



Thunder
14-B American IPA

"]http://www.beertools.com/images/colors/18.jpg[/img][/URL]


Size: 5.36 gal
Efficiency: 60.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 192.63 per 12.0 fl oz


Original Gravity: 1.058 (1.056 - 1.075)
|=========#======================|


Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.010 - 1.018)
|================#===============|


Color: 18.3 (6.0 - 15.0)
|=============================#==|


Alcohol: 5.69% (5.5% - 7.5%)
|=========#======================|


Bitterness: 49.63 (40.0 - 60.0)
|===============#================|


Ingredients:
10 lbs Pale Malt(2-row)
1.5 lbs Victory Malt
0.5 lbs Munich Malt(2-row)
0.5 lbs Extra Special Malt
0.5 lbs Soft White Wheat Malt
0.75 lbs Crystal 80L
0.5 lbs Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt
0.0 tsp Irish Moss - added during boil, boiled 15.0 min
1.6 oz Perle (8.2%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
0.5 oz Goldings - E.K. (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
1.0 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 min
0.5 oz Cascade (5.8%) - added during boil, boiled -5.0 min
0.0 fl oz White Labs WLP001 California Ale


Results generated by http://www.beertools.com/]BeerToolshttp://[URL= Pro 1.0.5[/url]

 

[steve_flack]

Only reason I haven't paid for beer alchemy yet is that I think $30 is a bit much for what this kind of software does. I could whip up an app that does the same thing in a few hours, but the hard part is inputting all the data for various ingredients and implementing the calculations. I'd pay to avoid having to do all that work, but I think $15 is a more reasonable amount... In perspective, $30 will get you a video game that took a lot more work to develop

I know this is an old post but I'd like to point out that BeerAlchemy took quite a bit longer than a 'few hours' to write.

I know. I wrote it.

 

[olllllo]

The value proposition is not what you think it costs to make or whether or not you could do it youself (unless you actually do it), it is whether or not the problem it solves is worth $30 to you.