Draughtcraft.com - New Online Recipe Tool

[rpetrello]

Pst...

http://blog.draughtcraft.com/post/10924097107/draughtcraft-beta-and-tonights-release

Here's an update on a release I've made tonight.

More to come!

 

[rpetrello]

Also, FYI:

Planning a short period of downtime tonight to switch out the database system that powers DraughtCraft. Details at:

http://blog.draughtcraft.com/post/10938013873/database-migration-and-downtime-tonight

 

[stamandster]

I was thinking about it today and perhaps a great asset might be metrics of recipes that say they are a certain style/substyle. For instance what if I want to brew a pale ale but I'm unsure of the amount of malt for a 10 gal batch, the site could suggest that I use between X and XX lbs of base balt, showing my boundaries based on other user recipes that say they are pale ales.

OR maybe if you're doing a stout to suggest adjuncts/specialty grains based on other user recipes. The great thing is that the more recipes there are the more metrics you can gather to fine tune the amounts.

Oh and more on the "suggest a yeast", perhaps marker on the recipe that says "incomplete" but also says "suggest XXXXXX" whether it be a malt, hop, yeast, other for other users to help out with. PM would be helpful with that too or a special "notes to recipe creator" area?

I don't know just thoughts

 

[silent1mezzo]

rpetrello, while I've just gotten into home brewing I've been a web developer for a rather long time. If you need any help just let me know. By guess I'd say you're probably using Django or RoRs and I can help with either or just on HTML/CSS if needed.

 

[natewv]

I apologize for my complete lack of understanding of brewing software, but is this good for a beginner that has, ahem, never used brewing software ever? I'm still in single digits in number of batches, and all but one have been extract kits, the most recent using someone's recipe and partial mash. A big reason why is I really don't know where to start in taking 'the next step' in creativity and manipulation.

 

[nate456789]

I apologize for my complete lack of understanding of brewing software, but is this good for a beginner that has, ahem, never used brewing software ever? I'm still in single digits in number of batches, and all but one have been extract kits, the most recent using someone's recipe and partial mash. A big reason why is I really don't know where to start in taking 'the next step' in creativity and manipulation.

This software is basic and really so far only good for sharing. If you want help with what amount of water to use for mashing and boiling etc. along with changing bittering and color etc use Beersmith 2. Or some other.
Beersmith 2 seems to be easier for someone new to creating or starting with a good recipe and changing it to what you like.
That is where I am at the moment. Still trying to figure it all out.
It shows you graphically what is happening to your beer as you change ingredient amounts. Which is really helpful when you are not totally sure what will happen when you reduce or increase certain grains or hops.

 

[Burgs]

Thought of a few more really small suggestions:

1. on the Ferment tab, when you add dry hops, the drop-down has two options - add them to primary or secondary. What about a "keg" option for keg hopping?
2. a petition to add Wyeast 1764 Pacman Ale yeast to the list - there are online places that do sell it year-round and it seems like lots of people use it as a house yeast

Thanks!

 

[Burgs]

This software is basic and really so far only good for sharing. If you want help with what amount of water to use for mashing and boiling etc. along with changing bittering and color etc use Beersmith 2. Or some other.
Beersmith 2 seems to be easier for someone new to creating or starting with a good recipe and changing it to what you like.
That is where I am at the moment. Still trying to figure it all out.
It shows you graphically what is happening to your beer as you change ingredient amounts. Which is really helpful when you are not totally sure what will happen when you reduce or increase certain grains or hops.

I think the simplicity is its biggest strength. It is excellent for sketching out ideas. I disagree that BeerSmith is easier. I've used it pretty extensively and I would contest that for a beginner, BeerSmith is a lot to take in all at once.

This software also does an equally nice job at showing you what the result will be in your recipe if you change variables - it's all right at the bottom. If you want a tool to try to tailor itself to your exact equipment and mash profiles and water and inventories and all that - then there are certainly better tools, but I don't think that's what this is trying to be.

 

[rpetrello]

@Burgs

My thoughts exactly (on your analysis). Also, I'll catalogue your feedback.

 

[HopSong]

This may have been answered.. but..

When I click on one of the tabs such as Extract or All Grain, etc.. I would assume they would do a sort and just show the specific types. I seem to get the same list no matter what. I did find out that if I click on Extract the major list comes up, I think All Styles.. but then I click on AG and MM and they then go dark, leaving only the Extract.

Am I doing something wrong or is there a setting I need to change?

Thanks, Bill

 

[Wingfan13]

I just put my first recipe in and I am really liking this. There were 2 things that came to mind when I added a pale ale.

Could you put an option in for defaulting to Pellet hops. I never use leaf and right now that is default.
I also would like to see a 0min hop addition for flame out hops.

Thanks

 

[stamandster]

...
I also would like to see a 0min hop addition for flame out hops.
...
Thanks

This is already implemented If you click on "Boil" (in the "use" column) for each hop you choose First wort, Boil and Flame out.

 

[Wingfan13]

This is already implemented If you click on "Boil" (in the "use" column) for each hop you choose First wort, Boil and Flame out.

Missed that. Thanks

 

[Burgs]

Choosing pellets as default would be cool - I agree! Could go in the preferences where the default can be set for all-grain/extract?

 

[rpetrello]

Great ideas and feedback, everyone!

I'm currently on working out some performance optimizations on my hosting platform as part of the next update. Once I'm done with it, I'll be posting a list of new features and tweaks at:

http://blog.draughtcraft.com/

 

[Burgs]

I like to use Palisade hops and I didn't see them in the ingredient list. I was also playing with an amber ale recipe and didn't see pale chocolate malt on there. Thanks!

 

[JeepDiver]

No support for IE9?

 

[shroomzofdoom]

Great idea. The other software providers are OK, but suffer from clunky interfaces and horrendous time wasters in terms of additions/copies, changes to IBU, etc. Perhaps their biggest fault is that they are installed software!

I've always felt that there was a niche for a service provider/cloud solution but never got off my butt-kudos to you for trying. I hope you make a million dollars.

Some ideas:
-No one seems to be able to predict dextrin formation as a function of mash temp...I know, I know too many variables. But even getting a bead on dextrin formation has a lot to do with F.G. and we're all concerned about that!
-Export/Import? XML, didn't see it anywhere?
-Perhaps add in a few tooltips so people know what to enter in certain fields. One of my issues with the 'other guys' is that the mash schedule is a bit hard to figure out exactly what they are asking.
-Mobile device integration--again the 'other guys' don't seem to have this..as a hosted service should be easy enough for us to store XML files and for you to serve them in mobile java applet.
-Final SRM (glass icon) could be a bit clearer. I would love to see a real looking glass with color, but this seems to be a wishlist I've always had

Anyway, good stuff...keep it up.

 

[adiefender]

I was looking at BeerSmith 2 and your site. Side by side the info I get when looking at style guide lines is prity close. I made sure to select like ingredients and AA and the such. I like your descriptions of the ingredients more than BeerSmith. Yours are more descriptive Guess I won't purchase BeerSmith, will let the trial run out.

 

[nate456789]

Any thoughts on scaling the site for use on a mobile device?
This could be handy for brew day.
It is pretty easy to add to blog sites.
when the site sees a mobile device it automatically changes template.
Is your site as flexible?

 

[rpetrello]

@adie

My descriptions are primarily adapted from ingredient lists found at https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page, and from any specific manufacturers' websites (especially for malt extracts).

@nate

I've got a mobile version in the back of my mind, but it's not in the works yet. Once I get to a point where I feel good about the stable web version, I'll probably do more work supporting a subset of functionality for mobile devices.

I'm not sure that a mobile recipe builder will be a reality in the near future - in my opinion, most mobile platforms aren't sufficient for something as information and interaction-intensive as a recipe building tool. It would be really useful to have a portable view of your recipes, and some brew-day specific tools, though (like timers, etc...).

 

[nate456789]

@nate

I've got a mobile version in the back of my mind, but it's not in the works yet. Once I get to a point where I feel good about the stable web version, I'll probably do more work supporting a subset of functionality for mobile devices.

I'm not sure that a mobile recipe builder will be a reality in the near future - in my opinion, most mobile platforms aren't sufficient for something as information and interaction-intensive as a recipe building tool. It would be really useful to have a portable view of your recipes, and some brew-day specific tools, though (like timers, etc...).

The thing that is annoying about the existing software out there is having to use multiple platforms and apps to get the job done. I have Beer smith2, which I usually have to enter manually a starting recipe and change to my liking. Then I use a print out sheet for brew day on hops and ingredients.
You have to enter the measurements back into beer smith after brewing unless you bring your laptop out to the brew area.
Then I use chronlite to have multiple timers for mash and rests and boil etc.
Then I have a unit conversion app too just in case.
It would be nice to have one place to manage recipes and brewing.
Brew day helper area would be nice. Nothing fancy. Hop schedule, mash info, grain weights etc. And a timer.
If I can access it on my iphone when I walk into the brew shop to get ingredients that makes it even better. Like a shopping list so to speak.
But I also know you can't please everyone and everyone has their own way of brewing. There seems to be a million ways to brew a beer.
The website is slick and efficient. It will make an excellent recipe sharing database. You need to figure out a way to pay for your development and hosting with out turning off the home brewer that is trying to stay on budget.

 

[rpetrello]

Hey All,

New updates!

Check the blog post for details: http://blog.draughtcraft.com/post/11563099986/new-features-bug-fixes-and-ingredients

 

[Burgs]

Something's not right with the auto-refresh on the recipe builder. When I add ingredients, it's not changing anything on the recipe statistics.

If I try to add a subsequent ingredient, it just sticks in the drop-down box and doesn't get added as a line item in the recipe (and the statistics don't update).

Let me know if it doesn't make sense. It just appears "stuck".

 

[nate456789]

I get the same thing. Changes are not being saved when adding ingredients to recipe.
Also I have tried changing AA for hops and it keeps wanting to use a default value I guess.
Northern Brewer defaults to 8.5 when I tried to put 9.8 several times.
Also my IBUs are off for my recipe. Should be 32.2 and your calc says 12.

 

[rpetrello]

Weird - I'll take a peek!

 

[rpetrello]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the heads up - just a bug that slipped into last night's release. Sorry about that - it's fixed now .

 

[stamandster]

When changing a Flame out hop addition to Boil 0 minutes it resets it to 60 minutes. It 't also happens with new hop added.

 

[Burgs]

Anything new going on with this? I've been using it as a time waster / sketchpad / beer brainstorming tool waaaay too much at work.

 

[rpetrello]

Hey Burgs,

I've got some minor updates planned for the coming weeks . Life's had me a bit busy lately (wife had a baby a few weeks ago - prost!).

Anyways, I've got some cool mini-features (and a big one) coming soon - keep your eyes peeled!