Is BeerSmith worth it and Milwaukee water profile...

[Bostrows128]

I want to try all grain brewing and I'm going to borrow the equipment from my friend but if I am going to do it I want to do it right. Will tap water make ok beer if I'm just looking to give it a whirl or should I actually do this right away. Keep in mind that I may not follow through...

Sidenote is BeerSmith worth it? What else can BeerSmith do besides making beer recipes? Currently, the only thing that interests me so far about it is the water adjustment part, does the Brewers Freind calculator even compare to this? Thanks in advance!

 

[GPP33]

Beer smith does so much much more than water calculations. In fact I use brunwater for that. Beer smith calculates things like OG, FG, ABV, IBUs, color, efficiency, grain %, starter volumes, water volumes etc. All pretty straightforward calculations but it’s nice to have it all in one place that automatically updates with every change. Plus it’s a great record of what you did should you want to repeat, or not repeat it, in the future.

Yes, beersmith is worth it.

I have no idea what your water will result in, you didn’t post a water report and your water is certainly different than mine. Maybe someone from your area will chime in.

 

[Bostrows128]

Beer smith does so much much more than water calculations. In fact I use brunwater for that. Beer smith calculates things like OG, FG, ABV, IBUs, color, efficiency, grain %, starter volumes, water volumes etc. All pretty straightforward calculations but it’s nice to have it all in one place that automatically updates with every change. Plus it’s a great record of what you did should you want to repeat, or not repeat it, in the future.

Yes, beersmith is worth it.

I have no idea what your water will result in, you didn’t post a water report and your water is certainly different than mine. Maybe someone from your area will chime in.

I've actually found a PDF exactly for brewing in my area If someone wouldn't mind looking at it for me and explaining it would be greatly appreciated!

https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLib...iles/WaterQualityBasicsforMilwaukeeMakers.pdf

 

[Bostrows128]

Beer smith does so much much more than water calculations. In fact I use brunwater for that. Beer smith calculates things like OG, FG, ABV, IBUs, color, efficiency, grain %, starter volumes, water volumes etc. All pretty straightforward calculations but it’s nice to have it all in one place that automatically updates with every change. Plus it’s a great record of what you did should you want to repeat, or not repeat it, in the future.

Yes, beersmith is worth it.

I have no idea what your water will result in, you didn’t post a water report and your water is certainly different than mine. Maybe someone from your area will chime in.

Also Is BeerSmith a one time buy? I guess I'm not understanding their subscriptions and things.

 

[day_trippr]

So, ironically you picked a sore/weak point wrt BeerSmith and its water tools. It's the subject of complaint for folks that have been using alternative tools (eg: Bru'n Water) and have noted BS consistently recommends more acidification than needed (as determined via pH measurement).

Otherwise, BeerSmith is available as either a one-time purchase, or under a subscription model. Buyer's choice. The subscriptions offer higher levels of cloud services (ie: you can store more of your recipes on the BS cloud) and theoretically a potentially lower cost upgrade path if Brad should release BS4 (purchasers will have to buy again).

I use BS3 for recipe construction, recipe and brew day notes, inventory management (particular important to me), and on brew days I use BS3 Mobile on a tablet for the brew timers and determining strike water temperature (given grain and MLT temperatures). And I use Bru'n Water for water creation.

As to your water question: most important is whether the water is via a public distribution system in which case there's a really good chance there's either chloramine or chlorine in it. Either one can cause a band-aid character that you definitely don't want anywhere near your beer. Fortunately you can treat such water using Campden tablets right before you start a brew session. Something to read up on...

[edit] Just looked at the water report and there is definitely chloramine in that water.

Cheers!