Just bought BeerSmith, it's pretty vast...

[neldred]

...So what are some of the things to look at first (I'm a newb on my 9th batch, just started steeping with DME from Mr. Kit)? Other than the most vast calculator, it seems to be an encyclopedia of how-to. Probably too broad of a question, but maybe you guys who have been using it a long while could tell some of the specific ways it helped expand your craft.

Cheers

 

[Nurmey]

I use it as my brew log.
I use it to develop recipes either to style (if that is my goal) or experimental.
I use it to calculate sparge amounts and temperatures.
It has a lot of ingredient information to let me know what is appropriate to use in a recipe.
It's just fun to use.

 

[Parker36]

It mostly helped me with recipe formulation and to a certain extent gave a better grasp of what numbers like OG, FG, IBU, SRM really "mean". That helped when learning what to change the next time and by how much when figuring out what you liked/disliked.

 

[Parker36]

I agree with the fun thing too. I have TONS of recipes that I have put together just for the hell of it and I doubt very many if any will ever get brewed.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I use it for all sorts of stuff. You question is a little too broad like you mentioned. I would suggest the best way to learn the software is to find the recipe you want to do next and enter it all into Beersmith. Then take a look at the brewday printout that the software provides. I love those printouts!

P.S. The writer of the software is a member here. His name is BeerSmith.

 

[elmetal]

anything and everything you need beersmith will help

for example I had a hard time understanding exactly how boil volume affected hop utilization so I used beermsith and played with boilvolume and you can see the IBUs changing dramatically

 

[MattHollingsworth]

I use it pretty much just for recipe formulation.

If you input some inventory for grain and hops and yeast and such, it makes it easier. Then when you click "add grain" or "add hops", you can check the little box that says "show only items in inventory" and won't have to scroll though 100 types of grain. It'll just show what you have.

 

[Zen_Brew]

It has all kinds of goodies, and I'm sure I haven't used a bunch of them. One of my fav tools is the refractometer tool. It is super simple to use the refractometer tool built in instead of working with a spreadsheet to do the math.

I also use to adjust recipes, and do base figuring for water additions for the mash, and figure out where and when to add hops. It's well worth the money.

 

[elmetal]

it really is well worth the money.

try it for the 30 days or whatever and you will not be dissapointed.

 

[Captain Damage]

I just started my 8th batch with a recipe that I originally got elsewhere and then modified in BeerSmith. That program is just plain fun! Educational too!

I'm doing extract beers. One thing I noticed is that it adds all steeping grains to the estimated ABV, even if they're of a type that needs to be mashed to be utilized. Not a big deal at all since it warns you about which grains need to be mashed, but something to keep in mind and hopefully it'll be fixed in a later version.

 

[elmetal]

in the 1.4, if a grain needs to be mashed and you have the recipe set to extract it won't add the fermentables to the OG.

try it out!

 

[Captain Damage]

I'm using 1.4. t's definitely adding unmashed biscuit, special etc to the est ABV. Is there a preferences switch I could't find?

 

[elmetal]

in the recipe type up top, if you put extract it won't add fermentables to OG.

if you put partial mash, it will.

 

[Captain Damage]

I have Extract in the type field, and yes it does add unmashed to the fermentables. Try it.

 

[elmetal]

it adds VERY little to the OG as opposed to if yuou pick partial mash.

I have 5 gallon batch, 10 lbs buiscuit extract = 1.011 OG

partial mash/allgrain = 1.055

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

...So what are some of the things to look at first? Cheers

The manual?

 

[dfohio]

Beersmith is really great on a lot of different aspects for me.

My equipment - Set up a custom system, and identify the different aspects of your equipment; Mash tun size, weight and material, deadspace, evaporation rate, cooling loss, tub loss etc...Once you know your system and average brewhouse efficiency, it is hard not to hit correct temperatures, S.G. and volume.

The water and temperature adjustments for infusion mashing and sparging corrected for my system make things as easy as measure.pour.stir.

Obviously the recipe formulation as others have said.

Inventory is huge for me. Let's me see what I have of each grain for recipe formulation. It helps when you are running low on something and can adjust a recipe.
Allows me to store the malt analysis for recently bought grains, and AA% for hops.

The brewsheets are also very helpful

Other cool things to check out - hops age, shopping list (if you like to plan brews ahead), recipe conversion...etc...

 

[Captain Damage]

it adds VERY little to the OG as opposed to if yuou pick partial mash.
I have 5 gallon batch, 10 lbs buiscuit extract = 1.011 OG
partial mash/allgrain = 1.055

Aha! Okay I get it. I never thought to make that comparison. Thanks!

 

[smizak]

LOVE the brew sheets. I recently tweaked it to display my mash salt additions as well as kettle salt additions in the appropriate field. They're now basically a manual for brewing the beer. Defer to the sheet and you'll never forget a hop/yeast nutrient/whirlfloc/etc... addition.

I also like the Brewhouse efficiency tool. And the carbonation tool. And the hydometer adjust tool. It's just all kinds of awesome.

 

[greeneyed]

I just bought it myself.
Curious, Is there a database we can download recipes others have come up with?
That would be a nice feature if not.
Sorry if there is, as I have messed with it much yet.

 

[smizak]

The website has recipe packages for extract and all-grain.

 

[greeneyed]

The website has recipe packages for extract and all-grain.

TYVM downloading them now.

 

[johnnyc]

I use it pretty much just for recipe formulation.

If you input some inventory for grain and hops and yeast and such, it makes it easier. Then when you click "add grain" or "add hops", you can check the little box that says "show only items in inventory" and won't have to scroll though 100 types of grain. It'll just show what you have.

I buy grains and hops in bulk so this helps a lot. Not only can you make recipes based on what you have in inventory, but once you make a recipe you can remove those ingredients from your inventory so it keeps up w/ what you have. At the same time you can build a new recipe and add the ingredients to a shopping list and once you buy them, if you buy extra or whatever you can add the items from shopping list to inventory so they're accessible when building your next recipe. I love it. I also installed it to my usb key so I can use it anywhere.