Just ordered BeerSmith 2.0

[Fletcher21]

So I just ordered BeerSmith 2.0 via Amazon and it should be here in a day or so. I was just wondering if anyone had any tip or tricks to get the most out of it? I have heard a lot of good things and I'm excited to try it out.

 

[idover]

At first it can seem overwhelming, especially when you first encounter things like "mash tun head space" and other craziness I'd never heard of. I have spent far more time on their support site than I have with the software, and the reason is because the articles are incredibly helpful and really complement the software. Don't avoid their "help" at all, it's not the common dry stuff you might be used to reading (or avoiding). I try to avoid "fiddling" with it so that I spend more time reading about styles and techniques. It really is a great tool.

 

[homebrewdad]

Advice: take the time to set up your own equipment profile before you start with recipes. This part can be tricky, but once you "get it", it helps a LOT - beersmith handles all of the volumes and such for you, and does it amazingly accurately.

Note that when you add hops to your recipes, you can edit the alpha acid content in them - this helps get your corect IBUs, since Beersmith has preprogrammed values, but hops of even the same type - but from different merchants and/or years - can have different alpha values.

 

[jimbot]

Advice: take the time to set up your own equipment profile before you start with recipes.

This. They have several quick start videos on their site that are excellent.

Also, if you are like me, you'll want to update the prices of all the ingredients you use, so that when you put together a recipe you'll know if that brew cost 25$ or 45$. If you update prices later after creating a recipe you can hit an update prices button on the recipe too.

Also, when you are creating a recipe you'll first pick a style, and the software will display some bars that show the acceptable ranges for OG, IBU, etc. for that style based on BJCP guidelines. My suggestion is to be aware that you can make great beers and not be within those guidelines, so don't become obsessed with staying to style, unless of course that is what you are going for. I'm just saying those are intimidating -- don't let it scare you.

--Jimbot

 

[homebrewdad]

Also, when you are creating a recipe you'll first pick a style, and the software will display some bars that show the acceptable ranges for OG, IBU, etc. for that style based on BJCP guidelines. My suggestion is to be aware that you can make great beers and not be within those guidelines, so don't become obsessed with staying to style, unless of course that is what you are going for. I'm just saying those are intimidating -- don't let it scare you.

--Jimbot

Agreed. I find the bars to be a very useful tool. I'm tinkering with an Irish Red that is a little "big" for the style, but I fnd it helpful to have that as a reference.

 

[HibsMax]

Glad I stumbled on this thread, might be purchasing this shortly. I love that I can download it - I hate waiting.

 

[homebrewdad]

Glad I stumbled on this thread, might be purchasing this shortly. I love that I can download it - I hate waiting.

It is a SUPERB tool.