What users want from brewing software

[mgolds02]

I"m new to brewing but am an experienced software engineer. I plan on making a designing and implementing a brewing application that would help with all phases: recipes, mashing, boiling, fermenting, etc... I know i'm probably missing stuff so I'd like to know what you look for in brewing software.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Accuracy.


and a interface to PLC controls.

Long term support.

 

[Walker]

for god's sake, if you bother to add an "inventory" database to the software (which I like have in my software), PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add a button on the recipe editor window that says "SUBRACT INGREDIENTS FROM INVENTORY" so that I don't have to manually go through the inventory after I brew, item by item, and adjust the freaking amounts.

 

[mgolds02]

Accuracy.


and a interface to PLC controls.

Long term support.

What do you mean by PLC controls? I know PLC as programmable logic controller but i dont think thats what you are talking about heh.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

No. I am. My brewery uses a PLC controller. Design me brewing software that is supported and solid like BeerSmith, has a user process flow like ProMash, and GUI as clean as BeerToolsPro and have it upload the mash schedule directly to my PLC.

Mkay?

You have a week. Chop. Chop.

I'll give you $25 for the program.

 

[erock2112]

I'd suggest taking a good look at Beersmith and Promash, as those seem to be the popular brewing software packages out there now. I don't use brewing software but I have a spreadsheet with all of the formulas laid out and big tables of ingredients so that they're selectable from a drop-down list.

I've also done some work with building temperature sensors and interfacing with some homemade software via arduino and I'll say that it would be pretty cool to have some software which not only helps to formulate recipes but to control the entire process. For example, if I have an electric system, the mash temp could be controlled with a temperature sensor and a heating element by the software. Same thing on the cold side - fermentation temperature control could be helpful, especially with lagers or beers with more complicated fermentation temperature schedules.

Might be kind of a stretch, and not useful to everybody, but it would be a cool feature to have, even if it's just some kind of user-programmable logic where, if temperature sensor A reads higher/lower than X degrees, turn on/off heating/cooling element B.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

for god's sake, if you bother to add an "inventory" database to the software (which I like have in my software), PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add a button on the recipe editor window that says "SUBRACT INGREDIENTS FROM INVENTORY" so that I don't have to manually go through the inventory after I brew, item by item, and adjust the freaking amounts.

BeerSmith has this button. But doesn't always subtract everything. VERY annoying.

 

[erock2112]

... or maybe just leave it open for me to make my own plugins!

 

[KnightRyder]

I don't have any software due to 2 things that I want, Mac version and iPad version that sync between them online somehow...that would be awesome!!! Other than that, I would do as others have said and take tips from BeerSmith and apparently BeerAlchemy on the Mac side is ok as well.

 

[Richardwhittaker]

Why reinvent the wheel? Brewtarget is an opensource brewing app why not take a look at the source and see if you can make it better. The Author is on HBT as well

 

[culturejam]

for god's sake, if you bother to add an "inventory" database to the software (which I like have in my software), PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add a button on the recipe editor window that says "SUBRACT INGREDIENTS FROM INVENTORY" so that I don't have to manually go through the inventory after I brew, item by item, and adjust the freaking amounts.

Totally. An inventory system is somewhat pointless if you have to manually keep track of it. Software is suppose to do things automatically. Otherwise a pen and pad does just as well.

 

[Walker]

Totally. An inventory system is somewhat pointless if you have to manually keep track of it. Software is suppose to do things automatically. Otherwise a pen and pad does just as well.

I do have to admit that it is possible to do this with ProMash (which is what I use), but the button just isn't where I want it.

ProMash has all sorts of stuff built into it that I don't use. You can design recipes, obviously, but you can also design mash profiles and water profiles, etc.

With all of that stuff defined, you can start a "session" where you pick THIS recipe with THAT mash profile and THIS water composition. There is a button on the session menu that says "Finalize Inventory" and that will subtract everything from the inventory.

I don't use anything except the recipe designer. There is no button on that tool to subtract from inventory. I can still do it, but I have to load up a session and hit that other button.

 

[HBRunner]

Accuracy.


and a interface to PLC controls.

Long term support.

What kind of PLC do you use? I program AB and Modicon. We are replacing our Modicon's right now, and upgrading all to the Allen Bradley PLC's.

 

[jmferris]

Why reinvent the wheel? Brewtarget is an opensource brewing app why not take a look at the source and see if you can make it better. The Author is on HBT as well

Not to speak for the OP, but I think that we software folks are strange people. I can't tell you of any hobby that I have ever had that I haven't written some sort of software for. A majority of it is just for my own use, but you never know when you get the bug to crank it up to a commercial quality project.

My wife thinks that I acquire new hobbies solely for the purpose of finding more things to write code for.

 

[RiverSwillBeer]

A timer in the software would be groovy

 

[hal2814]

Not to speak for the OP, but I think that we software folks are strange people. I can't tell you of any hobby that I have ever had that I haven't written some sort of software for. A majority of it is just for my own use, but you never know when you get the bug to crank it up to a commercial quality project.

My wife thinks that I acquire new hobbies solely for the purpose of finding more things to write code for.

I used to always want to reinvent the wheel but there are so many canned solutions these days that I have more fun building string.