Brewing Software Recommendations

[FUBAR]

Graham's Beer engine will do all that you need, free and simple. Available from a link from JBK.
I use it to create and store my recipes.

Same here Ive tried BS and didn't like it ,find beer engine quick,easy and accurate to use.I like the KISS style.

[wolfenrook]

I will admit, having downloaded the desktop version of Beersmith 2, the interface is cluttered and confused to say the least. I use the android app though, which has a much cleaner interface, less filled with un-needed flash (I mean, what's with the graphing?). The only con (if you can call it that) that I can see with the app version is that it doesn't have the water treatment tool in it, oh and having to use a touch screen rather than keyboard and mouse. Having used the app first though I was able to get to grips with the desktop version in around 40 seconds, even connecting the app and desktop version to the Beersmith 2 cloud in order to transfer recipes backwards and forwards between the 2.

[a-slayer]

Graham's Beer engine will do all that you need, free and simple. Available from a link from JBK.
I use it to create and store my recipes.

Same here Ive tried BS and didn't like it ,find beer engine quick,easy and accurate to use.I like the KISS style.

I tried BS also, to much going on making it cluttered and complicated. Soon went back to the Beer Engine.

[chastuck]

We I like BS2. Probably one of the best, yet modest, investments I have made in home brewing. You have to work with it to get your equipment profiles right, but I use it for my BM and 3V and have never regretted buying it.

[nigelnorris]

I tried Beersmith but found the interface to be a bit daunting. Brewer's Friend is a bit more accessible, and free.

[Paddington]

After trying Brewer’s Friend, I decided to give Beersmith a go but it seems to be short on ingredients. I couldn’t find Worcester Golding hops or 150L crystal malt, neither of which seem too unusual.

[orlando]

It's American. You have the option to add any ingredient so I suggest you do that.

[Paddington]

It's American. You have the option to add any ingredient so I suggest you do that.

But then wouldn’t I need to research and add in the stats like diastatic power that make the whole thing work?

[wolfenrook]

Check the addons, nearly all UK malts can be added through them, same with most hops.

[Paddington]

Check the addons, nearly all UK malts can be added through them, same with most hops.

Ah... that sounds better. Thanks.

[orlando]

You may still have to check if you want to be that exact but for the most part the info is close. EBC for example varies a little between maltsters, but who really cares about colour that much unless they are cloning and even then a variation of 5 or so on the overall colour is indistinguishable.

Same applies to hop IBU's going to vary with harvest, so again you have to adjust but again a few IBU's one way or the other is undetectable.

[wolfenrook]

Yeah, for hops I check the AA% and adjust it for the recipe if I need to (which I usually do), but it makes things much much easier for the grain. There's also sometimes the occasional hop missing (the last hop update seemed to add the main ones I found missing though, like Jester, Endeavour and Mosaic) that you have to add yourself, but it's very easy to do via the ingredients section.

I now have both the desktop and android versions, and find it excellent. I can build and adjust recipes on my desktop, then once done save them to my cloud account to download on the android app for the timer on brew day. The desktop app looks more complicated than it actually is to be honest, you can safely ignore things like the graphs etc if you want to. I love how you can organise your recipes into folders too, for example I have a folder for recipes I've made myself, another for ones from books and the web etc. But you could also organise them by style, or ABV or whatever.

[ben034]

I hear Beersmith 3 will be out shortly - http://beersmith.com/blog/2018/06/01/be ... irst-look/

Sounds interesting and some worthwhile reasons for an upgrade.

[bigchris]

I'm another fan of Graham's Beer Engine, does all I need it to do. I've had to add in some Hops and Malt profiles using the editor. My PC runs Linux rather than Windows but beer engine doesn't seem bothered by this, installed and ran just fine.

[soupdragon]

Another vote for beer engine here. Used it since I started brewing again, don't see the need to change

Cheers. Tom