BeerSmith Question

[Jimbo]

I have just started using BeerSmith 2.0 (1st time). I am preparing a extract brew recipe and am surprised by the calculated ABV that BeerSmith is suggesting. My recipe is attached. Has anyone had any experience with BeerSmith and the calculated ABV verses the actual measured ABV?

Baviran IPA.pdf

Cheers
Jim

[mr x]

Seems reasonable to me for the gravities.

[akr71]

Looks right to me. If you want to calculate ABV by hand it is:
ABV= (starting gravity - final gravity) * 131
= (1.049-1.012)*131
=4.847%

[Jimbo]

Thank you both. Another quick question/s to follow on from the answer, if I wanted to increase the ABV is the best method to increase the extract amount?

I'm relatively new to making up my own recipes, would you have any suggestions to my posted recipe?

Note I'm using Hallertauer and Northern Brewer hops because I was given a lb of them recently:)

Thks
Jim

[GillettBreweryCnslt]

The short answer is yes, that's an easy way to increase your ABV.

However, in order to maintain the characteristics of the recipe (like flavour, mouthfeel, etc..) you should try to keep the percentages the same while increasing amounts. In reality if this is a first time recipe adding another pount of LME won't make that big of a difference, but it's good to understand the relative proportion thing.

[akr71]

What Fishdisease said.
Also, there is a recipe scaling feature to Beersmith. You can use it to scale the recipe based on batch volume (keeping OG and ingredient ratios constant), change estimated efficiency (again keeping OG and ingredients constant) or you can use it to raise/lower the target OG and it will calculate the ingredient amounts keeping the ratios constant.

You can always make a copy of your recipe in Beersmith and play with this feature to get a feel for how they work. IIRC - using the tool to adjust OG, may not scale your hop bill - something to keep an eye on.

[Dirt Chicken]

also to note your equipment profile in BS2, depending on your system you may or may not have the same boil-off ratio that it is defaulted to. I'm pretty sure that can impact what BS2 reads for your ABV. I had to adjust my profile for i didn't have as much boil-off as it estimated.

[Jimbo]

OK, I've been playing with BeerSmith and the Scaling function. Isn't going so well! Seems when I scale by recipe by 3 (23l to 69l) everything except the boil hops increases by roughly 3. The boil hops increase by 14 times! Doesn't make any sence to me whatsoever. For this weekend I'm going the tried and tested method of doing my own cals, I think a brew with 1.8kg of hops would be a little OTT (Over The Top) on the hop side (if there is such a thing).

[Stusbrews]

One thing Ive noticed is BS really doesnt like doing things in metric...I tried setting everything to metric one time, and previously fine recipes went really wonky. Things like mash in w/19L at 63C for a 72C mash or some such nonsense. You might try redoing it in imperial.
Other than that, I love BS

[RubberToe]

Using BS 2.1 here, all metric and have FINALLY tuned it right for my BIAB setup. I remember having problems with that in 2.0 and earlier versions. It even gets my strike water temp correct now.

[Jimmy]

Using BS 2.1 here, all metric and have FINALLY tuned it right for my BIAB setup. I remember having problems with that in 2.0 and earlier versions. It even gets my strike water temp correct now.

I remember having these problems with the early releases of Beersmith 2.0 as well, though it was all fixed with updates.

[Jimmy]

Speaking of beersmith. Is anyone running it on their mobile device? I installed it on my android yesterday...I like the cloud service, but don't like the way beersmith lite displays its units of measure..

[RubberToe]

There's also a free app called BrewAide that imports beer xml and you can use dropbox to store all your recipes, free. I have it installed but haven't tried it.

[mr x]

fuck i didn't even know there was a mobile app.

[Jimmy]

fuck i didn't even know there was a mobile app.

It was only released in October, so it hasn't been out long.

[mr x]

worth the 4 bucks?

[Jimmy]

It's good if you don't want to print off your recipe, or look at a computer screen for the information, which is why I purchased it. I don't have a printer and don't feel like lugging my laptop all over the place to measure grains/hops and calculate strike water temp/volume etc. I haven't played with it a lot, but it doesn't look like you can create a recipe on there - you can only view one. It's got a brew timer that looks like it's automatically setup for hop additions etc based on the recipe. I haven't tried the timer yet though, so I don't know if it gives an alert when hops need to be added, etc. It basically provides you with a couple screens for the recipe: one lists the ingredients, the other is your timer/brewsheet which includes your mash temp, volume, OG, IBU, FG, boil off, etc. The app also has the beersmith calculators/tools built into it.

It's worth the 4 bucks to me.

[derek]

There's also a free app called BrewAide that imports beer xml and you can use dropbox to store all your recipes, free. I have it installed but haven't tried it.

I had BrewZor (admittedly a Beta version) installed. Used it - tossed it.

Obviously it's time to get around to rooting my Android. Apparently, I'm too primitive to run BrewAide.

[derek]

it doesn't look like you can create a recipe on there - you can only view one. It's got a brew timer that looks like it's automatically setup for hop additions etc based on the recipe. I haven't tried the timer yet though

Get on that timer, Jimmy I take the laptop out to the garage on brewday, and use my phone for a timer, so a single app that worked would be handy. otoh, I'm happy with my current recipe software (brewtarget) - where can the BeerSmith app import recipes from? At least one reviewer is complaining that you can't use more than 10 recipes without subscribing to the cloud service.

[Jimmy]

[chalmers]

Well, I just got an android phone and the first app I've purchased was BeerSmith mobile. Disappointed that I can't figure out how to use xml files I've received by email.

[Jimmy]

Well, I just got an android phone and the first app I've purchased was BeerSmith mobile. Disappointed that I can't figure out how to use xml files I've received by email.

Can you not just open the xml file in your beersmith on your computer and upload them to your cloud for access from your phone?

[chalmers]

I don't have BeerSmith on my laptop. That might have to change. I was taking a recipe LD prepared for me.

[Jimmy]

Hmm. Maybe you could create a cloud account and have him upload it to that for you to grab it from your phone.

[Jimmy]

I guess there is a full version of Beersmith Mobile in the works - expected to release early in the new year. I'm guessing this will have many of the features we're looking for in the lite version. This is Brads response to a question regarding release & updating to Beersmith Mobile Full if you've already purchased the lite version:

Hi,
I'm working on it now, and hope to have it ready early in the new year. I can't say exactly when as I have a lot of development and testing to do first! Fortunately the lite version laid a lot of the basic framework already.

I would like to offer a discount for the full version for "lite" owners. Unfortunately the app stores don't make this easy. There is no way to directly offer a discount based on previous ownership. I'm looking at the "in app purchase" option on some platforms but I'm not convinced yet that this will work across all platforms for upgrading in place, so I can't guarantee it will be a discounted upgrade. If you really want the full version you might want to wait.

The price has not been set but I'm currently contemplating something in the $9.99-$14.99 range, with the lower end of that range being more likely.

Brad