Using recipe without software

[NewkyBrown]

I have a couple of BYO and HBT recipes I want to try but when I input them into Beersmith the OG and SRM can be quite a way off what the recipe states. I'm not sure if its the way I have the software setup or not. Is it important to use software or can I just copy the recipe exact?
Thanks.

 

[duboman]

Software only helps with a lot of calculations involved in brewing, especially all grain. If you are comfortable with your process and know how to brew there is no need to use software. Software is only an aid or tool, it doesn't tell you how to brew.

 

[NewkyBrown]

I guess it helps with calculating water quantities/temps, etc but am I better off just using a recipe without changing it in beer smith?

 

[LovesIPA]

Have you set up your equipment profile in beersmith? If not, that's the first thing you should do. There is a video tutorial on Beersmith's website.

Then you need to have a handle on your extraction efficiency (I assume you're doing all-grain). Once you have a pretty good idea what that is, then you can adjust the grain amount until you reach the OG the recipe calls for. If you consistently get 90% efficiency, your beer is going to come out way different than someone who gets 65% efficiency and the OG and grain bill is based on that 65%. Another factor that influences how much grain you should use is your equipment's boil-off rate. This is why it's so important to set up an accurate equipment profile.

Also, hop AA%'s vary by year, by producer, and by farm. You might get cascade with 5.5% AA, and you might get it with 7.1%. Obviously, the higher alpha acids the hops contain, the less of it you need to use in the beer to hit a target IBU.

In my opinion I think recipes should specify grain bill by percentage, not by weight. It is up to the brewer to determine how much malt is needed to hit a certain OG. Same thing with hops - you should keep the target IBU in mind, not the specific amounts of hops. Adjust the hop amounts based on target IBU and the alpha acid percentage of the hops you will be using.

 

[NewkyBrown]

Have you set up your equipment profile in beersmith? If not, that's the first thing you should do. There is a video tutorial on Beersmith's website.

Then you need to have a handle on your extraction efficiency (I assume you're doing all-grain). Once you have a pretty good idea what that is, then you can adjust the grain amount until you reach the OG the recipe calls for. If you consistently get 90% efficiency, your beer is going to come out way different than someone who gets 65% efficiency and the OG and grain bill is based on that 65%. Another factor that influences how much grain you should use is your equipment's boil-off rate. This is why it's so important to set up an accurate equipment profile.

Also, hop AA%'s vary by year, by producer, and by farm. You might get cascade with 5.5% AA, and you might get it with 7.1%. Obviously, the higher alpha acids the hops contain, the less of it you need to use in the beer to hit a target IBU.

In my opinion I think recipes should specify grain bill by percentage, not by weight. It is up to the brewer to determine how much malt is needed to hit a certain OG. Same thing with hops - you should keep the target IBU in mind, not the specific amounts of hops. Adjust the hop amounts based on target IBU and the alpha acid percentage of the hops you will be using.

Thanks for the reply. I do need to spend some time using beersmith correctly. At the moment I'm not making enough batches to be consistent but I'll get there! I have got the AA% for the hops I use so I'll input those.

To be honest I resent having to use computers for everything and I'm sure we can make good beer without one! Technology sucks sometimes. :cross:

 

[mikfire]

Thanks for the reply. I do need to spend some time using beersmith correctly. At the moment I'm not making enough batches to be consistent but I'll get there! I have got the AA% for the hops I use so I'll input those.

To be honest I resent having to use computers for everything and I'm sure we can make good beer without one! Technology sucks sometimes. :cross:

No need to use a computer. Plenty of people do the calculations by hand. How To Brew has most of the ones you need. From there, you just need a good brew journal so you can make notes and remember just what happened when you brewed that really good beer.

 

[LovesIPA]

You don't have to use a computer for anything at all. They're tools that we can use to make our lives easier. I don't particularly care to calculate efficiency or IBU's by hand, or have all my recipes written down on 3x5 note cards. The great thing about brewing is that there is no one system that works for everyone. You do what makes sense for you and makes your brewday go smoothly. If that means no computer, then do it.

 

[NewkyBrown]

You don't have to use a computer for anything at all. They're tools that we can use to make our lives easier. I don't particularly care to calculate efficiency or IBU's by hand, or have all my recipes written down on 3x5 note cards. The great thing about brewing is that there is no one system that works for everyone. You do what makes sense for you and makes your brewday go smoothly. If that means no computer, then do it.

You're right about software, I suppose it does make life easier.

I think the reason I started this thread was because I found a great recipe which called for 11.5lbs grain to achieve an OG of 1.64 yet when I transfer that recipe into Beersmith I need 13.5 lbs. I get that the IBUs could be different due to AA% but the grain bill shouldn't be that far off should it?

I must have some settings wrong. I might jut go for the recipe this time and see how it turns out!

 

[LovesIPA]

I think the reason I started this thread was because I found a great recipe which called for 11.5lbs grain to achieve an OG of 1.64 yet when I transfer that recipe into Beersmith I need 13.5 lbs. I get that the IBUs could be different due to AA% but the grain bill shouldn't be that far off should it?

Like I said... it all depends on your efficiency. If you follow recipes without taking efficiency into account, you're likely to end up with a stronger or weaker beer. Sometimes much more so.