# Brewer's Friend Docs BrewersFriend.com documentation for using the site and API services. Checkout the [FAQ](/faq) for frequently asked questions, the [Changelog](/changelog) for recent updates, the [Recipe Builder](/recipe-builder) for starting a new recipe or the [API](/api) for programmatically working with your brewing data. Also we love your feedback, send it here [https://www.brewersfriend.com/feedback-welcome](https://www.brewersfriend.com/feedback-welcome/) ### Follow us and join the conversation, we look forward to virtual **🍻 with you!** * **Instagram** - [https://www.instagram.com/brewersfriend](https://www.instagram.com/brewersfriend/) * **Facebook** - [https://www.facebook.com/BrewersFriendSite](https://www.facebook.com/BrewersFriendSite/) * **Facebook** - [Brewer's Friend Community Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/brewersfriendcommunity) * **Twitter** - * **Reddit** - * **Brewers Forum** - [https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum](https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/) * **YouTube** - # Frequently Asked Questions This FAQ applies to the Brewer's Friend brewing software, calculators, and membership options. # Recipes ### **How do I share a recipe?** 1\) First make sure you are logged in (you must have an account to be able to share recipes).\ 2\) Edit the recipe you want to share.\ 3\) Click the Share Recipe toggle in the top under Efficiency. You can also click Share under the Recipe Tools menu to get a unique URL for sharing the recipe. The recipe will then be listed in the Beer Recipe section! Groups have the option of Auto Scaling shared recipes. Recipes will be auto scaled to 5 gallons or 20 Liters. Hop schedules will also be summarized for viewing, copying and exporting so pro breweries and homebrew clubs can feel safe sharing their recipes. ### **How do I scale a recipe?** Click the 'Recipe Tools' menu at the top, then the Scale button. ### **How do I copy a recipe?** Click the 'Recipe Tools' menu at the top, then the Copy button. ### **How do I change which brewing equations are used?** Click the 'More...' button on the right hand side of the bar next to the mug icon (same line that starts with 'Original Gravity'). Your preferred brewing equations can also be setup under your profile. ### **Is there a way to see why my recipe does not match the style?** Yes, click the 'More...' button on the right hand side of the bar next to the mug icon (same line that starts with 'Original Gravity'). From there the Style's OG, FG, ABV, IBU, and SRM will be provided next to each equation. Sometimes it takes picking a different equation to make it match up. ### **Why do the IBUs change when I adjust a fermentable? I thought IBUs were from hops?** IBUs are mainly from hops, but the boil gravity factors into hop utilization. The sweeter the wort in the kettle, the harder it is for the hop acids to convert to bittering units. ### **How do I see the lovibond or ppg for a fermentable?** In the fermentables box, click the down arrow (▼) below the fermentable line, or click the '▼ All' button to see the lovibond, ppg, and other options. ### **How do I change the lovibond or ppg for a fermentable?** In the fermentables box, click the Add Custom button and specify the lovibond and ppg values for your ingredient. ### **How do I specify an extract late addition?** In the fermentables box, click the down arrow (▼) below the fermentable line, or click the '▼ All' button to see the late addition checkbox. ### **What is an extract late addition?** A portion of the extract (dry/liquid), usually 50% can be added at the end of the boil. This results in higher IBU values because of a lower boil gravity. ### **When is the extract late addition added?** In the recipe editor, additional gravity (sugars) from the late addition are excluded from the boil gravity for IBU calculation purposes. On the brew steps page, a time of 10 minutes is provided. The longer the late additions are boiled, the greater the reduction in IBU. At 10 minutes, the reduction is negligible and this value strikes a good balance between integrating the late additions into the kettle and getting it back up to boiling, with the IBU boost from doing a late addition. ### **Does the calculator support No-Chill hop additions?** Yes, the calculator fully supports No Chill brewing. **What is No Chill brewing?** No chill brewing extends the IBU contribution from hops because the wort stays at a higher temperature for much longer. For more information, [see our blog post about No Chill brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/06/australian-no-chill-brewing-technique-tested/). **How do I setup No Chill brewing in the recipe editor?** To activate the No Chill feature, click the 'More...' button on the right hand side of the bar next to the mug icon (same line that starts with 'Original Gravity'), then look for the No Chill box. ### **How can I tune the Final Gravity?** Look for the 'custom attenuation' checkbox in the Yeast section. Higher attenuation means lower final gravity. An attenuation of 100% would give an FG of 0.000. For now, attenuation is the only way to fine tune the FG. Fermentability is another route we are considering, but this is not part of a scheduled release at this time. Many factors go into FG such as ingredients (freshness, grind), mash temperature, yeast, fermentation temperature, etc. The FG reported by the recipe editor is an estimate. ### **Can the recipe calculator do a mead or cider?** Yes, enter a boil time of zero minutes. ### **Why are the numbers different from my other program?** There are many things to double check. 1\) Do the amounts for each ingredient match?\ 2\) Does the batch size match (defined as amount going into the fermentor)?\ 3\) Does the boil size match?\ 4\) Is the boil time the same?\ 5\) Is the efficiency the same (defined as Brew House Efficiency)?\ 6\) Are the same equations being used? (click the More... button to see which equations are being used)\ 7\) For FG, is the same yeast attenuation value being used?\ 8\) Make sure the correct factors such as the type and use of each hop addition, late extract additions, are all accounted for. Keep in mind, rounding errors could be part of the reason. Brewer's Friend does not round until the end! In general the numbers should agree, but if you checked all these things and there is still more than a 3-5% difference, please contact us via [the forum](https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/) under the Recipes for Review section and we will be happy to investigate. ### **Can I see which styles match the recipe I entered?** Yes, click the 'More...' button on the right hand side of the bar next to the mug icon (same line that starts with 'Original Gravity'). Then look for Matching Styles section at the bottom. Note: The list of matches is based only on the batch statistics. It does not analyze the types of ingredients used. Often the yeast or hop profile is a distinguishing factor in a style (but not always). Getting that right is up to you. ### **How is batch size defined by the recipe editor?** At Brewer's Friend, brewers may choose two different options for batch size. * **Fermentor:** how much wort made it into the primary fermentor. * **Kettle:** the ending kettle volume, right before being drained. Use the target drop down next to the batch size field on the recipe editor to set this. The default setting for batch size target is 'fermentor', but it can be changed under [general settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/general_settings). The water requirements feature factors in the batch size target. For recipes set to kettle mode, it will provide an estimate for how much wort is going into the fermentor based on the equipment profile selected. **For Extract and Partial Mash Brewers:**\ Most extract and partial mash brewers will do a partial boil and then top off with clean cool water. *Partial boil brewers should set their batch size target to 'fermentor'.* In this scenario, it is important that kettle losses (kettle dead space, misc losses, and hops absorption) are kept to a minimum because these losses hold back sugars the calculator assumes are part of the OG. Leaving behind more than a few ounces of wort in the kettle and then topping off can reduce the actual OG by a point or two. Doing a full wort boil for extract / partial mash is also supported. We recommend setting the batch size target to 'kettle' in this scenario, especially for equipment profiles that have kettle dead space or misc losses configured. **For Partial Mash, All Grain and BIAB Brewers - make sure to know the definition of efficiency!**\ The type of efficiency used by the recipe editor for calculations is determined by the batch size target. Fermentor uses Brew House Efficiency, and Kettle uses Ending Kettle Efficiency. For more about efficiency, see the following links: * [How is efficiency defined on the Recipe Editor?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#recipes18) * [How is efficiency calculated in a Brew Session?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#brewsessions5) * [More details about the Brewing Efficiency Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-efficiency-chart/) ### **How is boil size defined by the recipe editor?** Boil size is how much wort you will be boiling at the very start of the boil. This value is used for IBU calculations. For All Grain brewing (or any recipe set to batch target 'kettle'), start by entering an estimate. After the grain bill is setup, check the Recipe Tools -> Quick Water Requirements section to see what the system calculated as the actual starting boil volume based on the recipe and the selected equipment profile. ### **How is efficiency defined on the recipe editor?** #### **There are four main types of efficiency in the brewing world.** ![brewing efficiency chart](/files/-LhGIXPNb21siIpZScyD) [More details about the Brewing Efficiency Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-efficiency-chart/) The type of efficiency used by the recipe editor for calculations is determined by the [batch size target](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#recipes16). Fermentor uses Brew House Efficiency, and Kettle uses Ending Kettle Efficiency. **For Extract Brewing:**\ For extract batches, the efficiency value only impacts steeping grains. Set the number fairly low to start with, say 25%, and raise it from there if you notice you are beating the target OG. The gravity impact from steeping grains in an extract batch is minimal, but the recipe editor gives you full control over how much of a sugar contribution they provide. In partial mash brewing, 50-60% may be more reasonable, but set it low until you start consistently beating it. **For Partial Mash, All Grain and BIAB Recipes:**\ Efficiency is based on the [batch size target](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#recipes16): * **When batch size target is set to Fermentor:** efficiency stands for 'Brew House Efficiency', which captures your entire system. It factors in sugar losses all the way to the fermentor. * **When batch size target is set to Kettle:** efficiency stands for 'Ending Kettle Efficiency', which is how much of the sugars from the grain were converted and made it into the kettle at the end of the boil. Ending Kettle Efficiency is always higher than Brew House Efficiency because it does not count losses from trub, hops absorption, and kettle dead space. Thus ending kettle efficiency and volume happen to be more portable across equipment. If you are brewing with your friends, you may want to set the recipe into kettle mode and share it that way. **The Brew Feature calculates four types of efficiency:**\ If you are interested in tracking efficiency in detail, create a 'Brew Session'. It tracks conversion efficiency, pre-boil efficiency, ending kettle efficiency, and brew house efficiency! Each efficiency value flows to the next, and the value can only go down in subsequent steps. For more information see: [How is efficiency calculated in a Brew Session?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#brewsessions5) **First time doing an All Grain batch?**\ Congratulations! We suggest you start with a conservative efficiency value like 55-60% for your first All Grain batch. Raise it from there as you improve. If you exceed it, hey, you'll have a bit higher ABV - cheers! **Recipe Design Notes:** * *Pre-Boil / Ending Kettle / Brew House Efficiency are NOT constant across recipes - it depends on your system AND the recipe.*Efficiency is only constant for similar recipes (same amount of grain, same amount of hops), on the same equipment, with the same brewing practices. * For beers that use more grain (eg, high gravity beers), pre-boil efficiency, and subsequent efficiencies will be lower because of higher grain absorption. When brewing a high gravity beer make sure to pad in 5%, 10%, maybe even 20% efficiency loss depending on how strong your beer will be. * Hops absorption impacts Brew House Efficiency. A super hoppy beer may see a Brew House Efficiency reduction of 1-3%. ### **How does the Fermentables box work in the recipe editor?** Fermentables are the backbone of a beer recipe. Fermentables are the sugars yeast digest to make alcohol. Fermentables give a beer color, flavor, mouth-feel, and sweetness. Add fermentables by entering their weight and selecting them from the drop down. The drop down contains a pre-populated list we maintain that is cultivated for accuracy and brevity. The list contains grains by country, adjuncts, sugars, and extracts. As you enter fermentables, the OG of the recipe will increase. The color each grain imparts is also estimated, and recipe's color (SRM) will change. Gravity can also effect hops utilization, so the recipe's IBUs can change as well! **Sorting:**\ Use the sort button to reorganize the list in order of weight. **Extract Batches:**\ For recipes using the Extract brew method, only extracts and sugars are available as fermentables in the drop down. **Stats on Fermentables:**\ To see what the PPG and Lovibond for a fermentable is, click the down arrow (▼) below the fermentable line, or click the '▼ All'. **If you do not see the fermentable you are looking for in the drop down, click the Add Custom button.**\ This will bring up a custom fermentable line where you can provide a name, the PPG (points per pound per gallon), and the Lovibond value (how dark).Usually the manufacturer provides these numbers, but you can also look at similar ingredients as a guideline. If you want to use the custom fermentable across several recipes we recommend you add it to your Inventory as a 'Custom Fermentable'. It will then appear at the top of the fermentables drop down list. **The Late Addition Checkbox:**\ Use this to exclude the fermentable from the estimated boil gravity used in the calculator. To reveal this for a standard fermentable, click the down arrow (▼) below the fermentable line, or click the '▼ All' button. This is usually done for about half of the total fermentables in an extract batch, but can also be done in any brew method when boosting the gravity with sugar. Doing it this way increases IBUs (higher utilization), so you get more bitterness out of the same hops. **The OG value:**\ This is an estimation of the per-line gravity contribution based on the fermentable's ppg, amount, and recipe batch size. Line item OG values will not always add up to the batch OG because of small rounding differences. *For recipes set in Plato mode, the per-line OG figure is really just an estimate.* Reason being - the gravity to Plato conversion is not linear. This has to do with physics, not software. Instead of reporting the per-line Plato value independent of the other sugars (which would be inaccurate), the system takes the percentage gravity contribution and multiplies that by the batch OG. That is what the brewer is actually interested in anyway. ### **How does the Steeping Grains box work in the recipe editor?** Steeping grains give flavor, body, and freshness to extract based recipes - and are highly recommended! This section works exactly like the fermentables section above, but only shows grains in the drop down list. It is only available if the recipe is setup with the Extract brew method. ### **How does the Hops box work in the recipe editor?** Hops are the spice of beer, they add bitterness, complex flavor and aroma, and the characteristic signature of each beer. Add more hops, and increase the IBU contribution. For reference, each hops entry displays its individual IBU, utilization, and AAU. Enter the hops amount, and start typing the hop variety. An auto-suggestion box will come up to help complete the selection. Not all varieties are listed, but if a match is found, and the AA box is empty, the default AA for the hop will be entered. **Sorting:**\ Use the sort button to reorganize the list in order of when the hops are used in the recipe. Very handy if you decide you want to change around hop additions, times, or even change one hop to be First Wort instead of Boil. **Alpha Acids - AA:**\ Alpha Acids refer to how much bitterness the hops impart. This should be written on the hops package. If not, you can use the recommend guideline from the system, which is considered the 'average' for that variety. The AA numbers vary from year to year, field to field. **Time - how long the hops will be boiled in minutes:**\ This field is only applicable to boiled hops and aroma hops (though a low time is usually specified for aroma hops).\ For Dry Hops the time field turns to days - eg the number of days to soak the hops in the beer.\ For Mashed Hops, the field is always blank and a value of 5 minutes is used for IBU purposes.\ For First Wort Hops, the field is always blank and the recipe's boil time is used to calculate utilization (see more on [FWH below](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#firstworthops)). **Type - the form the hops come in:**\ Leaf / Whole, Pellet, and Plug are the most popular ways hops are sold.\ Fresh hops - right off the vine, wet, not dried like all other hops.\ Pellet hops impart a + 10% utilization factor, but only with the Tinseth IBU equation.\ [Read our blog post about the types of hops](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/03/21/hops-types-pellet-plug-leaf/). **AAU = Alpha Acid Units:**\ Reported as (ounces of hops \* alpha acid). For example, 1.5 ounces of Cascade with an AA value of 7 would be (1.5 \* 7 = 10.5). **Customizing the Auto Complete List:**\ The hops auto complete list will suggest hop varieties as you start typing. It will also fill in the system default AA value for that hop when you press enter. As you setup the recipe, the editor overrides the default AA values with what you have entered on the recipe. The hops auto complete list also includes your inventory. You may setup custom hops in your inventory, or override system default AA values. If there are multiple hops with the same name, the default AA value for that hop variety is taken from the last one in the list. **Hops Use:**\ Relates to how the hops are used in the recipe, with the most common being 'Boil'. \ [Read our blog post about Dry Hopping](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/07/25/dry-hopping-beer/).\ [Read our blog post about First Wort Hopping](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/09/first-wort-hopping/). #### **Support for Hop Stands - select Whirlpool or Hopback in the Hop Use drop down.** \ A hop stand is a technique where hops are exposed to the wort after the boil but before fermentation. * In a Whirlpool hop stand, the whirlpool is started after the boil and extra hops are added. * With a hopback the wort is pumped or drained through a container holding the extra hops on the way to the fermentor. Hop stands avoid vaporizing the essential oils and are said to result in smoother bitterness and flavor. The temperature and time of the exposure greatly impacts the utilization (for the purposes of IBU calculations). Given the wide variation in process and equipment out there, the utilization factor is left up to the brewer. A value of 10% is generally accepted, but could vary based on process. The hotter the temperature and the more time, the higher the utilization. When selecting Whirlpool or Hopback as the hop use, two new fields will appear. * The utilization of the hops (normally 10%, but could be zero if done at lower temperatures or for a short time). * The temperature at which the hop stand is performed at. For more information on hop stands see [this excellent and detailed write up by BYO (Mar/Apr 2013)](http://byo.com/component/k2/item/2808-hop-stands). #### **Support for First Wort Hops - select First Wort in the Hop Use drop down.** \ First wort hopping (FWH) is the method by which a hop addition is added to the boil kettle prior to lautering your grain bed. For more details on the process of using FWH, [Read our blog post about First Wort Hopping](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/09/first-wort-hopping/). The recipe calculator treats FWH additions as boil hops for the entire boil time of the recipe. Additionally, a utilization multiplier is applied to scale up the bittering of the FWH addition. By default that scalar is set to 110%, but you can manually enter a custom utilization boost by entering a different percentage in the 'Scale Util.' field. That percentage represents the entire utilization multiplier, meaning a value of 110% represents a 10% increase over a regular boil hop. ### **How does the Mash Guidelines box work in the recipe editor?** The mash guidelines section is the place to provide temperatures and times for the mash process. Volumes are optional. For all grain recipes, an optional starting mash thickness field appears (normally between 1.0-2.0 qt/lb or 2.0-4.0 L/kg). Given the wide variation in mash processes, equipment, yeast strains, and fermentation temperatures, the mash temperatures do not factor into the estimated FG of the recipe. What you can to do adjust FG is change the yeast attenuation. The Brew feature is where mash thickness, infusion temperatures, and water volumes are tracked. **Here is our approach to mashing:**\ On the recipe page, enter temperatures, times, and rough amounts. The fields are all optional. From there, save the recipe, then click the 'brew' button. The system then uses your equipment profile to figure out exactly how much water your will need for the mash. (You can setup your equipment profile under the gear icon in the upper right.) Then go into the brew feature's Mash Calculator tab. From there you can adjust the mash ratio, grain temp, mash temp, and do infusions, etc. It saves every detail along the way. It also helps zero in on the target water volume for the brew. ### **How does the Other Ingredients box work in the recipe editor?** This is a free-form section for adding anything else the recipe calls for. Examples include Irish Moss, yeast nutrient, flavors, spices, etc. Salts and Acids added to the Mash or Sparge will affect the Mash pH, otherwise none of these values impact the recipe stats. If you want something like raw fruit to change the gravity, that would need to be added as a custom fermentable. This section also provides a place to input the priming method, amount, and CO2 Level. These fields are all optional.\ Examples:\ Method: Dextrose, Amount: 3.5oz, CO2 Level: 2.2 Volumes\ Method: Keg, Amount: 11.2 psi @ 40F, CO2 Level: 2.4 ### **How does the Yeast box work in the recipe editor?** The yeast drop down contains a pre-populated list we maintain that is cultivated for accuracy and brevity. \ You can contribute to this list from your [inventory](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/myinventory) or [shopping list](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/myshopping). [See contributing for more.](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#contributing) **Fermentation Temperature:**\ The temperature you intend to ferment at during primary fermentation. **Yeast Pitch Rate:**\ The yeast pitch rate you are going with for this recipe. Use the link to the yeast pitching calculator for more information. The yeast pitch calculator will automatically be populated with details from your recipe. **Starter:**\ Check this box if this recipe calls for a starter. To obtain a pro brewer's pitch rate a starter is practically required with one pack of liquid yeast for a 5 gallon / 19 liter batch. High gravity batches and lagers generally call for a starter. The exception is when using dry yeast - extra packs can be purchased to meet the desired pitch rate more easily than making a starter. **Custom Attenuation:**\ You can enter a custom attenuation value for the yeast. At present, this is the only way to impact the estimated FG of the recipe. **Cells Required:**\ Reports the number of cells (in billions) needed to hit the target pitch rate. This is based on the batch size and the OG. Larger batches and/or stronger batches require more yeast to achieve the same pitch rate. This option only appears if you have selected a target pitch rate. Click the 'Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator' link below the pitch rate drop down to pre-fill our yeast pitch calculator with values from the recipe. The yeast pitch calculator page has detailed information regarding pitch rates, pitching like the pro's, and starter requirements. ### **How does the Water Chemistry box work in the recipe editor?** This is where the target water profile should be entered. It is not necessarily your local water profile, unless you want to brew without any mineral adjustments. Several profiles are provided in the drop down. For details about each profile see our [Summary of Target Water Profiles](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-water-target-profiles/) page. If you have setup [water profiles](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/water) under your account, they will be available in the drop down as an option. The idea is to provide the exact mineral levels in ppm, and notes that include any recommended water adjustments. **To assist in going from the source water you are brewing with to the target water profile, we have two water chemistry calculators:** * [**Water Chemistry – Basic**](https://www.brewersfriend.com/water-chemistry) – Basic calculator for adding salts and hitting desired ion levels. This calculator is built into the brew session feature. * [**Water Chemistry – Advanced**](https://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemistry-and-brewing-water-calculator) – Computes mash pH using state of the art engine written by Kaiser. Supports slaked lime, acid additions, multiple water sources. **For more information on Water Chemistry:**\ The [water chemistry article at this site](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/14/all-grain-water-chemistry-brewing-information/) is a handy guide to understanding more about brewing ions. ### **Does the recipe editor support Plato?** Yes! Recipes can be setup in either Plato or Specific Gravity. Click the 'More...' button on the right hand side of the bar next to the mug icon, then look for the Sugar Scale section on the lower right. The default Sugar Scale can also be set as a profile option under the [General Settings tab](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/general_settings). If you find a recipe you want to switch between Plato or Specific Gravity, simply edit the recipe and switch the radio button under the 'More...' option. **Equation:**\ Plato = -616.868 + (1111.14 \* SG) - (630.272 \* SG^2) + (135.997 \* SG^3) Notice that this is not a linear relationship, which means plato(sg1) + plato(sg2) != plato(sg1 + sg2). As you adjust fermentables, each individual plato value will change because of this. ### **How do I add my own fermentables or hops to the recipe editor?** To add your own grains/extracts to the fermentables drop down on the recipe editor first add them as 'Custom Fermentables' under My Inventory. Even if they have a zero quantity in your inventory they will still appear in the drop down. The Hops auto complete list can also be customized via the My Inventory list. You may override the default AA value (last one wins) and add additional varieties of hops. ### **How do I get the BU/GU ratio for my recipe, and what is BU/GU?** BU/GU is one way to measure of how balanced a beer will be. The BU/GU ratio is the amount of bittering units per gravity unit. Less hoppy beers like a Light American Lager will have a ratio as low as 0.20, while an IPA will have a ratio around 1.0 or even higher. BU = bittering units (IBUs), GU = gravity units (OG). Example: An IPA has 70 IBUs and a gravity of 1.060. Take 70 / 60 and get 1.17 - bitter! Keep in mind though, details like final gravity, yeast, specific grains, and even water chemistry influence the perception of bitterness. **In the recipe editor:** The BU/GU ratio is located in the More... panel, under the IBU section. ### **How does the recipe editor use the selected equipment profile?** The equipment profile selected for the recipe, under the More... dialog, is used by the brew feature and the water requirements feature. If no equipment profile is selected, your default equipment profile is used. The system allows multiple [equipment profiles](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/equipment) under an account. This way you can have one profile for your main brew rig, a second for a process variation (like squeezing hops or straining wort), another for small batches, and yet another in different units. The way we have defined efficiency and batch size targets makes this possible. Brew house efficiency and batch target 'fermentor' go together, while ending kettle efficiency and batch target 'kettle' to together. **For more about efficiency and batch size, see the following links:** * [How is batch size defined on the Recipe Editor?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#recipes16) * [How is efficiency defined on the Recipe Editor?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#recipes18) * [How is efficiency calculated in a Brew Session?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#brewsessions5) * [More details about the Brewing Efficiency Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-efficiency-chart/) ### **What is Diastatic Power?** Diastatic power (DP) is a measurement of a malted grain's enzymatic content. The purpose of the malting process is generally to break down the protein structure of the raw grain, by soaking the grains in water and then sprouting them. The term "modified malt" or "highly modified malt" refers to how broken down this protein structure is during this process. Highly modified malt, for example, has almost all of the protein structure broken down, and that is the most common type of malt available to us. The malt is then dried in a kiln, where these sprouts fall off, leaving behind the malted barley grain. Light colored grains like pilsner malt are kilned the least, while the darker colored grains like Munich II are kilned to a darker color. For even darker grains and specialty grains, the malt is sometimes roasted to make ingredients like crystal/caramel malt, roasted barley or others like victory malt. In addition to changing the protein structure and fermentability of the grain, malting also develops the enzymes needed for mashing so that the starches can be converted to fermentable sugars during the mashing process. Beta amylase and alpha amylase together are diatase enzymes, and we as brewers are probably familiar with them. This type of enzyme is where the term "diastatic power" derives from. During the saccrification rest (the mash at temperatures of approximately 146-158° F), these are the enzymes responsible for converting the starch from the grain into fermentable sugars. Diastatic power is an indicator of the amount of those enzymes available to do this conversion, and is described in degrees Lintner in the US. In Europe, often the diastatic power is given in degrees WK, which stands for Windisch-Kolbach units. You can convert WK to Lintner using the formula Lintner=(WK+16)/3.5. To convert the other way, WK=3.5\*Lintner – 16. In general, a diastatic power of at least 30°L is required to convert a mash, although it could take longer than a mash with a higher DP. For custom fermentables, enter the diastatic power for the grain on the manufacturer's malt analysis sheet in the box provided. This will default to 0, so if you are adding grains with diastatic power, add the correct DP in degrees Lintner in the box. ### **Which malts have diastatic power?** Since the roasted and highly kilned malts are processed in the way they are, few specialty malts have diastatic power. Some of the highly modified base malts, such as US two-row, may be as high as 160° L. Some malts, like Munich malt, due to the way they are processed, have enough DP to self-convert but not enough extra DP to convert other additions to the mash. ### **When should I worry about the diastatic power in my mash?** For most batches, the DP should not be a concern since usually you will be using a base malt with plenty of DP in the mash. There are exceptions, however; if you are making a beer with a lot of adjuncts this could be an issue. For example- if you are formulating a recipe for a cream ale using 20% flaked corn, 20% flaked rice, 5% crystal malt, and the rest an undermodified base malt, you may not have enough DP for conversion. Or in the case of a Belgian wit with 40% unmalted wheat and 60% base malt, you may need to ensure your recipe has enough DP to convert the entire grain bill. The way to determine the amount of DP in your mash is to add up the grain amounts, and then average the grain's DP together to find your mash DP. Our software will make it easy for you- with a green check showing adequate DP for your recipe. ### **Partial mash brewing and diastatic power** In the case of partial mash brewing, since less grain is in the mash, it is very important to ensure that there is enough base grain with enough DP to convert the rest of the grains. A good rule of thumb is to have twice as much base malt to the amount of specialty grains in the mash (ie 2 pounds two-row base malt per pound of specialty grain). Checking the DP of the mash instead of using this rule of thumb can be more accurate especially when limited to a small mash due to equipment limitations. Our software will make it easy for you- with a green check showing adequate DP for your recipe. ### **Calculations for IBUs using Fresh Hops** So many brewers grow or buy fresh hops. Also known as "wet hops", these hops are used fresh off of the plant and not dried before use. Generally, brewers will use approximately six times the amount of fresh hops as dried or pelletized hops due to the water content of them. Our IBU calculator has been updated to provide a better estimate of IBUs provided by fresh wet hops. Simply choose "fresh" as the type of hops in the dropdown when you add it to your recipe. ### **Building a Recipe by Fermentable Percentages** Many brewers make their recipe by stating a certain percentage of grains in the recipe. To do that in Brewer's Friend, in the Recipe Builder create the recipe by filling out the information at the top (like the name of the recipe, the type, and so on). When you reach the "fermentables" area, glick the "goal" tab at the top left of that area. Highlight either the OG or ABV goal that you desire for your recipe, and click "set goal". Enter the grain type in the long box, and then add the percentage of this grain desired. Continue with further recipe additions. The total percentage will tally at the bottom of the "fermentables" area. See example below: ![https://www.brewersfriend.com/images/percent-ferm-screen1.jpg](/files/-LhGIXPOi9mIfIxrOPzh) To adjust the amount of grain, click the unshaded box with the grain amounts. You can adjust either the percentage OR the grain amounts by clicking between them, if you need to adjust either of them. See example below on adjusting the amount of grains: ![https://www.brewersfriend.com/images/percent-ferm-screen2.jpg](/files/-LhGIXPPe6jLSGMzzXuS) Adding fermentables or changing the grainbill is easy, and will of course change the percentages accordingly so that you will reach 100%. You can continue to adjust as needed by choosing the box that you wish to revise. ![https://www.brewersfriend.com/images/percent-ferm-screen3.jpg](/files/-LhGIXPQ-oakHd2Oh5_G) # Brew Sessions ### **What does a brew session track?** A brew session tracks when you brewed a given recipe, the actual original gravity, the actual final gravity, and any log events you want to record in addition. Log events should be rich comments that describe any process changes you made, fermentation temperature range, tasting notes, smells, etc. The brew session uses your log entries to automatically calculate actual ABV, actual attenuation, and efficiency. ### **What is a snapshot recipe?** A snapshot recipe is a special copy of a recipe tied just to the brew session it goes with. This is very handy if you take a slight detour on brew day, or make a substitution from the original recipe, but you don't want to bother with making a full copy of the original. ### **How do the water volume calculations work?** The system takes your equipment profile and processes the recipe to calculate how much water is needed at each step. The first time you may need to fine tune your equipment profile, then use the Brew Session -> Edit -> Rebuild Steps feature to have the water volumes recalculated. ### **Does the brew session support BIAB?** Yes. The water calculations are done for you, and the mash feature understands a mash tun is not involved. ### **For gravity readings, how are hydrometers supported in terms of calibration and offset?** When taking a gravity reading, the wort temperature can skew the reading. The hotter the wort, the less accurate the reading. On the Brew Log entry screen there is a field for the temperature of the sample. The system uses this value to compute the actual gravity. To complicate matters, there are two popular calibrations (59F/15C, and 68F/20C). You can enter your hydrometer's calibration when you make the log entry. This is a profile option under the equipment tab. Some hydrometers are not calibrated correctly from the factory and read slightly off from 0.000 in water at their calibration temperature. The system lets you correct for this on the Brew Log entry screen, and this is also a profile option. You may enter the gravity in either Plato or Specific Gravity. The system supports temperature correction, calibration, and offset for both scales. ### **How is efficiency calculated in a Brew Session?** **There are four main types of efficiency in the brewing world.** \ ![brewing efficiency chart](/files/-LhGIXPR5dqxotMYZOHg) \ [More details about the Brewing Efficiency Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-efficiency-chart/) Efficiency calculations only apply to All Grain, BIAB, and Partial Mash recipes. Each type references a different point in the brewing process. The system uses ***Brew Log entries*** to compute each of them: #### **Mash Complete:** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken from first runnings or directly from mash. Be sure to mix wort prior to taking gravity sample. * Volume - The sum of the strike water and all infusions prior to sparging. * Measures: **Conversion Efficiency.** The percentage of sugars converted from the total potential sugars in the mashed grains inside the mash tun. * The equation the system uses comes from [Braukaiser's article on Understanding Efficiency](http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Understanding_Efficiency). We believe this is the most accurate equation out there because of the 3rd term which accounts for the volume increase from the extracted sugars. #### **Mash Complete (First Runnings)** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken from first runnings or directly from mash. Be sure to mix wort prior to taking gravity sample. * Volume - Wort volume from draining the mash to the kettle before any sparging. * Measures: * Lauter Dead Space: Amount of wort left behind in your lauter/mash tun. * Grain absorption rate: Amount of wort absorbed by the grain during the mash. Typical values are 0.5 qt/lb (0.125 gal/lb, 1.044 L/kg) for a mashtun, or 0.32 qt/lb (0.08 gal/lb, 0.66 L/kg) for biab with a squeeze or hanging to drain. #### **Mash Complete (Last Runnings)** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken from final runnings after sparging. Be sure to mix wort prior to taking gravity sample. * Volume - Wort volume from draining the mash to the kettle after any sparging. Should match sparge volume. #### **Pre-Boil:** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken at the start of the boil. Be sure to mix the wort prior to taking gravity sample, especially if you sparged. Alternatively let the wort boil for a few minutes. * Volume - Initial wort volume in the kettle. Brew Log Type - 'Pre-Boil Gravity'. * Measures: **Preboil Efficiency.** The percentage of sugars from the grain that made it into the kettle. * The equation the system uses comes from [Braukaiser's article on Understanding Efficiency](http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Understanding_Efficiency). We believe this is the most accurate equation out there because of the 3rd term which accounts for the volume increase from the extracted sugars. #### **Post-Boil:** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken at the end of the boil. * Volume - Final wort volume in the kettle after chilling. Brew Log Type - 'Post-Boil Gravity'. * A duplicate log entry of Boil complete, but without affecting efficiency calculations. #### **Boil Complete:** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken at the end of the boil. * Volume - Final wort volume in the kettle after chilling. Brew Log Type - 'Post-Boil Gravity'. * Measures: **Ending Kettle Efficiency.** The percentage of sugars from the grain that made it to the end of the boil. * Ending Kettle Efficiency is the efficiency factor used on the recipe editor when batch size target is set to '**Kettle**'. * The equation the system uses comes from [Braukaiser's article on Understanding Efficiency](http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Understanding_Efficiency). We believe this is the most accurate equation out there because of the 3rd term which accounts for the volume increase from the extracted sugars. * Theoretically the same as Pre-Boil Efficiency, if there are no late additions during the boil, provided accurate measurements at both points (minus rounding error) * There is a corner case in all grain brewing, where an 'all grain' recipe includes raw sugar or extract. In this situation, the extract / sugar additions are expected to be in the wort at this point, thus increasing the gravity reading. The system excludes the gravity contribution from the sugar for the purposes of this calculation. This is not a typical situation in all grain brewing, but if you are adding some sugar to your IIPA, then you can still get useful numbers. #### **Brew Day Complete:** * *Measurement:* * **Original Gravity** - Sample taken after transferring to fermenter, and before pitching yeast. * Volume - Initial wort volume in the fermentor after cooling. * All losses that do not make it into the fermentor are counted against this measure, including hops absorption (which varies by recipe), chiller losses, and trub losses. * Measures: **Brewhouse Efficiency.** The percentage of sugars from the grain that made it into the fermentor. * Brew House Efficiency is the most common efficiency used, and is the efficiency factor used on the recipe editor when batch size target is set to '**Fermentor**'. * The equation the system uses comes from [Braukaiser's article on Understanding Efficiency](http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Understanding_Efficiency). We believe this is the most accurate equation out there because of the 3rd term which accounts for the volume increase from the extracted sugars. * Brewday Complete log entries are included in the **Fermentation chart** by default. #### **Fast Ferment Test:** * *Measurement:* * **Ending Gravity** - The ending gravity of the fermented wort at the end of the fermentation test. * Predicts: **Final Gravity.** The purpose of a fast ferment test is to anticipate the final gravity, and attenuation, of the main batch. * A Fast Ferment Test (FFT) is done by taking a small amount of unfermented wort from your recent brew session and quickly fermenting it down as far as it will go. The resulting FFT gravity reading provides a scientific basis for knowing when the batch it came from is done fermenting. FFT allows the brewer to make more informed decisions about when to package, if fermentation is stuck or not, etc. * For more information about fast ferment tests, check out [Braukaiser's article on the Fast Ferment Test](http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Fast_Ferment_Test). #### **Sample (fermentation):** * *Measurement:* * **Gravity** - The current gravity of the fermenting beer. * **Temperature** - The current temperature of the fermenting beer. * **pH** - The current pH of the fermenting beer. * Predicts: **Final Gravity.** The purpose of a fast ferment test is to anticipate the final gravity, and attenuation, of the main batch. * Sample log entries are included in the **Fermentation chart** by default. **Additional Information:** *Partial Mash Recipes -* Pre-Boil Efficiency is not reported. This is because partial mash is a simplified brewing method that always includes extract or sugar. The numbers do not always match up perfectly (even if you hit exactly what the recipe says), because the recipe editor uses non-rounded values for computations. See the [ABV FAQ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#brewsessions6) for more info about that. ### **How does the brew session report ABV, and why doesn't it always match the recipe exactly even though I hit the same values?** The system will calculate the *actual* ABV of your finished beer using gravity readings entered in the brew log. The ABV equation selected on the recipe is used to calculate the actual ABV. [Read more about the equations here](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/06/16/alcohol-by-volume-calculator-updated/). The numbers do not always match up perfectly (even if you hit exactly what the recipe says), because the recipe editor uses non-rounded values for computations. Even though the OG on the recipe reads 1.050, behind the scenes it could be something like 1.0504386. In some cases, this is enough to cause minor differences. You can experiment with this yourself by entering a gravity reading of 1.0504 in the brew log, and see the impact it has. The value will be rounded to 3 places in the log listing, but the detail is retained in the system. We feel it is better to avoid rounding until the end inside the software, and live with the limitations of hydrometer scale resolution when calculating actual ABV. **For ABV and attenuation to be reported, enter a 'Brew Day Complete' log, and a 'Fermentation Complete' log.** By entering 'Sample', or 'Racked' log entries, the system will calculate the latest attenuation and ABV. The green checkbox will not be filled in until a 'Fermentation Complete' log is provided. ### **How does the Mash Calculator tab work?** The Mash Calculator tab helps track the mash as it happens in terms of volume and temperature. The first step is to add the strike water and start the mash - please see the [Strike Water FAQ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#brewsessions8) for more on that. **Batch Sparging - basic procedure for a 2 step sparge:** 1. Add Strike Water 2. Use the Infuse or Add Boiling tab to hit rest steps, or to adjust as needed 3. Drain to Kettle (1st runnings) 4. Batch Sparge Tab - infuse remaining mash water 5. Drain to Kettle (2nd runnings) The system will only count grain absorption and mash tun dead space on the first 'drain to kettle' step! **Fly Sparging:** 1. Add Strike Water 2. Use the Infuse or Add Boiling tab to hit rest steps, or to adjust as needed 3. Fly sparge - automatically accounts for grain absorption and mash tun dead space, and allocates the remaining volume to the kettle. **For RIMS / HERMS brew rigs:** 1. Add Strike Water 2. Raise Temp / Record Temp for any rests 3. Batch sparge then drain to kettle, or fly sparge **For BIAB:** 1. Add Strike Water 2. That's it since you are mashing with enough water to hit your pre-boil volume after pulling out the grain bag. **Temperatures are Estimates:**\ Keep some cool and boiling water on hand to make small adjustments as necessary. Record any cool or boiling water added to the mash using the Infuse / Add Boiling tabs. You may also add comments to the mash log under the comments tab on the left. **Brewing In A Cold Area:**\ The equations powering this feature are geared for room temp (68 °F / 20 °C). If you are brewing in a cold area, compensate accordingly. For example, if the ambient temperature is 45 °F / 7 °C, we recommend padding by up to +10 °F / +5.5 °C. Better to overshoot a few degrees and leave the lid open vs having to add boiling water to heat it up. **Additional Information:**\ The water volume estimate comes from the Water Requirements tab, and uses settings from your [equipment profile](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/equipment) to compute how much water will be needed. If you change your profile options, go the Brew Session - > Edit tab, and click Rebuild to regenerate the water requirements table. Mash steps from the recipe are provided at the bottom of the Mash Calculator tab for reference. The data from the mash steps does not factor into the calculations, except as defaults where the system can pick them up. ### **How does the Strike Water calculator work?** The Strike Water calculator, located under the Mash Calculator tab, helps you hit the temperature of your first mash step. This calculator is approximate. After initial strike and stir, if the temperature is +/- (2 °F) / (1 °C) leave it. Otherwise mix in cool or boiling water to compensate. Use the Infuse or Add Boiling tab to track how much was added. If the temp is only slightly over, leave the mash tun lid open for a couple minutes and it will cool down by itself. If this is new equipment or your first time mashing with this calculator, expect some variation. It should get at least within 7 °F / 3.5 °C, if not closer, after adjusting the heat loss setting. Please see the FAQ for more details: At this point the equation is basic, based off [Palmer's equation found here](http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter16-3.html). It works best for batch sparging. The limitations come from a single equation trying to model everyone's equipment (mash tun thermal properties), and varying processes. Adjust the [Mash Strike Heat Loss](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/equipment) setting in your profile as needed. Expect it to take a couple tries to dial it in. **NOTE:** The strike calculator assumes your tun will absorb heat (a few degrees will be absorbed by the mash tun, this varies widely by the type of mash tun). Even if you 'pre-heat' the tun with a little boiling water, this may still be the case. *Do not stabilize the tun at the calculated strike temperature, and then add grains, or you will probably overshoot.* **Brewing In A Cold Area:**\ The equations powering this feature are geared for room temp (68 °F / 20 °C). If you are brewing in a cold area, compensate accordingly. For example, if the ambient temperature is 45 °F / 7 °C, we recommend padding by up to +10 °F / +5.5 °C. Better to overshoot a few degrees and leave the lid open vs having to add boiling water to heat it up. ### **When I create a brew session, will it deduct from my Inventory?** Yes, if you want it to. You even get the chance to override any values and select which lines to deduct before submitting. You may deduct from inventory when you create the brew session, or anytime after that by going to the Brew Session -> Edit tab and locating the Deduct From Inventory section. The system uses the following comparison logic for matching inventory items with recipe ingredients: * Fermentables and Steeping Grains: name, ppg, lovibond. * Hops: name, aa, type. * Yeast: laboratory, name. * Other Ingredients: name. * Only inventory items with an amount greater than zero will be matched. If your inventory does not have quite enough to cover a given recipe requirement, a negative value will be shown (in fact, the system will tell you the exact amount you are short by). If the negative value is left in place, when you submit, that inventory line will be updated to zero. The Inventory Deduction feature supports a wide variety of unit conversions. This allows you to keep inventory amounts in the units you prefer, while the recipe may use alternate units. Even rare conversions like Liters to Teaspoons is supported. * The following weight units are interchangeable: Pounds, Ounces, Kilograms, Grams. * The following volume units are interchangeable: Ounces, Liters, Milliliters, Quarts, Gallons, Tsp, Tbsp. * *Note that ounces appears in both lists, make sure you know which type of ounce you are dealing with.* * The unit Each only converts to itself. * The system will provide a 'Cannot Convert X to Y' warning if a match is found but the units are not compatible. At that point, override the default value provided to the correct amount. If the same ingredient is listed more than once in the recipe the system will group that ingredient in the inventory deduction table. Example - an extract batch that does 50% of the DME as a late addition. Current limitation - the matching logic does not support the same inventory item being listed twice. This is generally only an issue if you have hops spanning multiple harvest years, or you have entered the same ingredient with different units, or you are trying to track the same item across different containers. *At present the system will only draw from the first matching inventory line it encounters.* Later on, if requested, we can look into expanding the logic so it handles this situation. ### **Does the system correct for water/wort volume expansion?** Yes. When you enter a brew log, you have the option of entering the wort temperature (check the 'Temperature Correction' box). The system will compute the volume as if it were at 68 °F / 20 °C. When water is heated, it expands. Typically a 4% decrease in volume is observed when going from boiling to 68 °F / 20 °C. The percentage can vary with elevation. The system uses your [Cooling Shrinkage profile option](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/equipment) in the calculation. The equation used is linear. The floor is set at 68 °F / 20 °C, so it will not compute adjustments below that temperature, but they are negligible. ### **Does the system support a Fast Ferment Test and what is it for?** Yes. A Fast Ferment Test (FFT) is done by taking a small amount of unfermented wort from your recent brew session and quickly fermenting it down as far as it will go. The resulting FFT gravity reading provides a scientific basis for knowing when the batch it came from is done fermenting. FFT allows the brewer to make more informed decisions about when to package, if fermentation is stuck or not, etc. In the brew log for a brew session, add a 'Fast Ferment Test' type log entry with gravity reading from the test after it has fermented down. The system will report the expected attenuation and ABV for the batch. For more information about fast ferment tests, check out [Braukaiser's article on the Fast Ferment Test](http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Fast_Ferment_Test). ### **Does the system have brew timers?** Yes and they are automatically setup to match the recipe and your brewing process. After creating a brew session, look for the black bar at the bottom of the screen and click the 'Open More...' button. ![https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/images/timer\_faq1.png](/files/-LhGIXPS_aIl_2OhVmI0) As you check off steps, the rows in the Brew Steps tab above will also be checked off. Certain steps get timers, like mash steps, the overall boil, and kettle additions. The system looks for hop additions, other ingredients marked as 'boil', and incorporates other items like submersing your chiller (if applicable) and sanitizing the lid of your kettle. The timers are saved in the system, so if you leave the page and come back, they will still be running. ![https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/images/timer\_faq2.png](/files/-LhGIXPT9hpnk04ZtKno) When a step timer hits zero, a sound will play. The sound that currently plays is called [Timer by Corsica\_S at FreeSound.org](http://www.freesound.org/people/Corsica_S/sounds/22627/). The black bar at the bottom automatically disappears after advancing past the Brew phase. ### **What gravity scales are supported for recording gravity on brew log entries?** We support Specific Gravity (1.xxx), Plato °P, and Refractometer readings (which we call Brix WRI). Specific Gravity and Plato measurements are normally taken with a hydrometer. The screen displays a temperature correction checkbox, [see this FAQ for more information about hydrometers and temperature correction](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#brewsessions4). The system also supports Refractometer readings. The brew log entry screen is setup to correct the raw reading in two important ways: 1. A wort correction factor must be applied that accounts for the refraction difference between sugar water and wort. To help clear up confusion with terminology, at Brewer's Friend we have decided to call a Brix measurement of wort: Brix WRI (wort refraction index). Brix WRI makes it clear the measurement pertains to wort and is unadjusted. Only after dividing Brix WRI by the wort correction factor do we arrive at the actual Brix / Plato reading. It is helpful to know that Brix and Plato are nominally the same to 3 decimal places, so the corrected reading can be treated as Plato (°P). The wort correction factor is an [equipment profile option](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/equipment). [Click here for our detailed write up on how to determine a refractometer's wort correction factor.](https://www.brewersfriend.com/how-to-determine-your-refractometers-wort-correction-factor/) 2. If alcohol is present it alters the refraction by an additional factor. An equation which requires the OG must be used to correct the refractometer reading. The system displays an 'OG' box and fills in the OG automatically from your brew log. The calculator uses [Sean Terrill's cubic equation](http://seanterrill.com/2011/04/07/refractometer-fg-results/). For more information about refractometer use in general: [Using your Refractometer Correctly for Maximum Accuracy in Home Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/04/24/using-your-refractometer-correctly-for-maximum-accuracy-in-home-brewing/). ### **Can I get a report of my brewing activity?** Yes, look for the [Brewing Report link](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/brewingreport) on the Dashboard or under My Brewing -> Brewing Report. The report can be filtered date range. The dates are optional. The data powering the report is derived from your brew sessions and associated recipes (snapshots recommended). ***Note: The report excludes brews that are still in the planning phase and deleted brews.*** The report summarizes your brewing in the following ways: 1. How much beer was brewed total for the time period. 2. A count of which styles were brewed. 3. A detailed ingredient summary which shows how much of each ingredient was used. Allows drilling down to see which recipes used how much of each ingredient. Screen-shots:\ ![https://cdn.brewersfriend.com/brewreport\_1A.png](/files/-LhGIXPU6hBGwV6HWA4f) ![https://cdn.brewersfriend.com/brewreport\_2.png](/files/-LhGIXPVjVQ30_DdmNnl) ### **Editable Brewing Steps** Our default brew steps are generated when you click the "brew" button and create a brew session. That works well for many brewers and we suggest you start there when using Brewer's Friend. Over time, you may find that you don't need to be told to "gather your equipment" or other steps that you don't use and you can delete those from the Brew Steps. To customize your Brew Steps, log into your account and choose "my profile" in the "My Brewing" choice on the tool bar. Brew Steps is one of the choices in the boxes near the top of that screen. Click on that box. The brew steps are shown, in all grain steps, partial mash steps, BIAB steps, and extract steps. The chosen steps are shown with a green check mark. Check or uncheck the steps as desired. Click "apply" at the very bottom of this screen, by scrolling to the bottom. Your chosen steps will be the ones that show in your Brew Log and Brew Steps on your brewsheet. # Account Information ### **How do I purchase or upgrade?** First login (or sign up), then look for the upgrade button in the upper right corner. ### **How do I add my profile picture?** After you sign up, and are logged in, click the My Profile link in the upper right corner. The first tab is the 'Picture and Public Profile'. Select your profile picture, then click Submit. Only .gif, .jpg and .png type images are allowed to be uploaded. ### **How do I make a public profile?** After you sign up, and are logged in, click the My Profile link in the upper right corner. The first tab is the 'Picture and Public Profile'. Look for the Public Profile drop down box, and change it to Public, then hit submit. A Profile URL will be generated. ### **Is the site free or do I have to pay?** The blog, printable brew sheets, calculators, and forum access are free. We offer a subscription model for our cloud based recipe and brew solution. A free unlimited duration trial membership is available. Give it a try and see how much time it saves in planning and building your brews. When you are ready to upgrade, see our [pricing page](https://www.brewersfriend.com/pricing). ### **What is your refund policy?** If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, let us know within two weeks of your purchase and we will issue a full refund. No refunds are offered in the event your account is banned for abuse, violation of our terms, or other inappropriate use. ### **What happens if my membership expires?** All your data is safe, you can still get in and view everything, add brew logs, you just can't add new recipes or brew sessions if you are above the trial limit. ### **Can I download my data?** A future release will include functionality for exporting your data. Our systems are fully backed up, so you don't have to worry there, but we do understand the concern and will provide a way for you to do this. BeerXML export support is currently available to individually export your recipes. ### **Can I connect to my existing account using Google Sign In?** Yes, you can use your Google account to either create a new Brewer's Friend account or connect to an existing Brewer's Friend account.**NOTE: If you are connecting to an existing Brewer's Friend account, you will need to first make sure that your Brewer's Friend account is set to use the same email address as that of your Google account. If they do not match, you will be creating a new account on Brewer's Friend.**\ If you have any problems connecting your Google account to an existing Brewer's Friend account, please contact us using via our [contact form](https://www.brewersfriend.com/feedback-welcome/) or by searching other user's input via our [technical support forum](https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/#brewers-friend-technical-support.4). ### **Can I connect to my existing account using Sign in with Apple?** Yes, you can use your Apple account to either create a new Brewer's Friend account or connect to an existing Brewer's Friend account.**NOTE: If you are connecting to an existing Brewer's Friend account, you will need to first make sure that your Brewer's Friend account is set to use the same email address as that of your Apple account. Also, when connecting your Apple account to your Brewer's Friend account for the first time you will be asked whether or not to share your email address with Brewer's Friend. You must choose "Yes" in order to connect to the prior account.**\ If you have any problems connecting your Apple account to an existing Brewer's Friend account, please contact us using via our [contact form](https://www.brewersfriend.com/feedback-welcome/) or by searching other user's input via our [technical support forum](https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/#brewers-friend-technical-support.4). # Platform Related ### **What browsers do you support?** We support newer versions of the most popular browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and IE). Newer mobile browsers are also supported. We do not plan to support older browsers. ### **Do you have a mobile app?** The entire website is mobile enabled, which means it is optimized for smart phones and tablets. For native experiences we have the following: **iPhone:** **Brewer's Friend for iPhone $4.99:**\ ![Brewers Friend - Available on the App Store](/files/-LhGIXPWwkPHCxEhPgl5) For complete details [see our iPhone App Information Page](https://www.brewersfriend.com/iphone-app-information-page/). **iPad:**\ The site renders really well on iPad. It is easy to add a link to your home screen using mobile Safari: Bookmark -> Add To Home Screen. If you need offline capability, the iPhone app in 2x mode is a good option. ### **How is the site backed up?** Multiple times per day, encrypted, in geographically distant data centers on redundant storage arrays. ### **What will be in the next release?** We are improving the system all the time.\ Follow our [update forum](https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/forums/brewers-friend-update-forum.12/) and our [beta testing forum](https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/forums/beta-testing.20/) for news and updates. ### **How can I make a suggestion for a feature?** There is a specific topic in the forum for feature requests. Please see [the forum](https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/) and make your request there. That way we can track how interested people are, let them weigh in, and provide our feedback to the community, all in one place. ### **Do you support BeerXML?** Yes, we support the BeerXML Version 1.0 spec both for importing and exporting. **Importing a Recipe From BeerXML:**\ Look for the Import BeerXML link under the 'New Beer Recipe' navigation menu at the top. **Exporting a Recipe To BeerXML:**\ On the view recipe page, there is an option under the export tab. **BeerXML results:**\ Expect to see minor differences in recipe stats when moving between programs. This is caused by different brewing equations, rounding, etc. Make sure to double check every field, especially batch size, efficiency, and grain ppgs. For example, Brew Target wants to set its own batch size based on equipment, which can really throw off a recipe’s stats. If you are getting confused by the results of an import or export, we are happy to look into differences with you. Please use the [Contact Us](https://www.brewersfriend.com/feedback) page. ### **How does the folder system work for recipes and brews?** The My Recipes and My Brewing page allows items to be grouped into folders. The 'default' folder is where items start. Folders are sorted by name alphabetically. There is no limit to the number of folders you may have, or how many items may live in a folder. The folders on the My Recipes and My Brewing pages are independent of each other. **To move an item into a folder, drag and drop it:**\ ![drag item to folder](/files/-LhGIXPXn6F8yAKUP_JC) \ ![drop item in folder](/files/-LhGIXPYW8zUWpu2erFl) **To create a new folder, click the New Folder button:**\ ![create new folder](/files/-LhGIXPZfsBt1ohvJtTu) **Ideas for folder names:** * Brew Again * Don't Brew Again * Planning * Clone Recipes * Lagers * Small Batches * My Experiments * Competitions * Archived # Additional Information ### **See our About Page** Please see [Please see our About Page](https://www.brewersfriend.com/about) for more details. ### **See our Pricing and Features Page** Please see [Please see our Pricing and Features](https://www.brewersfriend.com/pricing) for more details. # Contributing to BF ### **Contributing Brands and Ingredients** **First off, thank you for your interest in contributing to our catalog.** Brands are subject to approval and will not show up on the site without being approved first.\ Approval or renaming will happen within 2 business days but normally withing minutes.\ Please use the common brand business name when contributing.\ Do not use profane words or others which violate our [terms of service](https://www.brewersfriend.com/terms). You can contribute to this list from your [inventory](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/myinventory) or [shopping list](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/myshopping). In order to use user contributed ingredients you need to enable this in [general settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/general_settings). # Recipe Builder # Recipe Setup ## Getting Started {% hint style="info" %} Before you start be sure [login](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/login) to save your recipe, then set defaults in [General Settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/general_settings) and setup an [Equipment Profile](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/equipment). {% endhint %} ![Oatmeal Stout with Auto - Preboil](/files/6pOVG0p3p2dNMIc6BAYR) ### Recipe Name Create a name for your recipe, if shared this will be used in the search. ### Author / Source Enter your name as the author. ### Units * **US -** Gallons, quarts, pounds, ounces, and degrees Fahrenheit. * **Metric -** Liters, kilograms, grams, and degrees Celsius. Chose any combination of 'Units' when building a recipe, allowing you to enter ingredients in a recipe that are sold in different units of weight to avoid conversion decimals; for example, a recipe with 55 lbs American Two Row and 25 kg Weyermann Pilsner or; a recipe with 500 grams Roasted Barley, 20 Lbs American Two Row. ### Style and Style Sub Category Select a style then sub style, these are [BJCP styles](https://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php) per the 2015 style guidelines. ### Brew Method * **All Grain** * **BIAB (Brew in a Bag)** - All grain, but calculations assume full volume mashing * **Extract** - Gives a Steeping grain option for adding fermentables. * **Partial Mash** ### Batch Size At Brewer's Friend, brewers may choose two different options for batch size. * **Fermentor:** how much wort made it into the primary fermentor. * **Kettle:** the ending kettle volume, right before being drained. ![](/files/TIBuoIplT9NRkFUZyyui) Use the target drop down next to the batch size field on the recipe editor to set this. The default setting for batch size target is 'fermentor', but it can be changed under your [general settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/general_settings). How you define your batch determines where your efficiency is targetting, and how the water calculations work. ### Est. Boil Sizes and Boil Time The **Preboil** size is how much wort you will be boiling at the very start of the boil. This value is used for IBU calculations, enter an estimate based on your experience OR if you've setup your equipment profile then set the Preboil to Auto and let us take it from there! The **Postboil** size is how much wort you will have in the kettle after chilling but before transferring to your fermentor. This value is used for IBU calculations, enter an estimate based on your experience OR if you've setup your equipment profile then set the Postboil to Auto and let us take it from there! The **Boil time** is the duration of the boil, a 60 minute boil is traditional but shorter boils are becoming much more common! ### Auto-Boil - Adjusted boil volumes You can also let the system automatically adjust the pre and/or post boil volumes. This Auto Calculate toggle button will update both the pre and post boil volumes based on the current QWR calculations, using the recipes batch size, the equipment profile, and all of the ingredient additions. As of May 15th, 2022 - The Auto calculate will dynamically adjust the pre and postboil volumes based on changes such as hop additions, accounting for the wort volume absorbed by your hops in the boil additions, and sugar additions in the boil, but many more factors are accounted for. \ \ Leaving you to focus on the ingredients, and letting the recipe builder to adjust accordingly. ![Automatically adjust the preboil volume - Very useful for highly hopped IPAs, and recipes with sugar additons in the boil!](/files/itCGJYA3Z4wBdVG7vyV2) In the gif above, you can see me opening a popular public [`IPA recipe`](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/363082/avg-perfect-northeast-ipa-neipa-) from the brewing community. First things first, I select my equipment profile. \ Next I use the **auto postboil** feature where you can see the auto calculation has accounted for the volume increase due to the extensive hop additions (13.75 oz!) and increased the postboil volume accordingly. \ I take a guess at the preboil volume needed, normally it's about a gallon more for my setup with the IPAs that I normally do but I know it'll be a little higher so I estimate 7 gallons. I thought that would be pretty close, but the **auto-preboil** calculation is telling me that I'm off by almost a quart! \ \ If I relied on my guesses, I'd be short a quart, my SG would be 2 points higher. Not the end of the world, but I always want to be as accurate and repeatable as possible.
### Efficiency **There are four main types of efficiency in the brewing world.** ![](/files/-LY928FVNjm9-zR_Vmly) [More details about the Brewing Efficiency Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-efficiency-chart/) \ \ The type of efficiency used by the recipe editor for calculations is determined by the [batch size target](/recipe-builder/recipe-setup#batch-size). Fermentor uses Brew House Efficiency, and Kettle uses Ending Kettle Efficiency. \ \ **For Extract Brewing:**\ For extract batches, the recipe efficiency value only impacts steeping grains. Set the number fairly low to start with, say 25%, and raise it from there if you notice you are beating the target OG. The gravity impact from steeping grains in an extract batch is minimal, but the recipe editor gives you full control over how much of a sugar contribution they provide. \ \ In partial mash brewing, 50-60% may be more reasonable, but set it low until you start consistently exceeding it. \ \ **For Partial Mash, All Grain and BIAB Recipes:**\ Efficiency is based on the [batch size target](/recipe-builder/recipe-setup#batch-size): * **When batch size target is set to Fermentor:** efficiency stands for 'Brew House Efficiency', which captures your entire system. It factors in sugar losses all the way to the fermentor. * **When batch size target is set to Kettle:** efficiency stands for 'Ending Kettle Efficiency', which is how much of the sugars from the grain were converted and made it into the kettle at the end of the boil. Ending Kettle Efficiency is always higher than Brew House Efficiency because it does not count losses from trub, hops absorption, and kettle dead space. Thus ending kettle efficiency and volume happen to be more portable across equipment for a given recipe. If you are brewing with your friends, you may want to set the recipe into kettle mode and share it that way. \ \ **The Brew Feature calculates four types of efficiency:**\ If you are interested in tracking efficiency in detail, create a 'Brew Session'. It tracks conversion efficiency, pre-boil efficiency, ending kettle efficiency, and brew house efficiency! Each efficiency value flows to the next, and the value can only go down in subsequent steps. \ \ For more information see: [How is efficiency calculated in a Brew Session](/brew-session/brew-log#efficiency)? \ \ **First time doing an All Grain batch?**\ Congratulations! We suggest you start with a conservative efficiency value like 55-60% for your first All Grain batch. Raise it from there as you improve. If you exceed it, hey, you'll have a bit higher ABV - cheers! \ \ **Recipe Design Notes:** * Pre-Boil / Ending Kettle / Brew House Efficiency are NOT constant across recipes - it depends on your system AND the recipe. Efficiency is only constant for similar recipes (same amount of grain, same amount of hops), on the same equipment, with the same brewing practices. * For beers that use more grain (eg, high gravity beers), pre-boil efficiency, and subsequent efficiencies will be lower because of higher grain absorption. When brewing a high gravity beer make sure to pad in 5%, 10%, maybe even 20% efficiency loss depending on how strong your beer will be. * Hops absorption impacts Brew House Efficiency. A super hoppy beer may see a Brew House Efficiency reduction of 1-3%. * These adjustments are not estimated in the software at this moment, you will need to manually estimate for changes in gravity or highly hopped recipes. ### Auto Save Recipe This will auto save your recipe every 60 seconds. ### Share Recipe This will make your recipe pubic. You recipe will now be searchable, exportable and clonable. # Quick Water Requirements The Quick Water Requirements (QWR) are a collection of water volume calculations based on a specific recipe and a chosen equipment profile. ## Description The Quick Water Requirements (QWR) is a collection of water volume calculations based on a specific recipe and a chosen equipment profile. (NOTE: If you have not created a custom equipment profile, the default 12 US Gallon profile will be used.) The calculations will show you how much water you will need to be adding at each stage, and where your water losses will be coming from. ## Measurements From the Recipe Builder, you can access the QWR measurements from either under the “Recipe Tools” dropdown at the top of the page, or by using the section menu in the “Mash Guidelines” section. These are the calculated volumes that are provided. Note that volumes are only displayed when relevant to both the type of recipe that you are brewing and the equipment profile that you have chosen to brew with. While we will describe all of the possible volumes in this document, you will only see those that make sense to your recipe and equipment. NOTE: All volumes will be displayed in the units chosen for the given recipe and assumes a calibration temperature of 68°F / 20°C.
Overview of an all grain Double IPA recipe for target Batch size to fermentor.
### Extract Recipe 1. \[Heat | Boil] water added to kettle\ If the recipe includes any steeping grains, this line indicates heating the water (steeping) otherwise it directs you to start with boiling water. 2. Grain absorption losses (steeping)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one steeping grain or mashable fermentable. 3. Hops absorption losses (steeping)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one mash/steeping hops addition. 4. Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable \*not marked as ‘Late Addition’. 5. Pre boil volume 6. Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable that is marked as ‘Late Addition’. 7. Boil off losses 8. Hops absorption losses (first wort, boil, aroma)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one first wort, boil or aroma hops addition. 9. Post boil volume\ When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Kettle’, it represents the target batch size volume. 10. Kettle losses\ This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Kettle losses”. 11. Hops absorption losses (whirlpool, hop stand)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one whirlpool or hop stand hops addition. 12. Misc. losses\ This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Misc. losses”. 13. Hops absorption losses (hopback)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one hopback hops addition. 14. Top off amount\ This line is included if the post-boil volume is less than the desired target batch size. 15. \[Estimate] Going into fermentor\ When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Fermentor’, it represents the target batch size volume. If ‘Kettle’ is the selected target, this value represents an estimated volume going into the fermentor. 16. Total\ \&#xNAN;*This line shows the total volume of water needed for the recipe.* ### Partial-Mash Recipe * Heat water added to kettle\ If the recipe includes any mashable grains, this line indicates heating the water otherwise it directs you to start with boiling water * Grain absorption losses\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one steeping grain or mashable fermentable * Hops absorption losses (mash)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one mash/steeping hops addition * Mash/Lauter Tun losses\ This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Mash/Lauter Tun losses” * Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable \*not marked as ‘Late Addition’ * Pre boil volume * Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable that is marked as ‘Late Addition’ * Boil off losses * Hops absorption losses (first wort, boil, aroma)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one first wort, boil or aroma hops addition * Post boil volume\ When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Kettle’, it represents the target batch size volume. * Kettle losses\ This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Kettle losses” * Hops absorption losses (whirlpool, hop stand)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one whirlpool or hop stand hops addition * Misc. losses\ This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Misc. losses” * Hops absorption losses (hopback)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one hopback hops addition * Top off amount\ This line is included if the post-boil volume is less than the desired target batch size * \[Estimate] Going into fermentor\ When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Fermentor’, it represents the target batch size volume. If ‘Kettle’ is the selected target, this value represents an estimated volume going into the fermentor. * Total\ This line shows the total volume of water needed for the recipe
### Brew in a Bag (BIAB) Recipe * Strike water volume\ By default, all recipes using the BIAB brew method are setup for full volume mashes. This is what seperates a BIAB recipe in Brewer's Friend from an "all grain" recipe. The total volume of water calculated for this recipe will be used as the strike volume with no sparge volume. * Grain absorption losses * Hops absorption losses (mash)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one mash hops addition * Mash Lauter Tun losses\ This line is included if the selected equipment profile has a non-zero mash/lauter loss volume * Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable \*not marked as ‘Late Addition’ * Pre boil Volume * Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions)\ This line is included for recipes that include at least one extract/sugar fermentable that is marked as ‘Late Addition’ * Boil off losses * Hops absorption losses (first wort, boil, aroma)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one first wort, boil or aroma hops addition * Post boil Volume\ This line is included for all-grain recipes where the batch target is using ‘Kettle’ * Kettle losses * Hops absorption losses (whirlpool, hop stand)\ This line is included if the recipe includes at least one whirlpool or hop stand hops addition * Misc. losses\ This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Misc. losses” * Hops absorption losses (hopback)\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included if the recipe includes at least one hopback hops addition* * \[Estimate] Going into fermentor\ \&#xNAN;*When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Fermentor’, it represents the target batch size volume. If ‘Kettle’ is the selected target, this value represents an estimated volume going into the fermentor.* * Total ### All-Grain Recipe * Strike water volume at mash thickness of XX qt/lb (includes XX gal addition)\ \&#xNAN;*If the mash guidelines include a custom mash thickness value, it will be used here, otherwise the ‘Starting Mash Thickness’ value in the current equipment profile will be used. If neither of those have values, a system default of 1.75 gal/lb (3.65 kg/L) is used. An extra mash tun addition volume is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value for the ‘Mash Tun Addition’ field.* ![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eOgQbFh1dcO8gh3vZEGu37dEt3ktbJodYCZcvOlGR0f6SgNf3l1GJ6M9yOSPCR4PH9uoHMZngzFd5D9jDKB1qyhivPs-ktd3n930_OMH-xM8PghfHF-l1KpMJTUxwR5CeQ5NsFtU) * Grain absorption losses * Hops absorption losses (mash)\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included if the recipe includes at least one mash hops addition* * Remaining sparge water volume * Mash Lauter Tun losses\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included if the selected equipment profile has a non-zero mash/lauter loss volume* * Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions)\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included if the recipe includes at least one extract/sugar fermentable \*not marked as ‘Late Addition’* * Pre boil Volume * Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions)\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included for recipes that include at least one extract/sugar fermentable that is marked as ‘Late Addition’* * Boil off losses * Hops absorption losses (first wort, boil, aroma)\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included if the recipe includes at least one first wort, boil or aroma hops addition* * Post boil Volume\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included for all-grain recipes where the batch target is using ‘Kettle’* * Kettle losses * Hops absorption losses (whirlpool, hop stand)\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included if the recipe includes at least one whirlpool or hop stand hops addition* * Misc. losses\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included if the chosen equipment profile has a non-zero value under “Misc. losses”* * Hops absorption losses (hopback)\ \&#xNAN;*This line is included if the recipe includes at least one hopback hops addition* * \[Estimate] Going into fermentor\ \&#xNAN;*When the batch target of the recipe is set to ‘Fermentor’, it represents the target batch size volume. If ‘Kettle’ is the selected target, this value represents an estimated volume going into the fermentor.* * Total ## Recipe and Equipment Estimated Warnings ### High Kettle Losses Detected For extract or partial-mash type recipes, if your equipment profile has a high amount of loss compared to its ending volume you will be shown a warning about how this might affect the original gravity (OG) calculated in your recipe. For extract or partial-mash type recipes, make sure that your equipment profile is accurately representing how you are using it for each recipe. E.g. full kettle dump for an extract brew vs. accounting for loss under the dip tube in an all-grain mash. ### Mash Tun Capacity Warning For all-grain and BIAB type recipes, if the mash tun’s capacity in the chosen equipment profile doesn’t allow for the given volume of fermentable ingredients at the desired mash thickness, you will see this warning. It will describe how much volume the desired mash thickness requires and asks that you modify the desired thickness to accommodate. ### Batch Size Warning If the post-boil volume after any kettle and misc. losses is greater than the capacity of your fermentor, it will ask you to reduce your boil size in order to eliminate waste. ### Strike Water Volume Warning For all-grain and BIAB type recipes, if the initial volume of strike water is greater than the total water needed for the recipe, it will ask you to reduce your mash thickness. ### Full-Wort Boil Warning For BIAB, Extract and Partial-Mash type recipes, if the batch target is set to ‘Kettle’ a full boil is required and asks that you increase the boil size to be greater than the batch size.\ Calculating Recipe Boil Size Volumes ### QWR Equipment Estimate Warnings In the event that the user’s values for pre-boil and/or post-boil volumes don’t produce the desired final batch size, or any of the QWR steps do not produce alignment between the recipe calculations, and the equipment profile, a notice will be shown in the QWR output showing the equipment profiles estimated calculation.
![Recipe pre boil volume of 7.98 but equipment estimates 8.86 gallons. User could use the "CALC" button, change the preboi volume manually, or the equipment profile may need updating. Note that the boil volumes are not static across all recipes, as they take hop absorption, and sugar additions into account to adjust. ](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8qIXd11QuQnYTL3alB3-YDew0_JD6lDhsLdCrUlvU3MOvMh7hf4gXvT1hMxwDddwi_T5r-I0BPN9CQGUn2I5SDjxWswqtPDII-nRy_zjvjtx8hlimuKJir5Lb1b4WMV3y3mSHofL) ## Calculating Recipe Boil Size Volumes If you already know the initial pre-boil (and post-boil) volume that you want for your recipe, enter them into the “Boil Size” field(s) and the QWR will use those volumes as the basis for the volume addition/loss calculations. If, however, you aren’t sure of your pre/post-boil volumes, the recipe builder allows you to automatically estimate the pre-boil and post-boil volumes to expect based on your recipe, chosen equipment profile, batch size and whether your batch size target is “Kettle” or “Fermentor” by clicking on the “Calc” button beside the “Boil Size” field(s). If “Kettle” is chosen as the batch target, the “Batch Size” represents the volume in the kettle at the time that the boil is complete and before the kettle has been drained. If “Fermentor” is chosen, the “Batch Size” represents the target volume that will be left in the fermentor after draining from the kettle. ![Target Ferment Boil Sizes](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/o-lXSPSVHIXPLXBWVOJUSJUqQKmYPuohMEaKwzstallkCi0_L8lR90mtWNNbSY9zdlPgTZjBg2YfSo9AeD5jRBChVPm7YEWrW0FdSeVjC16F-2mRlsJpOjsuG_LXiFLdnRUuXIQ5) The calculations for pre and post boil volumes are generated using the same measurements calculated within the Quick Water Requirements tool. # Mash Guidelines ### Getting Started ![Mash Guidelines Block](/files/-LY9DVA4ECma0tRoeShF) ### How does the Mash Guidelines box work in the recipe editor? The mash guidelines section is the place to provide temperatures and times for the mash process. Volumes are optional. For all grain recipes, an optional starting mash thickness field appears (normally between 1.0-2.0 qt/lb or 2.0-4.0 L/kg).\ \ Given the wide variation in mash processes, equipment, yeast strains, and fermentation temperatures, the mash temperatures do not factor into the estimated FG of the recipe. What you can to do adjust FG is change the yeast attenuation.\ \ The Brew feature is where mash thickness, infusion temperatures, and water volumes are tracked. \ \ **Here is our approach to mashing:**\ On the recipe page, enter temperatures, times, and rough amounts. The fields are all optional. From there, save the recipe, then click the 'brew' button. The system then uses your equipment profile to figure out exactly how much water your will need for the mash. (You can setup your equipment profile under the gear icon in the upper right.) Then go into the brew feature's Mash Calculator tab. From there you can adjust the mash ratio, grain temp, mash temp, and do infusions, etc. It saves every detail along the way. It also helps zero in on the target water volume for the brew. # Fermentables ## Getting Started ![](/files/-LeHYv9pN8XEwrltcoBp) ### How does the Fermentables box work in the recipe editor? Fermentables are the backbone of a beer recipe. Fermentables are the sugars yeast digest to make alcohol. Fermentables give a beer color, flavor, mouth-feel, and sweetness. \ \ Add fermentables by entering their weight and selecting them from the drop down. The drop down contains a pre-populated list we maintain that is cultivated for accuracy and brevity. The list contains grains by country, adjuncts, sugars, and extracts. \ \ As you enter fermentables, the OG of the recipe will increase. The color each grain imparts is also estimated, and recipe's color (SRM) will change. Gravity can also effect hops utilization, so the recipe's IBUs can change as well! \ \ **Sorting:**\ Use the sort button to reorganize the list in order of weight. \ \ **Extract Batches:**\ For recipes using the Extract brew method, only extracts and sugars are available as fermentables in the drop down. \ \ **Stats on Fermentables:**\ To see what the PPG and Lovibond for a fermentable is, click the down arrow (▼) below the fermentable line, or click the '▼ All'. \ \ **If you do not see the fermentable you are looking for in the drop down, click the Add Custom button.**\ This will bring up a custom fermentable line where you can provide a name, the PPG (points per pound per gallon), the Lovibond value (how dark), and if the item needs to be mashed. Grains are typically mashed, but sugars are not. Usually the manufacturer provides these numbers, but you can also look at similar ingredients as a guideline. \ \ If you want to use the custom fermentable across several recipes we recommend you add it to your Inventory as a 'Custom Fermentable'. It will then appear at the top of the fermentables drop down list. \ \ \ **The Late Addition Checkbox:**\ Use this to exclude the fermentable from the estimated boil gravity used in the calculator. To reveal this for a standard fermentable, click the down arrow (▼) below the fermentable line, or click the '▼ All' button. This is usually done for about half of the total fermentables in an extract batch, but can also be done in any brew method when boosting the gravity with sugar. Doing it this way increases IBUs (higher utilization), so you get more bitterness out of the same hops. Note: As of 7/12/24 the legacy "mashed" ingredient property has been superceded by the Late addition and fermentable types. If a grain is a late addition, it is no longer considered "mashed" and will provide lower sugar contributions, and vice versa. \ \ **The OG value:**\ This is an estimation of the per-line gravity contribution based on the fermentable's ppg, amount, and recipe batch size. Line item OG values will not always add up to the batch OG because of small rounding differences. For recipes set in Plato mode, the per-line OG figure is really just an estimate. Reason being - the gravity to Plato conversion is not linear. This has to do with physics, not software. Instead of reporting the per-line Plato value independent of the other sugars (which would be inaccurate), the system takes the percentage gravity contribution and multiplies that by the batch OG. That is what the brewer is actually interested in anyway. ### Diastatic Power Diastatic power (DP) is a measurement of a malted grain's enzymatic content. The purpose of the malting process is generally to break down the protein structure of the raw grain, by soaking the grains in water and then sprouting them. The term "modified malt" or "highly modified malt" refers to how broken down this protein structure is during this process. Highly modified malt, for example, has almost all of the protein structure broken down, and that is the most common type of malt available to us. The malt is then dried in a kiln, where these sprouts fall off, leaving behind the malted barley grain. Light colored grains like pilsner malt are kilned the least, while the darker colored grains like Munich II are kilned to a darker color. For even darker grains and specialty grains, the malt is sometimes roasted to make ingredients like crystal/caramel malt, roasted barley or others like victory malt. In addition to changing the protein structure and fermentability of the grain, malting also develops the enzymes needed for mashing so that the starches can be converted to fermentable sugars during the mashing process. Beta amylase and alpha amylase together are diatase enzymes, and we as brewers are probably familiar with them. This type of enzyme is where the term "diastatic power" derives from. During the saccrification rest (the mash at temperatures of approximately 146-158° F), these are the enzymes responsible for converting the starch from the grain into fermentable sugars. Diastatic power is an indicator of the amount of those enzymes available to do this conversion, and is described in degrees Lintner in the US. In Europe, often the diastatic power is given in degrees WK, which stands for Windisch-Kolbach units. You can convert WK to Lintner using the formula Lintner=(WK+16)/3.5. To convert the other way, WK=3.5\*Lintner – 16. In general, a diastatic power of at least 30°L is required to convert a mash, although it could take longer than a mash with a higher DP. For custom fermentables, enter the diastatic power for the grain on the manufacturer's malt analysis sheet in the box provided. This will default to 0, so if you are adding grains with diastatic power, add the correct DP in degrees Lintner in the box. ### Goals See the [goals section](/recipe-builder/fermentables/goal#creating-a-goal) for entering fermentables by percentage and auto determining the amount of grain needed to achieve an Original Gravity or ABV. ### Inventory Click the inventory button in the upper right to choose a fermentable from your inventory. ### Custom Fermentable If the fermentable you have is not in the list then you can create your own. You will need the PPG, Lovibond and DP. See above for what these values are. ![Custom Fermentable Block](/files/-LY99W2FjBc3nUCvsdl7) #### Add to Catalog This refers to [user contributed brands and ingredients](/contributing). This will reveal options for Origin, Category and Type. There is a complete list of Countries in the 'Origin' drop down. ![](/files/-LY9AHL23YpeOLKdZjBN) # Goal ## Creating a Goal Clicking on the Goal button in the upper left of the fermentables box you enter your desired Original Gravity or ABV and click submit. Your fermentables will change to percentages and the amount of grain will be automatically calculated. ### Example Set a goal for Original Gravity of 1.050 ![](/files/-LY95YbRWAqbxDis0RIo) Now select a fermentable from the dropdown and enter what percentage of your grain bill you want. In this case 90% of Pale 2-Row will get our gravity to 1.045 and require 9.63 lbs. Next we'll add another 10% of another grain to hit the goal of 1.050. ![](/files/-LY96YRzSJZTlwA-ypt-) Entering 10% (or clicking the % link next to the empty box will auto fill the remaining percentage to get us to 100%). Choosing Crystal 20 tells us we need 1.13 lbs and will update the Original Gravity in the stats bar automatically. ![](/files/-LY96yCL0TIqUgORoPSM) To switch back to entering amounts instead of percentages, click on the grey amount input. # Hops ## Getting Started ![](/files/-LeHYrer98PYcAtP7nNO) ### How does the Hops box work in the recipe editor? Hops are the spice of beer, they add bitterness, complex flavor and aroma, and the characteristic signature of each beer. Add more hops, and increase the IBU contribution. For reference, each hops entry displays its individual IBU, utilization, and AAU. \ \ Enter the hops amount, and start typing the hop variety. An auto-suggestion box will come up to help complete the selection. Not all varieties are listed, but if a match is found, and the AA box is empty, the default AA for the hop will be entered. \ \ **Sorting:**\ Use the sort button to reorganize the list in order of when the hops are used in the recipe. Very handy if you decide you want to change around hop additions, times, or even change one hop to be First Wort instead of Boil. \ \ **Alpha Acids - AA:**\ Alpha Acids refer to how much bitterness the hops impart. This should be written on the hops package. If not, you can use the recommend guideline from the system, which is considered the 'average' for that variety. The AA numbers vary from year to year, field to field. \ \ **Time - how long the hops will be boiled in minutes:**\ This field is only applicable to boiled hops and aroma hops (though a low time is usually specified for aroma hops).\ For Dry Hops the time field turns to days - eg the number of days to soak the hops in the beer.\ For Mashed Hops, the field is always blank and a value of 5 minutes is used for IBU purposes.\ For First Wort Hops, the field is always blank and the recipe's boil time is used to calculate utilization (see more on [FWH below](/recipe-builder/hops#first-wort-hops)). \ \ **Type - the form the hops come in:**\ Leaf / Whole, Pellet, and Plug are the most popular ways hops are sold.\ Fresh hops - right off the vine, wet, not dried like all other hops.\ Pellet hops impart a + 10% utilization factor, but only with the Tinseth IBU equation.\ [Read our blog post about the types of hops](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/03/21/hops-types-pellet-plug-leaf/). \ \ **AAU = Alpha Acid Units:**\ Reported as (ounces of hops \* alpha acid). For example, 1.5 ounces of Cascade with an AA value of 7 would be (1.5 \* 7 = 10.5). \ \ **Customizing the Auto Complete List:**\ The hops auto complete list will suggest hop varieties as you start typing. It will also fill in the system default AA value for that hop when you press enter. As you setup the recipe, the editor overrides the default AA values with what you have entered on the recipe. \ \ The hops auto complete list also includes your inventory. You may setup custom hops in your inventory, or override system default AA values. If there are multiple hops with the same name, the default AA value for that hop variety is taken from the last one in the list. \ \ **Hops Use:**\ Relates to how the hops are used in the recipe, with the most common being 'Boil'. \ [Read our blog post about Dry Hopping](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/07/25/dry-hopping-beer/).\ [Read our blog post about First Wort Hopping](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/09/first-wort-hopping/). \ \ **Support for Hop Stands - select Whirlpool or Hopback in the Hop Use drop down.**\ A hop stand is a technique where hops are exposed to the wort after the boil but before fermentation. * In a Whirlpool hop stand, the whirlpool is started after the boil and extra hops are added. * With a hopback the wort is pumped or drained through a container holding the extra hops on the way to the fermentor. Hop stands avoid vaporizing the essential oils and are said to result in smoother bitterness and flavor. The temperature and time of the exposure greatly impacts the utilization (for the purposes of IBU calculations). Given the wide variation in process and equipment out there, the utilization factor is left up to the brewer. A value of 10% is generally accepted, but could vary based on process. The hotter the temperature and the more time, the higher the utilization. \ \ When selecting Whirlpool or Hopback as the hop use, two new fields will appear. * The utilization of the hops (normally 10%, but could be zero if done at lower temperatures or for a short time). * The temperature at which the hop stand is performed at. For more information on hop stands see [this excellent and detailed write up by BYO (Mar/Apr 2013)](http://byo.com/component/k2/item/2808-hop-stands). ### **First Wort Hops** First wort hopping (FWH) is the method by which a hop addition is added to the boil kettle prior to lautering your grain bed. For more details on the process of using FWH, [Read our blog post about First Wort Hopping](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/09/first-wort-hopping/). \ \ The recipe calculator treats FWH additions as boil hops for the entire boil time of the recipe. Additionally, a utilization multiplier is applied to scale up the bittering of the FWH addition. By default that scalar is set to 110%, but you can manually enter a custom utilization boost by entering a different percentage in the 'Scale Util.' field. That percentage represents the entire utilization multiplier, meaning a value of 110% represents a 10% increase over a regular boil hop. # Yeast ## Getting Started Start by adding a yeast and enter the amount. ![](/files/-LeHYNadW3nmRKQCZ3gb) ### How does the Yeast box work in the recipe editor? The yeast drop down contains a pre-populated list we maintain that is cultivated for accuracy and brevity. \ \ **Fermentation Temperature:**\ The temperature you intend to ferment at during primary fermentation. \ \ **Yeast Pitch Rate:**\ The yeast pitch rate you are going with for this recipe. Use the link to the yeast pitching calculator for more information. The yeast pitch calculator will automatically be populated with details from your recipe. \ \ **Starter:**\ Check this box if this recipe calls for a starter. To obtain a pro brewer's pitch rate a starter is practically required with one pack of liquid yeast for a 5 gallon / 19 liter batch. High gravity batches and lagers generally call for a starter. The exception is when using dry yeast - extra packs can be purchased to meet the desired pitch rate more easily than making a starter. \ \ **Custom Attenuation:**\ You can enter a custom attenuation value for the yeast. At present, this is the only way to impact the estimated FG of the recipe. \ \ **Cells Required:**\ Reports the number of cells (in billions) needed to hit the target pitch rate. This is based on the batch size and the OG. Larger batches and/or stronger batches require more yeast to achieve the same pitch rate. This option only appears if you have selected a target pitch rate. Click the 'Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator' link below the pitch rate drop down to pre-fill our yeast pitch calculator with values from the recipe. The yeast pitch calculator page has detailed information regarding pitch rates, pitching like the pro's, and starter requirements. **Amount:** Select units for yeast with the drop down next to 'Amount' to chose a different packaged or pitch size, allowing for accurate inventory tracking/ deducting and recipe building. E.g. 500 gram brick of dried yeast or a liquid volume. # Other Ingredients ## Getting Started Keep track of other ingredients used in your brew. Start by adding some Salts or Acids this will update the Mash pH in the [Water Chemistry](/recipe-builder/water-chemistry#getting-started). ![](/files/-LeHZGOiOnrDqUsvCaJB) ### How does the Other Ingredients box work in the recipe editor? This is a free-form section for adding anything else the recipe calls for. Examples include Irish Moss, yeast nutrient, flavors, spices, etc. \ \ None of these values impact the recipe stats. If you want something like raw fruit to change the gravity, that would need to be added as a custom fermentable. \ \ This section also provides a place to input the priming method, amount, and CO2 Level. These fields are all optional.\ Examples:\ Method: Dextrose, Amount: 3.5oz, CO2 Level: 2.2 Volumes\ Method: Keg, Amount: 11.2 psi @ 40F, CO2 Level: 2.4 ### Inventory Click the inventory button in the upper right to choose a fermentable from your inventory. ### **Use** * Fining (ie. Clarity Ferm) * Flavor (ie. Passion Fruit) * Herb (ie. Rosemary) * Spice (ie. Cinnamon) * Water Agt (ie. Gypsum) * Other ### **Type** * Mash * Boil * Whirlpool * Primary Fermentation * Secondary Fermentation * Bottling * Kegging * Other # Advanced Settings ### Recipe Options You can change measurement options that override default options in your profile. Click more next to the recipe stats to show advanced recipe options and stats. ![](/files/-LdF6JJbmlLSr2l1_mJl) ![](/files/-LdF5_pXcHc3Fhnsr96w) ### Rounding Options You can change how units get rounded when switching between units. This is a profile setting and can't be changed per recipe. # Water Chemistry ## Getting Started {% hint style="info" %} Start by setting up a water profile for your local city water. {% endhint %} Then choose the source water you setup and a target water for the beer style you're making. If you saved your recipe, added fermentables and salts or acids in Other Ingredients then you will see a predicted mash pH in the upper left hand corner. ![](/files/-LYJngV-vt4iVvJyKcWa) ### Water Calculator You can also link a water calculator for further refining the Mash pH. # Priming Information Keep track of priming data and auto calculate amount needed based on recommended CO2 carbonation level volumes for the beer style in your recipe. ![](/files/-LeH_iI7-U5Zy-FdNsZm) # Cost The ‘Cost’ features allows you to enter the price you paid for ingredients in your inventory, the recipe editor and shopping list. How does the 'Cost' feature work in the Recipe Builder? You can enter the price directly in the recipe builder by; entering an ingredient, clicking on the dollar sign ($) next to the ingredient, and typing in the price per unit. ![](/files/-M5CuvbDpb0l57sTa1ma) Apply the same price to all same ingredients (e.g. multiple Citra additions in the recipe) by clicking the checkbox ‘Update the price for all of the same ingredient’
Two of the same ingredient
![Check box to apply the same price to same ingredient. ](/files/-M5CvqbLpKCQw3ZyMYns) View the total price of all ingredients, separated by type, as well as ‘Recipe Cost’ per batch, per pint, and total price based on a different scaled size or yield. ![Click in one of two places to view total cost.](/files/-M5D-ZCGzdirO2U6_2OL) ![All ingredients and cost per barrel / pint. Adjustable for batch yield and size.](/files/-M5Cx6NG2fvTV_29j5-W) The ‘Cost’ is also displayed on the Recipe View and ‘My Recipes’ list. Each ‘Version’ saved shows the ‘Cost’ change. SEE MORE on 'Cost' at # Currency Change Currency Change the currency for the cost feature by clicking 'More' in the recipe builder or 'General Settings'
![Click 'More'](/files/-M7hpLd1ymYBPxn0jokg) ![](/files/-M7hpQxuvIS5AK2u3lK4) Or change currency in your settings. ![Option to apply currency to all recipes](/files/-M7hv_t3BcIhFLVCyukY) # Versions Premium Plus and Premium Pro only Each new save to a recipe is saved as a 'Version' to track; * How many versions are saved (limit of 25 for Premium Plus) * Date, time and user that made the change * Click on 'Diff' to view difference between the version selected and the current version. * Click 'Restore' to restore a selected version * Click the trash icon to delete a version ![](/files/-M5Nedm5LXMWGUuwfrO9) Each 'Version' tracks every change made to a recipe. # Description / Notes Enter notes or URL for your recipe. # Recipe Tools Drop down on Recipe Builder and Recipe Editor ## Label Generator Use the Label Generator to create custom labels for each recipe. Choose from images in the recipe, or upload your own. # Add Photos Drag and drop photos of your brew session. ![](/files/-LeHaFSUqLCOqUM3wqdH) # Brew Session Brew sessions are a set of records from an actual brewed beer and take you from the recipe to the finished product for you to enjoy. In order to start a recipe, you'll need to open a recipe in either view or edit and click the Brew! button wherever it may be found. ![](/files/N7cuQKOuZ92RM16jMuVK) # Starting a Brew Session When you first create a brew session you'll need to confirm a couple settings before you start. ## Brew Session Setup

Starting a brew session

### Recipe to Brew Just showing you the name of the recipe to confirm it's the correct recipe you're brewing or recording. ### Batch Code: With Brewer's friend, you have the option of using batch codes as a shorthand, these are great for putting on bottle caps, beer labels, keg labels, etc. Auto-batch codes takes the first letter or number from each word or number in the name of the recipe to create an abbreviation for ‘Brew Sessions’, and then auto increments each ‘Brew Session’ by the number of times brewed. E.g. The first two ‘Brew Sessions’ of recipe named The Best Beer increment as TBB001 and TBB002. #### Reset batch codes annual In your [general settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/general_settings) you have the option to reset your batch codes every year back to 001. Handy for those that make a lot of batches, whether you're an exceptionally active small batch homebrewer, or a professional.
### Equipment Profile Here you can confirm which of your equipment profiles you're using. Note that this does NOT change any calculations in the recipe, so if you want to scale or re-plan the recipe stats, you should do that *before* starting your brew session. This will adjust the volume calculations within the brew session though. ### **Brew Step** Profile Here you can choose your brewing profile to walk you through your brewday from setting up your equipment, all the way to pitching your yeast and putting your fermentor wherever it is you fermenter!
Don't worry, while there are preloaded default steps for you to use they are also full customizable in your [My Brew Steps page](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/brew_steps). For more information, head over to the[ Brew Steps documentation](/brew-session/brew-steps)!

The current brewing step profiles correspond to the 4 main brewing methods used today.

### Chilling Method Here you can choose your chilling method, this doesn't change anything at the moment and is solely for your documentation and references.
### Snapshot Recipe Here you can create a duplicate of your recipe as a *Snapshot, this snapshot* will be tied to the brew session and is useful to keep historical records independent of the main recipe. Once this beers ready, you may think to yourself "Hmmm I think it needs just a touch more ...."

I always use snapshots so I can feel free to continue tweaking my recipe without getting things mixed up!

# Auto Batch Code With Brewer's friend, you have the option of using batch codes as a shorthand, these are great for putting on bottle caps, beer labels, keg labels, etc. When clicking 'Brew' to start a 'Brew Session', a batch code is automatically applied to the session. Auto-batch codes takes the first letter or number from each word or number in the name of the recipe to create an abbreviation for ‘Brew Sessions’, and then auto increments each ‘Brew Session’ by the number of times brewed. E.g. The first two ‘Brew Sessions’ of recipe named The Best Beer increment as TBB001 and TBB002.
# Brew Steps ## Getting Started Brew Steps are auto created when you start a brew session. If you ever need to rebuild these steps you can do that under the [Edit tab](/brew-session/edit#getting-started). {% hint style="info" %} Setup default brew steps in your [Profile](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/brew_steps). {% endhint %} All brew steps will have a done checkbox and a delete X button. Certain brew steps will have timers, such as hop additions. ### Adding a Step You can add a custom step to any section by clicking the Add Step button. ![](/files/-LYK2I0JcseoDxCbn-K5) ### Reordering Steps You can reorder steps by clicking the Sort Steps button on the upper left. Then you can drag steps to change their order. Click the button again when you are done. This was added due to mobile usability issues scrolling on the page. ![](/files/-LYK2iup0yTWrUwJsDkm) ### Current Step Bar If you prefer to have a persistent bar along the bottom with your current step, toggle this option on. This bar will stay without moving between tabs in the brew session. ### Timer Steps To start a timer step click the play icon. To stop a timer step click the stop icon. You can also edit the time by clicking the clock icon. ### Finishing a Step After you have finished a step simply click on the step text or checkbox. The date/time will be recorded. # Brew Log ## Batch Performance Will show a summary of your brew session. ![](/files/-LYK-QWK49qR3dQCGwXj) ### Efficiency **There are four main types of efficiency in the brewing world.** ![](/files/-LY93NcrBJc7vO8RxTK-) [More details about the Brewing Efficiency Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-efficiency-chart/) \ \ Efficiency calculations only apply to All Grain, BIAB, and Partial Mash recipes. Each type references a different point in the brewing process. The system uses **Brew Log entries** to compute each of them: \
#### **Mash Complete:** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken from first runnings or directly from mash. Be sure to mix wort prior to taking gravity sample. * Volume - The sum of the strike water and all infusions prior to sparging. * Measures: **Conversion Efficiency.** The percentage of sugars converted from the total potential sugars in the mashed grains inside the mash tun. * The equation the system uses comes from [Braukaiser's article on Understanding Efficiency](http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Understanding_Efficiency). We believe this is the most accurate equation out there because of the 3rd term which accounts for the volume increase from the extracted sugars. #### **Mash Complete (First Runnings)** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken from first runnings or directly from mash. Be sure to mix wort prior to taking gravity sample. * Volume - Wort volume from draining the mash to the kettle before any sparging. * Measures: * Lauter Dead Space: Amount of wort left behind in your lauter/mash tun. * Grain absorption rate: Amount of wort absorbed by the grain during the mash. Typical values are 0.5 qt/lb (0.125 gal/lb, 1.044 L/kg) for a mashtun, or 0.32 qt/lb (0.08 gal/lb, 0.66 L/kg) for biab with a squeeze or hanging to drain. #### **Mash Complete (Last Runnings)** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken from final runnings after sparging. Be sure to mix wort prior to taking gravity sample. * Volume - Wort volume from draining the mash to the kettle after any sparging. Should match sparge volume. #### **Pre-Boil:** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken at the start of the boil. Be sure to mix the wort prior to taking gravity sample, especially if you sparged. Alternatively let the wort boil for a few minutes. * Volume - Initial wort volume in the kettle. Brew Log Type - 'Pre-Boil Gravity'. * Measures: **Preboil Efficiency.** The percentage of sugars from the grain that made it into the kettle. * The equation the system uses comes from [Braukaiser's article on Understanding Efficiency](http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Understanding_Efficiency). We believe this is the most accurate equation out there because of the 3rd term which accounts for the volume increase from the extracted sugars. #### **Post-Boil:** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken at the end of the boil. * Volume - Final wort volume in the kettle after chilling. Brew Log Type - 'Post-Boil Gravity'. * A duplicate log entry of Boil complete, but without affecting efficiency calculations. #### **Boil Complete:** * *Measurement:* * Gravity - Sample taken at the end of the boil. * Volume - Final wort volume in the kettle after chilling. Brew Log Type - 'Post-Boil Gravity'. * Measures: **Ending Kettle Efficiency.** The percentage of sugars from the grain that made it to the end of the boil. * Ending Kettle Efficiency is the efficiency factor used on the recipe editor when batch size target is set to '**Kettle**'. * The equation the system uses comes from [Braukaiser's article on Understanding Efficiency](http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Understanding_Efficiency). We believe this is the most accurate equation out there because of the 3rd term which accounts for the volume increase from the extracted sugars. * Theoretically the same as Pre-Boil Efficiency, if there are no late additions during the boil, provided accurate measurements at both points (minus rounding error) * There is a corner case in all grain brewing, where an 'all grain' recipe includes raw sugar or extract. In this situation, the extract / sugar additions are expected to be in the wort at this point, thus increasing the gravity reading. The system excludes the gravity contribution from the sugar for the purposes of this calculation. This is not a typical situation in all grain brewing, but if you are adding some sugar to your IIPA, then you can still get useful numbers. #### **Brew Day Complete:** * *Measurement:* * **Original Gravity** - Sample taken after transferring to fermenter, and before pitching yeast. * Volume - Initial wort volume in the fermentor after cooling. * All losses that do not make it into the fermentor are counted against this measure, including hops absorption (which varies by recipe), chiller losses, and trub losses. * Measures: **Brewhouse Efficiency.** The percentage of sugars from the grain that made it into the fermentor. * Brew House Efficiency is the most common efficiency used, and is the efficiency factor used on the recipe editor when batch size target is set to '**Fermentor**'. * The equation the system uses comes from [Braukaiser's article on Understanding Efficiency](http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Understanding_Efficiency). We believe this is the most accurate equation out there because of the 3rd term which accounts for the volume increase from the extracted sugars. * Brewday Complete log entries are included in the **Fermentation chart** by default. #### **Fast Ferment Test:** * *Measurement:* * **Ending Gravity** - The ending gravity of the fermented wort at the end of the fermentation test. * Predicts: **Final Gravity.** The purpose of a fast ferment test is to anticipate the final gravity, and attenuation, of the main batch. * A Fast Ferment Test (FFT) is done by taking a small amount of unfermented wort from your recent brew session and quickly fermenting it down as far as it will go. The resulting FFT gravity reading provides a scientific basis for knowing when the batch it came from is done fermenting. FFT allows the brewer to make more informed decisions about when to package, if fermentation is stuck or not, etc. * For more information about fast ferment tests, check out [Braukaiser's article on the Fast Ferment Test](http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Fast_Ferment_Test). #### **Sample (fermentation):** * *Measurement:* * **Gravity** - The current gravity of the fermenting beer. * **Temperature** - The current temperature of the fermenting beer. * **pH** - The current pH of the fermenting beer. * Predicts: **Final Gravity.** The purpose of a fast ferment test is to anticipate the final gravity, and attenuation, of the main batch. * Sample log entries are included in the **Fermentation chart** by default. \ **Additional Information:** \ \ Partial Mash Recipes - Pre-Boil Efficiency is not reported. This is because partial mash is a simplified brewing method that always includes extract or sugar. \ \ The numbers do not always match up perfectly (even if you hit exactly what the recipe says), because the recipe editor uses non-rounded values for computations. See the [ABV FAQ](/brew-session/brew-log#alcohol-and-attenuation) for more info about that. ### Alcohol and Attenuation How does the brew session report ABV, and why doesn't it always match the recipe exactly even though I hit the same values?The system will calculate the actual ABV of your finished beer using gravity readings entered in the brew log. The ABV equation selected on the recipe is used to calculate the actual ABV. [Read more about the equations here](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/06/16/alcohol-by-volume-calculator-updated/). \ \ The numbers do not always match up perfectly (even if you hit exactly what the recipe says), because the recipe editor uses non-rounded values for computations. Even though the OG on the recipe reads 1.050, behind the scenes it could be something like 1.0504386. In some cases, this is enough to cause minor differences. You can experiment with this yourself by entering a gravity reading of 1.0504 in the brew log, and see the impact it has. The value will be rounded to 3 places in the log listing, but the detail is retained in the system. \ \ We feel it is better to avoid rounding until the end inside the software, and live with the limitations of hydrometer scale resolution when calculating actual ABV. \ \ **For ABV and attenuation to be reported, enter a 'Brew Day Complete' log, and a 'Fermentation Complete' log.** By entering 'Sample', or 'Racked' log entries, the system will calculate the latest attenuation and ABV. The green checkbox will not be filled in until a 'Fermentation Complete' log is provided. ## Brew Log Brew log entires can show up on your fermentation chart. ![](/files/-LYJvoztresDOTUr4iun) ### Add Log Entry Click add log entry to create a log entry.
### Event Events marked as `Fermentation Chart` will be plotted on the [fermentation chart](/brew-session/fermentation#fermentation-chart). * Mash Complete * Pre-Boil Gravity * Boil Complete * Brew Day Complete `Fermentation Chart` * Fast Ferment Test `Fermentation Chart` * Sample `Fermentation Chart` * Racked `Fermentation Chart` * Fermentation Complete `Fermentation Chart` * Packaged * Tasting Note * Other * Yeast Starter ### Gravity The system also supports Refractometer readings. The brew log entry screen is setup to correct the raw reading in two important ways: 1. A wort correction factor must be applied that accounts for the refraction difference between sugar water and wort. To help clear up confusion with terminology, at Brewer's Friend we have decided to call a Brix measurement of wort: Brix WRI (wort refraction index). Brix WRI makes it clear the measurement pertains to wort and is unadjusted. Only after dividing Brix WRI by the wort correction factor do we arrive at the actual Brix / Plato reading. It is helpful to know that Brix and Plato are nominally the same to 3 decimal places, so the corrected reading can be treated as Plato (°P). \ \ The wort correction factor is an [equipment profile option](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/equipment). \ \ [Click here for our detailed write up on how to determine a refractometer's wort correction factor.](https://www.brewersfriend.com/how-to-determine-your-refractometers-wort-correction-factor/) \
2. If alcohol is present it alters the refraction by an additional factor. An equation which requires the OG must be used to correct the refractometer reading. The system displays an 'OG' box and fills in the OG automatically from your brew log. The calculator uses [Sean Terrill's cubic equation](http://seanterrill.com/2011/04/07/refractometer-fg-results/). For more information about refractometer use in general: [Using your Refractometer Correctly for Maximum Accuracy in Home Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/04/24/using-your-refractometer-correctly-for-maximum-accuracy-in-home-brewing/). # Recipe View ## Getting Started This is how the ingredients will show up on your public recipe view page. ### Sections * Fermentables * Hops * Mash Guidelines * Other Ingredients * Yeast * Priming * Target Water Profile * Notes # Mash Calculator ## Getting Started ### How does the Mash Calculator tab work? The Mash Calculator tab helps track the mash as it happens in terms of volume and temperature. The first step is to add the strike water and start the mash - please see the [Strike Water](/brew-session/strike-water#how-does-the-strike-water-calculator-work) for more on that. \ \ **Batch Sparging - basic procedure for a 2 step sparge:** 1. Add Strike Water 2. Use the Infuse or Add Boiling tab to hit rest steps, or to adjust as needed 3. Drain to Kettle (1st runnings) 4. Batch Sparge Tab - infuse remaining mash water 5. Drain to Kettle (2nd runnings) The system will only count grain absorption and mash tun dead space on the first 'drain to kettle' step! \ \ **Fly Sparging:** 1. Add Strike Water 2. Use the Infuse or Add Boiling tab to hit rest steps, or to adjust as needed 3. Fly sparge - automatically accounts for grain absorption and mash tun dead space, and allocates the remaining volume to the kettle. **For RIMS / HERMS brew rigs:** 1. Add Strike Water 2. Raise Temp / Record Temp for any rests 3. Batch sparge then drain to kettle, or fly sparge **For BIAB:** 1. Add Strike Water 2. That's it since you are mashing with enough water to hit your pre-boil volume after pulling out the grain bag. **Temperatures are Estimates:**\ Keep some cool and boiling water on hand to make small adjustments as necessary. Record any cool or boiling water added to the mash using the Infuse / Add Boiling tabs. You may also add comments to the mash log under the comments tab on the left. \ \ **Brewing In A Cold Area:**\ The equations powering this feature are geared for room temp (68 °F / 20 °C). If you are brewing in a cold area, compensate accordingly. For example, if the ambient temperature is 45 °F / 7 °C, we recommend padding by up to +10 °F / +5.5 °C. Better to overshoot a few degrees and leave the lid open vs having to add boiling water to heat it up. \ \ **Additional Information:**\ The water volume estimate comes from the Water Requirements tab, and uses settings from your [equipment profile](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/equipment) to compute how much water will be needed. If you change your profile options, go the Brew Session -> Edit tab, and click Rebuild to regenerate the water requirements table. \ \ Mash steps from the recipe are provided at the bottom of the Mash Calculator tab for reference. The data from the mash steps does not factor into the calculations, except as defaults where the system can pick them up. # Strike Water ## Getting Started ### How does the Strike Water calculator work? The Strike Water calculator, located under the Mash Calculator tab, helps you hit the temperature of your first mash step. \ \ This calculator is approximate. After initial strike and stir, if the temperature is +/- (2 °F) / (1 °C) leave it. Otherwise mix in cool or boiling water to compensate. Use the Infuse or Add Boiling tab to track how much was added. If the temp is only slightly over, leave the mash tun lid open for a couple minutes and it will cool down by itself. \ \ If this is new equipment or your first time mashing with this calculator, expect some variation. It should get at least within 7 °F / 3.5 °C, if not closer, after adjusting the heat loss setting. Please see the FAQ for more details: \ \ At this point the equation is basic, based off [Palmer's equation found here](http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter16-3.html). It works best for batch sparging. The limitations come from a single equation trying to model everyone's equipment (mash tun thermal properties), and varying processes. Adjust the [Mash Strike Heat Loss](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/equipment) setting in your profile as needed. Expect it to take a couple tries to dial it in. \ \ **NOTE:** The strike calculator assumes your tun will absorb heat (a few degrees will be absorbed by the mash tun, this varies widely by the type of mash tun). Even if you 'pre-heat' the tun with a little boiling water, this may still be the case. Do not stabilize the tun at the calculated strike temperature, and then add grains, or you will probably overshoot. \ \ **Brewing In A Cold Area:**\ The equations powering this feature are geared for room temp (68 °F / 20 °C). If you are brewing in a cold area, compensate accordingly. For example, if the ambient temperature is 45 °F / 7 °C, we recommend padding by up to +10 °F / +5.5 °C. Better to overshoot a few degrees and leave the lid open vs having to add boiling water to heat it up. # Water Requirements ## Getting Started Water requirements are auto created, similar to the quick water requirements in the [recipe builder](/recipe-builder). ![](/files/-LYK5gpyCP0TYflZA2Vh) ### Measurements * Total mash water needed * Strike water volume at mash thickness * Remaining sparge water volume * Grain absorption losses * Amount going into kettle * Boil off losses * Hops absorption losses * Misc. losses * Amount going into fermenter # Water Chemistry ## Getting Started ### Batch Data * Steps 1, 2, and 3b were taken from the recipe and your profile. * Select the desired source water profile in step 3a. * Add brewing salts or increase dilution as needed so the difference on line 8 reports all green values (within 20ppm). * Watch for harmful levels as reported on line 9. * Click the 'save' button at the bottom to store this information with your brew session. **Notes About the Ion Level Report:** * ![](/files/-MclCzYvz1qYQcCs8Roc) Within recommended generalized brewing range. * ![](/files/-MclD0aO-TERExwZQ97A) Low, but not necessarily an issue. * ![](/files/-MclD2cTu2a9Qk7OFFXL) Above recommended brewing range, but not harmful. * ![](/files/-MclD4Wga0crES94p9lZ) Harmful, do not brew at this level! * A low or high ion concentration is not necessarily a bad thing, such as the case of Pilsen water, where the target is practically diluted water, or the case of Burton on Trent where the sulfates are elevated. * If the calculator reports a harmful level, this means it is definitely harmful to the flavor of the beer, and quite possibly harmful to human health! **Notes About Alkalinity:** * This calculator uses **Bicarbonate (HCO3-)** as the measure of alkalinity. If your water report specifies alkalinity or hardness as CaCO3, multiply that number by 1.22 to get the HCO3- value. * Alkalinity (in ppm as CaCO3) = HCO3- x 50 / 61 * If your source water is high for a given category, the easiest thing to do is dilute with distilled water to cut down the mineral levels, then add salts to rebalance. **Notes about NaCl additions:** * Use canning salt, kosher salt, pickling salt, or pure salt - just make sure it is not iodized. Avoid regular table salt because it is iodized! Yeast will not handle iodine well so avoid 'table salt' or 'iodized salt'. **Notes About pH Calculation:** * The pH calculation was removed from this calculator. Please try our new and improved [Mash Chemistry and Brewing Water Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemistry-and-brewing-water-calculator/). # Fermentation ## Getting Started ### Devices Toggle on devices like a [Tilt](/devices/tilt#tilt-wireless-hydrometer), [Plaato](/devices/plaato), [Floaty](/devices/floaty), [iSpindel](/devices/ispindel#ispindel-wireless-hydrometer), and [Custom Streams](/devices/stream) to stream fermentation data. After the fermentation session turning off the device will stop reporting to Brewer's Friend. You can also edit the device and deactivate it. ### Notifications Notifications can be set for temperature and gravity. Email, [Text Message](/profile/account) and Slack notifications are available for groups. Device settings can be found here, ![](/files/-M40L56HLAPmLWXbYHmj) ### Fermentation Chart The fermentation chart is populated from [Brew Log](/brew-session/brew-log#brew-log) entries or from [device](/devices) data streams. ### View Options You can change the chart period with the Days drop down. You then click the arrows left or right of the days to pan backwards or forwards through time. ![](/files/-M40KMBMde5aTVOQu2BN) ### Stat Knobs These are the colored half circles above the fermentation chart. * Temp * This is the most recent temperature recorded from the brew log or linked devices. * Gravity * This is the most recent gravity recorded from the brew log or linked devices. * The min is the recipe OG and the max is the recipe FG. * The half circle will be full when it reaches FG. * ABV * This is the current ABV calculated from the most first gravity and the recent gravity. * The min is zero and max is the style ABV high. * The half circle will be full when it reaches the ABV high. * Days * Start when fermentation begins, this could be from a brew log entry or linked devices. * The half circle will be full at 28 days for Lagers and 14 days for Ales. ### Export You can export readings in CSV or JSON. ### Edit You can edit brew log entries under the [Brew Log](/brew-session/brew-log#brew-log) tab but not in the chart. You can however edit any entries that were sent from devices in the edit view. Annotation readings will show up as cards underneath the chart and are great for marking mile stones like cold crashing or dry hopping. Your comment will also appear in the card. ![](/files/-M40JxqG_BVT-kwvOxPw) # Device Notifications and Log Alerts Premium Plus, Premium Pro and Members of 'Groups' Device notifications include text, email and Slack notifications and alerts for any device linked to your account, for example, set fermentation parameters for your digital hydrometer such as Tilt, or send reminder to dry hop. Add your email and phone number in ‘My Account’ settings. Any 'Brew Log' with a future date can have notifications set. * **Slack token** - this is a webhook link to send notifications to your Slack account. * Example: Send notification and alert if fermentation temp rises above or below x and y degrees. Example: Send notification and alert when gravity reaches e.g 1.012 **Tank Log and Brew Log Notifications** Example: If your recipe has a dry hop on day 10, you can set a notification and two custom time frames to remind you and anyone in your group, to dry hop. Any member of a ‘Group’ ('Premium' membership and up) can receive notifications and alerts that are set within that ‘Group’. ![](/files/-M5DJ_zMvz1iKWBKjr_-) # Notes ## Getting Started ### Edit Pane The pane to the left is the edit pane. You can use [markdown](https://guides.github.com/features/mastering-markdown/) language for easy formatting. The edit pane will default to the list of fermentables, hops and yeast in your recipe. Feel free to overwrite this to keep notes about your brew session. Issues that came up, substitutions added, etc. ### View Pane The pane to the right is the view pane. This will be updated in real time as you type in the left pane. ### Auto Save Toggle this option on for auto saving your notes every 60 seconds. ![](/files/-LYK9LHRQd0Y8qvUvfbf) # Edit ## Getting Started ### Edit Brew Session Here you can add a batch code or change the date of the brew session. ### Rebuild Steps Here you can rebuild the brew steps. This is useful if you change your default brew steps in your profile and need to rebuild them to reflect those changes. ### Deduct From Inventory If you have added new items to your inventory and want them deducted you can do that here. # Inventory and Shopping # Inventory Deductions If you want to deduct ingredients from your 'Inventory' on brew day, go to the desired recipe and click 'Brew' ![](/files/-M6VEcH64FQYXRWrzRMt) On the next page, after clicking 'Brew', scroll to the bottom to see 'Inventory Deductions'. Click the top check box to select or unselect all items; Click the check box for an individual item to select or unselect that item; See: Total inventory quantity, recipe quantity and resulting quantity. Once you click 'Brew It', the selected Inventory Deduction has been executed. ![](/files/-M6VEvr3SlfVrlw3r4lr) # Cost Inventory and Shopping. The ‘Cost’ features allows you to enter the price you paid for ingredients in your inventory, the recipe editor and shopping list. In your **‘Inventory’**, simply select the ingredient to wish to add, enter the ‘amount’ with a selected unit, and enter the price. When building a recipe from inventory items that have price, the recipe builder will show the ‘Cost’ as you add and remove ingredients. If you know the unit price, e.g price for one pound, enter it under ‘Unit Price’ If you know the total price paid for the amount you purchased, enter the ‘Amount’ you purchased and the total price paid under ‘Total Price’, and click the ‘Convert’ button to fill in the ‘Unit Price’ (calculated from total price and total amount). ![](/files/-M5CzFEy0TCmkoBrfhFK) **'Shopping List'** In 'Recipe View' or the 'Recipe Editor', use the drop down at the top of the page titled 'Recipe Tools', and click on 'Add to Shopping List'. The prices for each ingredient in the recipe are applied to the shopping list items. If you chose to convert the 'Shopping List' to 'Inventory' the prices are automatically added to the selected 'Inventory'. # Yeast Unit Options When adding a 'Yeast' to 'Inventory', use the drop down next to 'Amount' to select the desired unit. E.g. 500 gram brick of dried yeast or a liquid volume of yeast. The unit can then be selected when adding a yeast when building a recipe, allowing for accurate inventory tracking and deductions. # Search and Convert Inventory and Shopping Search through Inventory and Shopping list with the 'Filter' box. 'Shopping List' can convert to 'Inventory' and a desired 'Group Inventory' can be selected. All specs from 'Shopping List' are converted to 'Inventory'. # CSV Import Groups Feature Only Premium Plus and Premium Pro (or a lower membership level as member of a 'Group'). Use the 'Import' dropdown in 'Inventory' to import a CSV file to your Inventory. Use the 'Download Template' button to download a sample CSV with the format required to import ingredients with the 'Import Brewer's Friend CSV' feature. ![](/files/-M5DF1OXpKNz3WpOy0Qh) # BSG Invoice Import Groups Feature Only Premium Plus and Premium Pro (or a lower membership level as member of a 'Group'). BSG import function allowing you to import an invoice pdf of ingredients, price and all specs from a BSG invoice into your group inventory. In a groups 'Inventory', use the dropdown for 'Import' and click on 'Import BSG Invoice PDF' Select a BSG pdf saved on your computer or phone to import all pdf info for ingredients and specifications including pricing. ![](/files/-M5DAo6KzZHDI3pZqfty) Once you select the invoice pdf to import, the ingredients on the pdf will match to the Brewer's Friend ingredient database. If all ingredients are found, there will be a green checkmark above the ingredient. If the checkmark is yellow or red, use the drop downs to match the ingredient to one in the Brewer's Friend ingredient database. If the ingredient is not found in the database, edit the ingredient and toggle on 'Contribute', and a Brewer's Friend team member will add the ingredient to the database. # Tags Add custom 'Tags' in the 'Tags' section when adding or editing an inventory item to distinguish differences between different inventory items that are the same ingredient. (i.e date purchased, batch code, date packaged or manufactured, etc.) When selecting ingredients in the 'Recipe Builder', the tags are visible for inventory items, allowing you, for example, to select to use the older item that is tagged accordingly. # Recipe Suggestions Get Recipe Suggestions for your Current Inventory Items View recipes on Brewer's Friend that match items from your inventory. * See; * Brew Session' count * Total recipe views * Recipe 'star' rating * Size, abv, color, ibu * Inventory matched * Date created ![](/files/-M7hzboPZbctOCsDVjZc) ![](/files/-M7hzdk298WIaB3kZpE0) # Groups With the ‘Groups’ feature, you are now able to share, edit and collaborate with others. All group members can access the group recipes and sessions independently rather than using a singular Brewer’s Friend account. Create a ‘Group’ for friends, a brewery, or create or join a homebrew club and each member can view the session and edit the recipe as well as receive device notifications and alerts to keep all members on the same page with the brew session! Using the ‘Versioning’ feature, you can suggest a recipe to the group and gather input from other members with their versioning edits and suggest edits of your own to a given groups recipe. ‘Recipe Versioning’ keeps track of saves to a recipe so that you can view the differences between each ‘save’ and restore a ‘version’ if you want to. ‘Recipe Versioning’ when in a ‘Group’ with multiple users also tracks which user made each change to the recipe. {% hint style="info" %} Take time to setup your group with members and tanks before you get started. {% endhint %} # Settings ## Locations You can add multiple locations for your group. Whether it's multiple garages for a friends group, meeting places for a homebrew club group or tap rooms for a brewery group. ### Social Links Any social networks you want to display. ### Integrations * **Slack token** - this is a webhook link to send notifications to your Slack account. * ### Groups Settings * **User Limit** - Different plans have different user limits. * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/pricing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/pricing/) * **Auto Scale** - This is great for sharing your commercial recipe with homebrewers, it will scale down your recipe to a standard 5 gallon or 20 liter batch on the recipe view page if you make the recipe public. # Tanks Premium Pro Only (and members of Pro group) Setting up your custom cellar; Click on 'Add a Tank', enter the desired name of the tank (e.g. FV01), size, type and any other info. Type can be chosen from 'Barrel', 'Bright Tank', 'Fermentation Vessel', 'Serving Vessel' and 'Yeast Propagation Tank'. Status' include; 'Green', 'Bright', 'Dirty', 'Cleaned' and 'Cleaned and Sanitized'. When a Brew Session is assigned to a Tank, the tank status automatically reads 'Green'. After a transfer is conducted, the status of the tank the beer was transferred from automatically reads 'Dirty'. ![](/files/-M5DLLpQrHYE2RmcJqj_) Set up your custom cellar to; Attach your brew session to a tank (FV, BT, SV, YPT and barrels) to allow you to add custom logs to tanks. Conduct transfers and keep a tank log history. Add custom alerts and notifications to future tank logs. Double batch, split batch and blend. * When multiple brew sessions are added to one tank (double batch), enter a fermentation complete log in the tank logs to apply the final gravity to all brew sessions in the tank. # Device Notifications Premium Plus and Premium Pro Device notifications include text, email and Slack notifications and alerts for any device linked to your account, for example, set fermentation parameters for your digital hydrometer such as Tilt or send reminder to dry hop. Add your email and phone number in ‘My Account’ settings. Any 'Brew Log' with a future date or time can have notifications set. * **Slack token** - this is a webhook link to send notifications to your Slack account. * Send notification and alert if fermentation temp rises above or below x and y degrees. Send notification and alert when gravity reaches e.g 1.012 If your recipe has a dry hop on day 10, you can now set a notification and two custom time frames to remind you and anyone in your group to dry hop. For Pro members, you can set notifications for any future tank log. Any member of a ‘Group’ ('Premium' membership and up) can receive notifications and alerts that are set within that ‘Group’. ![](/files/-M5DJmiLQLktRPoyVAPb) # Profile # Account ## Getting Started Here you will find account details like your name, email, mobile number (for text messages), screen name and resetting your password. ![](/files/-M40NTVlYy7memxBGtx-) ### Account Details Changing any of the following fields will require your current password. * Current Password * Email * Mobile * Screen Name * New Password * Repeat New Password ### Forum Settings Link to access your forum settings. # Membership ## Getting Started Here you can upgrade your membership and view current membership benefits. We do not store credit cards and use [Stripe](https://stripe.com) for all credit card transactions. ### Memberships Currently we have two memberships. ![](/files/-LYKIn8tVR6grdOWP23x) # Public Profile ## Getting Started Here we have information that will be on your public profile if it is public. ### Profile Image This image will appear on your public recipes and your profile (if you choose to make it public). We recommend you upload a profile image, even if you do not opt for a public profile. **KEEP IT CLEAN! No nudity, violence, hate symbols, etc. Otherwise, have fun and use your imagination!** \ \ Only .gif, .jpg and .png type images are allowed to be uploaded. (3MB max upload size). ### Enable Public Profile Just a yes or no that establishes a profile page for your brewing account everyone can look at. Your profile contains your profile picture, brewing description, recipes you have flagged as public, and a breakdown of your brewing activity. ### About Me * My Brewing * My Beers * My Location * My Website * My Facebook * My Twitter * My Google Plus (going away) # General ## Getting Started Here are global settings for the [Recipe Builder](/recipe-builder), Recipe View and [Brew Session](/brew-session). ### Global Settings * **Units** - Default units on recipe pages. Also applies to settings under the equipment tab. * **Sugar Scale** - Specific gravity (1.xxx) is popular in the home brewing world. Plato is generally used by pro brewers and works well with metric. * **Time Zone** - Timezone applied on dates and timestamps throughout the site. * **Date/Time Format -** Date format applied on dates and timestamps throughout the site. The above timezone will be applied also. * **Currency Format** - Used in shopping. Choose the currency of your country. ### Recipe Editor Settings * **Brewing Method** - Default brewing method. You are not restricted to a given method, this is just for convenience. Pick the style you brew the most. * **Batch Size Target** - Default batch size target on the recipe editor. Target how much goes into the fermentor or target the kettle volume at the end of the boil. * **Default Batch Size** - Default batch size in the recipe editor. * **Default Boil Size** - Default boil size in the recipe editor. * **Packaging Size** - Default packaging size for calculating calories and carbohydrates * **ABV Equation** - For more information about ABV equations [click here](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/06/16/alcohol-by-volume-calculator-updated/). * **IBU Equation** * **SRM Equation** * **Default Hops Type** * **Default C02 Unit** * **Show User Contributed Ingredients** - Will show other users ingredients contributed to the catalog in the ingredient dropdowns on the recipe builder. ### Recipe View Settings * **Show Fermentation Chart** - Show fermentation chart on recipe view from brew log entries. ### Brew Session Settings * **Snapshot Default** - Controls default setting for the 'create snapshot' option on the Brew page. * **Hide Brew Timers** * **Brew Timer Sound** * **Brew Log Default Sort Order-** setting for a default brew log sort order, defaults to oldest logs first or newest logs first.[
](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/105065/80517523-757a0800-8942-11ea-8e49-0f677b9d8eb4.png) # Equipment Profiles ## Getting Started Equipment profiles are used in the recipe builder under the More button on the stats tab. You can setup as many profiles as you like to preset defaults for your recipe. # Water Profiles ## Getting Started Start by adding your local water profile to be used as your [Source Water](/recipe-builder/water-chemistry#water-calculator) in your recipe. # Brew Steps ## Getting Started These are the default steps that will be used when you start a brew session. ### Adding a Step You can add a custom step to any section by clicking the Add Step button. ![](/files/-LYK2I0JcseoDxCbn-K5) ### Reordering Steps You can reorder steps by clicking the Sort Steps button on the upper left. Then you can drag steps to change their order. Click the button again when you are done. This was added due to mobile usability issues scrolling on the page. ### Disabling Steps You can disable a step by clicking the step text or checkbox. ### Restoring Defaults You can restore defaults by clicking this button in the upper right. # Integrations ## Getting Started This will show all devices that are actively logging and when they were last updated. ### Integrations Here you will find your unique API key for interacting with Brewer's Friend programatically. You will also find Device info. ![](/files/-LdFHIz2A3tXA2QGXhCE) You can generate a new API key or restore your original API key. Your API key can be used for devices integrations. * **Custom** - [API](/api) section for more info. * **Tilt** - [Tilt](/devices/tilt#tilt-wireless-hydrometer) section for more info. * **iSpindel -** [iSpindel](/devices/ispindel#ispindel-wireless-hydrometer) section for more info. * **Floaty -** [Floaty](/devices/floaty) section for more info. * **Plaato -** [Plaato](/devices/plaato#plaato-wireless-airlock) section for more info. # Devices ## Getting Started This will show all devices that are actively logging and when they were last updated. ### Active Brew Sessions ![](/files/-LY49pggijOim-pPX9lv) ### Forwarders Brewer's Friend can forward POST requests from devices to endpoints in the order they are listed below. Tilt works with google sheets so you can enter that URL here and toggle on Tilt to have Brewer's Friend send your Tilt data. ![](/files/-LZArAHoKMEGbUy27CrS) # Brands ## Getting Started You can turn off brands that you don't want to see in the [Recipe Builder](/recipe-builder). ![](/files/-LdFHtAzeDan6aAlkCqC) # Devices Brewer's Friend supports several devices for streaming fermentation data. # Tilt Tilt Wireless Hydrometer ## Tilt Wireless Hydrometer Is a free-floating digital hydrometer and thermometer for continuous fermentation real-time monitoring that operates on Bluetooth. [https://tilthydrometer.com](https://tilthydrometer.com/)
Red Tilt
### Brew Session Setup See the [Fermentation](/brew-session/fermentation) tab in a brew session to turn on Tilt logging. This can be done anytime before or after your Tilt is setup. ### Cloud URL Your Tilt Cloud URL can be found under integrations. You will need this to enter into the Tilt app. ## Tilt Pi We recommend using a [Raspberry Pi](https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-plus) to stream Tilt data to Brewer's Friend. Since the Tilt only operates on Bluetooth you need a WiFi + Bluetooth device like a Raspberry Pi to connect to the Tilt and also connect to the internet to send data to Brewer's Friend. #### Raspberry Pi Setup Download and Install the Tilt Pi image to your Raspberry Pi. #### Raspberry Pi WiFi Setup After you have the above image on a micro SD card, insert that into the Raspberry Pi, plugin a USB keyboard and HDMI monitor. After it boots up, follow [these instructions to setup WiFi](https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/configuration/wireless/wireless-cli.md). After this you can unplug they keyboard and monitor as you won't need it again. ``` sudo raspi-config ``` Once your Raspberry Pi is setup and connected to your WiFI you can access it from your network. [http://tiltpi.local:1880/ui](http://tiltpi.local:1880/ui/) ### Add Brewer's Friend API Key Copy your Tilt cloud URL from [Account Settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/integrations) and paste it into the Cloud Url, hit enter/return to save. Do **not** enter your email in the GMAIL email input. For whatever reason this causes issues sending data. **Cloud Settings** * Cloud URL, copy this from your [account settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/integrations). * Use Default Cloud URL for All: Off * Start Logging to the Cloud: On * Time Interval: 15 Minutes. * set the time interval to 15 minutes. Anything less won't be logged. ![](/files/-LY42AH0ClsZDtZVzL9_) ## TiltBridge by Fermentrack [https://www.tiltbridge.com](https://www.tiltbridge.com/) Once connected to your WiFi open [http://tiltbridge.local/settings](http://tiltbridge.local/settings/) and enter your Brewer's Friend API key from [Account Settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/account). ![](/files/-LbiiqrFIT1-kAEHXsLb) ## Tilt iPhone App You can also use the Tilt iPhone app, however it will only update when you have it open and are near the Tilt. You will need the same Cloud URL from your [Account Settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/account). ![](/files/-LY43Mu6CNO3592aKBKU) # Google Sheets ## Getting Started You can use Brewer's Friend [device forwarder](/profile/device-settings#forwarders) to send data to the Tilt Google Doc. Official Tilt Google instructions, 1. **Google Spreadsheet** File -> Make a Copy 1. [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ut1wClRrowkYRYm6yQAVuc\_Q568stncawv1EuYez2g](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ut1wClRrowkYRYm6yQAVuc_Q568stncawv1EuYez2go/) 2. **Google Spreadsheet** Tools -> Script editor 3. **Script editor** Publish -> Deploy as a web app 4. **Google Spreadsheet** Tilt -> View Cloud URL (copy) 5. **Google Spreadsheet** File -> Make a Copy 1. 2. Paste the URL and document ID into the first copy ![](/files/-LZAozwUO6rf14-IEydD) 5\. **Brewer's Friend** Device Settings -> Add Forwarder (paste and save) ![](/files/-MOYbf2SRU7z-mDM6o9t) # Floaty Floaty Wireless Hydrometer ## Floaty Wireless Hydrometer Is a DIY free-floating digital hydrometer and thermometer for continuous fermentation real-time monitoring that operates on WiFi. [https://floatyhydrometer.com/](https://floatyhydrometer.com//) ![](/files/vKXdOjFm2kY6TFeqZEKz) ### Brew Session Setup See the [Fermentation](/brew-session/fermentation) tab in a brew session to turn on Floaty logging. After the device logs for the first time you will see the name show up in the devices section under the [Fermentation](/brew-session/fermentation) tab of the [brew session](/brew-session). ### Configuration Your Floaty Cloud URL can be found under integrations. You will need this to enter into the [Floaty app](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gleyco.hydro). **Service Type:** HTTP **Token / API Key:** \[API KEY] **Server Address:** log.brewersfriend.com **Server URL (Plato, Floaty Default):** /Floaty/\[API KEY] **Server URL (Specific Gravity\*\*):** /Floaty\_sg/\[API KEY] ### Calibrate * Reconnect to the Floaty AP * Go to the Maintenance page and click calibrate. ![](/files/-LYlpsrtVOAHB6ch0wcH) * These links may also be useful: * . * * Verify the calibration on the Info page, you should see near 0.00 Gravity. * Go to the Configuration page and enter your WiFi SSID and password. * The update interval should be not less than 900 seconds or 15 minutes, 3600 for every hour. # iSpindel iSpindel Wireless Hydrometer ## iSpindel Wireless Hydrometer Is a DIY free-floating digital hydrometer and thermometer for continuous fermentation real-time monitoring that operates on WiFi. [http://www.ispindel.de](http://www.ispindel.de/) ![](/files/-LY4ORdRWcDC8cRq3-k_) ### Brew Session Setup See the [Fermentation](/brew-session/fermentation) tab in a brew session to turn on iSpindel logging. After the device logs for the first time you will see the name show up in the devices section under the [Fermentation](/brew-session/fermentation) tab of the [brew session](/brew-session). ### Configuration (Firmware 7.1.4) Your iSpindel Cloud URL can be found under integrations. You will need this to enter into the iSpindel app. **Service Type:** HTTP **Token / API Key:** \[API KEY] **Server Address:** log.brewersfriend.com **Server URL (Plato, iSpindel Default):** /ispindel/\[API KEY] **Server URL (Specific Gravity\*\*):** /ispindel\_sg/\[API KEY] * Download the latest firmware: * If this is your first time powering it on it will create an access point (AP) and you should connect to the iSpindel\_iSpindel000 WiFi network. Then open a browser and go to . If you ever need to reset the WiFi, calibrate or change settings click the reset button 3 - 4 times then connect to the iSpindel AP (will need a small flat head screw driver). * Go to the Maintenance page and scroll down to the Firmware update, select the file you downloaded above and click Update. * \*\* You will need to change the polynominal in the config for the correct gravity value when using the specific gravity URL. ![](/files/295HpBYAhAWJWKmo85Ir) ### Calibrate * Reconnect to the iSpindel AP * Go to the Maintenance page and click calibrate. ![](/files/-LYlpsrtVOAHB6ch0wcH) * These links may also be useful: * . * * Verify the calibration on the Info page, you should see near 0.00 Gravity. * Go to the Configuration page and enter your WiFi SSID and password. * The update interval should be not less than 900 seconds or 15 minutes, 3600 for every hour. # Plaato Wireless Airlock ## Plaato Wireless Airlock Is a digital airlock and thermometer for continuous fermentation real-time monitoring that operates on WiFi. [https://www.plaato.io](https://www.plaato.io/) ![](/files/-LbSwAerOnDx8H7D2AlM) ### Brew Session Setup See the [Fermentation](/brew-session/fermentation) tab in a brew session to turn on Plaato logging. After the device logs for the first time you will see the name show up in the devices section under the [Fermentation](/brew-session/fermentation) tab of the [brew session](/brew-session). ### Webhook URL Your Plaato Webhook URL can be found under integrations. You will need this to enter into the Plaato app. ![](/files/-LbSwhqloYJ1qnqHWlPu) # Stream ## Custom Stream App If you have created your own app and want to stream data from it about your brew session you can do that too. After the device logs for the first time you will see the name show up in the devices section under the [Fermentation](/brew-session/fermentation) tab of the [brew session](/brew-session). See the [API docs](/api/stream) on this for logging data. # API You API key can be found under Integrations. # Brew Sessions ## Search All My Brew Sessions `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/brewsessions` This endpoint allows you to get your brew sessions. #### Query Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ------------------ | ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | group\_id | string | Group ID | | brewer\_author\_id | string | Brewer Author ID | | sort | string |

created\_at, updated\_at or batchcode
Formatted: created\_at:1 for ASC and created\_at:-1 for DESC

| | id | number | Brew Session id | | folder\_id | number | Brew Session folder id | | keyword | string | Searches brew session batch and phase | | updated\_from | string |

Brew Sessions updated date start in the format
YYYY-MM-DD

| | updated\_to | string |

Brew Sessions updated date end in the format
YYYY-MM-DD

| | created\_from | string |

Brew Sessions created date start in the format
YYYY-MM-DD

| | created\_to | string |

Brew Sessions created date end in the format
YYYY-MM-DD

| | limit | number | Defaults to 20 | | offset | number | Defaults to 0 | #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | ------------- | | X-API-KEY | string | Your API key. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 Brew Session successfully retrieved." %} ```javascript { "message": "success", "count": "66", "brewsessions": [ { "id": "196351", "loginid": "119823", "recipeid": "578357", "folder_id": null, "brewstepprofileid": "1", "phase": "Planning", "userdate": "2019-06-17", "batchcode": "00009", "chillmethod": "Plate Chiller", "mash_water_unit": null, "totalwater": "290.211", "starting_mash_thickness": null, "userunit": "metric", "equipment_profile_id": "119209", "waterprofile_volume": null, "waterprofile_dilution": null, "waterprofile_selected": null, "waterprofilesource_selected": null, "source_ca": null, "source_mg": null, "source_so4": null, "source_na": null, "source_cl": null, "source_hco3": null, "target_ca": null, "target_mg": null, "target_so4": null, "target_na": null, "target_cl": null, "target_hco3": null, "addition_caco3": null, "addition_nahco3": null, "addition_caso4": null, "addition_cacl2": null, "addition_mgso4": null, "addition_nacl": null, "deleted": "0", "updated_at": "2019-06-17 21:45:30", "created_at": "2019-06-17 15:45:30", "session_notes": null, "tilt_active": "0", "tilt_color": null, "tilt_updated": null, "addition_mgcl2": null, "addition_caoh2": null, "addition_naoh": null, "folder_name": null, "recipe_title": "Big IPA", "device_reading": "{\"last_reading\":{\"SG\":\"1.050\",\"Temp\":\"60.0\",\"Color\":\"RED\",\"Timepoint\":\"43306.54155361111\",\"Beer\":\"IPA Test\",\"Comment\":\"Better comment\"}}", "device_updated_at": "2019-06-28 16:29:01", "device_active": null, "device_id": "58" } ] } ``` {% endtab %} {% tab title="401 Could not find a cake matching this query." %} ```javascript { "message": "unauthorized", "detail": "invalid api key" } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/brewsessions` #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ---- | ------ | ----------- | | | string | | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 " %} ```javascript current_stats ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes` #### Query Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ---- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | sort | string |

created\_at, updated\_at or title
Formatted: created\_at:1 for ASC and created\_at:-1 for DESC

| {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 " %} ``` ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes` #### Query Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ---- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | sort | string |

created\_at, updated\_at or title
Formatted: created\_at:1 for ASC and created\_at:-1 for DESC

| {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 " %} ``` ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ```javascript curl -H "X-API-Key: 535ad06757dd29bd83be1e635ec10530407a8XAVTX" \ https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/brewsessions ``` ## Get One Brew Session `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/brewsessions/:brew_session_id` This endpoint allows you to get one brew session. Replace *:brew\_session\_id* with the brew session id. #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ----------------- | ------ | --------------- | | brew\_session\_id | number | Brew Session id | #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | ------------- | | X-API-KEY | string | Your API key. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 " %} ```javascript { "message": "success", "count": "1", "brewsessions": [ { "id": "196351" ..., "current_stats": { "og": 17.5, "og_unit": "P", "fg": 1.012, "fg_unit": "G", "abv": 7.86908202907592, "abv_alt": 8.269363738779216, "ph": "", "temp": "", "temp_unit": "F", "updated": "2020-08-12T17:45:09+00:00" }, "recipe": { "id": "578357", ... } } ] } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ```javascript curl -H "X-API-Key: 535ad06757dd29bd83be1e635ec10530407a8XAVTX" \ https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/brewsessions/196351 ``` ## Get Brew Session Logs `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/brewsessions/:brew_session_id/logs` This endpoint allows you to get a brew sessions logs. Replace *:brew\_session\_id* with the brew session id. #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ----------------- | ------ | --------------- | | brew\_session\_id | number | Brew Session id | #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | ------------- | | X-API-KEY | string | Your API key. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 " %} ```javascript { "message": "success", "count": "1", "brewsessions": [ { "id": "196351" ..., "current_stats": { "og": 17.5, "og_unit": "P", "fg": 1.012, "fg_unit": "G", "abv": 7.86908202907592, "abv_alt": 8.269363738779216, "ph": "", "temp": "", "temp_unit": "F", "updated": "2020-08-12T17:45:09+00:00" }, "recipe": { "id": "578357", ... } } ] } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ```javascript curl -H "X-API-Key: 535ad06757dd29bd83be1e635ec10530407a8XAVTX" \ https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/brewsessions/196351/logs ``` # Device Streams Stream Fermentation data from devices. ## Post Device Stream Data `POST` `https://log.brewersfriend.com/stream/:api_key` This endpoint allows you to post device stream data. The request should be a JSON object. The first time you post to this endpoint a device will be created by the name you set. After that you will select this device in the Brew Session -> Fermentation tab. Replace *:api\_key* with your API key. #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | ------------ | ------ | --------------------------------------------------- | | Content-Type | string | application/json | | X-API-KEY | string | If not in the url then it can be added as a header. | #### Request Body | Name | Type | Description | | --------------- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------- | | bpm | number | Bubbles Per Minute for Plaato like devices. | | device\_source | string | Tilt, iSpindel, Floaty, DS18B20 Sensor, etc. | | report\_source | string | MyBrewBot, Fermentrack, BrewBench, etc. | | heat\_state | string | heating, cooling, off | | temp\_target | number | Target Temperature, same unit as temp\_unit. | | gravity\_target | number | Target Gravity, same unit as gravity\_unit. | | og | number | Original Gravity, same unit as gravity\_unit. | | hysteresis | number | | | psi | number | Fermenter PSI. | | ambient | number | Room ambient temperature, same unit as temp\_unit. | | name | string | Name of your streaming device. | | temp | number | | | temp\_unit | string | C (default) or F for Celsius or Fahrenheit | | gravity | number | | | gravity\_unit | string | P (default) or G for Plato or Gravity | | ph | number | | | comment | string | | | beer | string | | | battery | number | | | RSSI | number | | | angle | number | | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 Reading successfully posted." %} ```javascript { "message": "success", "detail": "Saved 5c5b7d4f6ea3a6e58c08a702" } ``` {% endtab %} {% tab title="400 There is an issue with data posted. Check fields and data types." %} ```javascript { "message": "failure", "detail": "failed to create record" } ``` {% endtab %} {% tab title="401 There is an issue with your API key." %} ```javascript { "message": "unauthorized", "detail": "invalid api key" } ``` {% endtab %} {% tab title="429 There is a rate limit of one request every 15 minutes per API key per brew session." %} ```javascript { "message": "rate-limit", "detail": "device rate limit, you are only allowed to post once every 15 minutes." } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} Here is an example of the data to POST. ```javascript { "name": "BrewBench", "temp": 22.2, "temp_unit": "C", "gravity": 14.1, "gravity_unit": "P", "ph": 4.5, "comment": "", "beer": "", "battery": 3.588112, "RSSI": -57, "angle": "" } ``` # Fermentation ## Get Fermentation Data `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/fermentation/:brew_session_id` This endpoint allows you to get fermentation data from a brew session. Replace *:brew\_session\_id* ith the brew session id. #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ----------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------- | | brew\_session\_id | string | Brew Session ID found in the brew session URL. | #### Query Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ----- | ------ | -------------------------------- | | skip | number | Number of records to skip from 0 | | limit | number | Number of records to limit | | from | string | Date in the format YYYY-MM-DD | | to | string | Date in the format YYYY-MM-DD | #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | ------------- | | X-API-KEY | string | Your API Key. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 Cake successfully retrieved." %} ```javascript { "message": "success", "readings": [{ "_id": { "$oid": "5c5b15646ea3a6ca48726862" }, "login_id": 119823, "api_key": "", "brewevent_id": 196331, "recipe_id": 578166, "ip": "::1", "name": "RED", "gravity": "1.030", "gravity_unit": "G", "temp": "67.0", "temp_unit": "F", "comment": "", "beer": "IPA Test", "interval": "43306.54155361111", "created_at": "2019-02-06T17:12:04+00:00", "source": "tilt" }] } ``` {% endtab %} {% tab title="404 Could not find a cake matching this query." %} ```javascript { "message":"not-found", "detail":"no records found" } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ## Import Fermentation Data `POST` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/fermentation/:brew_session_id/import` This endpoint allows you to post fermentation data for a brew session. The data is in the same format as either the JSON or CSV export in Brew Session Fermentation Export. Replace *:brew\_session\_id* with the brew session id. #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ----------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------- | | brew\_session\_id | string | Brew Session ID found in the brew session URL. | #### Query Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ----- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | reset | boolean | set true to delete all readings for this brew session first. | #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | ------------ | ------ | ---------------------------- | | Content-Type | string | application/json or text/csv | | X-API-KEY | string | Your API Key. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 Cake successfully retrieved." %} ```javascript { "message": "success", "imported": { "count": 12 } } ``` {% endtab %} {% tab title="404 Could not find a cake matching this query." %} ```javascript { "message":"not-found", "detail":"brew session found" } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} Post an array of reading objects, the same format you will get from exporting data from a fermentation in the [Brew Session Fermentation tab](/brew-session/fermentation#export) or the same you would post to in the [Stream API](/api/stream#post-device-stream-data). #### JSON Format ```javascript [{ "name": "BrewBench", "temp": 22.2, "temp_unit": "C", "gravity": 14.1, "gravity_unit": "P", "ph": 4.5, "comment": "", "beer": "", "battery": 3.588112, "RSSI": -57, "angle": "", "created_at": "2019-12-10T14:31:18+00:00" }] ``` #### CSV Format ```javascript gravity, gravity_unit, temp, temp_unit, ph, bpm, created_at, source, name, annotation, comment 14.1, "P", 22.2, "C", 4.5, ,"2019-12-10T14:31:18+00:00", , , , ``` # Recipes ## Search All My Recipes `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes` This endpoint allows you to get your recipes. #### Query Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ------------------ | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ingredients | boolean | Defaults to false (with a max limit of 20 when requesting ingredients) | | id | string | Recipe ID | | author | string | Author Name | | group\_id | string | Group ID | | brewer\_author\_id | string | Brewer Author ID | | sort | string |

created\_at, updated\_at or title
Formatted: created\_at:1 for ASC and created\_at:-1 for DESC

| | id | number | Recipe id | | folder\_id | number | Recipe folder id | | keyword | string | Searches recipe name, ingredient name, notes and style. | | updated\_from | string |

Recipes updated date start in the format
YYYY-MM-DD

| | updated\_to | string |

Recipes updated date end in the format
YYYY-MM-DD

| | created\_from | string |

Recipes created date start in the format
YYYY-MM-DD

| | created\_to | string |

Recipes created date end in the format
YYYY-MM-DD

| | snapshots | boolean | Recipe snapshots | | limit | number | Defaults to 20 with a max of 100 (unless getting ingredients then remains at 20 max) | | offset | number | Defaults to 0 | #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | ------------- | | X-API-KEY | string | Your API key. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 Cake successfully retrieved." %} ```javascript { "message": "success", "count": "552", "recipes": [ { "id": "578357", "recipetoken": "5d07b59a2f320", "brewer_author_id": "119823", "title": "Juicy Bitcoin", "folder_id": null, "author": "", "brewmethod": "allgrain", "styleid": "50", "style_free": "", "batchsize": "31", "batch_size_mode": "f", "boilsize": "36", "boiltime": "60", "boilgravity": "1.057", "efficiency": "80", "displayunits": "us", "mash_thickness": "1.3", "grain_temp": null, "sugar_scale": "sg", "og": "1.066", "fg": "1.012", "abv": "7.12", "ibutinseth": "47.12", "iburager": "44.28", "srmmorey": "3.83", "srmdaniels": "9.19", "srmmosher": "5.88", "srmecbmorey": "7.54", "abvequation": "standard", "ibuequation": "tinseth", "srmequation": "morey", "dpequation": "wk", "waterprofile": "Balanced Profile", "ca2": "0", "mg2": "0", "so4": "0", "na": "0", "cl": "0", "hco3": "0", "waterprofile_custom": "0", "waternotes": "", "notes": "15 min WP at flame out\r\n10 min Rest", "awardwinning": "0", "yeaststarter": "0", "pitchrate": "0.35", "primary_temp": "66", "primingmethod": null, "primingamount": "", "primingtemp": null, "co2level": "1.02", "co2unit": "Volumes", "equipment_profile_id": "119209", "nochillextraminutes": null, "hop_utilization_factor": null, "beerXML": null, "url": "", "public": "0", "searchable": "0", "deleted": "0", "just_imported": "0", "copy_parent_id": "578356", "snapshot": "1", "viewcount": "0", "brewcount": "1", "updated_at": "2019-07-10 19:56:11", "created_at": "2019-06-17 15:45:30", "brewprint_id": null, "average_rating": null, "total_rating": null, "total_ratings": null, "share_following": "0", "imported_from": null, "water_profile_id": "11708", "ph": "5.76", "cloned_from": null, "equipment_profile": "{\"id\":\"119209\",\"loginid\":\"119823\",\"name\":\"1 BBL\",\"evaporation_rate\":\"4\",\"kettle_deadspace\":\"10\",\"grain_absorption\":\"0.44\",\"hops_absorption\":\"0.15\",\"cooling_shrinkage\":\"4\",\"default_efficiency\":\"70\",\"mash_thickness\":\"2.0\",\"mash_tun_volume\":\"\",\"mash_tun_temp_loss\":\"2\",\"lauter_deadspace\":\"\",\"misc_loss\":\"1\",\"hydrometer_offset\":\"\",\"hydrometercalibration\":\"\",\"wortcorrectionfactor\":\"1\",\"chillmethod\":\"Counterflow Chiller\",\"mashwaterunit\":\"qt\",\"updated_at\":\"2019-07-05 18:46:21\",\"created_at\":\"2018-03-28 16:19:18\",\"position\":\"1\",\"brand_id\":\"0\",\"brand\":\"TestEquipment\",\"group_id\":null,\"location_id\":null}", "group_id": null, "last_edited_id": null, "stylename": "American IPA", "folder_name": null, "brew_sessions": "[{\"userdate\": \"2019-06-17\", \"breweventid\": 196351}]" } ] } ``` {% endtab %} {% tab title="401 Could not find a cake matching this query." %} ```javascript { "message": "unauthorized", "detail": "invalid api key" } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ```javascript curl -H "X-API-Key: 535ad06757dd29bd83be1e635ec10530407a8XAVTX" \ https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes ``` ## Get One Recipe `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/:recipe_id` This endpoint allows you to get one recipe, you can also get one recipe in BeerXML. #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ---------- | ------ | ----------- | | recipe\_id | number | Recipe id | #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | ------------- | | X-API-KEY | string | Your API key. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 " %} ``` { "message": "success", "count": "1", "recipes": [ { "id": "578357" ... } ] } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ```javascript curl -H "X-API-Key: 535ad06757dd29bd83be1e635ec10530407a8XAVTX" \ https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/578357 ``` ## Get Recipe Photos `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/:recipe_id/photos` This endpoint allows you to get recipe photos. #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ---------- | ------ | ----------- | | recipe\_id | number | Recipe id | #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | ------------- | | X-API-KEY | string | Your API key. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 " %} ```javascript { "message": "success", "photos": [ { "full": "https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/9/photo", "scale_50": "https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/9/photo/1905fbdd-5b2e-4f4d-b5fb-9308e3921ba4?scale=50", "200_x_200": "https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/9/photo/1905fbdd-5b2e-4f4d-b5fb-9308e3921ba4?bestfit=true&width=200&height=200", "500_x_500": "https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/9/photo/1905fbdd-5b2e-4f4d-b5fb-9308e3921ba4?bestfit=true&width=500&height=500" } ] } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ## Get One Recipe Photo `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/:recipe_id/photo` This endpoint allows you to get recipe photos. #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ---------- | ------ | ------------------------------- | | uuid | string | Returned in the photos endpoint | | recipe\_id | number | Recipe id | #### Query Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ------- | ------- | --------------------------------- | | width | number | Width of the returned image | | height | number | Height of the returned image | | scale | number | Scale the image size 0 - 100 | | bestfit | boolean | Requires width and height params | | crop | boolean | Requires width and height params | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 " %} ``` ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} # Recipe Beer XML ## Get Recipe Beer XML `GET` `https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/:recipe_id.xml` This endpoint allows you to get a recipe in BeerXML format. Replace *:recipe\_id with the recipe id.* #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | ---------- | ------ | ----------------------------------------------- | | recipe\_id | string | Recipe ID found in the edit or view recipe URL. | #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | ------------ | | X-API-KEY | string | Your API key | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 Recipe successfully retrieved." %} ```markup India Pale Weizen (w/ Weihenstephan) 1 ... ``` {% endtab %} {% tab title="405 Could not find a recipe matching this query." %} ```javascript ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ### Example ```bash curl -H "X-API-Key: 535ad06757dd29bd83be1e635ec10530407a8XAVTX" \ https://api.brewersfriend.com/v1/recipes/573389983.xml ``` # Old API There are several older versions of our API still available. # 201309 # Recipes ## Get Recipes `POST` `https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/api/201309/myrecipes` This endpoint return your recipes in JSON format. #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | ------------ | ------ | --------------------------------- | | Content-Type | string | application/x-www-form-urlencoded | #### Request Body | Name | Type | Description | | ---------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------- | | api\_key | string | Your API key found in the Account section. | | api\_email | string | Your Login email found in the Account section. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 Cake successfully retrieved." %} ```javascript { "recipes": [ { "recipe": { ... } } ] } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} # Brew Sessions ## Get Brew Sessions `POST` `https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/api/201309/mybrewsessions` This endpoint return your recipes in JSON format. #### Headers | Name | Type | Description | | ------------ | ------ | --------------------------------- | | Content-Type | string | application/x-www-form-urlencoded | #### Request Body | Name | Type | Description | | ---------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------- | | api\_key | string | Your API key found in the Account section. | | api\_email | string | Your Login email found in the Account section. | {% tabs %} {% tab title="200 Cake successfully retrieved." %} ```javascript { "brewsessions": [ { ... } ] } ``` {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} # Changelog Release Notes for the Brewer's Friend brewing software. ## 2024-07-09 * **Recipe Builder Web -** Roll out a fix for water chemistry where various forms of salt, sodium chloride, were not being recognized. * **Recipe Builder Web** - Fix bug that allows water calc record and associated recipe to have different `Source Water` values ## 2024-06-25 * **Mobile App - Release of Android and iOS mobile apps.** ## 2023-10-17 * **Forum** - Updated to new version of forum software improving speed, security, and useability. ## 2023-10-04 * **Efficiency Calculator** - Text description corrections for efficiency calculation for the conversion efficiency to match the brewsession efficiency and documentation. * **Devices and API -** New API support and documentation for Floaty DIY Hydrometer ## 2023-09-13 * **Subscriptions** - Support for Apple Pay and Google Pay in subscription payments. ## 2023-04-10 * **My Recipes** - Fix issue where moving group recipes into a user's personal (Default) folder created duplicate folders. * **My Recipes** - Fixed an issue where custom fermentables did not have their diastatic power or brand names copied to the new recipe. * **Recipe Builder** - Added initial mash tun volume to quick water requirements output in recipes * **Recipe Builder** - Update recipes when copying to properly maintain water calculations based on the original recipe. * **My Brew Sessions** - Allow for up to 5 decimal places of precision for amounts used in inventory deduction calculations. * **Equipment profile** - Update to the text description for cooling shrinkage in the equipment profile page. ## 2023-04-05 * **Brew Event Readings** - Improved how readings are stored and retrieved for more accurate brew event reporting over time. * **Google Signup** - Added ability to signup and login to the site through Google. * **My Recipes** - Added initial mash tun volume to quick water requirements output in recipes. * **My Recipes** - Fix problem with initial mash thickness value/label not showing correct measurement units. * **My Recipes** - Add start temp to printable recipe format. * **My Recipes** - Add starting grain temp to printable, text and html export formats. * **My Recipes** - Add water requirement output to both text and html export formats. * **My Recipes** - Update print version of recipe to always display quick water requirement units that match the recipe. * **Calculators** - Added links for quick navigation between related calculators for brix, ABV and hydrometer temp adjustment. * **My Brewing Report** - Update report to include all group-related recipes for the current user, not just those that the current user has created. * **My Equipment Profiles** - Added the Unibrau 10G all in one system to the dropdown of equipment profiles. ## 2022-10-06 * **Brew Sessions** - Improved the algorithm for inventory deductions when creating a new brew session. * **My Brewing Report** - Add brew sessions for all groups that the current user is connected to (with appropriate permissions) * **My Brewing Report** - Add a dropdown field for filtering brew sessions by group ## 2022-08-17 * **Brew Sessions** - Increased the size of correction fields when using `Refractometer (BrixWRI)` when creating/editing "Sample" brew log entries * **My Inventory** - Added a "Add to Shopping List" button to inventory items allowing for quick addition to shopping lists * **My Inventory** - Fixed a bug that would force the page to view the "Fermentables" category any time that a save/edit action was taken. The page now loads the category that matches the most recent action. * **My Inventory | My Shopping List** - Fixed a bug that would keep updates to inventory brands from being seen by users * **My Shopping** - Fixed a bug that would force the page to view the "Fermentables" category any time that a save/edit action was taken. The page now loads the category that matches the most recent action. ## 2022-08-16 * **Recipe Builder** - Added an "Acid Concentration" value to the "Other" ingredients for any acids. * **Recipe Builder -** Fixed a problem in how the recipe pH value was looking up acid ingredients * **My Recipes** - Add "Acid Concentration" value to acid ingredient types when viewing recipes in "View" mode * **Water Chemistry Calculator** - Fixed a problem where mash/sparge acid addition ingredients wouldn't show up in their related recipes correctly. ## 2022-07-26 * **Recipe Builder** - Fix display of recipes using kettle as their batch size target, hide post-boil volumes and gravities * **Recipe Builder** - Simplify the attenuation values for yeast ingredients by combining yeast culture attenatuions and custom attenuations, and making recipe attenuation a calculated value. * **Recipe Builder** - Add a * **Recipe Builder** - Fix display of recipes using kettle as their batch size target, hide post-boil volumes and gravities * **Recipe Builder** - Simplify the attenuation values for yeast ingredients by combining yeast culture attenatuions and custom attenuations, and making recipe attenuation a calculated value. * **Recipe Builder** - Add a feature that checks recipes being edited with inventory ingredients for cost updates and updates all recipe costs to match current inventory cost information. * **Recipe Builder** - Add warning messaging to `Quick Water Requirements` when maximum capacity of the boil kettle will be exceeded by pre-boil volume * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed a bug whereby sorting hops ingredients (from a user's inventory) in the recipe builder would cause the inventory deductions to not appear when creating a new brew session * **Recipe Builder** - Fix a problem with incorrectly escaping special characters in recipe and ingredient titles * **Brew Session** - Add warning messaging to `Quick Water Requirements` when maximum capacity of the boil kettle will be exceeded by pre-boil volume * **Recipe API** - Add reference points for polling/updating post-boil volumes in legacy APIs. * **Recipes API** - Fixed a bug that would not allow users to poll the API for XML recipe output using their API key. * **General Settings -** Added a Recipe Editor Setting "Update Inventory Costs", and "Update Costs \[Recipe Snapshots]" to toggle the new inventory setting Off/Prompt/On. * **Equipment Profiles** - Add a value for recording the maximum volume of your boil kettle. * **Recipe View -** Updated print recipe view to include used equipment profile name **Standalone Calculator fixes:** * **Extract OG/FG Calculator** - Add checks to avoid divide-by-zero error. * **Efficiency Calculator** - Add checks to avoid divide-by-zero error. * **All-Grain OG/FG Calculator** - Fix typo in styling. * **Dilution & Boil Off Calculator** - Fix problem with numeric value comparison. * **Chaptalization Calculator** - Fix problem with numeric value comparison. ## 2022-05-19 **My Profile** - Fixed an issue with the profile pictures uploading sideways for some images/resolutions. **Recipe Builder** - Changed the calc boil button to a toggle to automatically adjust the pre and/or post boil volumes according to recipe or equipment changes. **My Brew Sessions** - Added a section to the default brew steps to display any "Other Ingredients" additions targeting sparge water. ## 2022-03-28 **Brew Sessions** - Fixed an issue with the Y-scale for ambient temptures on Brew session fermentation charts. **Recipe Builder** - Changes for starting mash thickness now update the first strike mash steps amount and starting temp. **Inventory -** The date field for yeast inventory is now a calendar selection. In the future the yeast viability will be calculated in recipe builder and brew sessions. ## 2022-03-19 **Brew Sessions** - Fixed the bug for mash calculator showing 0 volume remaining. Update mash calculator to use latest quick water requirement volume calculations. **Brew Sessions** - Added mashed volume including grain to the mash calculator. **Brew Sessions -** Fixed an "off by 1" date stamp bug where some timestamp weren't accounting for the users timezone properly. **Recipe Builder** - Updated how the `Mash Thickness` value is updated when changing recipe units or the equipment profile for the recipe. **Recipe Builder -** Changes in the mash thickness in mash guidelines automatically update changes to the mash steps associated with QWR when used - strike volume and starting temp are automatcally updated from the mash thickness input. **Recipe Builder** - A new QWR was created for when the mashtun capacity was exceeded. **Recipe Builder** - Fixed bug wher zero utilization values were being ignored. **Recipe Builder -** Fixed how honey, fruit and puree ingredients as categories where affecting OG and ABV when used as late additions. **Search Recipes -** Changed the search to allow users to deselect brew method and/or unit system. \\ ## 2022-02-21 **Recipe Builder** - Update to properly account for the attenuation value of custom yeast ingredients. **Recipe Builder** - Fixed bug in "Add Quick Water Requirement" function that used the wrong volume amount for updating the "Mash Guidelines" for steeping steps **My Recipes** - Add the ability to clear the search field with a single click and automatically search when search keyword(s) are completely deleted **My Brew Sessions** - Add the ability to clear the search field with a single click and automatically search when search keyword(s) are completely deleted ## 2022-02-17 **My Brew Sessions** - Fixed issue with improperly displayed timestamps for brew log entries. **Search Beer Recipes** - Modified `Method` and `Units` filter dropdowns to no longer force selection when clicking away from the fields **My Inventory -** Changed the Date entry from free text to a calendar input. **My Shopping list -** Changed the Date entry from free text to a calendar input. **Recipe Builder** - Fix IBU calculations when `0` is used as a utilization value for hops additions ## 2022-02-03 * **My Brew Sessions** - Fix a bug causing trial users to see errors with fewer than the max-allowed number of brew sessions ## 2022-01-25 * **My Inventory** - Replace long, scrolling page with tab/dropdown navigation to view one ingredient category at a time. * **My Shopping List** - Replace long, scrolling page with tab/dropdown navigation to view one ingredient gcategory at a time * **My Inventory** - Fixed problem where bulk edit input fields would not display values. * **My Shopping LIst** - Fixed problem where bulk edit input fields would not display values. ## 2022-01-23 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Fix IBU calculation problem when adding new "First Wort", "Whirlpool", "Hopback" or "Hop Stand" hop addition not adding the scale utilization. * **My Recipes** - Fixed an issue when some users were unable to edit their folder names. * **My Recipes** - Updated date formatting in fermentation charts to match user profile settings * **My Brew Sessions** - Updated date formatting in fermentation charts to match user profile settings * **My Brew Sessions** - Fix a problem that sometimes caused new brew log entries to be disallowed in brew sessions * **My Brew Sessions** - Update the default numbering for batch codes to reflect the current value of the recipe title Profile * **My Brew Sessions** - Added ambient temp to fermentation charts for devices that want to send a secondary temperature. * **General Settings** - Add a new user profile setting to determine whether the numeric value in new brew sessions' batch codes are reset every calendar year (default) or continue counting up indefinitely * **My Inventory** - Dynamically update pricing information on inventory list after bulk save * **My Inventory** - Fix unhandled error in inventory import when no names are given in imported inventory CSV files * **My Shopping List** - Dynamically update pricing information on shopping list after bulk save * **My Shopping List** - Fix error page when bulk edit used after all items in category have been removed ### Recipe Builder - Quick Water Requirements * **Recipe Builder** - **QWR** Re-ordered the QWR losses and gains in chronological order. * **Recipe Builder** - **QWR** will now use recipe user entered boil volumes, and display a warning when they do not align, and/or they do not align with equipment estimated values.\\ * **Recipe Builder** - **QWR** the target volume type (fermenter vs post boil for kettle target) is now bold.\\ * **Recipe Builder** - **QWR** The recipe name is now at the top of the QWR, thanks [@AHarper](https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/members/25783/)! * **Recipe Builder** - **QWR** Hop absorption losses have been split depending on their addition timing (boil vs mash vs dry hop etc). * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed unit conversion error relating to grain absorption and hops absorption values in the quick water requirements * **Recipe Builder** - Removed dry hop (high krausen) from hop absorption calculation for QWR volume calculation to match dry hop addition behavior * **Recipe Builder** - Use the user-provided re/post boil volumes for calculating QWR volumes, provide messaging when estimated volumes are out of line with provided values * **Recipe Builder** - Use QWR-calculated post-boil volume when user changes from kettle to fermentor as brew target mode * **Recipe Builder** - Use the user-provided mash thickness value from the mash guidelines section when calculating strike volumes in QWR, if that value doesn't exist, use the user's profile value, otherwise use the system default * **Recipe Builder** - Added new hop absorption lines to better breakdown when the losses occur, mash vs boil kettle vs whirlpool. * **Recipe Builder** - Improved calculations to better handle volume increase from sugar additions in QWR. * **User Profiles** - Automatically convert measurement units for all saved equipment profiles when the user's global measurement units are changed * **User Profiles** - Automatically convert "Default Batch Size" and "Default Boil Size" values when the user's global measurement units are changed * **User Profiles** - Fix status messaging/styling for save actions in various profile tabs \\ ## 2021-09-03 ### Fixed * **Brew Session Inventory Deductions** - Resolved an issue that where some users inventory deductions did not occur when `Deduct the following from my inventory` checkbox was unchecked. * **Recipe Import** - Allow for import of BeerSmith format files containing multiple recipes in a single file * **Recipe Import** - Display any errors that occur in recipe import process, but continue to import all recipes ## 2021-08-09 ### Updated * **Brew Sessions -** Show brew timers and step descriptions for brew sessions in all brewing phases not just "planning" and "brewing". ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed an issue where late addition target ie "boil kettle" for fermentables when copying recipes. \\ * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed an issue where yeast units were defaulting to 'Each' instead of using the yeast units in the recipe when copying recipe. \\ ## 2021-07-20 ### Updated * **Brew Sessions Inventory Deductions** - Update the way that inventory items are matched to recipe ingredients, allows for multiple options to be displayed for the user to choose from when making deductions **Added** * **My Recipes** - Last used Page Limit is now saved for all subsequent visits per user * **My Brew Sessions** - Last used Page Limit is now saved for all subsequent visits per user ### Fixed * **My Recipes** Fixed the "Updated" column to correctly reflect the user's chosen timezone * **Brew Steps** - Fixed problem calculating total water volume value in brew steps from mash guidelines. * **Recipe Builder** - When using multiple yeasts in a recipe, use the highest single attenuation value of all yeasts for the calculation of final gravity (previously using averaged attenuation value) ## 2021-04-26 ### Added * **Devices** - Added the ability to create service forwarders per device. Located in Link Devices under the Brew Session -> Fermentation tab. ## 2021-01-13 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed an issue where recipes would not save when FG was below 1.000. * **Recipe View** - Fixed issues with different units not being converted in the ingredient totals. ## 2020-12-18 ### Fixed * **Brew Session and Inventory Deductions** - Fixed inventory deductions for hop additions that were not catching some ingredients. ## 2020-12-15 ### Fixed * **Devices / Forwarders** - Fixed Tilt SG sent to google sheets, please see the updated documentation. ## 2020-12-07 ### Fixed * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed fermentation chart filter with multiple devices. * **Recipe View** - Added fermentation chart filter with multiple devices. ## 2020-12-02 ### Added * **Devices** - Added a forwarder for [Ubidots](https://ubidots.com). * * **Devices** - Added GET and POST method options for forwarding data. * **Devices** - Added optional header option for forwarding data. * **Devices** - Added forward response codes and the error message if the forwarder failed to help devs :). If a forwarder fails it will be deactivated. * **Brew Session** - Automated the "Notify me" checkbox, if a date or time is set for the future, it will automatically check the checkbox to notifiy the user. * **Extract to Base Grain Calculator** - Updated brewhouse efficiency fields to show proper styling when disabled for DME/LME fermentables. * **Extract to Base Grain Calculator** - Added the ability to independently change between imperial and metric units for the initial and resulting fermentables. * **My Recipes** - Modify the "Snapshot" checkbox into a dropdown to provide the means to filter recipe searches by only recipes, only snapshots or both ## 2020-11-24 ### Fixed * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed issue with the Fermentation Chart Gravity axis dropping trailing zeroes, "1" instead of "1.000". * **Recipe View** - Fixed issue with the Fermentation Chart Gravity axis dropping trailing zeroes, "1" instead of "1.000". ## 2020-11-10 ### Added * **General Settings** - Added Fermentation Chart Auto scale Y axis setting. * * **Brew Sessions** - Applies Fermentation Chart Auto scale Y axis setting. * **Recipe View** - Applies Fermentation Chart Auto scale Y axis setting. ## 2020-11-09 ### Added * **API** - Added ingredients query parameter for [recipes endpoint](/api/recipes#search-all-my-recipes). `?ingredients=true` ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed hop use error when selecting Hop Stand. * **Beer XML** - Fixed some issues importing / exporting certain hop use and mash use. * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed brew steps to use recipe fermentation temp in cool wort down steps. ## 2020-11-06 ### Added * **Calculators -** Added a new calculator to convert from extract and base malt grains. * ## 2020-10-27 ### Added * **Hops**- Added LUPOMAX Citra, Mosaic and Sabro. * **Brew Sessions -** Improved support for inventory deductions for group inventory and group recipes. ## 2020-10-26 ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Added group support for recipes with linking water calculator. ## 2020-10-22 ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Added Hop Stand as a hop use type, as an alternative to whirlpooling. Uses the same existing utilization setting in the equipment profile as whirlpool additions. ## 2020-10-19 ### Fixed **My Inventory** - Fixed 'Hide Zero Amounts' functionality from disabling sortable headings in ingredients tables. ### Added **My Inventory** - Added styling for visually representing required fields when adding new ingredients. ## 2020-10-14 ### Added * **API** - Added filters for [recipes endpoint](/api/recipes#search-all-my-recipes). * **API** - Added filters for [brew sessions endpoint](/api/brew-sessions#search-all-my-brew-sessions). ## 2020-10-13 ### Added * **General Settings - Brew Sessions** - Added option to create 10 minute reminder additions for brew steps. ## 2020-10-08 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Updated the Quick Water Requirements for more accurate losses such as grain absorption, steeping losses etc especially for extract and partial mash. ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Rearranged the Quick Water Requirements Step order to be in chronological order, highlighted the "target" batch size. * **My Inventory** - Added CSV Import and Export feature. * **Brew Sessions** - Added fermentation chart as default if there is an active device.\\ ## 2020-09-29 ### Added * **Brew Sessions** - Added temp, mash thickness, expected gravity, and time to brew steps from recipe builder. * **Brew Sessions -** Information from recipe builder overrides the placeholder guidelines from quick water requirements. ## 2020-09-28 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Fixes cost saving when sorting hops, fermentables and other. ## 2020-09-22 ### Added * **API** - Added current stats and recipe to single [brew session API endpoint](/api/brew-sessions#get-one-brew-session). * **API** - Added [brew session logs API endpoint](/api/brew-sessions#get-brew-session-logs). * **Brew Sessions** - Added Tanks filter for groups on brew session fermentation tab. ## 2020-09-02 ### Fixed * **Recipe Print** - Fixed missing calories and carbohydrates on recipe print page. * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed auto add brew logs for Dry Hop (High Krausen). ### Added * **My Profile** - Added social links for Untappd, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube. ## 2020-09-01 ### Fixed * **Group Tanks** - Save tank requires a location, previously was giving an error if you didn't select a location. * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed gravity when using multiple sources to send fermentation stream readings. Happened if one source was just sending the temp and not gravity. * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed Tilt gravity rounding when viewing in Plato. It turns out 10 decimal rounding is not very friendly on the eyes. ## 2020-08-31 ### Added * **Equipment Profiles** - Adds settings profile import for popular all-in-one brewing systems like Anvil Foundry, Brewie+, Brewers Edge Mash and Boil, Braumeister, Grainfather, and BrewZilla / Robobrew. * **Equipment Profiles** - Adds compare for popular all-in-one brewing systems. * **Equipment Profiles** - Adds Mash-Tun addition volume to account for liquid under your false bottom. This volume will be\ added to the strike volume and removed from the sparge volume. * **Equipment Profiles** - Adds a Filter for quickly finding a setting. * **General Settings** - Adds a Filter for quickly finding a setting. ## 2020-08-18 ### Updated * **Recipe Builder** - Changed the boil calc button to use Quick Water Requirements calculated values for both pre and post boil volumes for greater accuracy. * **Recipe Builder** - Moved Equipment profile to recipe header from More section. * **Brew Sessions** - Adds Post Boil Gravity from recipe to brew session header. ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed a temperature conversion issue when changing recipe unit system between US and Metric. ## 2020-08-17 ### Added * **Brew Sessions** - Added Dry Hopped (High Krausen) event option in the Brew Log. * **Recipe Builder** - Added Dry Hop (High Krausen) to hop addition use options. ## 2020-08-15 ### Updated * **Recipe Builder, Inventory, and Shopping** - Added Fruit Juice, Fruit Puree, Specialty Malt and Honey to Fermentables. * **Recipe Builder, Inventory, and Shopping** - Added validation to category and types to improve quality of ingredient database and reduce confusion. Ie no longer able to enter ingredients such as category = fruit, type = base malt. etc. * **Water Calculator** - Added Specialty Malt, Smoked Malt, Gluten-Free Malt for grain types. ## 2020-08-12 ### Fixed * **Brew sessions** - Update to the date picker. Fixes various issues with date, +- days, and timestamps. ## 2020-08-05 ### Updated * **Recipe Builder** - Remove the User Contributed ingredient setting. All admin approved ingredients will be available to all users as long as that brand is enabled. ### Fixed * **Recipe View** - Fixed hop total and hop summary to use the same unit type as the recipe additions, if different units are used, the majority unit is used. * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed issue where hop addition temperature did not update units when changing recipe units. * **Recipe Print -** Fixed issue where the printed recipe wasn't using the user set currency symbol. ## 2020-08-04 ### Updated * **Equipment profile** - Updated text in the equipment profile to provide guidance for BIAB brewers and all in one systems. * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed issue where hop addition temperature did not update units when changing recipe units. ## 2020-07-28 ### Updated * **My Recipes** - Updated the hop utilization percentage to reset when changing the 'use', ie whirlpool / first wort / boil. ## 2020-07-27 ### Updated * **Browse Pages** - Will now show yeast fermentation temperatures based on your profile units setting of °F or °C. * **Brew Sessions** - Removed Post-Boil Gravity From brew log in favor of Boil Complete. * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed units issue for linked water calcs and other ingredients like salts and acids. * **My Recipes** - Fixed a count issue when moving group recipes to a sub folder. ## 2020-07-22 ### Added * **My Recipes** - Sorting feature sorts all recipes, not just current page. ### **Fixed** * **LME/DME Conversion Calculator** - Update DME and LME PPG to 45 and 37 respectively. * **Yeast Starter Valculator** - Update DME PPG to 45. * **My Recipes** - Fixed a bug where some users were unable to move recipes back to the default folder. * **Label Generator** - Added an error message when the image uploaded is too large. Limit is 3 MB * **Brew Session** - Updated the log entry expected volume to use the actual recipe values, instead of quick water requirement values. ## 2020-07-09 ### Added * **Brew Sessions** - Added event tooltips to log entries that measure efficiency; mash complete (conversion), preboil (kettle), boil complete (ending kettle), and brewday complete (brewhouse). ### **Fixed** * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed zero attenuation issue reporting 100% ABV. Now zero will report 0% ABV. * **Recipe Builder** - Changed Quick Water Requirements to use recipe units instead of user settings. * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed a error that prevented boil time of zero. * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed a bug where the mash thickness, and QWR, were not properly accounting for flaked grains. * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed a bug with unit conversion of other ingredients, fermentables, and fermentation temperature when changing the recipe units. * **Recipe Builder** - Improved the unit conversion of BF default rounding to maintain a higher level of precision. * **Recipe Builder / Inventory** - Made 'mashed' default to ON when adding custom fermentables to inventory and recipes. * **Brew Sessions** - Updated brew session volume and gravity tooltips to describe what volume/gravity should be input. * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed various issues regarding "+-days" and updated datestamp of brew sessions and log issues. * **Water calculator** - Fixed error with salts not working correctly for some * **Documentation FAQ** - Updated the brew session section of the FAQs, to align more with the log entries. . * **BeerXML export** - Fixed a bug with unsupported recipe styles and mash types. * **Color Calculator** - Fixed a bug with SRM/Lovi/EBC conversion. * **Recipe Builder, inventory, my recipes, recipe view etc. -** Expanded options for currency symbol. ## 2020-07-07 ### Added * **Label Generator** - Ability to select images from your recipe or upload your own images. ### Fixed * **Water Chemistry Calculator** - Updated water volumes to use the recipe volumes and mash guidelines instead of QWR. * **Water Chemistry Calculator** - Fixed an issue with the water calculator volumes not updating. ## 2020-07-03 ### Added * **Brew Sessions** - Added fallbacks to the fermentation stats OG so that it would accept Brew Day Complete, Boil Complete, or Post-Boil Gravity in that order. ### Fixed * **Ibu Calculator** - Updated the standalone IBU calculator to indicate preboil and postboil sizes. ## 2020-06-29 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder, My Inventory, My Shopping List** - Removed necessity of clicking "add My\_Custom\_Malt" when adding custom ingredients. You can now press enter, tab, or escape via mouse click and the input will be accepted. ## 2020-06-26 ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Added currency for all countries. * **Recipe Builder** - Added cost scaling to total cost summary, click on cost to view this. * **Recipe View** - Added currency for ingredients. * **Recipe View** - Added total cost summary, click on cost to view this. * **General Settings** - Added currency for all countries. ### Fixed * **Water Chemistry Calculator -** Updated water volumes updating from quick water requirements instead of recipe when linked water calc. ## 2020-06-25 ### Added * **General Setting** - Option for Packaging Size. This will be used to calculate calories and carbohydrates in the Recipe Builder, Brew Session, and Recipe View pages. * This defaults to 12 oz or 330 ml for metric users. * * **Recipe Builder** - Currency for all countries. * **Recipe View** - Currency for ingredients. * **Recipe View** - Total cost summary, click on cost to view this. * **General Settings** - Currency for all countries. ### Fixed * **My Inventory** - Fixed adding custom yeast and yeast type selection saving. * **My Shopping** - Fixed adding custom yeast and yeast type selection saving. ## 2020-06-11 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed other ingredient conversion to gallons. ## 2020-06-10 ### Fixed * **My Inventory** - Style refinements for filters, tables, bulk edit and bulk delete on mobile view. Fix for horizontal overflow on mobile when adding or editing new inventory item. * **My Shopping** - Style refinements for filters, tables, bulk edit and bulk delete on mobile view. Fix for horizontal overflow on mobile when adding or editing new shopping item. * **My Recipes** - Moving a recipe to a group. * **Recipe Builder** - Updated recipe attenuation to use highest yeast attenuation. Also fixes an issue with zero attenuation culture addition such as lactobacillus. * **Recipe Builder** - Improved Mash chemistry / Water Calculator to take late additions into account, such as "mash capping" of roasted grains. Late additions of fermentables are ignored for the purposes of mash pH. * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed an issue with the calendar picker not assigning times, causing errors in the fermentation chart. ## 2020-06-01 ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Complete country list for custom fermentables. * **My Inventory** - Complete country list for custom fermentables. * **My Shopping** - Complete country list for custom fermentables. ## 2020-05-11 ### Added * **Recipe Editor** - Ingredient cost has an option for updating all of the same ingredients. This will now match alpha acids on hops and PPG on fermentables. * **Recipe Editor** - Change currency option under stats bar More. * **Inventory** - View counts, brew counts and star ratings to recipe suggestions. * **Group Inventory** - View counts, brew counts and star ratings to recipe suggestions. * **General Setting** - Option to change currency for all recipes. ### Fixed * **Brew Sessions** - Fermentation chart days filter that was being reset after mousing over the chart. * **Recipe View** - Fermentation chart days filter that was being reset after mousing over the chart. ## 2020-05-07 ### Added * **My Recipes** - The ability to bulk move recipes to folders. * **My Recipes** - Move recipes to folders on mobile. ### Fixed * **My Recipes** - Folder count update after deleting a recipe. * **My Recipes** - Deleted group recipes from showing up. * **My Brew Sessions** - Folder count update after deleting a recipe. ## 2020-05-06 ### Added * **Devices and API -** New Endpoint for specific gravity from [iSpindel](/devices/ispindel#cloud-url) devices. This was needed since the iSpindel does not send a gravity unit like P or G and only sends the gravity value. The default is Plato but you can now send readings in specific gravity by using the new Specific Gravity URL `/ispindel_sg/`. No matter what unit you are sending you can always change the unit in [General Settings](/profile/general-settings#global-settings) under Sugar Scale to view readings in that unit. ## 2020-04-30 ### Added * **General Setting** - General setting for a default brew log sort order, defaults to Oldest logs first. ![](/files/-M6BZSw0cKn9xfxZGbKm) ## 2020-04-21 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Efficiency scaling in scaling dialog. * **Recipe Builder** - Total Attenuation editing UI issue. * **Recipe Builder** - Fix Selected Other ingredients. * **Device Settings** - Edit Forwarders and Notifications. * **Ingredient Catalog** - Added Argentina and Chile for country origin fermentable option. ## 2020-04-07 ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Ingredient and recipe cost. * **Recipe Builder** - Units for yeast. Now supports grams, oz, etc. * **Recipe Builder** - Ingredient cost to scaling. * **Recipe Builder** - lb, oz, g, and kg to fermentable units. * **Recipe Builder** - Ingredient dropdowns now organize inventories for groups, with country flags (for fermentables) and inventory tags. * **Recipe View** - Recipe cost. * **Recipe View** - Country flag to fermentables. * **Recipe Versions** - Recipe cost to compare. * **Brew Sessions** - Tank column for group brew sessions with a tank assigned. * **Brew Sessions** - Auto increment batch code. * **Brew Sessions** - Brew Log Entry updated UI. * **Brew Sessions** - Multiple devices to one brew session. * **Brew Sessions** - Auto create brew logs with future events for dry hopping. * **Brew Sessions** - Start brew inventory deduction - inventory tags and inventory updated date. * **Pro Group Tanks** - Created a Partial Transfer event. * **Pro Equipment** - Added temperature unit conversion to use default units. * **Pro Tank Logs** - Adds a Tank transfer button to tank logs page for moving beer from a fermenter to a bright tank. Also adds bright tank and barrel icons for fermentation vessel. * **Pro Tank Logs** - Event Notifications for future events, great for Dry Hop reminders. * **Pro Tank Logs** - Current tank bar at the top to quickly see what beer is currently in a tank. * **Inventory** - For Pro Groups you can now import your BSG Invoice and all ingredients will be added to your inventory. * **Inventory** - Tags, Unit Price, Milled fields. * **Inventory** - PPG, Diastatic and Lovibond moved to tooltip to save space in inventory table. * **Inventory** - Add Inventory modal updated to cleaner UI. * **Inventory** - Search Filter will show items in your inventory that match your search. * **Inventory** - Units for yeast. Now supports grams, oz, etc. * **Inventory** - Country flag to fermentables. * **Shopping** - Search Filter will show items in your shopping list that match your search. * **Shopping** - Unit Price, Milled fields. * **Shopping** - Add Item modal updated to cleaner UI. * **Shopping** - Convert to inventory will now copy estimated price to inventory price and also copy the milled option. * **Shopping** - Units for yeast. Now supports grams, oz, etc. * **Shopping** - Country flag to fermentables. * **Shopping** - Convert to group inventory and tag options. * **Brew Logs** - Event Notifications for future events, great for Dry Hop reminders. * **My Recipes** - Cost column. * **My Brew Sessions** - Starting a brew session now allows blending and splitting batches. * **My Brew Sessions** - Editing a brew session now allows blending and splitting batches. ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Occasional Invalid ingredient error editing. * **Recipe Builder** - Loading deleted inventory ingredients. * **Recipe Builder** - Recipe scaling yeast. * **Recipe Builder** - With the addition of post boil size using target fermenter the IBU calculation should use this instead of batch size as used with a target of kettle. * **Brew Sessions** - Start brew inventory deduction for multiple same ingredients in a recipe. * **Brew Sessions** - Brew logs are now sorted by date with the most current at the top. * **Recipe Versions** - Inventory ingredient item names showing. * **Recipe View** - Hop Summary total with regards to pounds of hops, will now display total in pounds if over 16 oz or in kilograms if over 1000 g. * **Inventory** - Group editing permission error. * **Shopping** - Saving country with fermentables. * **Groups** - Group invite and mobile nav menu. ## 2020-02-23 ### Added * **Ingredients Catalog** - Added Gladfield Malt list. ## 2020-02-11 ### Fixes * **Recipe builder** - Larger dropdowns on mobile. * **Recipe builder and calculators** - Subtle visual cues for form elements that are in focus (when using "tab" to navigate). * **Recipe page** - Fix for narrow margins on recipe print (to make it work with ring binders), when browsers ignores custom margins. * **Devices page** - Fixed buttons covering text on mobile. * **Mobile navigation** - Fallback for the main mobile navigation when using older devices without flexbox support. * **Imported Recipes** - Fixed bug where imported recipe ingredients didn't save as matches to existing catalog ingredients * **Recipe Builder** - Hide PH when the calculated value is out of range * **Recipe Builder** - “Cells Required” missing on yeast area of Recipe Builder * **Buy Ingredients** - Steeping grains not included when you click buy Ingredients ## 2020-01-22 * **My Recipes** - Mobile bug selecting group in my recipes was going to that group in my brew sessions. * **Recipe Builder** - Added a dropdown next to Late Addition to allow you to specify when you will be adding the late addition. This will more accurately calculate pre and post boil gravity, OG, FG, IBU and ABV. The default selection is nothing and will continue to work as it had been. * **Recipe Builder** - Added fermentable points calculated by multiplying PPG \* amount. This will change with efficiency. * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed loading Post Boil Volume. * **IBU Calculator** - Adds hop utilization factor and altitude adjustment to the IBU calculator. This already existed in the recipe builder. ## 2020-01-08 * **Brew Session** - Added Fermentation chart ability to edit BPM readings. * **Brew Session** - Fixed fermentation chart index issue with bpm line matching up. * **Brew Session** - Fermentation chart fixed Y-Axis n/a zero issue. * **API** - Added CSV fermentation import. You can already export fermentation data in a CSV, now you can import it too. * **My Recipes** - Fixed folder edit for users and groups. * **My Brew Sessions** - Fixed folder edit for users and groups. ## 2019-12-30 ### Fixes * **My Recipes** - Fix Hop Summary in print & view to correctly show full recipe hop quantities * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed an issue where others time is incorrectly displayed when editing recipe. ## 2019-11-25 ### Fixes * **Recipe Builder** - Improved ingredients search in fermentable dropdowns to match more variations of ingredient names. * **My Recipes** - Fixed bug with navigation not functioning when certain recipes appeared. * **Account Settings** - Unit rounding options not showing up when editing profile page. * **Recipe Builder** - Mash Steps not saving when target temp not set * **Water Calculator** - Fixed bug with water calculator sometimes not holding the chosen water profile. ### Improvements * **Recipe Builder** - Improve page loading speed when editing a recipe with a lot of ingredients. * **Brew Session** - Allow Brew Session phase to update when clicking on a phase button. ## 2019-11-21 ### Fixes * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed issue when sorting recipe ingredients with inventory items. * **Recipe Builder** - Only change amount of ingredient when units change if an ingredient has been selected, to prevent amounts changing unintentionally when entering ingredient fields from left to right. ## 2019-11-20 ### Fixes * **Label Generator** - Refined page layout, fixed labels print style issues, fixed label previews to match printed labels. * **My Inventory** - Fixed inventory form showing irrelevant form fields on mobile when adding or editing items. ## 2019-11-19 ### Fixes * **Brew Session** - Removed ‘mash volume’ entry at mash complete entry on brew log * **Brew Session** - Fixed an issue where editing the brew log post-brew day could remove the OG in the log ### Visual Fixes **Brew Session (base layout):** * Fixed content overflow on medium screens. * Refined "Brew Session" title and navigation. * Refined username, removed avatar. * Refined beer stats list. * Refined beer stats row. * Refined tabs navigations. **Brew Session - Brew Log:** * Fixed form overflow on mobile when adding a new brew log entry. * Refined "Batch Performance" blocks layout on mobile / desktop. * Fixed table layout on mobile. **Brew Session - Brew Steps:** * Fixed "Add step" form overflow on mobile * Fixed headings / buttons / checkbox alignment **Brew Session - Water Requirements:** * Fixed table layout on mobile. **Brew Session - Water Chemistry:** * Fixed "Batch Data" table overflow on mobile. * Fixed "Water Chemistry - Ion Levels (ppm or mg/L)" table overflow on mobile. * Fixed "Brewing Salt Additions" table overflow on mobile. * Fixed "Ion Levels" table overflow on mobile. * Fixed "Ion Balance" table overflow on mobile. * Fixed update/reset/save buttons alignment on mobile. **Brew Session - Mash Calculator:** * Fixed and refined layout on mobile. * Fixed table overflow on mobile. * Refined calculator tabs on mobile. **Brew Session - Recipe View:** * Fixed tables overflow on mobile. **Brew Session - Notes:** * Fixed heading / checkbox alignment. * Fixed and refined notes layout. **Brew Session - Fermentation:** * Refined styles for chart navigation. * Fixed and cleaned up toolbar layout on mobile. **Start a Brew Session:** * Removed scroll bars on mobile. * Fixed content container overflow on desktop. **My Shopping:** * Updated edit / delete buttons alignment on mobile when table is collapsed. ## 2019-11-18 ### **Fixed** * **Brew Session** - Steps now get correctly sorted when custom steps have been added. * **Brew Steps** - You can now edit custom and default steps. * ## 2019-11-15 ### Fixed * **Recipe View** - Fixed incorrect ingredient stats (ppg, color, etc.) showing for steeping grains in Extract recipes ## 2019-11-14 ### Fixed * **My Recipes** - Fixed bug where bulk deletion of recipes could sometimes occur when only one was selected to delete ## 2019-11-10 ### Updated * **Buy Ingredients** - Re-introduced the "Buy Ingredients" feature on recipe pages that integrates with Homebrew Supply's new website. ## 2019-10-31 ### Fixed * **Recipe Listing** - Fixed errors occurring with bulk recipe deletes * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed error saying fermentables haven't been filled out when they have * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed bug with default equipment profile not populating on new recipes * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed errors with loading recipes with non-standard units, e.g. "onz" * **Brew Session** - Fix for starting brew sessions with the correct default units ### Updated * **Alerts** - Improved the way we show minor alerts across the site so they're more visually appealing ## 2019-10-30 * **Brew Session** **/ Fermentation** - Gravity knob value now updates when device updates. * **Recipe View** **/ Fermentation** - Gravity knob value now updates when device updates. ## 2019-10-24 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed a bug when sorting fermentables resulted in changing ingredient quantities * **Recipe Edit & View** - Removed post-boil gravity until we can fix some calculation issues that have been reported. In the mean time, post-boil gravity is frequently the same as OG. ## 2019-10-21 ### Updated * **My profile pages** - Collapsible navigation tabs on mobile; Wider inputs on mobile; Unified inputs padding. * **Account page** - Fixed mobile phone input overflow on mobile. * **Profile page** - Fixed form overflow on mobile. * **General page** - Fixed form overflow on mobile. * **Equipment page** - Fixed layout issues on mobile. * **Water profiles page** - Fixed table layout on mobile. * **Water profiles page** - Fixed "Add new water profile" table layout on mobile. * **Brew steps page:** - Fixed "Add step" form overflow on mobile. * **My brewing pages** - Collapsible navigation tabs on mobile. * **My dashboard page** - Fixed dashboard blocks overflow on mobile; Fixed margins / height of dashboard blocks on medium and large screens. * **My brew sessions page** - Fixed table layout on mobile and desktop; Fixed draggable names space jumps on hover. * **Brew session page / Fermentation tab** - Devices and notifications splited into two blocks; Notification text of no sufficient account permissions updated. * **My recipes page** - Fixed margin between top toolbar, buttons and table; Fixed draggable names space jumps on hover. * **My shopping page** - Fixed broken toolbar layout (sort by; buttons) on mobile; Fixed tables overflow by collapsing tables when wider than the browser window. * **My inventory page** - Fixed broken toolbar layout (sort by; hide zero amounts; buttons) on mobile / tablet; Fixed tables overflow by collapsing tables when wider than the browser window. * **My notes page** - Cleaned up the toolbar layout; Hidden table header on mobile (when table is collapsed). * **Recipe view page** - Refined avatar / beer stats blocks on mobile and desktop; Fixed tables overflow by collapsing tables when wider than the browser window; Fixed comments overflow on mobile. * **Recipe view print** - Print margin increased to make room for binder holes. ## 2019-10-15 ### Updated * **Brew Sessions** - Added a general setting to start next brew timer automatically. Currently yes is the default but you can now turn this off. * **Equipment Profile and General Settings** - Removed multiple save buttons. ## 2019-10-14 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed hop temp width to not cut off a digit. * **Equipment Profile** - Add Liters option for Mash Water Units when general units setting is metric. * **Recipe View** - Fixed hop summary units being converted to grams. Hops are grouped in the hop summary and amounts are changed to grams to sum a total amounts. These amounts were not being converted back to the unit on the recipe. This fixes that. * **Recipe View** - Fixed blurry avatar images for recipe authors by using higher resolution images. * **Shopping List** - Fixed yeast count when converting recipe ingredients to shopping list. ## 2019-10-08 ### Fixed * **Shopping List** - Fixed bug where hop amounts in add to shopping list were showing as zero * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed issues with mash guidelines changing when making updates and new values not saving properly * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed problem with diastatic power incorrect for cara ingredients * **Recipe Print View** - Fixed problem with the hop summary checkbox not working * **Recipe Print View** - More fixes for reducing print size down to one page and maximizing use of space on recipe print ## 2019-10-04 ### Fixed * **Recipe Print View** - Fixed display of recipes when printing to fit on one page * **Site Style** - Reverted recent link color change to switch link colors back to green * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed occasional errors when starting a new brew session * **Brew Sessions** - Fixed errors when starting brew session with group inventory * **My Recipes** - Improved layout and style of my recipes table to flex better at all resolutions and make better use of space ### Added * **My Recipes** - Added new "New Recipe" button for convenience when scrolled down ## 2019-10-03 ### Fixed * **My Recipes** - Improved display of recipe table on mobile screen size to better use available space * **My Recipes** - Improved style of folder buttons to better fit on small screens * **Homepage** **Recipes** - Updated recipe card sizes to work better on mobile * **Recipe Builder** - Moved yeast calculation link to make it clearer * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed error on loading recipes with empty mash step type * **Brew Session** - Fixed issue where equipment profile wouldn't be set on starting a new brew session ### Added * **Recipe View** - Added award winning ribbon color display * **My Recipes/My Brewing** - Added option for showing more recipes per page ## 2019-10-02 ### Fixed * **Devices** - Fixed errors when deleting device readings * **Calculators** - Added ml/g conversion * **My Recipes** - Fixed defaulting snapshot filtering checkbox to on * **Hop Summary** - Fixed showing 0 boil time on hop summary * **My Brewing/Recipes -** Fixed issue with searching recipes in groups * **Recipe View** - Fix tables display for mobile browsers * **Recipe Builder** - Fixed number arrows display on inputs for Firefox * **Brew Session** - Fixed display of recipe metric cards on brew session * **Brew Session/Recipe View** - Reduced size of profile pictures ### Added * **Beer XML** - Added Batch Sparge mash type ## 2019-10-01 * **Account** * New Premium Plus Membership * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/pricing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/pricing/) * Lifetime Members will be grandfathered in with plus features. * New Premium Pro Membership * Contact us at [https://pro.brewersfriend.com](https://pro.brewersfriend.com/) * Lifetime Members will be grandfathered in with pro features. * **Groups** - Friend and Homebrew Club groups. * * **Groups** - Members, invite friends to your group for recipe collaborations. * **Groups** - Inventory, shared inventory that anyone in the group can use. * **Account** - Mobile number for text messages. * **Brew Session** * Fermentation alerts and notifications. * Email, text message and Slack. * These work with devices to notify you if the temp drops below or above a set point. It can also alert when a gravity is reached. Alerts are available with email or text. * Carbs in grams. * Packaging Options * New Event Types * Mash Complete (First Runnings) * Mash Complete (Last Runnings) * Cone Dump * Diacetyl Rest * Tanks * **Recipe View** - Added Carbs grams per 12 oz. * **Equipment Profiles** - Hop Options - allow you to set utilization percents used when adding hops in the recipe builder. * **Device Settings** * Fermentation alerts and notifications. * Same as above but you can set them for all brew sessions using a device. * **Recipe Builder** * Group editing, multiple group users can edit the same recipe (not at the same time however, that may change) * Versioning. Versions are automatically created each time the recipe is saved. * You can then revert to that version of the recipe. * Hop copy button to help with lots hops additions. * Carbs in grams. * Mash Guidelines water calc. * Auto adjusts strike water with mash thickness change. * **API** * bpm field added to stream. * **General** * Site wide styles and more mobile support across the site. * Device Map - A device streaming from BF users * ## 2019-08-15 ### Fixed * **My Recipes** - Bulk delete option. * **My Profile** - Toggling default brew steps. * **Recipe View** - When a water calc is linked, the projected mash pH varies from the water calc to the recipe builder. * **Recipe Builder** - Partial mash recipes changing when built using a goal. * **Recipe Builder** - Australian spelling. * **Label Generator** - not printing style. * **Recipe Builder** - Mash pH - Slaked lime issue when adding lime zest in the recipe in 'other' ingredients. ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Mash Guidelines - Vorlauf and Batch Sparge options. * **Brew Session** - Brew Steps - removed automatically created steps for starting and completed mash steps, combined this into one step with timer. * **Recipe Builder** - Deprecated IE message, Internet Explorer just doesn't perform as good as other modern browsers and we do not recommend using it at all. * **Water Calculator**- ml/l and g/l options back to the water calculator for salts and acids. ## 2019-07-31 ### Fixed * **Search** - Issue selecting multiple ingredients in recipe search. * **Water Calculator** - Issue with Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3). * **Recipe Builder** - Days copy when selecting dry hop. ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Post Boil calc and input when the target is Fermenter. This will auto calculate the post boil volume including evaporation rate from the equipment profile chosen for the recipe. This volume will then be used in the Original Gravity and IBU predictions instead of the Batch Size. When the target is Kettle the Batch Size is also the Post Boil volume so nothing changes here and is still being used for OG and IBU predictions. * **Equipment Profile** - Altitude input, enter feet or meters for your altitude. This will be used to automatically change the hop utilization in the recipe builder (Click More next to the prediction bar), which defaults to 1. Example: At 5,280 feet this changes the utilization to 0.84 (ie. 84%). * * **API Endpoints** - Starting to move all endpoints to \`. Old endpoints will still be supported. * [Recipe Photos](/api/recipes#get-recipe-photos) - get a list of photos for your recipes or get the default photo for a recipe. * [Recipe XML](/api/recipes/recipe#get-recipe-beer-xml) - get the recipe in Beer XML. * [Recipes](/api/recipes#search-all-my-recipes) - new search parameters. * [Brew Sessions](/api/brew-sessions#search-all-my-brew-sessions) - new search parameters. ## 2019-07-17 * Updated Recipe Search * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/search](https://www.brewersfriend.com/search/) ### Added * **API Endpoints -** [Recipes](/api/recipes) * **API Endpoints** - [Brew Sessions](/api/brew-sessions) * **Ingredients** - Complete list of Voyager malts to the BF catalog. ## 2019-07-04 ### Changed * Moved FAQ to new docs * ### Fixed * **Brew Session** - Fermentation paging and edit readings. ### Added * **General Settings** - Dry Hop Days option for dry hopping for X Days or on Day X. * ## 2019-06-25 ### Changed * **Recipe Builder** - Whirlpool Utilization can now use time and temp to calc approximate utilization. Change the time and temp for auto utilization updates. * **Recipe Builder** - Dry Hop Time verbiage changed to Day. ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Priming block with custom priming method will not try to calculate anything. ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Ability to enter custom styles in the sub category. You can still choose a primary category. * **Recipe Builder / Label Generator** - Custom styles will now appear for your label. * **Brew Session / Brew Log** - ability to add time along with the date for more accurate logs and fermentation charts. * **Shopping List** - Bulk Edit for amounts. ## 2019-06-17 ### Changed * **Recipe Builder** - Priming Information dropdown options will now auto calculate the priming sugar you choose. This also adds a calculation for kegs and C02. * **Search** - Added reset search and cached previous search for returning to search after leaving. * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/search](https://www.brewersfriend.com/search/) ### Fixed * **Brew Session** - Fermentation charts now updates the UI correctly after deleting a reading. Time scale is now linear to account for gaps in readings. Comments are correctly wrapped in annotation cards. ## 2019-06-04 ### Changed * **Brew Session** - Phase bar, now numbered and more intuitive. ### Added * **Data Sheets** - Forced Carbonation Chart. * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/force-carbonation-chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/force-carbonation-chart/) * **My Recipes** - Search will now query all recipes regardless if they are in a folder or not. * **Recipe Builder / Equipment Profile** - Original Gravity calculation can now use boil size with evaporation rate instead of batch size when include evaporation rate is checked under equipment profile and batch target is fermenter. Click More next to the stats bar and find this under Equipment Profile. * **Brew Session** - Brew Log entry for Yeast Dump, amount collected will be subtracted from the packaging volume. * **Inventory** - Added default amount. New recipes will have these ingredients added by default with the amount set. * **Inventory** - Suggested Brews allows you to find public recipes from Brewer's Friend that have ingredients from your inventory. Only ingredients with an amount will be used. * ## 2019-05-09 ### Fixed * **Brew Session** - Source and Target water matching recipe. * **Recipe Builder** - Removing yeast now removes custom attenuation. * **Recipe Builder** - Saving mashed checkbox on custom fermentables. ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - Hop total unit to match hop units if they are all the same. * **Recipe Builder** - New Priming Information block with CO2 Levels auto calc for priming volume based on style. * **Recipe Builder** - Yeast block now shows ABV along with FG see the affect that attenuation changes make. * **Styles** - Recommended CO2 Volume Levels. * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/styles](https://www.brewersfriend.com/styles/) * **Brew Session** - Brew Log Dry Hopped event type. * **Inventory** - Bulk Edit amounts and units. ## 2019-04-30 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - Using default hop type when selecting from inventory. Now recognizes hop type chosen in inventory. * **Recipe View** - Links to ingredient pages. * **Ingredient Pages** - Brands links and added recipe counts and caching for faster load times. * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/fermentables](https://www.brewersfriend.com/fermentables/) * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/hops](https://www.brewersfriend.com/hops/) * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeasts](https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeasts/) * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/other](https://www.brewersfriend.com/other/) * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/styles](https://www.brewersfriend.com/styles/) ## 2019-04-24 ### Changed * **Recipe Builder** - Moved inventory items to main ingredient dropdowns. Inventory items will appear at the top of the ingredient dropdown ending with the amount. You can now search for them and more easily use them in recipes. ### Added * **Profile** - Integrations generate new API key. * * **Profile** - General Rounding Options. ## 2019-04-02 ### Added * **Brew Sessions** - Fermentation chart BPM for [Plaato](/devices/plaato#plaato-wireless-airlock). * **API Endpoints** - Additional [API stream fields](/api/stream#post-device-stream-data) for MyBrewBot and Fermentrack. ## 2019-04-01 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - pH prediction showing with no water profile selected. * **Recipe Builder** - Inventory & Shopping custom brands now showing up prior to being approved. * **Recipe View** - can now show fermentation chart from multiple brew sessions. * **Recipe Builder** - water calc sometimes missing acid additions from the recipe. * **Inventory & Shopping** - now enter yeast temp in °F or °C. ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - drag and drop photos! * **Devices** - [Plaato Wireless Airlock](/devices/plaato#plaato-wireless-airlock) support. * **Profile** - Brand Settings turn off brands that do you use or care about. * * **Shopping List** - option to hide mashed column in print view. * **Brew Session** - Brew Step `Cool wort down to ~70F / 20C` will now show the fermentation temp set in the Recipe Builder from the Yeast block. * **Recipe Builder** - ability to add custom yeast. * Bar unit to keg carbonation calculator. * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/keg-carbonation-calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/keg-carbonation-calculator/) * **Ingredients** - Complete list of Crisp and Briess malts to BF catalog. ## 2019-03-11 ### Fixed * **Recipe Builder** - hop temp placeholder value for Metric units. * **Calculators** - All grain calculator grain select now updates the calculator. * **Recipe Import** - yeasts with zero amount. * **Recipe Import** - grains category, country, type. * **Brew Sessions** - Device in-use for fermentation chart. * **Recipe Builder** - Other Ingredients units issue switching recipe units. * **Brew Sessions** - Brew Steps when all default steps are removed and only custom steps are being used. * **My Recipes and My Brew Sessions** - list dates missing after search. * **Recipe Builder** - & Water calc acid malts linking. ### Added * **Recipe Builder** - tooltips on question marks. * **Recipe Builder** - tooltip descriptions for hops and yeast dropdowns. * **Inventory and Shopping** - EBC to Lovibond conversion. * **Inventory and Shopping** - WK to Lintner conversion. * **Inventory and Shopping** - PPG conversion from extract percent. * **General Settings** - Diastatic Power equation. WK or Lintner (default). * **Recipe Builder** - option for Diastatic Power equation. WK or Lintner (default). * **Brew Sessions** - Fermentation chart annotation cards. * **Brew Sessions -** pH addition for fermentation device readings. * **General Settings** - hide fermentation chart tooltip. * **Brew Sessions** - Brew log entry packaging options, corny keg, ferkin, 1/6, 1/4 and 1/2 barrel kegs. * **General Settings** - for date format, more formats added. * **Recipe Builder** - save bar that now follows you down the page. * **My Recipes and My Brew Sessions** - folder sidebar collapse. * **Recipe Print** - left margin to leave room for hole punching. * **Recipe Builder** - gallon unit option for Other Ingredients. * **Calculators** - Water Calc gallon unit option for salts and acids. * **Site Wide** - Added Documentation URL to Community Menu. * **Site Wide** - Mobile navigation momentum scrolling. ## 2019-02-13 ### Changed * SMaSH query in beer search. * ### Added * Annotations on fermentation chart and brew log entries. ## 2019-02-11 ### Changed * SRM Calculator to include all grains from Recipe Builder and ability to add unlimited grains. * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/srm-calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/srm-calculator/) * All Grain OG Calculator to include all grains from Recipe Builder and ability to add unlimited grains. * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/allgrain-ogfg](https://www.brewersfriend.com/allgrain-ogfg/) * Brewhouse Efficiency Calculator to include all grains from Recipe Builder and ability to add unlimited grains. * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewhouse-efficiency](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewhouse-efficiency/) ### Added * Color converter * [https://www.brewersfriend.com/color-calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/color-calculator/) ## 2019-01-21 ### Fixed * Fermentation device chart readings with missing gravity or temp values. * Water Profile name on recipe view. ### Changed * Using time format from general settings on date timestamps in account sections. ### Added * Other ingredients autocomplete. * Other ingredients user contributions from inventory/shopping. * User contributions show/hide option in general settings. defaults to hidden. * New dropdowns with autocomplete and search for ingredients on recipe builder. * Total yeast attenuation adjustment in recipe builder. * Export device readings to JSON or CSV from brew session fermentation tab. * API endpoint for device readings in JSON. * Additional time formats in general settings. * Introduced animals into the world, we believe they're going to be a neat addition. # Contributing ## User Ingredients and Brands **First off, Thank you for your interest in contributing to our catalog.**\ \ Please only add brands that specifically make brewery products. Brands are subject to approval and may not show up on the site without being approved first. Approval or renaming will happen within 2 business days but normally within minutes.\ Please use the common brand business name when contributing. Do not use profane words or others which violate our [terms of service](http://localhost/terms).\ \ In order to use user contributed ingredients you need to enable this in [general settings](http://localhost/homebrew/profile/general_settings). You can turn off brands you don't want to see in the [brand settings](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/profile/brand_settings). ### From Recipe Builder You can add brands and ingredients to our catalog from custom fermentables. ### From My Inventory You can add brands and ingredients to our catalog from your inventory. ### From My Shopping List You can add brands and ingredients to our catalog from your shopping list. # Contact ### Technical Support Submit an issue in our [technical support forum](https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/#brewers-friend-technical-support.4). ### Follow us on Social Media * Twitter - * Facebook - [https://www.facebook.com/BrewersFriendSite](https://www.facebook.com/BrewersFriendSite/) * Instagram - [https://www.instagram.com/brewersfriend](https://www.instagram.com/brewersfriend/)