Written By: Peter Evans
Date: December 7, 2009 At first it seems like a crazy concept. After all people have been brewing beer for thousands of years without software, what’s the big deal? A lot of it has to do with consistency. True, a brewing family would pass the same recipe down from one generation to the next.

Unless you come from one of these families, chances are you’ll go through several recipes before you find one that appeals to you. You also have to figure out what to add at what temperature and at what volume; this can be a huge hassle. Beer software helps simplify that. Even while using a kit, it can come in handy.

In addition to that, they would also pass down techniques and equipment. AH! Are there some lights going off yet? This is partially why kits can be great. The same equipment (in theory) is used with the same recipe for consistencies sake. So basically, it takes out some of the guess work. But what if you want to do a variation on the kit recipe? What if you want to replace some of the parts and now you have a larger or smaller container to deal with? What if you want to up your production some? AHHHHH!

Beer brewing software will help you to figure out better what ingredients and techniques can be used more accurately and enable you to get a better understanding of the outcome. For instance during the mash, this will give you a clear time table for when to take a heat break.  Another example is for adding flavors; a good understanding of what to add, when and how much is essential to achieving your desired taste. This even applies to home brewing kits that are a great and inexpensive way to get started.

Another feature that’s great is the ability to track what you’ve produced and even tag how you liked it. For those of us who have spent years brewing, it is important to remember what exactly we did to a particular batch to reproduce the same results. So the software will add some consistency to your home operation, something every brew master pursues.

In addition to these things, there are often inventory controls built in that will help you determine when to order new ingredients and even break down for you how much each batch cost to make. This also gives you the chance to back up some of your cost bragging rights.

There are several programs out there, some with free trial versions that will help you with your brewing. The advantages are pretty clear to the home brewer. With inventory, recipes, preferences and the ability to share your information with other brewers all in one place, you can spend more time brewing and less time doing math. These elements translate into more beer with better, more consistent quality. Everyone can get behind that.