For repeating tags that contain a list of items, such as $HOPS and $MASH_INGREDIENTS the custom report tags in BeerSmith do not allow you to access the individual items on the list. You get the whole list as a table, and that is it. If you export the recipe to an XML file and use software that can manipulate XML, then you can access the individual items. That doesn't help you to get them into a custom report for BeerSmith, though. I have been working on two approaches to making custom brewsheets, but neither one is truly satisfactory:
1) Use javascript inside the html custom report template for BeerSmith. This can do calculations like water volume expansion for temperature or converting gravity readings from hot to room temperature, correctly include the volume of extract and sugar in all-grain recipes, etc. It does not allow you to access the inner details of the tables, though.
2) Use Excel to import the XML from an exported recipe. Excel can do any calculations needed, can access the individual items in a table and can generate a custom report. Unfortunately, I just discovered that the exported XML file is missing some information. The Target pH, Adjusted pH and Measured pH are absent. The only pH entry is the default pH from the mash profile. I want the target pH to appear on the brewsheet next to where I enter the measured pH.
I haven't decided what to do since I am not happy with either of these and can't find a way to get the best of both without a lot of extra work. I am hoping that BeerSmith 4 comes out soon and solves my problem.
--GF