Hi Folks

[stevebonny]

Hi folks, just checking in to say hello.   I've been brewing on and off for many years using extract kits mostly.    I tried all grain a few years ago but decided that I'm too lazy and sold my gear to a friend!   My results weren't significantly better than extract brewing.  I just started using BeerSmith to see if I can step up my game a little.  I plan to try BIAB for my next few batches and I have just improved my brewery a little with temp control for fermentation and a few new gadgets.   We'll see how it goes.   I'm sure I'll have a few questions for the group!

Cheers!

[Kevin58]

It seems like the more I brew the more I am returning to my brewing roots. Yes, I have a big, shiny all electric three vessel system with pump and control panels and all the bells and whistles... but many times I find myself in the kitchen brewing small batches on the stove top. Keep it simple is my suggestion.

There is a book by Denny Conn and Drew Beechum called Simple Homebrewing that has become my mantra... Make the best beer possible, with the least effort possible while having the most fun possible. Here is a link (below) and be sure to watch the video at the bottom of the page. Pay attention to what they say about a 20 minute mash and a 20 minute boil. It's the same process that is called the "short and shoddy" method over at Brulosophy (second link provided) and while it many not be the method you want to use all the time it is absolutely awesome for turning out a quick brew day when the mood strikes you but you don't have all day to do it.

https://www.brewerspublications.com/products/simple-homebrewing-great-beer-less-work-more-fun

http://brulosophy.com/projects/short-shoddy/

[Oginme]

Welcome to the BeerSmith forum.  Like Kevin, I built up from extract to BIAB to (though not a shiny system) a three vessel system.  I quickly moved back to BIAB inside doing 10 liter batches as it allowed me to brew more often and more styles without burying myself in beer.  I now have an Anvil all-in-one system which is still based upon BIAB but gets me out of the kitchen (to my wife's delight) and away from propane.  Also started doing 4 liter batches as a test bed for developing new recipes without the worry of having a whole case to work through of something that was not quite up to what I wanted.

My one piece of advice when starting with BeerSmith is to take the time to develop good equipment profiles.  Treat the profiles which come with the program as templates for developing your own.  The more measurements you take during a brew day and updating of the boil off rate, grain absorption, process losses, and most importantly your efficiencies the faster you will bring the software in line with what you produce.

[stevebonny]

It seems like the more I brew the more I am returning to my brewing roots. Yes, I have a big, shiny all electric three vessel system with pump and control panels and all the bells and whistles... but many times I find myself in the kitchen brewing small batches on the stove top. Keep it simple is my suggestion.

There is a book by Denny Conn and Drew Beechum called Simple Homebrewing that has become my mantra... Make the best beer possible, with the least effort possible while having the most fun possible. Here is a link (below) and be sure to watch the video at the bottom of the page. Pay attention to what they say about a 20 minute mash and a 20 minute boil. It's the same process that is called the "short and shoddy" method over at Brulosophy (second link provided) and while it many not be the method you want to use all the time it is absolutely awesome for turning out a quick brew day when the mood strikes you but you don't have all day to do it.

https://www.brewerspublications.com/products/simple-homebrewing-great-beer-less-work-more-fun

http://brulosophy.com/projects/short-shoddy/

   Haha thanks.   I had seen the short and shoddy method on the brulosophy website but never actually looked at it.   I kinda like where they are heading.   I like short brew days that create good beer!

[stevebonny]

Welcome to the BeerSmith forum.  Like Kevin, I built up from extract to BIAB to (though not a shiny system) a three vessel system.  I quickly moved back to BIAB inside doing 10 liter batches as it allowed me to brew more often and more styles without burying myself in beer.  I now have an Anvil all-in-one system which is still based upon BIAB but gets me out of the kitchen (to my wife's delight) and away from propane.  Also started doing 4 liter batches as a test bed for developing new recipes without the worry of having a whole case to work through of something that was not quite up to what I wanted.

My one piece of advice when starting with BeerSmith is to take the time to develop good equipment profiles.  Treat the profiles which come with the program as templates for developing your own.  The more measurements you take during a brew day and updating of the boil off rate, grain absorption, process losses, and most importantly your efficiencies the faster you will bring the software in line with what you produce.

 
Thanks for the advice.   I have put as much equipment info in the software as I know at the moment.   Struggling a little with the water details as I haven't yet found find a value for calcium for my water.   I did find all the other water data and I also have a hardness value but I didn't figure out the relationship between effective hardness used in the software and actual hardness (330mg/L) on the water report.   Although they have the same units they seem to have significantly different levels unless we have huge amounts of calcium in our water.   I took an uneducated guess at calcium and will see how it comes out!