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Better way to create/review session data?

apax

Apprentice
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
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Location
Murfreesboro, TN
Maybe it's just me.  I'm a novice when it comes to BeerSmith.  I use it only to make my recipes.  I really want to use it to track my fermentation session, but it is _NOT_ intuitive at all.  I know people use it, but I feel it's not very useful.

For example, the session is tied to the recipe.  How does BeerSmith know, if I make the same recipe three times, that my session is new, and not current?  Also, how do I review previous sessions to see a benchmark between them for variance?

I'm sure I can do it, and I know others do it.  This post isn't so much to learn how I can work around this, or to make it work, but rather, to make it easier.  Preferrably, I want a button that says "Log new session", and the ability to have "Session History".
 
apax said:
For example, the session is tied to the recipe.  How does BeerSmith know, if I make the same recipe three times, that my session is new, and not current? 

I copy the recipe I plan to use into the brew log folder. It is that brew log copy that has its own session data tied to it. The next time I remake that recipe I don't simply re-use the copy in the brew log... I go to the original folder containing my "master" recipe design and again copy that one into the brew log folder. Each brewday will use the same recipe but have its own session. Once a recipe in the brew log (and only recipes that have been actually made go into the brew log) I never alter that data. The brew log is where I go to review previous recipes/sessions.
 
My recommendation is to search the forum for "brew log" and look up Brad's blogs and videos about using the brew log function of BeerSmith.  It is this function which separates the recipes from the brew sessions of that recipe and/or versions of the same recipe.
 
Thanks everyone!  I'm just hoping the software can do a better job at it.  I know these workarounds work.

Oginme said:
My recommendation is to search the forum for "brew log" and look up Brad's blogs and videos .....

My opinion really doesn't matter, but if you ask me, if you have to search and ask for ways to do it.... then that means it's not built into the software (or if it is built-in, then it's not intuitive).  Tools such as BeerSmith should always be looking for ways to make it easier to use.  I feel this is an area that can be worked on in future versions.

 
I guess, since the software was designed for the brew log function to work as it does, that this "workaround" as you call it is a happy coincidence?  I picked up the software almost seven years ago and have been using the brew log function from the very beginning, having read through the features and functions which Brad has listed on the web site. 

Then again, many people use the software differently and to their benefit and it does good to make these suggestions to see if something along the lines that you are looking for can be incorporated.
 
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