Software Review - BrewMate

Here is a software review I wrote for my local HomeBrew Club Newletter. There have even been chances to the software since I wrote this just a month or so ago.

My brewing obsession began with pre-packaged partial boil kits that offered little need for brewing software. I was sure to nail my numbers as long as I followed the directions. I quickly found as I moved toward full boils that without adjustments to the hop schedule, I’d end up making Imperial IPA strength Cream Ales. 

Though mainstream applications like BeerSmith are not overly expensive, I was on a mission to find something free.  I stumbled across BrewMate (www.brewmate.net), which has become a staple to my brew day preparation.  I believe that it offers similar features as paid software programs, but at zero cost.  

Building a recipe with BrewMate is extremely simple. An extensive list of fermentables/grains, hops and adjuncts are included by default. With ease you can add ingredients if not listed or adjust preloaded items.

A feature that I really like is something the designer calls “Style Nazi” Mode. When you select a style from the drop down menu, it loads in the BJCP guidelines that you can compare with your recipe. An example above shows the IBU range of an American Pale Ale and how my current recipe compares to the BJCP style guideline. If you fall outside the range, the attribute will turn yellow to clearly show that you are outside the chosen style guideline.

BrewMate is fully customizable for your brewing system to give you the most accurate results.

Besides recipe building, there is an assortment of commonly used tools to help you through the brew day.

If you choose to use BrewMate in Metric Measurements, you have “BrewDay” feature available to you.

This is ideal for the all grain brewer because it helps with calculation of strike and sparge water as well as other key all grain measurements. I spoke with the designer and they are actually in the process of making this option available in U.S. Measurements, so be on the lookout for that.

The designer of the software is easy to contact through the website and very receptive to suggestions. I’ve recommended several things and some of them have been implemented. There have been a few updates to the software which are all free and each new release has some nice features.

Though I don’t expect loyal BeerSmith users to convert to BrewMate, I highly recommend to anyone that does not currently have any brewing software to give it a shot. It’s free, you have nothing to lose.