# Do you use an inventory?



## lukiferj (1/7/13)

I currently use brewmate (biab/no chill) which has no inventory included. I tried using a spreadsheet but was a pain to keep updated. I like the look of the beersmith inventory but from what I understand, beersmith is not ideally suited to my method of wort production. I currently have around 20 types of grain, 10 types of hops and a few different yeasts and adjuncts around. Like the idea of knowing what I have on stock while I'm designing recipes.

Does anyone use an inventory for your brewing supplies? Either manual or via software?


----------



## earle (1/7/13)

I use the beersmith inventory and love the fact that after you brew a recipe you can remove what you've used with the press of one button.

What is you're method of wort production?


----------



## lukiferj (1/7/13)

BIAB. Brewmate has easy options for this as well as no chill. Beersmith looks good but a lot more involved in setting it up. Might download the trial and have a play with it.


----------



## Camo6 (1/7/13)

I use beersmith2 and recently started using the inventory. I couldn't figure out why it didn't change till I saw the 'remove from inventory' button.

I used to use brewmate and loved its simplicity. And for BIAB I always hit my targets. I'm now using beersmith2 and agree there's heaps more to overlook. I'm still trying to dial in my herms system and have missed target volumes the last few batches.

But I'm determined to stick with BS till I figure it out, due to its versatility. It's nice to know what grain or hops I need from the house without venturing to the shed in the height of winter. That's probably not so much an issue with you queenslanders though. Hiss hiss


----------



## QldKev (1/7/13)

Hey my carport is freezing, it's down to 23c in there at the moment.

I used the inventory for a while, but randomly forgot to click the remove from inventory button when brewing and got pissed of with it. It's no longer part of what I use.


----------



## shmang (1/7/13)

I'm a BIABer and no chill.
I also use Beersmith for all my calc's and inventory.
It did take me some time to get the software dialled in, for a new user and brewer (as I'am) there is an awful lot of settings that I was unsure of, But I persevered with it and now couldn't imagine brewing without it.

I did try brewmate for a period, The simplicity was fantastic, as well as being set up for BIAB/no chill was awesome.
In the end Beersmith won.
Depends on what you are happy with


----------



## fletcher (1/7/13)

i use brewmate and biab also, and copied and pasted all the brewmate ingredients (yeasts, malts, hops) into a spreadsheet so i can update it after i do a brew, and just scroll to find which ingredient i need to update. doesn't really take too long and has a few basic equations and formulae in place. i'm sure you could tailor it even more if you wanted to. it is really quite basic. anyone is welcome to take it and improve it 

edit: posted it here
View attachment Inventory.xlsx


----------



## manticle (1/7/13)

No.


----------



## pb unleaded (1/7/13)

manticle said:


> No.


Also No.


----------



## keifer33 (1/7/13)

I find using the Beersmith inventory a little inaccurate as I tend to think of ideas and change my mind as I go along as I taste the beer/ingredients without updating...also forgetting to hit the 'remove from inventory' button doesn't help.


----------



## Midnight Brew (1/7/13)

Woah! Didnt even realise there was a remove from inventory button. **** doing a stock take.


----------



## Yob (1/7/13)

Ha ha.. @ midnightstocktaker

I keep my inventory in my head.. Down to half a sack o this or that and it's off to KK for a run


----------



## Lord Raja Goomba I (2/7/13)

Never did in brissie, but now I'm not a drive from craftbrewer, I do.

I use ianh's biab spreadsheet, punch in recipe & 'make recipe' to remove frim inventory.

Still use brewmate to formulate recipes, as I don't actually BIAB.


----------



## bum (2/7/13)

I have an inventory, obviously, but I tend to spend my XP on mana and HP so can't carry as much as I'd like most of the time.


----------



## Truman42 (2/7/13)

Does the new beersmith cloud feature work with the inventory? So if Im at work and want to create a recipe and call into the LHBS on my way home can I see what hops etc I have on hand?


----------



## lukiferj (2/7/13)

Truman said:


> Does the new beersmith cloud feature work with the inventory? So if Im at work and want to create a recipe and call into the LHBS on my way home can I see what hops etc I have on hand?


Good question. I only live about 20 mins from craftbrewer but nothing worse than driving out there, coming home and realising that I forgot something. If I had access to my inventory from work it would be awesome.


----------



## ratchie (2/7/13)

QldKev said:


> I used the inventory for a while, but randomly forgot to click the remove from inventory button when brewing and got pissed of with it. It's no longer part of what I use.


Same here.


----------



## earle (2/7/13)

I have a system where I plan a recipe in one folder. After I brew it I move it to a brew log folder and remove it from inventory at that stage. Has been working for me at this stage but once the ipad version of the full app is released I'm not sure it will work anymore. Would be great to be able to sync everything rather than just copy selected things.


----------



## WarmBeer (2/7/13)

manticle said:


> No.


Yes.


----------



## mmmyummybeer (2/7/13)

Yes. Beersmith, mainly because its there and I can. I still tend to generally know round about whats in my stock anyway and go of that when deciding on a recipe to brew.


----------



## slash22000 (2/7/13)

Only recently started using Beersmith, having used Brewmate for a long time.

Honestly I've found Beersmith is a serious pain in the arse to use. It has many more features than Brewmate, but you need a friggin PHD or something to figure it out. It's just not "instinctive" software at all. Brewmate you can just quickly enter in all your percentages or weights or whatever of every ingredient. Beersmith you need to change every .. ingredient .. individually .. in its own .. little .. window .. <_<

It also has some other seriously weird choices as well. For example, in Brewmate, if you change the volume it defaults to scaling up the recipe. Beersmith dilutes the recipe. I was pulling my hair out and had to Google how to scale a recipe in Beersmith. Turns out there is a button on the top left of the screen (nowhere near any of the other buttons for ingredients) that lets you do it. Why is it not an easy option!? Why would you dilute the recipe by default?!

Also, the way the recipes in Beersmith print out is ridiculous. It takes up like 3 pages full of just extraneous bullshit (why do I want to print out my "Assistant Brewer's Name"? If the field is empty, why not just remove it from the print out!?). I want my recipe on 1 page, in an easily readable format. Apparently impossible.

...

But, yes, I will use the inventory feature when I can be bothered setting it up. At the moment I just keep a spreadsheet.


----------



## Smokomark (2/7/13)

I use Beersmith for inventory. I used to have stock level discrepancies due to not removing inventory.
Now I write REMOVED INV on my brew day sheet when I remove inventory from Beersmith. 
If there's a brew sheet in my folder without anything written across the top I just simply remove inventory then.
Stock levels have been pretty accurate since doing it this way.

I did send Brad Smith an email a couple of months ago re inventory in the cloud and he said it was something he was working on.


----------



## fletcher (2/7/13)

lukiferj said:


> Good question. I only live about 20 mins from craftbrewer but nothing worse than driving out there, coming home and realising that I forgot something. If I had access to my inventory from work it would be awesome.


i just uploaded my spreadsheet, and can change it and edit it using google docs. accessible anywhere. home on brewday, my phone, at work, etc.


----------



## Nibbo (2/7/13)

Started a spreadsheet on my ancient laptop that i never use. So i've let it slip.

Will be back onto stock inventory very soon though...


----------



## Diesel80 (2/7/13)

I use my freezer for Hop inventory (open it and have a look whats left). Generally I will plan brews around what i have left to avoid ending up with too many 'leftovers' buying new stuff all the time.

My Grain bags are my grain inventory. I just look at them and see how full they are and if i need more. Generally keep only two types on hand. MO or an Ale Malt, and a bag of something else for when i want a break from english ales / bitters.

For spec grain I order about 1kg or so of a variety of spec malts and then just use them as i go along. Again, visual inspection is required to update inventory. If i don't have a particular grain i will sub it with what i do have and then plan another order. When I run out of all forms of Crystal Malt, an order goes in for a top up.

This system is pretty fool proof really and whilst it will mean it limits ability to brew certain things, it does also keep things under control with regard to not ending up with many bags of grain etc and having to worry about storage logistics and the Mrs cracking it because there is brewing gear and ingredients turning up around the house as you run out of place to store it!

Cheers,
D80


----------



## Lord Raja Goomba I (2/7/13)

Diesel80 said:


> I use my freezer for Hop inventory (open it and have a look whats left). Generally I will plan brews around what i have left to avoid ending up with too many 'leftovers' buying new stuff all the time.
> 
> My Grain bags are my grain inventory. I just look at them and see how full they are and if i need more. Generally keep only two types on hand. MO or an Ale Malt, and a bag of something else for when i want a break from english ales / bitters.
> 
> ...


Close to what I did in brissie. Since I could go to CB and grab stuff as I felt like (and could brew), it was a 'have a look' inventory.

Now I'm not near anything, making sure I have an inventory is important.


----------

