Matching Ingredients To Recipes.

[Spork]

OK, I guess a lot of you more experienced brewers have a pretty good idea which base malts, hops, etc produce what styles. But like me, you were n00b's once too.
Is there any way to search the recipe DB based on what ingredients one has to hand? Sort of a "reverse recipe" where the searcher enters base malt/s and the hop/s they have and get back results (recipes) that use them?
This could even benefit the more advanced guys. I'm sure they often end up with "leftovers" and it might give inspiration to try a recipe they may otherwise overlook.
Would be great if this could be incorporated, and make this site even more awesome.

(if it's already there, can someone point me to how / where?)
Cheers.

 

[spaced]

OK, I guess a lot of you more experienced brewers have a pretty good idea which base malts, hops, etc produce what styles. But like me, you were n00b's once too.
Is there any way to search the recipe DB based on what ingredients one has to hand? Sort of a "reverse recipe" where the searcher enters base malt/s and the hop/s they have and get back results (recipes) that use them?
This could even benefit the more advanced guys. I'm sure they often end up with "leftovers" and it might give inspiration to try a recipe they may otherwise overlook.
Would be great if this could be incorporated, and make this site even more awesome.

(if it's already there, can someone point me to how / where?)
Cheers.

I'd use google. You can search this site with google, or you could put up what you have and ask more experienced brewers for suggestions.

 

[argon]

In short no you can't reverse search the DB this way.

The great thing about recipe design is you can pretty much use anything to make just about any style you like. for example, Pilsner malt in ales, continental hops in american beers etc etc. As long as you have a handle on what each ingredient brings to the recipe and the extent of it's use (eg max 10% in a batch) you can easily design something that's going to be pretty tasty.

Just have a go at it. An easy way is to just find an existing recipe and sub the ingredients out for what you have at hand. Base malt for base malt, specs for specs, hops for hops and yeast for yeast (whilst matching strains).

Do a bit of research on what ingredients you have and see what you end up with. A good resource to look at is one fo the suppliers. Often they give little descriptions of each ingredient that assists in your deisgn, like this;

Description:
EBC 80 - 100 (Steep): Light crystal malt. Adds maltiness, flavor, deep saturated
colour and aroma. Used to create Bocks, Dark beers, Oktoberfest beers.
Current batch WM72
EBC 90.0
Complete specs available on request

 

[Spork]

Thanks fellas.
Well, it was an idea, but I guess it would take too much to change the DB to make it work, and would be of little / no use to most on this site.

Main reason I asked was because my "LHBS" (if 220k's away is "local") has Marris Otter grain for $16.50 / 5 kg, or $65 / 25kg, which looks like a good price, and I have some simcoe and rikawa hops left over from previous brew.I'm guessing the MO would be a good base malt for an English IPA, a porter, a stout, and pretty much any English ale?
Would the hops I have suit those styles? Does it even matter if I use (for example) US hops in a UK style, or Kiwi hops in a euro style - unless I want to enter a competition or something with it?

 

[argon]

In my opinion it doesn't really matter. Marris otter is a great malt and can lend a malty/bicuitiness to your finished beers. No harm in using simcoe or riwaka at all with a base of MO. Check out ross's summer ale in the DB as an example.

People tend to use malts like MO or floor malted stuff where the malt tends to be more prominent in desired finished product. Big bold hoppy American ipas for example may choose a cheaper malt as it's all about the hops, with the malt taking a significant back seat... But if you wanted to use MO for 100ibu imperial ipa... No worries, go for it. You'll have plenty of options if you set yourself up with a good quality base grain.

 

[bradsbrew]

Try reading/scanning through the style of the week forum. Some really good info on grains, hops and beer styles.

Cheers

 

[Spork]

OK.
Well, had a play with BrewMate.
I have about 93g of riwaka (D. Sazz) flowers in the freeazer from my 1st AG effort ( NickJD's BIAB), and will be getting a sack of Maris Otter next week.
I want to try some SMaSH brews to help me learn what different ingredients taste like, but I also want to brew drinkable beer!
I don't mind an APA, and with style nazi on this seems to get BrewMate's approval.

SMaSH #1 (American Pale Ale)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.048 (P): 11.9
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 4.72 %
Colour (SRM): 5.8 (EBC): 11.4
Bitterness (IBU): 39.4 (Average)

100% Maris Otter Malt

2.6 g/L D Saaz (5.4% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.9 g/L D Saaz (5.4% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
0.4 g/L D Saaz (5.4% Alpha) @ 0 Days (Dry Hop)

0.1 g/L Whirlfloc Tablet @ 10 Minutes (Boil)

Single step Infusion at 66C for 90 Minutes. Boil for 90 Minutes

Fermented at 18C with Safale US-05


Recipe Generated with BrewMate


How does that look to you guys?
I put 90mins for mash and boil, because I think I read somewhere that that was the "best" length for this grain. Am I just wasting 30 mins, or 2 x 30 mins?
Anything else you'd change?
(nb. LHBS has sacks of MO for cheap ATM, hence my choice of grain for this recipe)

 

[Thefatdoghead]

OK, I guess a lot of you more experienced brewers have a pretty good idea which base malts, hops, etc produce what styles. But like me, you were n00b's once too.
Is there any way to search the recipe DB based on what ingredients one has to hand? Sort of a "reverse recipe" where the searcher enters base malt/s and the hop/s they have and get back results (recipes) that use them?
This could even benefit the more advanced guys. I'm sure they often end up with "leftovers" and it might give inspiration to try a recipe they may otherwise overlook.
Would be great if this could be incorporated, and make this site even more awesome.

(if it's already there, can someone point me to how / where?)
Cheers.

I got beer tools pro and on the beer tools website you can do this. just plug in what you have and what style you want to make and heaps of recipes come up. not sure if you need to be a member to do it though.

 

[adryargument]

I don't believe the 60 -> 90 minute mash has any difference in regards to efficiency etc.
I laid down a 48L batch today and had 88% eff with a 60min mash. (85% TF MO).

However i have heard that a 90 minute mash can reduce final beer cloudiness when using MO.

Note that it was my first attempt with MO today.

 

[dicko]

OK, I guess a lot of you more experienced brewers have a pretty good idea which base malts, hops, etc produce what styles. But like me, you were n00b's once too.
Is there any way to search the recipe DB based on what ingredients one has to hand? Sort of a "reverse recipe" where the searcher enters base malt/s and the hop/s they have and get back results (recipes) that use them?
This could even benefit the more advanced guys. I'm sure they often end up with "leftovers" and it might give inspiration to try a recipe they may otherwise overlook.
Would be great if this could be incorporated, and make this site even more awesome.

(if it's already there, can someone point me to how / where?)
Cheers.

Hi Spork,

A good place to start if you are into AG brewing is a book called "Designing Great Beers".
This will give you the percentages of grain bills and a lot of other info be it mainly US of A opinions.
This publication gives you the guidelines but the final decision on the ingredients is up to you.
With books like this and heaps of reading and research you will be able to formulate beers to suit your pallette or beers that fall directly into the correct style guidelines. I see by some of your previous posts you do buy different commercial beers and this is a good way to become to understand styles and tastes.
Apart from anything else, enjoy your brewing and have fun

Cheers

 

[bconnery]

Maris Otter of any sort, floor malted or otherwise, is still a great base malt for any style, hoppy, malty or whatever.
Even the best massively hoppyy IIPA or AIPAs have a solid malt background, even if that malt background is relatively basic on its own and MO can provide that. Even a good APA has some malt character.
I think it is a brilliant base malt for any ale to be honest.
I know you could argue that it the money isn't the best spend for some types of beer but 'wasting' (quotes because I don't agree that it is wasted) 4odd kgs of MO vs buying x kilos of base malt I don't use as much is a no brainer for me.
Depends on what you like though.
I only need 1 sack of an ale base malt at a time myself, and MO is kind of my default. Otherwise I tend to pick another English one.

 

[Bribie G]

Going back to the OP's original question I wonder if this could be an extension for BrewMate. It already has a "style Nazi" mode which highlights dodgy looking quantities (for example if your ordinary bitter is creeping above 4% it starts nagging you). So as it "knows" about styles maybe it could be reverse engineered to work in the other direction.

Just a thought, I'm sure the guy is looking for a new project to fill his empty hours

 

[Harry Volting]

Hey Spork
This reply might be a tad late in the thread but the Brewing Network promote the BeerSmith brewing software and one of the features mentioned was 'recipe match based on current inventory'.
Not sure how it works but may be worth a try.
http://www.beersmith.com/
No shares in the company etc etc
Go Brewmate.
Hope this helps.
Harry