Spreadsheet to show available brews from inventory.

[Thagomizer]

I saw an old post from David Lock (January 15, 2021) who was interested in an app that would show what could be brewed from the supplies on hand.

I had the same interest.  So, I created an Excel spreadsheet that would tell me at a glance what I could brew with what I had.  It is simple to use.  You only need to update the quantities in column B; these are the elements, enhancers and yeasts.  I did not include hops in this inventory because I only use pellet hops which I buy in bulk.  When a recipe calls for liquid hops, I substitute the nearest dry hop equivalent.

Columns C and D refer to the price and value of the ingredients.  Aussies will need to substitute their own prices, as those listed in my example inventory are current USA costs.  (The costs do not affect the use of the spreadsheet in determining availability of a recipe.)

Column F gives the verdict.  "Ready" if the inventory supports the recipe and "Short" if it does not.  Columns H through Z define the requirements of the recipes, while columns AA through AS are the logical comparisons between inventory and need.  You will see from my example that Belgian Strong Ale and Cooper's Special Old Stout are short by a few missing ingredients.

Users should probably not mess with columns H through AS unless you are adding a recipe.  Column B (Inventory) should get the most attention, while column C (Price) hopefully will not change too much.

To be effective, column B should be kept carefully updated.  This, of course, means that you will need to subtract items from column B when you launch a new brew and add items when you get a new shipment from BrewArt.

I have included all the recipes that have BrewPrints and added all those member contributions that I know of.  Let me know if I have missed any.  

🙂 Happy brewing.

BrewArt_Order_Guide_01.xlsx

[Mick Steele]

Thanks @Thagomizer, very helpful.

Just a note that the ingredients for the Julebryg Spiced Lager are missing. I've added the info to my downloaded copy, but it would be worth adding into your master copy.

Cheers,

Mick

[Thagomizer]

@Mick Steele,  

Thanks for the correction.  I am uploading the version with the Julebryg Spiced Lager basic ingredients.  I guess I got distracted by the complications of the recipe and forgot the basic ingredients.  As brews are added, there will be several new versions.

BrewArt_Order_Guide_02.xlsx

Edited September 28, 2023 by Thagomizer

[Rob Courtney]

I think it is a pretty cool spreadsheet.

I'm a bit boring usually and work out what I need to order to make like a dozen to 15 brews and then order it but...I do decide sometimes that I am not a fan of what I have left so then I muck around with the spreadsheet and try to make different brews, so this would be very handy.

It would be even more handy when you order after maybe 10 beers and muck it up and then are caught short too.

Thanks for taking the time to do that.

 

[Thagomizer]

9 hours ago, Rob Courtney said:

I'm a bit boring usually and work out what I need to order to make like a dozen to 15 brews and then order it but...I do decide sometimes that I am not a fan of what I have left so then I muck around with the spreadsheet and try to make different brews, so this would be very handy.

Another way to use this spreadsheet is to highlight your favorite brews and be sure they are always ready to go.  Then you prioritize ordering components to keep them ready.

[Thagomizer]

I am considering changing my approach to tracking recipes and their ingredients.  It would be more useful to me to use the spreadsheet to see if I have what I need for a new fascinating recipe that has just come to my attention.  Adapting to this new paradigm is going to be tedious:  I will need to empty all my current "recipe boxes" and start a new system wherein Elements and Enhancers are separately grouped in their own boxes.  Yeasts and hops are already stored separately in the fridge.  Actually, this will simplify keeping my inventory.

Already, the spreadsheet has allowed a quick response to a resurrected recipe, Hoegaarden Wheat Clone, that recently became available.  (Sigh, I did have to order the dried orange peels. See the recipe.)

[Thagomizer]

The current version of my BrewArt ordering guide has a few additional brews as well as some new columns about hops.  One of the shortcomings of the original spreadsheet was that I had to go to other references to figure out which type of hops to provide.  I now only use dry hops and I buy them in 8 oz. (227g) packages.  Except for the beta acids (the aromatics) they keep well for a long time in the freezer.  Still, use them within a few months for the best results for the aromatics.

The reason for buying bulk packages of hop pellets, is that I can adjust to the nearest gram the hops dosage I want to use.  With liquid hops and the small dry-hop packets, there is a tendency to use the whole amount without adjustment.

In the “hops” columns of my spreadsheet, I list the recommended dry-hop dosages in columns AA through AD.  Liquid hop amounts are in column AE.  Wherever I could, I entered dry hop equivalents if a BrewPrint suggested liquid hops.  Column AE reflects this original liquid hops dosage to the best of my knowledge.  (Some legacy BrewPrints are no longer listed.)

What is the “equivalent?”  A BrewArt standard DH packet has 25g of pellet hops.  So, I use 25g for the dry-hop version of a liquid hop dose.  This is admittedly a crude comparison, so I regard the dry hop amounts in columns AA through AD to be upper limits.  To my taste, some of the examples of these conversions I have tried slightly overdo the hops experience.  Therefore, I suggest the dosages of dry hops in these columns to be only starting values.  Creative brewers will take it from there.

For new users of this spreadsheet, you will need to edit column B according to your own inventory.  Aussies will need to edit column C if you want to keep track of cost and value of elements, enhancers and yeasts.  (Or you could just delete columns C and D.)

And why even use this spreadsheet?  I had about 30 plastic shoeboxes each with the contents of a brewprint.  When I saw a new BrewPrint I wanted to try, I had to rummage through the boxes robbing the needed packets and thereby shorting other BrewPrints.  The current spreadsheet allows less storage space and a smaller inventory, since similar ingredients are stored together; and column F gives me a quick assessment as to what BrewPrints I can manage.

An unrelated comment about dry hopping: Although your brew will last for a long time in the droid without attention at storage temperature, remove the hop bomb before letting it rest.  Somehow, soggy hops can continue “giving” beyond the intended flavors.

BrewArt_Order_Guide_09.xlsx

🙂 Happy brewing.

[Thagomizer]

Correction to the spreadsheet:  Change the contents of cell L45 from 5 to 1.

😕 Happy brewing.