• Welcome to the new forum! We upgraded our forum software with a host of new boards, capabilities and features. It is also more secure.
    Jump in and join the conversation! You can learn more about the upgrade and new features here.

BeerSmith newbie - Design vs. Session

padajones

Apprentice
Joined
Jan 25, 2020
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
I've just started using BeerSmith.  It is version 3.

I'm hoping this is just a dumb question(s).  It would seem logical to have multiple sessions of the same recipe design.  But, I don't see a clear way to create a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.... session for a recipe.  It seems like simply changing the session date might cause a new session. But, I'm afraid of wiping out my current by living the "Nike theme" and just doing it.

So the question is, How do I create a new, subsequent, session for an existing recipe that I'm not changing?
 
BeerSmith has a function called 'brew log' which creates a separate folder for brewing vs your recipe design.  If you look at your folder with your recipes, you will note a menu item in the ribbon toolbar labeled 'copy to log'.  When you highlight a recipe and click on this button, the program places an exact copy of your recipe into a newly (and automatically) created folder labeled 'brew log'.  This folder will appear in your recipe folder options.  You can then use this recipe copy in the 'brew log' folder for brewing: making any changes, adding brew day readings, brew notes, tasting notes, etc., without affecting your original recipe.

This then becomes an archival copy of your recipe, unless you choose to open it up and change the data within.  The next time you go to brew that recipe, use the 'copy to log' button on the recipe as you did the first time and a new, fresh copy of the recipe will appear in the brew log folder.  I separate these by using both 'version' in the recipe itself when making small changes to accommodate differences in ingredients or process and by the brew date. 

There are other posts on the forum on the use of the brew log which you can search for if you want to get some idea of how others use it.
 
To separate my recipe design from the copy in the brew log I also use the date. When you make you initial recipe design it will have the date it was created. (assuming you created it from scratch and not from a copy of another recipe) When I copy a recipe to the log I change that date to the date it was actually brewed.

Other actions I use are to never change the original recipe. That is my master copy that I can refer back to. If I am going to tweak it I do the tweaking on a new copy in the brew log and make note of those changes in the notes. Once that beer has been brewed and the brew day data entered into the session tab, I never change that brew log copy. This is now my brew day reference telling me what I did (good or bad) on that brew day in case I want to repeat or avoid steps.
 
Back
Top