Yabs: Yet Another Brewing Software

[NewLine]

http://www.homebrew.be/Yabs

When I started brewing with my Speidel a couple of years ago, I felt the existing brewing software was not exactly what I was looking for. Therefor I developed something myself. I shared this on the dutch forums almost 3 years ago. Originally the software had a Dutch interface. I just translated about 95% of it into English and made an export format for this forum. You can find more info and the program as such at the link above. There is no manual, but I think it has no learning curve, justifying a manual.

Main screen:



Exporting this recipe gives:

Yet another Yabs based recipe (www.homebrew.be/Yabs)

Algemeen:

Gegeven	waarde
Recipe name	P-R8-ig
Desired start SG / Pt	1.074 / 18
Desired bitterness [IBU]	24
Calculated color [EBC]	50
Mash efficiency	78
Boil time	75

Volumes:

Entry	Value
Mash water [l]	23
Sparge water [l]	3
Evaporation boil [l/hr]	1.7
Final volume in kettle [l]	19

Malt and sugars:

Name	gram	% total	EBC
Pilsmout 3	3965	68.4	3
Cara-Munich	406	7	120
Special W 275	203	3.5	275
Geroosterde Gerst 1000	110	1.9	1000
Amber 150 (Aroma)	58	1	150
Tarwevlokken	160	2.8	4
Bruine kandijsuiker	899	15.5	10

Hop:

Name	gram	% total	% alpha	boil time [min]	Type
Stryrian	36	40	3.2	75	bellen
Hersbrucker	18	20	2.8	75	bellen
Styrian	11	12	3.2	25	bellen
Hersbrucker	25	28	2.8	25	bellen

Mash scheme:

Rest time	Temp	Description
0	52	Inmaisch Temperatuur
5	54	stap 1
65	62	stap 2
13	68	stap 3
13	73	stap 4

Yeast:

Wyeast 1762 Starter van +/- 2 liter Afgieten voor gebruik. starten op 20C

Other adjuncts:

Clarimalt: + 6 gram

The malt database is still 'dutch only'. You can easily add stuff to the database by editing the xml file. Or if someone has an english list with malts, I would be happy to transform it into this xml format.

[Erick]

And why should I use this, instead of, for instance, Beersmith?
What makes it different and outstanding from the competition?

[NewLine]

I think it is a matter of what you prefer. If you are happy with the brewing software you are currently using, keep on doing so. If you want to try something else, you can give it a try and see if you like it or not. IMHO, where it differs from some other programs:

- it is free
- it is very intuitive and simple to use (of course it does not have all the features Beersmith has)
- the author is present on this forum
- all ingredients are entered in percentages only + you give the amount of water to use: the tool calculates the absolute values based on desired gravity, bitterness.

BTW: I don't see the other programs as competition. I made this program for my personal use and to my personal preference, not to make money or so...

[Erick]

It looks good and simple, might give it a try next brew
Thanks

[gert]

And mr. Newline, any chance for a Mac-version?...

[Luis Coentrao]

Hi,

Nice job there
One thing, the evaporation rate if 1.7L/h is real or just an example? Do you use the dome in your BM?
Cheers

[NewLine]

And mr. Newline, any chance for a Mac-version?...

Mac users have all the $$$ to buy beer smith
I was already planning to move from windows .net to mono, mainly because I prefer to work under Ubuntu, but that might also open the door for a Mac version. But I have no way of testing.

[NewLine]

Hi,

Nice job there
One thing, the evaporation rate if 1.7L/h is real or just an example? Do you use the dome in your BM?
Cheers

It is an example, but close to what I get on my BM 20. I do boil with the lid half ways on the BM.

But it is one variable that seems to change a lot depending on for example outside temp, programmed temp (100-102), with or without isolation, hop loose or in bags,...

[niels]

Mac users have all the $$$ to buy beer smith
I was already planning to move from windows .net to mono, mainly because I prefer to work under Ubuntu, but that might also open the door for a Mac version. But I have no way of testing.

I can help you out if you want. I have both a Mac and experience as a .NET/Mono developer.

- Niels

[niels]

How accurate are you hitting the Yabs numbers?

I compared the Yabs output with the spreadsheet I'm using and it has some remarkable differences.

For 30 litres of a 1.052 beer with 75% mash efficiency I get the following numbers:

		Spread	sheet	Yabs
Weight %	Malt	Weight kg	Gravity points	Weight kg
74%	Pils	4.995	0.039	3.322
15%	Pale	1.013	0.008	0.673
11%	Wheat	0.743	0.006	0.494

So with "my" spreadsheet using a formula based on the HWE and mash efficiency I get e.g. 4.995 kg of pils vs 3.322 kg with Yabs. I agree that all recipe calculators are a bit different, but here the difference is quite big.

NOTE: I'm not saying that the formula I'm using is correct, but it is a common one:
Pils has a HWE of 80% which is 386*0.8=306
The expected gravity points are 306*0.75*4.995/30=38.6

It looks like your calculations are a bit more complex and I was wondering if they are more accurate than what I'm using.

- Niels

[NewLine]

That is indeed a way too big difference. Yabs is pulling some things out of the efficiency (like malt absorption, etc...), meaning you need to give an efficiency that is in sync with the program. But even if you don't the differences should be much smaller.

I am typically very close to the predicted gravity (1 or 2 points), and I guess you as well, so there must be a simple explanation. I will try to have a look at it... what boiling time, and evaporation rate did you use?

Note that there is 'detailed calculations' button that basically lists how everything gets calculated.

[NewLine]

I just did a quick try, this is what I get as recipe:


Algemeen:

Gegeven	waarde
Recipe name	test
Desired start SG / Pt	1.052 / 12.9
Desired bitterness [IBU]	40
Calculated color [EBC]	8
Mash efficiency	78
Boil time	75

Volumes:

Entry	Value
Mash water [l]	35
Sparge water [l]	4.7
Evaporation boil [l/hr]	2.4
Final volume in kettle [l]	30

Malt and sugars:

Name	gram	% total	EBC
Pilsmout 3	4984	74	3
Palemout 7	1010	15	8
Tarwemout licht 3	741	11	3

Hop:

Name

gram

% total

% alpha

boil time [min]

Type

I 'guessed' a boil time of 75 minutes, and evap of 2.4l/h. I ignored hops, etc...

I put the efficiciency 3% higher because Yabs is more precise in calculating the efficiency (losses it can calculate (e.g. absorption in malt) are not in the efficiency, but accounted for seperately, so you need to put the efficiency a bit higher than tools that put that loss as part of the efficiency). I think 'my way' allows for better scaling/prediction of recipes.

The absolute values for the malts are very close to what you got. I don't know how you got those strange numbers? Maybe you can dump the whole recipe?

And I see some dutch left in the exported tables