Adding starter volume and gravity support

[BOB357]

I don't decant. I pitch the whole starter. Some beers I make a starter, some beers not. But with the canned wort I'm more inclined to make starters and pitch the entire volume, as explained by the company's owner.

I would expect someone pushing their product to say things that make it look different and more attractive than the alternative, but that still doesn't explain why you feel that things are different when using canned wort. I don't use the BF recipe builder, so I don't have a horse in this race. I'm just curious as to why you feel your use of this product is a valid reason to make an obviously unpopular change in the software.

Maybe a better question to ask would be why did you not feel the need for this feature prior to using the canned wort?

 

[oliver]

I would expect someone pushing their product to say things that make it look different and more attractive than the alternative, but that still doesn't explain why you feel that things are different when using canned wort. I don't use the BF recipe builder, so I don't have a horse in this race. I'm just curious as to why you feel your use of this product is a valid reason to make an obviously unpopular change in the software.

Maybe a better question to ask would be why did you not feel the need for this feature prior to using the canned wort?

I've brought this up in the past during the last round of recipe editor changes.

 

[BOB357]

I've brought this up in the past during the last round of recipe editor changes.

Fair enough. Must have missed it back then. Probably because it didn't get many responses.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/threads/add-starter-volume-to-water-amounts.10242/
Guess people weren't as opposed to changes before all the problems that came along with a bunch of changes shortly after that. Now we've seen that simple changes are sometimes not as simple as they appear.

I'm pretty much in agreement with the consensus on the subject. The recipe software I use has the option of adding starter volume to the fermenter and I never felt the need to use it. There are enough variables that we have no real control over that can cause a quart or more volume difference in either direction.

BTW, thanks for the clarification. I actually thought you believed that the canned wort made a difference in your process.

 

[ChicoBrewer]

If this were a feature to be added, would it makes sense for it to be added to the yeast section of the recipe builder? Currently I believe that if you put a check mark where it says starter, it is just basically a note to self to make a starter. Maybe the feature could be to add another check box to add starter wort, and them allow you to enter details about your starter. It would need to automatically update gravities, ABV, water volumes, etc. Those not interested in this feature, don't need to use it.

Does this sound like it would work Oliver?

I'm going to pitch in here . I was just making a recipe for a Marzen (which I'll probably never make because I don't have a way to lager for three months). I do like the idea of adding the feature when the "Starter" box is checked. It fits in the flow of the editor and it is unobtrusive to those who don't care for the feature. Seems like an easy compromise.

 

[Craigerrr]

Oliver
Do my thoughts as to how and where to incorporate the starter wort details make sense to you?

 

[oliver]

I don't think it will matter how complex or minimal this feature should be.

add the volume of starter somewhere in the editor that helps reflect what goes on in the brew session.

 

[Head First]

Under general settings, under equipment settings, there are several ways to show losses. Maybe a place to show gains to volume could be added here as misc. gains like the misc. losses. It wouldn't cover the gravity/abv change but could solve volume efficiency. A dme addition in the fermentables on your own should cover that. Is this what you are getting at? Volume efficiencies? With 2.5gal batches 1 qt is 10% of batch volume. If this worked for you it shouldn't bother anyone who doesn't need to add anything and may even be useful at times for other issues a brewer may come up with.

 

[BOB357]

Under general settings, under equipment settings, there are several ways to show losses. Maybe a place to show gains to volume could be added here as misc. gains like the misc. losses. It wouldn't cover the gravity/abv change but could solve volume efficiency. A dme addition in the fermentables on your own should cover that. Is this what you are getting at? Volume efficiencies? With 2.5gal batches 1 qt is 10% of batch volume. If this worked for you it shouldn't bother anyone who doesn't need to add anything and may even be useful at times for other issues a brewer may come up with.

Wondering if entering a negative number in one of the loss boxes would work.

 

[Nosybear]

If this were a feature to be added, would it makes sense for it to be added to the yeast section of the recipe builder? Currently I believe that if you put a check mark where it says starter, it is just basically a note to self to make a starter. Maybe the feature could be to add another check box to add starter wort, and them allow you to enter details about your starter. It would need to automatically update gravities, ABV, water volumes, etc. Those not interested in this feature, don't need to use it.

Does this sound like it would work Oliver?

You could actually do it as a dilution calculator: Two samples, you know the volumes, OG's and predicted FGs of both (in other words, the calculated ABVs), solve for the predicted ABV of the mix. Then it would work for starters and for blending worts.