Nilo's Brewing Tool

Here's a new brewing tool, found HERE (xlsm) or HERE (xls), that I developed in excel (PC), which address few issues I had when using the online brewing tools available today.
Here are the main capabilities that I would highlight:

• Grain, extract, sugars and adjuncts database, including PPG, SRM and fermentability adjustment for Lactose, Dextrin, Carapils, Crystal and highly kilned malts
• Hops database with average range of alpha acids
• Yeast database
• Beer style database from BJCP with OG,FG,SRM,IBU and ABV data
• Mashing temperature input and auto correction for final gravity
• Strike water temperature calculation for single infusion mashing, including grain temperature compensation.
• Recipe database, to store your recipes
• Brewing guide, an easy format to print and follow on brewday with all ingredients, boil schedule, fermentation log, etc
• PH calculator for sparge water adjustment
• Gravity converter and fermentation log
• Tool will comes with all recipes that I have brewed to date (93 batches of partyial mash, extract and all grain)
• Limitations: 8 fermentables (grains, adjuncts, sugars) and 6 hop schedules, 1000 recipes

The tool requires that you enable the macros in excel. If you are afraid of virus or something, don't use the tool :-)

I can make a netmeeting section to show how to use the tool, probably wait few requests to reach more users at once. Please post a comment if you would like to get a trainning section.
I didn't have the time to write an instruction manual.


Here are few snap shots

Recipes

Design

Brewday

Gravity calculator

 PH calculator 

Brewing a Mac & Jack's African Amber Clone

Update 4/22/13: Full list of recipes can be found here.

Just started my first attempt to clone this beer, very appreciated here in the pacific northwest.
After checking few recipes online and based on some feedback from people that love this beer, here's the starting recipe that I'm trying now, happily bubbling at 67F as I type.

10 lb British Pale Ale malt
1 lb Crystal 80L
1 lb Munich 10L
1 lb Carapils

Mashed at 160F for 1h

Boil:
3/4oz Centennial for 60min
1/2oz Cascade for 15min
1/2oz Cascade for 0min
10g wheat gluten for 10min (protein to increase chill haze)
1/2lb Lactose for 10min (bump up residual sweetness)

I'll post results once finished.

Update here

Electric Brewing Part2 - Circuit Diagrams

Here are the circuit diagrams for the main circuit and PWM board.
The 12VDC power supply can be any DC adaptor, perhaps those cell charges you have around from old cell phones.

Electric Brewing

Got tired of spending $15 in propane for each 5gal batch, plus the need to brew indoor during winter.
Decided to build an electric system just to heat water and boil wort, with a 5500W heating element, 240V.
I use a stirring system to minimize scortching and increase efficiency. It is working just fine, I can heat my strike water from 70 to 170F in 10min, boil from 150F in 15min.
One late addition I have to do was a PWM controller to be able to manually control the boil intenssity. This was achieved with a very simple circuit I first used 20 years ago while still in college. It is basically a ramp generator feeding a voltage comparator, in which you control the reference voltage. The duty cycle I use for brewing purpose is about 4s, adustable from 2 to 6s.
I can share the project if anyone is interested.

PWM board.

SSR fan, RTD input and load output.

From left to right, dual phase power input green lights, controller, top dial for PWM power control, load on/off switch, load dual phase lights.

Air intake for SSR cooling.

Connected to kettle.

Heating element.

 

 

RTD.

Stirring.

Bottom switch is the sound alarm on/off. Shown red light high alarm going off.

AC power plug.

Guts. Right up corner is a 12VDC switched power supply for the cooling fan and buzz.

Timer.

Clean back, easy access.

Basically, what this system does is allow me to heat the strike and sparge water to exact temperatures, reach a full boil and control the boil using the PWM power control. I have the controller alarms set to high 210F and low 70F. When alarm high is triggered, light and buzz goes off to let me know that boil is imminent so I can manage it with PWM adjust. The low alarm is used when I'm cooling the wort for pitching, so I know it is cool enough.

Videos:

First test run, showing the boil alarm going off at 210F.

First brew with this system, boil with PWM control.

HOP Farm 2012

Hop harvest 2012, 10lb fresh, 5.5lb dry.
Had to give away all my 2011 hops, still had over 3lb left.

Blue Moon Clone tests continue

Just a heads up, brewing another batch (#7) where I replaced the oats with 2 TBS of corn starch. My feeling is that I will get a thicker beer with chill haze, like the commercial BM. I'll post the results in a week or two.
Cheers.

UPDATE 09/18/12 - Recipe number #7 can be found  HERE
The beer tasted great and had more chill haze, which match better the commercial BM.
I made a mistake on the top water so got a little higher OG.

YUCA BEER (UPDATE)

Here's the final recipe and brewing numbers:

-5lb gambrinus 2row

-1lb carapills

-5lb fresh yuca root

-S04 yeast

-1 tsp irish moss for 20min

-2oz goldings for 15min

Fermented at 65F for 2 weeks.

OG=1.035

FG=1.007

ABV%=3.6

SRM=2

IBU=14

Here's the yuca after going thru my meat grinder. Added to the mash with the grains.

And the iodine test after mashing for 1h at 150F. Doesn't seem to have any starches. I was surprised on my OG. Low points coming from the yuca.

The beer came out OK, very crisp and refreshing, not much flavors coming from the yuca that I can tell.
I added some fresh ginger to half of the bottles. It tasted great.