While all that is true, sometimes folks need a crutch. While I agree folks should learn the math and science behind what’s going on, if someone is just looking for beer they made they can get by without it.
That being said, I’m certainly relying on beersmith right now. I’ve read a good bit on the math and science in brewing, but other than converting an all-grain beer to extract by hand I’ve never “worked through” the formulas. I’m too busy. I work full time in a technical field, am working part time on an engineering degree. Any spare time that I’d be able to devote to the science of brewing would be better spent on the science of electricity for now.
Once I’m done with school I fully intend to start playing with brewing formulas.
I hear you. I worked 35 hrs/week as Sears while I attended Hudson Valley Community College and RPI for my Bachelors. My son was born in my Junior year at RPI and I didn’t have much time to sleep, let alone crunch brewing numbers.
You will be rewarded when you do though. The brewing software is surely convenient but inferior to one’s own brewing sheet for depth suitability to a brewer’s individual process.
I hear you there! The more I learn about modeling in school the more I want to apply those concepts to brewing. I’d much rather develop my own model rather than using the software designer’s. It’s like using a canned MATLAB script vs. writing your own, the canned script may still get you an answer you can work with, but with a personal script you know where you need to focus.