Help Center
Everything you need to know about Brew & Byte
Getting Started
What is Brew & Byte?
Brew & Byte is an AI-powered homebrewing management platform that supports beer, cider, mead, wine, kombucha, and ginger beer. It helps you manage recipes, track batches, log readings and tastings, manage your inventory, and use 55 brewing calculators — all in one place.
How do I create my first batch?
Navigate to Batches in the sidebar and click 'New Batch'. You can start from scratch or link a batch to an existing recipe. Fill in your brew date, target volumes, and any gravity targets, then save. From there you can add ingredients, log readings, take notes, and track fermentation.
What's the difference between a recipe and a batch?
A recipe is a reusable template — your ingredient list, targets, and process notes. A batch is a real-world brewing event based on (or independent of) a recipe. Brew & Byte follows a batch-first philosophy: you brew batches, and when one turns out great, you can promote it to a recipe to brew again.
How do I promote a batch to a recipe?
Open any batch and click the 'Promote to Recipe' button. The system copies compatible fields — ingredients, targets, water profile, carbonation settings — into a new recipe. You can then edit and refine it before saving.
Batch Tracking
How do I log a gravity reading?
Open your batch detail page, scroll to the Readings card in the right column, and click 'Add Reading'. Select the reading type (Gravity, Temperature, pH, Brix, or Plato), enter the value, and optionally add your sample temperature for hydrometer correction. All readings feed the Analytics tab charts.
What reading types are supported?
Gravity (SG), Temperature (°C), pH, Brix, and Plato. Gravity readings can include a sample temperature for automatic hydrometer correction. All reading types appear in the fermentation curve and analytics tab.
How do I add brew day notes?
In the Notes card on the batch detail page, click 'Add Note'. Choose a note type — Brew Day, Fermentation, Conditioning, Packaging, or General — then write your content. Notes are timestamped and can be edited or deleted at any time.
How do tasting notes work?
Click 'Add Tasting' in the Tastings card. You can fill in BJCP-style descriptive fields: Appearance, Aroma, Flavor, Mouthfeel, and Overall Impression. Additional fields include Off Flavors, Improvement Notes, Carbonation Level, Weeks in Bottle, and Serving Temperature.
What do the batch statuses mean?
Planning → Brewing → Fermenting → Conditioning → Packaging → Completed → Archived. You can also mark a batch as On Hold at any stage. The outcome (Success, Failure, Partial Success, Experiment) is set separately when you complete or archive a batch.
Recipes
How do I browse existing recipes?
Go to Recipes in the sidebar. You can search by name, filter by beverage type, BJCP style, and sort by name or date. Brew & Byte comes pre-loaded with 2,836 imported recipes spanning all major styles.
Can I create a recipe from scratch?
Yes — click 'New Recipe' on the Recipes page. Add fermentables, hops, yeasts, adjuncts, and a water profile, set your targets (OG, FG, ABV, IBU), and save. You can clone any existing recipe as a starting point.
How do I favorite a recipe?
Click the heart icon on any recipe card or recipe detail page. Favorited recipes appear in your Recipes → Favorites tab for quick access.
Ingredients
What ingredient types are supported?
Fermentables (grains, extracts, sugars, syrups, juices), Hops, Yeasts, Adjuncts (spices, fruits, other additions), and Water Profiles. Each type has its own browse page with search, filters, and detail views.
How many ingredients are in the database?
Over 1,294 ingredients across all types, plus 128 BJCP styles and 72 style water profiles. The catalog is maintained by administrators and cannot be edited by regular users.
Can I request a new ingredient?
Yes — on any ingredient browse page, click 'Request Ingredient'. Fill in the name, type, and any details you know. Requests are reviewed by the admin team and added to the shared catalog.
Calculators
How many calculators are available?
55 brewing calculators across 10 categories: General Utilities, Gravity Converters, ABV Calculators, Yeast & Fermentation, Mash Calculations, Carbonation & Priming, Hops & Bitterness, Water Chemistry, Color Calculators, and Recipe Operations.
Which ABV formula should I use?
For standard gravity readings use the Simple ABV formula. For more accuracy use the Miller formula. For refractometer readings after fermentation, use the Terrill or Balling Combined formula — these account for the effect of alcohol on the refractive index.
My refractometer reading seems off after fermentation — why?
Refractometers are calibrated for wort (before fermentation). Once alcohol is present, it bends light differently, making the reading inaccurate. Use the Advanced ABV & Attenuation (Terrill + Balling) calculator and enter both your original Brix and your final Brix to get a corrected gravity and accurate ABV.
Inventory
How does inventory tracking work?
The Inventory page has two tabs: Consumables (ingredients you stock) and Equipment. Add items with quantities and units. As you use ingredients in batches, you can manually update stock levels. Low-stock alerts help you know when to reorder.
How do I track my brewing equipment?
Go to Inventory → Equipment tab. Add kettles, fermenters, measuring tools, or any other equipment. You can log maintenance events with dates and notes, and track condition status (Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor, Needs Repair).
Shopping Lists
How do I create a shopping list?
Go to Shopping Lists and click 'New List'. You can create a list manually, generate one from a recipe (to see what you need to buy), or generate one from your inventory (to restock low items). Items are grouped by category and can be checked off as you shop.
Can I mark items as received into inventory?
Yes — when you check off a shopping list item, you can choose to receive it directly into your inventory. This automatically updates your stock levels without needing to visit the Inventory page separately.
Brew Calendar
What can I schedule on the calendar?
Any brewing event — brew days, dry hop additions, cold crash, packaging day, equipment maintenance, deliveries, and more. 30 event types are supported. Events can be linked to a specific batch or stand alone.
How do I mark an event complete?
Click the event on the calendar and select 'Mark Complete'. Completed events are visually distinguished so you can see what's done vs. upcoming at a glance.
Account & Settings
How do I change my password?
Go to Settings → Security tab. Enter your current password, then your new password twice, and click Save.
How do I update my profile information?
Go to Settings → Profile tab. You can update your display name, email address, and other profile details.
Can I delete my account?
Yes — Settings → Account tab has a Delete Account option. This is a soft-delete: your data is deactivated but retained for a period before permanent removal. Contact us if you need immediate data deletion.
How do I import recipes from BeerXML?
Go to Import/Export in the sidebar. Upload a .xml file exported from brewing software like BeerSmith, Brewer's Friend, or BrewFather. Brew & Byte will parse the recipe and create a new entry in your recipe list.
Contact & Feedback
How do I report a bug or request a feature?
Use the Contact Us link in the sidebar (opens a pre-addressed email) or email info@brewandbyte.ai directly. Include as much detail as possible — what you were doing, what you expected to happen, and what actually happened.
Is there a community forum or Discord?
Not yet — community features are planned for a future release. In the meantime, reach out directly via email and we'll get back to you.
Still need help?
Can't find what you're looking for? Send us a message and we'll get back to you.
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