Creating a new recipe

This guide walks you through creating a recipe from scratch in Brewfather, from naming your beer to finalizing your ingredients and profiles.

Step 1: Open the Recipe Designer

Click the menu button in the lower right of the recipes page and click Add recipe! or click the + icon on the top toolbar of the recipes page.

This opens the Recipe Designer, where you will build your recipe step by step.

Step 2: Enter Recipe Details

Start by filling in the basic information at the top of the designer:

1. Name — Give your recipe a descriptive name (e.g., "Citra Smash IPA")

2. Author — Enter your name or brewery name

3. Type — Select the brew type from the dropdown:

   • All Grain — Full mash with grain

   • Partial Mash — Combination of grain and extract

   • Extract — Malt extract based

Step 3: Set Your Equipment Profile

Select the equipment profile that matches your brewing setup. This determines batch size, efficiency, boil-off rates, and loss volumes.

• Click Change Equipment Profile to select from your saved profiles

• If you have not set up an equipment profile yet, see Setting Up Your Equipment Profile

• Click Scale to adjust the recipe to a different batch size

• Click Boil Time to set the length of your boil (typically 60 minutes)

The equipment profile affects all calculated values in the recipe, so it is important to set this before adding ingredients.

Step 4: Choose a Style

Click Change Style to pick a beer style from the supported style guidelines (BJCP, Brewers Association, and others). Selecting a style provides target ranges for OG, FG, IBU, SRM/EBC, and ABV — shown as shaded areas on the value sliders so you can see at a glance whether your recipe is within style.

You can also skip this step and brew without a style guideline.

Step 5: Add Fermentables

The fermentables section is where you build your grain bill (or extract additions):

1. Click the Add button to open the fermentable selector

2. Search for a malt by name — results include your inventory and Brewfather's built-in database

3. Click a fermentable to add it, then set the amount (weight)

4. Repeat to add more fermentables

As you add fermentables, the Pre-Boil Gravity, Original Gravity (OG), and Color values update in real-time at the bottom of the section.

Useful tools:

• Percentage mode — Click the percentage button to set fermentable amounts as percentages of the total grain bill, rather than absolute weights

• Scale to OG — Click the OG button to scale all fermentables to hit a target Original Gravity

Step 6: Add Hops

1. Click the Add button in the Hops section

2. Search for a hop variety

3. Set the amount, use (Boil, Dry Hop, Whirlpool, etc.), and time

4. Repeat for additional hop additions

The Total IBU, BU:GU ratio, and RBR (Relative Bitterness Ratio) update in real-time as you adjust.

• Scale to IBU — Click the IBU button to automatically scale your boil hop additions to hit a target IBU value

Step 7: Add Miscellaneous Ingredients (Optional)

Add water chemistry additions, spices, fining agents, yeast nutrients, or other extras:

1. Click the Add button in the Miscellaneous section

2. Search for the ingredient

3. Set the amount, use (Mash, Boil, Primary, Secondary, Bottling), and time

Step 8: Add Yeast

1. Click the Add button in the Yeast section

2. Search for your yeast strain

3. Set the amount (number of packages or grams)

Click the Calc button to open the Yeast Calculator, which helps you determine the correct pitching rate and whether you need a starter.

Step 9: Set Mash Profile

Click Change Mash Profile to select a mash schedule. Brewfather includes common presets:

• Single Infusion — A single mash step (most common for modern brewing)

• Step Mash — Multiple temperature steps

• Custom profiles you have created

You can also edit the mash steps directly by clicking the edit button. The estimated values update as you make changes.

Step 10: Set Fermentation Profile

Click Change Fermentation Profile to select a fermentation schedule with temperature steps and durations. You can set:

• Primary fermentation temperature and duration

• Secondary / conditioning (if applicable)

• Cold crash temperature and duration

• Carbonation — Set your target CO2 volumes for packaging

Step 11: Review Water Volumes

The Water section at the bottom shows calculated water volumes for each stage:

• Mash water volume

• Sparge water volume

• Pre-boil volume

• Estimated mash pH

Click the Calc button to open the Water Calculator for detailed water chemistry adjustments.

Step 12: Save Your Recipe

Click the Save button at the top of the designer to save your recipe. Your recipe now appears in the Recipes list and is ready to brew.

Next Steps

• Brew it — See Your First Batch to learn how to start a batch from your recipe

• Fine-tune — Revisit the designer at any time to adjust ingredients and profiles

• Share it — Use the Menu > Share option to generate a link others can view

• Export it — Export as PDF, BeerXML, or Brewfather JSON from the Menu

Tip

As you make changes in the designer, all predicted values (OG, FG, IBU, SRM, ABV) update in real-time. Use the style guideline shading on the sliders to keep your recipe within the target range for your chosen style.