Field guide 01 · Brewing, measured

Understand what changes inside the glass.

Follow beer from grain to glass, check the numbers behind a batch, then practise the decisions. BrewMyBeer turns drink craft into useful steps you can explore at your own pace.

Use a brewing calculator Explore the decision games →

06: brewing tools
130: existing recipe posts
07: decision cases

The grain-to-glass guide

Meet Copper, your process guide.

01 Choose the base

Grain Malted grain brings starch, colour and the raw material for flavour.

Measure first

A number is useful when you know what moved it.

Each calculator shows the formula, a worked example and its limits. Start with the measurement closest to the decision you need to make.

Open the calculator bench →

01 ABV calculator: original and final gravity Estimate beer ABV and apparent attenuation from OG and FG. See the formula, a worked example and the limits of hydrometer and refractometer readings. 02 Hop substitution calculator for bittering additions Adjust a bittering addition for a different alpha-acid percentage. Calculate grams, compare an example and learn why equal bitterness does not mean equal aroma. 03 BU:GU ratio calculator: bitterness and gravity Calculate BU:GU as IBU divided by original gravity points. Compare two beer recipes with a worked example and understand what the ratio cannot predict. 04 Pre-boil to post-boil gravity calculator Estimate post-boil wort gravity from pre-boil volume, gravity and final volume. See the gravity-points method and its assumptions before changing a recipe. 05 Original gravity calculator from a grain bill Estimate wort gravity from grain weight, PPG, extract recovery and volume. Understand weighted grain potential and match efficiency to the measurement stage. 06 Wort dilution calculator: water to reach target gravity Calculate top-up water for unfermented wort using volume and gravity points. Includes a 20-litre worked example, validation and practical measurement limits.

The reference shelf

Six classics. Six lessons in structure.

Use the IBA reference quantities, scale the ingredients, and read why the technique matters.

R·01 Daiquiri Rum · Shake Three ingredients, one lesson in balancing a sour: spirit, citrus and sweetness. Read recipe →R·02 Negroni Gin · Build An equal-parts structure that connects bitterness, sweetness and dilution. Read recipe →R·03 Margarita Tequila · Shake Learn how a citrus liqueur contributes sweetness as well as aroma. Read recipe →R·04 Old Fashioned Whiskey · Build A compact study in seasoning a spirit with sugar, bitters and water. Read recipe →R·05 Mojito Rum · Build A lesson in handling herbs gently and adding carbonation at the end. Read recipe →R·06 Dry Martini Gin · Stir A spirit-led recipe that makes temperature, dilution and aroma easy to compare. Read recipe →

Six featured cocktail references, plus the original beer, wine and fermented-drink archive.

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When a batch looks wrong

Check the evidence before changing the recipe.

A sweet finish, an odd gravity reading or a hop substitution can have more than one cause. Separate the measurement from the diagnosis.

Browse all guides →

01 Sweet beer or stuck fermentation? Check the evidence first A practical sequence for diagnosing sweet beer: confirm gravity, check the recipe and yeast, compare readings over time and avoid premature packaging.02 Hydrometer vs refractometer for final gravity Understand density and refraction, why alcohol changes a refractometer reading, and how to check final gravity without unsupported accuracy claims.03 How to substitute hops: bittering, flavour and aroma Choose a hop replacement by its job in the recipe. Adjust bittering mass from the lot alpha acids and assess aroma separately instead of using a universal swap chart.

From answer to skill

Make the call. See what your choice changes.

Seven short cases cover beer, wine, spirits, cocktails, cider, mead and sake. Choose for a brief, then read the consequence. No real drink or ingredients are needed.

Browse seven cases Try the practice arena →

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Six learning pathsOpen Academy →

Beer recipe lab

Take one beer through the whole process.

Choose the grain, mash, boil, fermentation and conditioning decisions for a beer recipe, then inspect how those choices shape the result.

Open the beer lab