Fermentables
Comprehensive guide to managing fermentables in Brewgenix.
Fermentables are the sugar-contributing ingredients in your recipes - malted grains, unmalted adjuncts, liquid and dry malt extracts, refined sugars, and other fermentable sources. Brewgenix maintains a global library of common fermentables that is available to all breweries, and lets you add custom fermentables specific to your account.
Quick Start
- Open Fermentables from the Inventory menu.
- Use the search box to find an existing fermentable or click + Add Fermentable to open the selector.
- In the Add Fermentable dialog you can pick a global fermentable or choose Create Custom to build your own.
- Fill in the required fields (Name, Type), add specs as needed, then save.
UI at a Glance
- The main list shows each fermentable with its type, colour, potential, and origin.
- Use the search box to filter by name and the Type filter to narrow the list to grains, sugars, liquid extracts, or dry extracts.
- The detail view exposes Quick Stats, Characteristics, Basic Specifications, and Advanced Specifications.
- Global fermentables are read-only - they can be added to recipes but not edited. Only system administrators can modify global entries.
- Custom fermentables belong to your brewery account and can be edited or deleted freely.
Field Reference
Basic Information
These fields apply to all fermentable types.
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Variety or product name used throughout recipes and inventory. Example: Pilsner Malt, Munich Malt Type II. |
| Type | Yes | Ingredient category. See Types below. |
| Supplier | No | Maltster, manufacturer, or distributor. Example: Weyermann, Briess. |
| Origin | No | Country or region of production. Example: Germany, Australia. |
| Colour (°Lovibond) | No | The colour contribution of the fermentable, expressed in degrees Lovibond. Used to calculate recipe SRM. |
| Potential (PPG) | No | Points Per Pound per Gallon - the maximum specific gravity contribution per pound in one gallon of water, assuming 100% extract efficiency. Typical base malt values are 35–38 PPG. |
| Yield (%) | No | Extract yield percentage on an as-is basis. Closely related to Potential - many calculators use one or the other. |
| Exclude from Total | No | When checked, this fermentable's weight is not counted in the total grain bill weight percentage calculations. Useful for water additions or minerals. |
| Not Fermentable | No | When checked, the fermentable contributes colour and body but no fermentable sugars (e.g., lactose, carapils used purely for body). |
| Description | No | Free-text description of flavour profile, recommended styles, and usage guidance. |
Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Grain | Malted or unmalted cereal grain. Requires mashing unless otherwise noted. Activates the Grain Specifications section. |
| Liquid Extract | Concentrated liquid malt extract (LME). Activates the Extract/Adjunct Specifications section. |
| Dry Extract | Powdered dried malt extract (DME). |
| Adjunct | Unmalted grains, flaked cereals, fruit, spices, and other non-standard fermentables. Activates the Extract/Adjunct Specifications section. |
| Sugar | Refined or raw sugars (e.g., cane sugar, dextrose, honey). Fully fermentable with no mashing required. |
| Other | Any fermentable that doesn't fit the categories above. |
Grain Specifications
Shown only when Type is set to Grain. These fields come from a standard malt analysis certificate.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Category | Grain style category. Options: Base (6-Row), Base (Maris Otter), Base (Munich), Base (Pilsner), Base (Wheat), Base (Vienna), Crystal/Caramel, Roasted, Acidulated. Used for informational grouping and display. |
| Diastatic Power (°Lintner) | The enzyme activity of the malt - its ability to convert its own and adjunct starches to fermentable sugars during mashing. Values above ~70 °Lintner are generally self-converting. Low diastatic power malts (crystal, roast) contribute 0. |
| Moisture (%) | Water content of the malt as shipped. Higher moisture reduces effective extract yield. Typical base malt is 4–5%. |
| Protein (%) | Total protein content. Affects head retention, body, haze, and yeast health. Typical base malt is 10–13%. |
| Coarse/Fine-Diff (%) | The difference in extract between a coarse grind and a fine grind of the same malt. A quality indicator of malt modification. |
| Extract (Fine Grind Dry Basis) (%) | Maximum theoretical extract measured on a fine grind, dry basis. Basis for PPG/yield calculations. |
| Acid (%) | Percentage of acidic compounds in the malt. Relevant for acidulated malt contributions to mash pH. |
| Friability (%) | Measure of how well the malt has been modified - how easily the kernel crumbles. High friability (>80%) indicates well-modified malt. |
| Free Amino Nitrogen (ppm) | Concentration of free amino nitrogen, the primary yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) source. Important for yeast health and fermentation. Typical values are 130–200 ppm for base malts. |
| Max Recommended Amount (%) | The maximum percentage of the total grain bill this fermentable should represent. Useful for specialty malts where overuse causes astringency or balance issues. |
Extract/Adjunct Specifications
Shown when Type is Liquid Extract, Adjunct, or Other.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Total IBU per kg | The bitterness contribution per kilogram of this ingredient when used in a recipe. Relevant for hopped extracts or pre-isomerised hop products. Enter 0 for non-bittering adjuncts. |
Notes
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Brewing Notes | Free-text field for brewing tips, pairing suggestions, storage notes, substitution ideas, or batch-specific observations. |
Recipe Integration
When building a recipe you can search your fermentable inventory and add ingredients by name. Brewgenix uses the fermentable's properties to:
- Calculate original gravity (OG) from the grain bill weight, Potential/Yield, and brewhouse efficiency.
- Calculate recipe colour (SRM/EBC) from each fermentable's Lovibond rating and weight using the Morey equation.
- Flag mashing requirements - fermentables marked as requiring mashing are highlighted in extract or BIAB brewing contexts.
- Calculate fermentable percentages - each ingredient is shown as a percentage of the total grain bill by weight.
Tips & Best Practices
- Enter Potential (PPG) and Yield (%) from the malt supplier's specification sheet for the most accurate gravity predictions - these values shift between maltsters and harvests.
- Use Exclude from Total for water chemistry additions (gypsum, lactic acid, etc.) recorded as fermentable entries so they don't skew grain bill percentages.
- Set Not Fermentable for ingredients like lactose or carapils when you want them counted for colour and body but not for attenuation calculations.
- Keep Diastatic Power accurate if you brew with high proportions of low-enzyme adjuncts - Brewgenix can use this to warn you when your mash may lack sufficient enzymatic activity.
- Use the Notes field to track harvest year, lot number, or purchase date for ingredients that vary between batches.