This repo currently has a single utility to convert batches from iBrewMaster 2 to Brewfather.
After over a decade of using iBrewMaster (and subsequently iBrewMaster 2) for brew tracking, I bought a new iPad and was dismayed to find that the app is not only no longer supported, but no longer available to even install!
The sheer thought of losing my brewing history made me RDWHAHB (first world "problems"), but always nagged at me... Not being able to go back and look at all the stupid things I had done as a newB, but more importantly, when and where I learned the things that I did from batch to batch, was completely unacceptable!
So, finally, I decided to do something about it.
Fortunately, my OCD/anality allowed (forced?) me to back up my batches when I got my new iPad! However, I could not do anything with them other than reading through the JSON to try and find nuggets I was looking for. So, there they were, collecting dust from the Matrix, fading into fuzzy memory... Every time I created a new recipe and brewed a new batch, I thought about all my brewing history, and whether there was something I was not considering...
So... Time to take action. I decided to finally create something to convert my brewing history to the new application I was using (Brewfather!).
This repo is the result of that effort. It converts batches exported from iBrewMaster 2 into batches ready for import into Brewfather (including an embedded recipe). It is not perfect, and likely does not handle every detail we Brewers care about, but it is "good enough" (at least for my purposes).
I invite you, my fellow Brewers, to try it out if you have a sordid brewing history sitting in iBrewMaster 2 just waiting to move on to the next generation of brewing apps.
Keep calm, brew on!!!
This repo uses Python 3, because it was the language that I was playing with at the time. There are no external dependencies, so you don't need to use a virtual environment or download any additional packages...
To convert from iBrewMaster 2 to Brewfather batches, you will need your backups from iBrewMaster 2 in JSON format. Your backups can have any number of batches per file, and you can process all of your backup files in a single call.
NOTE: Before you run the application, please see the Limitations section for some additional setup!!!
To see usage, run python bfutil.py --help.
To convert batches, run the following: python bfutil.py --brewer "<name>" --file <files>, where "<name>" is your name (or your brewery name), and <files> is the list of iBrewMaster 2 backup JSON files you wish to convert.
This will create converted batches starting at Batch #1 in the converted/ directory. If you want to start from a different batch number, add the --start-batch-num N option, where N is the starting batch number.
By default, the application expects units in the iBrewMaster 2 JSON backup files to be in US customary/imperial units (e.g. oz, gallons, etc.). These are subsequently converted to SI/metric units by the application. If your backups are already in SI/metric units, then pass the --metric option to the application.
To import the resulting JSON files into Brewfather, you will need to go to the Recipes section in Brewfather, and click the Import (
) button at the top right of the page. When prompted, choose Brewfather JSON as the import format, and then IMPORT AS BATCH at the next prompt to import the file as a batch (as opposed to just a recipe).
Please tell me what you want to add to the existing functionality, or if you are a developer, please submit pull requests to update!
I welcome all requests for additional functionality, or things I completely screwed up! The base functionality is based on my backup and current (very limited) Brewfather experience, so I am positive there are things I missed!
Brewfather JSON batch files are currently generated as one batch per file, which also means you need to import them one-by-one. I experimented with generating all batches to a single file, and while Brewfather recognized the file and began the import, it did not actually generate any batches within the application, and gave no errors to try and diagnose the problem :(.
Equipment is currently assigned to my personal equipment. If you want a different equipment setup (which you likely will), you can replace the contents of the templates/equipment.json with your equipment profile from a Brewfather export.
Beer styles are not configured during the conversion process (primarily because iBrewMaster 2 used 2008 BJCP guidelines, whilst Brewfather uses 2015). I recommend editing the batch recipe through Brewfather after import to set to the style you expect.
Because I live in the US, I have not tested the --metric option, other than making sure it does not convert most units from the backup files. If you use this, please check that the resulting units are what you expect. In particular, Brewfather uses grams almost everywhere except for malt/fermentable measurements, in which it uses kg. Because iBrewMaster 2 stored US/imperial weights in oz, I made the assumption that it would use grams instead of kg for mass/weight. This assumption may be incorrect (please let me know if it is!).
Measurements for additions/extras (e.g. water agents, spices, flavorings, etc.) are NOT converted in any way. iBrewMaster 2 does not store the units, and thus measurements can be all over the place (e.g. I use grams for mash additions, but oz for some other additions, tsp for finings, etc.). I initially experimented with this based on the addition, but finally gave up as it got too complex, even for my one use case. Instead, the app uses a mapping file, templates/extras_map.json, in which you can change the units and add new additions/extras. After running an initial conversion, note any missing additions, and add them to the mapping file as needed.