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Author Topic: Promash Status  (Read 10796 times)

Offline case thrower

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #15 on: September 21, 2015, 02:21:39 pm »
I'd be interested to try Promash, but when I go to promash.com, the page tells me it will be back 6/1/15.  I think we might have missed that deadline.  So how do I get a copy?
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Offline kramerog

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #16 on: November 06, 2015, 01:17:04 pm »
Tried the upgrade from BeerSmith 2 from BeerSmith 1 and hated it.  Looking to try ProMash.

Offline Pricelessbrewing

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #17 on: November 07, 2015, 06:51:37 pm »
I downloaded it awhile back, not a fan. Interface is clunky and boil off rate is a percentage of pre boil volume rather than a fixed rate. I stopped exploring at that point, percentage boil off doesn't make sense to me since it varies with equipment, not with batch size.


Offline Stevie

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #18 on: November 07, 2015, 07:21:09 pm »
Beersmith has an option to enter boil off as gallons per hour.

Offline stpug

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #19 on: November 08, 2015, 08:52:03 am »
Beersmith has an option to enter boil off as gallons per hour.
I suspect Pricelessbrewing is referring to ProMash being clunky and having the boil off rate percentage since the thread is about ProMash. But, initially, I DID seem like he was referring to BeerSmith2.

Offline denny

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #20 on: November 08, 2015, 10:19:18 am »
I downloaded it awhile back, not a fan. Interface is clunky and boil off rate is a percentage of pre boil volume rather than a fixed rate. I stopped exploring at that point, percentage boil off doesn't make sense to me since it varies with equipment, not with batch size.

If you read the info on the website, Jeff advises you to change that to gal./hr.  It's in the system settings.
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Offline denny

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #21 on: November 08, 2015, 10:19:42 am »
Beersmith has an option to enter boil off as gallons per hour.

As does Promash.
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Offline brewinhard

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #22 on: November 08, 2015, 01:04:03 pm »
Bump.  Anyone know if the website will be up and running again?

Offline stpug

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #23 on: November 09, 2015, 08:06:57 am »
Bump.  Anyone know if the website will be up and running again?
Only one guy knows that answer to that and he hasn't been "returning calls" for like 10 years!!!

Offline billpierce

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #24 on: November 13, 2015, 03:16:50 pm »
I have a very soft spot for ProMash; it's like an old girlfriend I can't forget.  Even after not being updated in more than 13 years, it still does more than almost any other comprehensive brewing software app.  BeerSmith has a far more modern look and feel, and some additional features, but it's less user friendly and has what I consider to be a few errors and inconsistencies that bother me from an accuracy standpoint.

I knew ProMash developer Jeffrey Donovan from long ago, but in a professional rather than personal context.  I understand his life has taken more than its share of twists and turns over the years.  I get the feeling he can't quite let go of ProMash, either, but he also can't seem to bring himself to summon the will necessary to develop a new version.  I don't know if the current banner that appears when you access the promash.com site is a sign that he intends to resurrect it, or merely that he continues to own the domain and doesn't want it to go dark.

If I could speak to Jeff personally, I'd tell him that a developer seldom realizes just how close the relationship can be between an application and its users, and how some of us would go to great lengths to encourage him to do what needs to be done.  The market for it is insignificant in terms of the tiny potential profit and the considerable work involved.  It's a labor of love, and homebrewers, who are notoriously "thrifty," wouldn't pay what it would truly cost for a professional product.  So I'm reluctant to tell someone to make the sacrifice when the returns are so small.

But none of this stops my longing for a new and improved ProMash.


Offline mabrungard

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #25 on: November 13, 2015, 07:40:19 pm »
Agreed Bill! Jeff needs to sell the entire Promash brand to a knowledgeable programmer that can handle today's operating systems. I get the impression that he no longer has the programming abilities needed to update it. I wish I had those capabilities, but unfortunately I'm just a civil and environmental engineer.
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Offline yeastmaster

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #26 on: November 27, 2015, 01:57:45 am »
I finally switched to BeerSmith a couple of years ago.  It took me some time to get used to it but I really like it now.  I like being able to use the phone app during my actual brewing.  I didn't realize that Promash worked on the newer operating systems.  I used to run it on a laptop with XP.  When I upgraded that laptop I couldn't install promash because I have it on old floppy discs and no longer have a drive for those.  If it ever does get re-released I'd love to give it a try again

Offline denny

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #27 on: November 27, 2015, 09:15:56 am »
Agreed Bill! Jeff needs to sell the entire Promash brand to a knowledgeable programmer that can handle today's operating systems. I get the impression that he no longer has the programming abilities needed to update it. I wish I had those capabilities, but unfortunately I'm just a civil and environmental engineer.

I generally agree with you about Promash, Martin, but why does it need to be updated?  It works flawlessly already.
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Offline mabrungard

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #28 on: November 27, 2015, 11:32:29 am »

I generally agree with you about Promash, Martin, but why does it need to be updated?  It works flawlessly already.

I'm with you Denny. I can't think of another feature that another program has over Promash.

The thing that is missing is compatibility with newer operating systems. I just bought a new Windows 10 laptop that I figured I could use in the brewhouse since it has touch screen. But, Promash can't be loaded onto it. I think the message said that Win 10 requires 32-bit or higher software. If Jeff would just recompile that existing program into a modern platform, it would be fine for what I need.
Martin B
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Offline denny

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Re: Promash Status
« Reply #29 on: November 27, 2015, 12:01:00 pm »

I generally agree with you about Promash, Martin, but why does it need to be updated?  It works flawlessly already.

I'm with you Denny. I can't think of another feature that another program has over Promash.

The thing that is missing is compatibility with newer operating systems. I just bought a new Windows 10 laptop that I figured I could use in the brewhouse since it has touch screen. But, Promash can't be loaded onto it. I think the message said that Win 10 requires 32-bit or higher software. If Jeff would just recompile that existing program into a modern platform, it would be fine for what I need.
Interesting....works great with Win7, but I haven't tried 10 yet.  Did you try to do an install or just copy the files?  File copy works fine.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2015, 12:05:20 pm by denny »
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