Brewing Process Custom Application

Application architecture, user interface, and programming by Rocket Jones.

Bristol Brewing Company in Colorado Springs had grown to a point where they were spending too much time managing their brewing process, and not enough time creating (or enjoying!) their beer.

They decided to bring a little more sanity back into their workday, and contracted Rocket Jones to create software to help cut down on paperwork, keep better records, and rely less on the memories of busy brewers. As we worked hand-in-hand with them to translate the procedures of brewing into a computer workflow, it became clear that other procedures such as inventory management, sales, customer records, and accounting could (and should) be integrated into the new software.

The result allows Bristol Brewing to more fully live up to their motto: “Quality, Purity, and Sanity.”

Because the application lives on the web, it is accessible from anywhere in the world. To keep unwanted people from using the software, it is password protected.

Upon login, the user comes to this landing page. Navigation is on the left, and the large photo area is used to post conspicuous alert messages when necessary.

The brewing process is managed in the “brewhouse.” Throughout the app, an optional alert can be displayed at the top of the screen.

This brewhouse detail view shows the selected batch in the left menu, and the basic brewing steps which are accessed via tabs at the top. The steps, quantities, and start/stop times for a particular brew vary depending on the recipe, and actions taken by brewers are recorded along the way.

A dashboard view provides a quick overview of the status of the fermentation and storage vessels.

Because each vessel may contain a different recipe at a different stage of completion, it is important to keep and easily access accurate records.

Inventory levels and applicable info can be viewed at a glance.

Because inventory levels are affected by purchasing, brewing, and sales, it was natural to integrate these steps in the software. The management of sales and delivery in turn provides data for accounting.

The customer database provides records available to sales, delivery, and accounting.