Field Notes | Levain

June 6, 2026

Staggered Nutrient Additions: A Meadmaker's YAN Guide

How to calculate YAN requirements for mead, schedule staggered nutrient additions (SNA), and avoid common fermentation problems.

nutrient sna yan mead fermentation calculator

June 5, 2026

Learn how water chemistry and grain bill affect mash pH, and how to predict it before you brew using residual alkalinity calculations.

ph mash water-chemistry calculator

June 4, 2026

Learn how to quickly convert plain-text ingredient lists into valid BeerXML for importing into brewing software, and why standard formats matter.

beerxml recipe import calculator parser

June 3, 2026

How to use a refractometer during fermentation, convert °Brix to specific gravity, and estimate ABV without a hydrometer.

refractometer brix sg abv calculator

June 2, 2026

Learn how to calculate SRM (Standard Reference Method) beer color from your grain bill, and use Morey's formula for accurate color predictions.

srm color grain lovibond calculator

June 1, 2026

A guide to using a hydrometer for gravity readings, correcting for temperature, and calculating ABV from OG and FG.

gravity abv hydrometer calculator