Custom brewery software development
Appfront builds custom software for craft breweries, microbreweries and cider makers: from recipes and brew schedules to batches with fermentation and lagering process tracking, tank and cask management, stock of raw materials and packaging, cask and keg management with deposits, beer excise administration, sales and distribution to the hospitality trade and retail, quality control and cost price per batch. One system from wort to cask, tailored to your brewing process and your sales channels, so every batch stays traceable and your accounts add up.
What is brewery software?
Brewery software supports the entire brewing process. From a recipe and brew schedule, through brewing, fermenting and conditioning a batch with tank and vessel management, to the stock of raw materials and packaging, cask and keg management, excise duty administration, sales and distribution to the on-trade and retail. Everything comes down to one goal: brewing a good product while keeping control of stock, cost price and administration, without getting lost in spreadsheets.
Off-the-shelf packages often force your way of working into a fixed mould. A brewery, however, differs greatly from one to the next: in its recipes, in the number and type of tanks, in its packaging lines and in its sales channels. A microbrewery with its own taproom operates differently from a brewery that mainly supplies casks to the on-trade. Custom software fits your process rather than the other way round, and can grow with you as you expand, add a new packaging line or start exporting more.
Because beer is a foodstuff, food safety and traceability are part of the design from the start: every batch can be traced back to the raw material lots used and the best-before date. Read more about our broader approach to custom software development and how we build production planning software.
One system from wort to cask
Recipe, batch, fermentation, stock, packaging and sales in one coherent system. The brewhouse and the office work from the same data, with no figures retyped from loose lists or folders.
Traceable per batch
Every batch can be traced back to the malt, hop and yeast lots used, and to its best-before date. If a complaint or product recall arises, you can quickly see what went into it and where the batch went, in line with your HACCP plan.
Excise duty and margins at a glance
Volume and degrees Plato per batch form the basis for your beer duty, and raw material and packaging costs give the cost price and margin per brew. This builds administration that adds up and shows you what each beer style really earns.
How we build your brewery software
We work step by step and involve your brewer and the office staff early in the process. From a thorough assessment of your brewing process, stock and sales channels through to go-live and ongoing management, every step is aimed at software your team understands, trusts and can use every day in the brewhouse and the office.
We map out your process: recipes and brewing schedules, the brewhouse and tanks, packaging, stock, excise duty and the way you supply hospitality and retail. Together we decide which functionality matters most and which integrations are needed.
We design the data model around recipe, batch, tank, stock and order, along with the screens your brewer and office use every day. Simplicity and clear recording come first, so data entry is quick and reliable.
We build in short iterations with automated testing and clear logging. You see working versions along the way and help set priorities and ensure the software fits the practice of brewing and delivery.
A controlled go-live with data validation and a safety net, followed by ongoing management, monitoring and further development as your brewery grows or your range and sales channels change.
What brewery software actually does
We tailor each application specifically to your brewing process, range and sales channels. Below are the features we most often deliver for craft breweries, microbreweries and cider makers.
Recipes & brew schedules
Manage recipes with malt additions, hop additions, yeast and water profiles, plus the process steps from mashing to conditioning. Recipes are version-controlled, scalable to your kettle size and form the basis for every batch you brew from them.
Batches, fermentation & tank management
Start a batch from a recipe and follow it through brewing, fermentation and conditioning. Record readings such as original gravity, temperature and final gravity, and assign the batch to a fermentation or conditioning tank so you can see which tank is in use and when a beer style will be ready.
Raw material and packaging stock
Keep track of stock for malt, hops, yeast and packaging such as bottles, cans, crown caps and labels, including lot numbers and shelf life. Consumption is deducted per batch, and the system alerts you when stock runs low so you know it is time to reorder.
Casks, kegs & deposits
Record each cask or keg as it is issued, noting the customer, the deposit and the return. You can see how much packaging is in circulation and with whom, flag casks that have been out too long, and charge deposits correctly on the invoice so valuable packaging does not go missing unnoticed.
Beer duty & returns
Record the volume and degrees Plato for each batch, and track what has been released for consumption and what remains under duty suspension. The system builds the figures you need for your returns to HMRC, in line with current rules.
Sales, distribution & costing
Manage orders, deliveries and invoices to hospitality and retail, with pricing agreements per customer and an integration with your accounting. For each batch, the system calculates the cost price from ingredients and packaging, so you have a clear view of the margin per beer type.
Who we build brewery software for
Brewing takes all shapes and sizes, from a sole trader with a few tanks to an established craft brewery with several sales channels. For each of these we build software that suits their process, their range and the way they get their product to market.
Craft breweries
Breweries with a core range and rotating seasonal beers who need control over recipes, batches, stock and duty. The software supports both the brewhouse and the growing administration around it.
Micro and nano breweries
Small breweries, often with their own taproom, that have to keep track of many different things with a small team. Simple, fast recording from batch to sale stops everything ending up in loose spreadsheets.
Cider makers
Makers of cider and other fermented drinks who face similar challenges: recipes and batches, fermentation and conditioning, raw material stock, duty and distribution. The software adapts to your production process and product types.
Breweries with their own distribution
Breweries that deliver themselves or run a fixed route to pubs, bars and retailers. Alongside stock and invoicing, route planning software helps you schedule deliveries and cask returns efficiently.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
We build on a modern, maintainable web stack and integrate where needed with the systems you already use. For breweries, the most relevant are: an accounting integration with, for example, Exact, Twinfield or e-Boekhouden for sales and invoices, a till or POS system for your taproom, and a webshop on WooCommerce or Shopify for online sales. Online payments run through iDEAL. We build every integration so that data only needs to be entered in one place and is consistent everywhere.
For the monthly duty return based on brews, stock and output, there is our beer duty return software.
For the wholesaler that buys, stores and sells beer and other drinks, with duty per movement, there is our excise administration software for a drinks wholesaler.
Why choose Appfront for your brewery software?
Appfront builds custom software and always begins with a thorough analysis of your processes. Brewery software needs to be technically sound, but it must also fit the realities of the brewhouse, the warehouse and the office staff who manage excise duty, stock and invoices.
We write clear documentation and deliverable code, so that your own team or a future supplier can understand and manage the software. No black box, but transparent code and clear agreements on integrations, authorisation and management, so you are not tied to a single party.
You work with a dedicated point of contact who understands both the technology and your operational practice. This keeps lines short, prevents miscommunication and speeds up decisions when choices need to be made during the build.
Also take a look at our wider services: custom software, production planning software and route planning software. Do you have questions? Get in touch.
- Custom software that fits your brewing process
- One system from recipe and batch through to stock and sales
- Full traceability per batch down to raw material lots and shelf life
- Beer excise administration based on volume and degrees Plato
- Cask and keg management with deposits and circulation tracking
- Integrations with accounting, till and webshop
- Clear documentation your team can read and manage
- A fixed point of contact, no account managers passed around
- Ongoing management and further development as you grow
- A way of working aligned with your existing IT landscape
Food safety, security and privacy
Beer is a foodstuff, so food safety and traceability must be built into the software from the start. We record, per batch, the measurements and control points that match your HACCP plan, link ingredient lots to the finished product and register the best-before date (THT). In the event of a complaint or product recall, you can quickly trace which ingredients were in which batch and where that batch went. We align the setup with your own food safety plan and the requirements of the NVWA.
We also build securely and with privacy in mind. We work to OWASP security standards, with encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access and thorough logging. We process customer and sales data in line with the GDPR, with data minimisation as the starting point. That way it is not only your product but also your administration that remains reliable and under control.
Read more about our security approach: information security policy and vulnerability disclosure policy. Discuss your situation without obligation via our contact form.
- Traceability per batch down to raw material lots
- Control points and measurements aligned with your HACCP plan
- Registration of best-before date (THT)
- Rapid traceability in the event of a complaint or product recall
- GDPR-compliant processing of customer and sales data
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest
- Role-based access and least-privilege principles
- Complete audit logging of access and changes
Frequently asked questions about brewery software
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about custom software for breweries.
Brewery software supports a brewery's entire process: from recipe and brewing schedule, through brewing, fermenting and conditioning a batch with tank and cask management, to stock of raw materials and packaging, keg management, beer excise administration, sales and distribution to hospitality and retail. Custom brewery software lets you set this up the way your own brewery works, instead of adapting your way of working to an off-the-shelf package. That gives you one reliable system from wort to keg, and every batch stays traceable.
In the Netherlands, beer excise is levied on the extract content of the wort, expressed in degrees Plato, per hectolitre. Breweries producing excisable goods typically operate under an excise goods warehouse (AGP) licence and file returns with Customs. The software records the volume and degrees Plato per batch, tracks what has been released for consumption and what remains under duty suspension, and builds the figures you need for your return. We always align the calculations with the current rules of the Tax and Customs Administration.
We build custom. Breweries differ greatly in recipes, brewhouse, number and type of tanks, packaging lines and sales channels. A nanobrewery with its own taproom works differently from a brewery that mainly supplies kegs to the hospitality trade. Custom software fits your actual process and can grow with you as you expand, add a new packaging line or export more. After an intake meeting, we decide together which functionality matters most and in what order to develop it.
Yes. You record recipes and brew schedules with malt additions, hop additions, yeast and water data, and start a batch (brew) from them. During brewing, fermentation and lagering, you log measurements such as temperature, original gravity and final attenuation, and assign the batch to a fermentation or lagering tank. This gives you a clear view of which tank is occupied, when each batch will be ready, and how the progress of a fermentation compares with earlier brews of the same recipe.
Casks and kegs are expensive and circulate between the brewery and the customer. The software records each cask or keg's issue, the customer, the deposit and the return, so you know how much packaging is in circulation and who holds it. You can see which casks have been out too long, apply deposits correctly on invoices, and prevent packaging from going missing unnoticed. The same principle applies to other returnable packaging.
We integrate brewery software with the systems you already use. Sales and invoices can flow through to an accounting package such as Exact, Twinfield or e-Boekhouden, a taproom or hospitality environment can connect to a till or POS system, and a webshop on WooCommerce or Shopify can synchronise stock and orders. Online payments run through iDEAL. We build every integration so that data only needs to be entered in one place.
Yes. Beer is a foodstuff, so food safety and traceability matter. The software records, per batch, the measurements and control points that match your HACCP plan, links ingredient lots to the finished product and registers the best-before date (THT). In the event of a complaint or product recall, you can quickly trace which ingredients were in which batch and where that batch went. We align the setup with your own food safety plan and the requirements of the NVWA.
We build for craft breweries, micro and nano breweries and cider makers, from a brewery with its own taproom to a producer that mainly supplies kegs and bottles to the hospitality and retail trade. The software supports both the work in the brewhouse and warehouse and the administration around it: stock, excise, sales and distribution. We tailor it to each brewery's specific processes, sales channels and way of working.
Ready to get your brewery software built?
Tell us how your brewery works and where you run into trouble, from recipes and batches to stock, excise duty and distribution. We're happy to think along with you on process, integrations and traceability. In a no-obligation first conversation, you'll get a clear picture of what custom software for your brewery could look like.