Recipe to glass. Grain room to QuickBooks. One platform built for the way a brewery actually runs — not bolted together from separate apps. See how we stack up against what's out there.
| Feature | KettleiQ | Ekos | Ollie | Beer30 | Crafted ERP | Encompass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI & Ricky — your brewery's AI operator | ||||||
| Ricky AI Operator | 22 tools — Ricky executes real actions across every module, not just answers questions | — | — | — | — | — |
| AI Brew Planning | Tell Ricky what you want to brew — he checks tank availability, drafts the schedule, and creates the batches | Manual only | Manual only | Manual only | Manual only | Manual only |
| AI Recipe Analysis (BJCP) | Score your recipe against BJCP style guidelines before brew day — catch a color or IBU miss before the grain hits the mash | — | — | — | — | — |
| AI Document Ingestion | Drop any hop invoice, lab report, COA, or spec sheet — Ricky reads it and pulls the data into the right fields automatically | — | — | — | — | — |
| AI Bank Reconciliation (RickyBooks) | Ricky matches your bank feed to QuickBooks entries automatically — end-of-month close in minutes, not a weekend | — | — | — | — | — |
| Voice Logging | Log gravity readings, tank notes, and work orders hands-free — Ricky transcribes while you're elbow-deep in a transfer | — | — | — | — | — |
| Production — from mash-in to brite | ||||||
| Recipe Management | Multiple versions, full Bill of Materials, live color / IBU / ABV calc, complete change history | ✓ + Recipe Importer | ✓ | ✓ | Basic | ✓ |
| Batch Tracking | Every step from mash-in to brite — digital brew sheets, cellar readings, packaging QC, and split fermentation costing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brew Calendar (Gantt) | Drag-and-drop tank scheduler with conflict detection — see every tank's full timeline at a glance | Basic | ✓ | ✓ | Basic | ✓ |
| Cellar Management | Temperature, gravity, and cooling schedules — log readings from your phone without leaving the cellar | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Limited | ✓ |
| Yeast Management | Track generations, pitch rates, and cost per use — know exactly when to retire a strain before it costs you a batch | Basic | ✓ | ✓ | Basic | Basic |
| Multiple Brewhouses | Run your 30BBL production house and your 3BBL pilot system under one roof — separate recipes, shared tank pool | Single brewhouse | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CIP Logging | Document every clean-in-place by tank — chemical concentrations, contact time, rinse temp — for QA records and state inspections | Basic | — | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| MRP & Planning — brew what you need, before you need it | ||||||
| Material Requirements Planning (MRP) | Reads your depletion rate and brew schedule, then tells you exactly what to order and when — before the grain room runs out | Basic forecasting | — | ✓ Demand Planning module | ✓ | ✓ |
| Finished Goods Coverage Dashboard | Days of inventory on hand for every SKU, which accounts are running low, and where shortfalls will hit your schedule first | — | — | Limited | Limited | ✓ |
| Material Readiness Check | Checks your grain room and hop cooler against tomorrow's brew sheet — flags any shortfall before the crew shows up | — | — | — | — | — |
| Auto-Schedule Brews (AI) | Ricky can draft and schedule your next brew based on depletion data and tank availability — you approve, he sets it up | — | — | — | — | — |
| Inventory — know what you have, down to the lot | ||||||
| Raw Materials — FIFO & Lot Tracking | Lot-tracked hops, grain, adjuncts, and packaging with FIFO cost layers — your COGS is accurate to the pound | Basic | FIFO + weighted-avg | ✓ | ✓ NetSuite engine | ✓ |
| Finished Goods by SKU | Keg, can, and bottle inventory by location — plus AI pallet photo counting: snap a photo, Ricky counts the cases | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI Pallet Photo Counting | Point your phone at a pallet — Ricky counts the cases in the photo. No clipboard, no recount, no debate | — | — | — | — | — |
| Distributor Inventory Import (Ranker) | Upload your distributor's PDF inventory report — KettleiQ pulls the numbers automatically, no re-keying | — | — | — | Limited | ✓ |
| Depletion Tracking | Daily depletion rate and days on hand for every SKU — know which brands are selling and which are sitting at your accounts | — | — | ✓ | Limited | ✓ |
| Cycle Counts | Spot-count any location on a schedule — or snap a photo and let Ricky handle the count | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Barcode & Keg Scanning | Scan kegs and cases on the floor — or upload a pallet photo for AI-counted receiving | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Purchasing — the right amount, at the right time | ||||||
| Purchase Orders | Create, send as PDF, and receive against POs — everything closes out to QuickBooks automatically | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PO Approval Workflow | Route POs over a dollar threshold to your accountant for sign-off — nothing goes out without the right eyes on it | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smart PO Optimization (AI) | Ricky calculates the minimum order to fill a pallet and save on freight — stops you paying shipping on half-empty trucks | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vendor Management | Supplier contacts, lead times, and full PO history — find the right vendor for a rush grain order in seconds | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sales & Distribution — accounts, orders, and market intelligence | ||||||
| Sales Orders & Invoicing | Take an order, generate the invoice, and post it to QuickBooks — one workflow, no double-entry | ✓ | ✓ + QR invoicing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CRM & Account Management | Tap handle tracking, sample logs, contact history, and rep assignments — know the status of every account before you walk in the door | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ NetSuite CRM | ✓ |
| Customer Portal | Give accounts a login to check their inventory and place orders directly — fewer phone calls, fewer spreadsheet errors | — | — | — | Limited | ✓ DSDLink |
| Distributor Depletion Data | Pull actual sell-through from your distributors — see what's moving off the shelf, not just what you shipped to the warehouse | Basic | Basic | ✓ | Limited | ✓ |
| State Market Intelligence (DABS / TABC) | Control-state scraping for Utah (DABS) and Texas (TABC) — real market share data to find your next account before a competitor does | — | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Price Lists | Multi-tier price lists by customer type, market, or volume — the right price hits the right invoice automatically | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cooperage — your keg pool, under control | ||||||
| Keg Tracking | Pool size, deposits, and aging by account — know where every keg is and who owes you a deposit | ✓ via MicroStar | ✓ Cask Mgmt | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keg Intelligence (AI) | Ricky reconciles deposits, flags kegs that have been out too long, and calculates your true cooperage cost per serving | — | — | — | — | — |
| Finance & Accounting — books that close on time | ||||||
| QuickBooks Integration | Online + Desktop — real-time sync with photos attached, plain-English error reporting when something doesn't match | Online | Online | Online + Desktop | Online + Desktop | ✓ |
| Xero Integration | In development | ✓ | — | — | Limited | — |
| COGS Tracking | Per-batch, FIFO — see your true cost-per-barrel for every brand, every batch | Auto-costing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Invoicing & Billing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Entity Consolidation | Single-entity or multi-location via QuickBooks — if you run multiple legal entities, the NetSuite-based options go deeper here | Single-entity | Single-entity | ✓ via NetSuite path | ✓ Full NetSuite | ✓ |
| Compliance — federal and state filings without the spreadsheet | ||||||
| TTB Brewer's Report (5130.9) | Auto-fills your monthly federal Brewer's Report of Operations from batch and packaging records — submit in minutes, not hours | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| State Excise — Multi-Jurisdiction | 51 jurisdictions with rate tiers and state-specific form generators — Utah, California, Colorado, Washington, and more | Limited | Limited | Basic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Contract / Co-Pack / TIB Brewing | Bonded-transfer documents (TIB), multi-permit setup, client-supplied materials — for breweries making other brands' beer | Partial | — | Partial | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maintenance (CMMS) — keep your equipment running | ||||||
| Equipment Registry | Every vessel, glycol chiller, canning line, and delivery truck — with a full maintenance history and parts log | Basic | — | — | ✓ via NetSuite | Basic |
| Preventive Maintenance Schedules | Set PM schedules by time or brew cycle — Ricky auto-generates the work order before the service window closes | Basic | — | — | ✓ via NetSuite | Basic |
| Work Orders | Create, assign, and close repair tickets from the floor — full lifecycle with parts used and labor time | Basic | — | Partial | ✓ | Basic |
| Parts Catalog | FIFO / average costing on spare parts — know exactly what's on the shelf and what it cost before you place an emergency order | — | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Platform — under the hood | ||||||
| Mobile App | iOS, Android, and web — gravity readings, keg scans, work orders, and voice notes from anywhere on the floor | iOS + Android | ✓ | ✓ Mobile-first | ✓ via NetSuite | ✓ |
| Multi-Location | Multiple production facilities, taprooms, or warehouses under one account — inventory and reporting roll up cleanly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open API | Full API access — connect your taproom POS, lab system, or custom reporting without waiting for us to build it | — | — | — | ✓ | Limited |
| Square Integration | In development | ✓ | — | — | Limited | — |
| Ownership & Roadmap | Independent, founder-led — no PE rollup, no acquisition roadmap risk, no features deprioritized because a parent company said so | Next Glass (PE) | Next Glass (PE) | Independent | Independent | Cove Hill (PE) |
Competitor entries reflect publicly available information and product positioning as of mid-2026. Ratings are a good-faith summary for orientation — verify specifics with each vendor before making a decision. Product and company names are trademarks of their respective owners.
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