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PirateBrewer · 01-12-2011, 12:48 PM

I'm curious to know how you all take notes when brewing. Do you normally write things down as you go about the process or do you do your brewing and then record everything that happened at the end?

**electrichead** · 01-12-2011, 01:09 PM

I use a recipe spreadsheet I made in Excel. It has spaces for all the various info. Temps, times, notes, steps, etc.... Throughout the process I fill it out adding info as I go all the way trough bottling and tasting. When I'm satisfied, I neatly transfer the info to a fresh copy leaving space for aging notes if the style calls for it.

**Hex23** · 01-12-2011, 01:12 PM

I normally take shorthand notes while brewing, e.g. writing down pre-boil SG, actual mash temps, little things that didn't go as I expected, etc. Then the next day translate them into a fuller account of what happened. Early on, I used to write down a bunch of things that probably didn't matter, but as I started to learn what really affects the beer, I cut that stuff out.

Captain Damage · 01-12-2011, 01:54 PM

I print out my brew sheet from BeerSmith and write notes in longhand as I brew. Later enter the notes in BeerSmith so everything is legible. I s'pose I could just enter the notes in BS directly as I brew, but cutting out a step seems like it makes too much sense for me.

Slowfro · 01-12-2011, 02:36 PM

I take sloppy notes as I start (strike temps, times) right at the beginning of the brew, but during the mash clean them up and log everything relevant and probably more. SWMBO got me a really nice brewing log that I keep everything in. Calculations, recipes, notes, and by-the-minute brewing processes on brew day (yes I'm an engineer). I'll always leave room to go back and note tastes/carb levels/recipe modification ideas for after I've tried bottles throughout the batch.

**biochemedic** · 01-12-2011, 02:43 PM

I take my notes in ProMash. Each session file has a section where you can take Mash, Fermentation, and Tasting notes

PirateBrewer · 01-12-2011, 04:30 PM

Cool. Yeah, I usually take notes as I go along otherwise I forget a lot of things. On my most recent brew this past Saturday, I waited until the end to record everything but got nowhere. Being that I've only been brewing extract it isn't as big of a deal but still annoying. I was just curious to see others' methods!

ThatGuyRyan · 01-12-2011, 04:44 PM

I take notes on my phone using Brew Pal and also if I am using a recipe out of a book I make notes in the book as well. When I brew myself I am pretty good with documenting everything. But when the guys are over it starts out well then quickly goes down the tubes. It may be related to the amount of home brew that is consumed when the group brews but I am still testing that theory.

DrawTap88 · 01-12-2011, 05:10 PM

I usually take notes as I go. Mostly because I'll forget 10 minutes after checking on whatever it was I was checking on.

**FireDancer** · 01-14-2011, 10:52 PM

I do a log book, journal style. I note the date, location, friends joining in, weather, equipment changes, etc. Then the recipe. Then measurements and notable events as I go. Its been fun looking back on it from time to time.