Advice from a noob to the noobs.

Always write everything down. I have 5 different gallons of wine going and cannot for the life of me remember the OG of any of it.

Sounds familiar. Very good advice!

i'll drink to that.

a piece of tape with all the numbers, dates, type etc... goes along ways.

I use this form in a notebook. I have logs of all my wines and meads for the past several years and I can theoretically duplicate any wine or mead I've ever made:


Wine Log

Date: __________

Major Ingredient: ___________________________________________
Minor Ingredient: ___________________________________________
Minor Ingredient: ___________________________________________
Sugar Added: ___________________ Acid Blend: ________________
Pectic Enzyme: __________________ Tannin: ___________________
Amount Water Added: ____________ Yeast Nutrient: ____________

Preparation of Ingredients:__________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Type Yeast: _______________________ Starting pH:_____________
Starting S.G.: ______________ Starting TA: __________________

Begin Primary Fermentation: _________________________________
Primary Observations: _______________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Transfer to Secondary: ______________________________________
S.G: _________________ TA: ________________ pH: _____________
Transfer Observations: _____________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

1st Rack: __________________ Observations: __________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2nd Rack: __________________ Observations: __________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
3rd Rack: __________________ Observations: __________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Bottling Date: __________________ Final TA: _________________
Final pH: __________________ Final SO2: _____________________
Finished Alcohol: __________ Finished Sugar: ________________
Other Observations: ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

For the last couple of years I keep better notes of my brews than I do of my money. And I'm an anal tight wad!