Keeping Track

Hi All. I've been browsing the forums for the past six weeks while brewing my first batch. It was just a simple lager kit and turned out really well!

Just wondering what you all use to keep track of the beers you've made and recipes? Do you keep some sort of diary? Is there an online tool you like to use?

Cheers!

I use hopville/beer calculus ...

I use a combination of a small notebook that I have in addition to logging everything on Beersmith. My only gripe with Beersmith is that if I want to rebrew the recipe and be able to record new data I need to clone the recipe and then when I pull up my recipe list I have a ****ton of certain ones.

whatever you choose (notebook, brewer's logbook, typing notes into notepad/textedit, dedicated software) write *everything* down. if something is easy, note that, if something goes wrong, write down exactly what happened (these can make for hilarious reading a couple years later). there will be stuff you think you will remember but you won't, and there will be things that you didn't know were important that you will want to know later

I have a notebook in which I jot down brewery notes. These later get transcribed into BeerSmith. In BeerSmith, I have a brew log folder as well as folders for beers I want to brew, recipes that need to be tweaked, and recipes that are good and will be brewed again. I have a "Homebrew" calendar in Google calendar to keep track of brew dates, when beers have been dry hopped, and when they're ready to be kegged/bottled.

I've been using a notebook but that's not very portable so recently I created a blog. Right now I upload new pages for recipes and I plan on using posts for "other stuff".

HibsMax said:

I've been using a notebook but that's not very portable so recently I created a blog. Right now I upload new pages for recipes and I plan on using posts for "other stuff".

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I have a tumblr account that I don't actually use for anything. I was considering making it a brewing log.

I run an excel sheet. Each batch has its own tab and includes projected dates through 2013. Even have tabs for carbing and co2 volume by style. Cost of everything including equipment is on another tab.
I like it because the formulas allow me to move dates around and see resulted dates for each stage of a brew.

i don't keep a diary, but i have diarrhea.

I keep a notebook.

On my first batch, I underlined in red ink "CLOSE SPIGOT ON BOTTLING BUCKET!!".

I use Beersmith to keep my notes and dates and additions and everything. It's a convenient all-in-one option to keep track.

I keep a notebook with my detailed notes.
I also have a spreadsheet on google docs that I keep updated:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag4llxCtfLyDdEoyQURMejgwMGRiek1tVERORlZ5ZFE

I used to just my promash as a log. However my computer had a severe meltdown, and I lost everything. So now I use promash, and keep a written log(when I remember).

I have a one sheet worksheet printout that I made in Excel for brewday notes, which goes in a three ring binder.

I keep the recipes in brewing software, which I use for the calculations. Calculations go on the brewing sheet .

Write everything down however you can. I started with a notebook and then tried hopville but I didn't like it, I moved back to my notebook and have since begun using BeerTarget. I LOVE it and it is free.

smurfwar said:

I run an excel sheet. Each batch has its own tab and includes projected dates through 2013. Even have tabs for carbing and co2 volume by style. Cost of everything including equipment is on another tab.
I like it because the formulas allow me to move dates around and see resulted dates for each stage of a brew.

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I use a waterproof surveyors field book. But I LOVE this idea!

I use an excel spreadsheet as well. I have different tabs for recipes, ingredients, data logging, and formula driven software. I use a small notebook to record data and brewday notes and then update the spreadsheet when I get around to it. I like it. And unlike the commercial software platforms available, it's fully editable and can be customized around your system.

I use Beersmith 2. I can keep track of all of my brewing needs there. It's a comprehensive brewing software package.

iBrewmaster on my iPhone. I've got all my recipes , batch records, and notes wherever I go. It's a great way to waste time in a waiting room or at the airport!

I use the paper bag that my grains came in to scribble notes on when im brewing. Then i transfer them over to a word doc. I also use a calendar to keep track of when i brewed and when i need to bottle/keg and when they should be ready.

I have a brew log that is a three ring binder. The front pages are just a list of the date and name of brew, then a space for bottle date. After that I use clear page protectors to hold a brew checklist and a hard copy of the recipe that I write notes on. These notes then get transcribed into my brew software.

beer notes are the only notes I take. lol

I set up a database for recipes I've done, with ingredients, brew notes and taste notes, so I can go back and duplicate or tweak. I'm also starting to add ingredients and vendors to use as reference in building new recipes.

Thanks for all the info everyone! It seems like a lot of people are still keeping notes in an excel sheet or in an old fashion note book which leads me to the next questions. If there was a simple online solution would you be interested in trying it?

I started by using the recipe sheet that came with my kit brews, I then made my own sheet based on what I was writing and keep it in a 3 ring binder. I just found some sheets online by Brewers Friend if I remember, they were much nicer than what I made so I printed them off and am going to replace my sheets with these.

+1 for BrewLogs in 3-ring binders. Easy and low tech. I used that for my first 12 batches then I got BeerSmith and use that along with the binder.

nalidixic said:

Hi All. I've been browsing the forums for the past six weeks while brewing my first batch. It was just a simple lager kit and turned out really well!

Just wondering what you all use to keep track of the beers you've made and recipes? Do you keep some sort of diary? Is there an online tool you like to use?

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Beersmith and printing out each recipe I brew then put it into a binder.

Anyone use the basic brewing logbook?

For you guys with the sophisticated spreadsheets; do any of you have them on google.docs that you can share? I want to transcribe my scribbled notes to a more legible log with formula functionality that I can access anywhere.

I have a folder on my computer that acts as my brew log. I just make a subfolder for each batch. It works for me, because I can throw .pdf recipes in there, .txt notes, some pictures from my camera if I remember to take a photo, a recipe from the vendor along with what I put into BeerSmith if I do it that way...I tried the book thing and I'd lose the book, and I tried just keeping everything in BeerSmith then later I'd find myself wanting something like a picture.

Transamguy77 said:

I just found some sheets online by Brewers Friend if I remember, they were much nicer than what I made so I printed them off and am going to replace my sheets with these.

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This is Larry from BF, thanks for the compliment. You might be interested in trying out our new 'brew' feature that goes with our recipe builder. It lets you track every aspect of the brew online, and includes a journal where you can record gravity readings, when you racked, tasting notes, etc. This is a big deal when it comes to replicating your best batches. The system automatically calculates efficiency, abv, yeast attenuation, etc. Its been a big time saver for me, and saves on ink. In fact, I can basically start firing the HLT, click a few buttons and have an entire brew planned out almost instantly. The addicting part is designing the recipes!
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/calculator/