Brew Log How do you organize it??

[JOHN51277]

I have just started my brew log after my 4th batch. I was wondering who keeps a complete log, and how does everyone organize it?? I have mine with a list of the type, quanity, adjuncts, and date in the front. In the back I keep a complete description of the brew day there notes OG, SG, FG, and the notes on taste after 1,2,3,4 weeks and so on. I also note any off flavors, and such.

 

[Kaiser]

I'm using a simple computation book and for each batch I keep the receipe, the procedure, any problems I may have had during brewing and the OG.
Whenever I have more information (racked to secondeary, bottled, tasted ....) I add this with the date and the number of weeks and days since brewing. I also note what I would like to improve next time I'm making the same or a similar receipe.

One of the difficult things with brewing beer is the amount of time that passes between brewing and tasting the final product. I hope that a good brewing log will help me identifying what I did wong and what I did right. But I'm also new to brewing and pretty excited about many things. I expect the amount of notes that I keep to get down to the bare minimum soon.

 

[tnlandsailor]

Promash is a great record keeping tool. Each brew session is logged with a recipe, procedural parameters, etc. There are sections where observations on fermentation can be made, tasting notes, etc. Its a really complete log of everything that happened to that beer from the day you brewed it. Promashh will also log inventory for you.

 

[Brewsmith]

I first started with a spiral notebook where I'd keep all the information, ingredients, procedures, tastings, gravities etc. I'm now phasing into doing all of that in promash.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

i use promash now, but i used to use a spiral notebook like brewsmith. i listed all my ingredients, SG's, IBU's, SRM, etc. then wrote my notes as i brewed, what happend, what i did different, waht i screwed up. then i do a daily log of fermentation notes on activity, temp. ect. dates i brew/rack/keg. and then tasting notes. i'm a geek though!

 

[Orfy]

I just started using this to help with all the calculations.
http://www.ushould.co.uk/brew/brew.xls

 

[Rhoobarb]

I have always saved and printed my recipes as Word documents, slid them into clear sheet protectors and stored them in a three-ring binder. That way, if I spill wort, water or homebrew on them, it wipes clean. After going all-grain, I got ProMash and have used it extensively. It is great for record keeping!

I still use the old method for jotting down notes on the fly, but I always go back and enter them into ProMash.

 

[uglygoat]

i usually start formulating recipies on scraps of paper during drinking sessions, with the aide of a few brew books. i eventually will rewrite the grain and hop bill, and my target mash schedule and boil times/hop additions.

on the brew day, i'll grap my scrap paper notes, and write teh date in, adn then write how the mash actually went as far as temp and duration, and i'll note if i changed the hop schedule on a whim, as i'm known to do.

then i staple all the papers together, name the brew, and put it in a file folder in a leather binder behind the bar.

i'll add how long the beer was in the primary, and secondary, and then add the date of bottling.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I've been using Recipater lately. The format is already there on-line.

What I do is fill out the info and view it. Then I copy the entire page and paste it into a word.doc.

 

[Shambolic]

I just have a notebook, and use it pretty much like a diary.

I put the number of the brew at the top, then the list of ingredients, and the total volume that went into my primary.
Then it's:

17.12.05: Yeast rehydrated, then 2-3 spoons of DME stirred in 1/2 hour later. Frothy within 2 hours.
18.12.05: Another spoonful of DME in yeast starter to reactivate. Crystal grain steeped at _ degrees for _ minutes...
etc. etc.

I note all my hop additions and so forth, and anything else I do (like skimming foam from the boil). Then it's notes on fermentation and temperature while in the primary and secondary. I take gravity readings before I add yeast to primary, when I rack to secondary, and when I bottle. After bottling day I estimate the alcohol content and write this down. After that it's tasting notes and what I might/should do differently next time etc.

 

[Shambolic]

I expect the amount of notes that I keep to get down to the bare minimum soon.

I've taken more notes with every batch I've made! As you get more experienced, you notice more things, and have more complicated procedures.

 

[david_42]

I have a small notebook and use two facing pages per batch. I write the recipe and actual brewday info on one page and fermentation, tasting, aging info on the other.

 

[Beer Snob]

I use pages from "The Brewers Companion" by Mosher. I photocopied the pages and put them in a softcover book. I got a larger format hard back book now and I'm gonig to do the same thing. Usually what I do is in the kitchen I scribble on paper, then when things are settled and my environment is not so wet, I transfer notes in a neater format using the Brewers Companion charts.

Looks like Amazon is still selling it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964041006/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

If you have not seen this book I would HIGHLY recomend taking a look at it as it is very helpful. Infomation is very clear, to the point and he gives many formats for documenting your brewing infomation. Last printing was like 93 as well, so can't figure how long you will be able to get a copy.

I have also been looking at the programs out there. You know I am usually very good with computer programs as it used to be my career, but I don't understand a lot about what these programs are asking for. Think I'm going to take another look at Promash though. At first I did not care for it as it looked like all kinds of small programs as apposed to a program like Strangebrew which appears to be one program. I don't know... the infomation that the programs seems to ask for seems overwhelming outside the ingredients and stuff... then it asks for things like... efficiency.... and many other things I just dont know about right now. Is there a program that is exceptional on help to teach you all of the information it asks for?

 

[El Pistolero]

I use pages from "The Brewers Companion" by Mosher.

Just to add to what Michael said...Mosher's Radical Brewing also has a sample of his Brewing Log Sheet, and you can download it for free from his web site at http://www.radicalbrewing.com

 

[Dude]

I'll be posting my spreadsheet soon. I'm still working out a few details. I promised Orfy I'd send it to him but I've been busy and haven't been able to fix some things. Plus I'm like a monkey doing a math problem when it comes to Excel.

I'll get thsi out soon--it has really helped me keep track of my brewing.

 

[Passload]

Is the Beer Smith program any good for this? http://www.beersmith.com/