Brewing Notebooks -- Style? Techinique? Content?

[Fionnbharr]

Surely I'm not the only one who keeps a Lab notebook regarding my homebrew process. Am I?

I know a number of brewers who treat their hobby like cooking: follow a recipe, use the ingredients as specified, boil for the required time, then do whatever else the recipe calls for during the ferment. But like a cookbook, it's simply read and followed; there's no note-taking, no new or original results being created.

I've been using 'Composition' style notebooks (the kind with the mottled black-n-white cardboard covers) for a few years. I prep recipes, write comments, note problems, highlight bits for reference later, brew-day checklists and whatnot goes in there too.

A couple of people keep notes for the day or make a checklist -- but then once it's done, it's discarded.

Is anyone else keeping their notes? Are you using a particular style or format for the notes? What do yo record -- or what do you keep out? Do you see changes in the way your brewing over time? Are you finding your old notes to be of any value?

Or am I just taking my brewing way too seriously?

 

[Hello]

Since the very first batch I brewed until the very last batch, I keep notes. Initially, before I got BeerSmith, I recorded everything even the recipe. If I put a hop in at the wrong time then I made note of it. All I knew from the beginning was consistency was desirable.

First I had a little Moleskine notebook where I would record volumes, OG, anticipated FG, temps and such. I then got this notebook for 2015 and it made me realize that I never recorded the AA of my hops. Now I'm paying even more attention to that, although it is in BeerSmith, I never adjusted for them. I just noticed that I mimicked a recipe with a new hop and the bitterness was clearly not as intense. I looked at my journal and noted the AAs were 9% whereas the other hop I used was at 13.9%.

I print my BeerSmith recipe and stick it on the fridge as well for quick notes. I transfer those to my book. The big ones are still volumes, temps, boil off as the seasons change, and any note about things that happened that may impact my beer. Like when I wasn't paying attention and added too much water to the mash tun.

I don't care if someone thinks I'm too serious. The whole point is to have fun and data is kind of fun to me.

 

[vincentAlpha]

I actually use Google Keep and color code anything brewing related, from beer tasting notes (homebrew and store bought, usually with a pic), to recipes and f**k ups I made during brew day(I accidentally did a hop stand once by forgetting to remove the bag of hops for about 20 minutes or so ). This way if I make something I really like I can go back and duplicate it (hopefully). I also stick time related stuff on a Google calendar so I know how long something has been going without having to sift through the other notes I use on Keep. Speaking of which I just kegged 10 gallons last night and haven't updated anything yet!

 

[JonM]

I have a 3-ring binder that I use for recipes that become favorites (many don't make the cut.) For those recipes, I print the Kai brew notes thing and fill them out. Of course, some of the fields don't get used because they're a little over my head, but it's a system that works well for me.

http://braukaiser.com/documents/brewing_logbook_english_US_units.pdf

 

[unionrdr]

I still have the spiral-bound 1 subject notebook I started with. Some recipes in BS2 as well or in the notebook too. I write down (usually!) what the ingredients are, how much & when. The recipe, & any screw ups or revelations. All manner of notes along the way while fermenting, temps, observations, colors gravities & tasting notes. Observations & thoughts of tastings. Just about anything that comes to mind. I've done well enough over the past 4 years to write my first home brewing book listed in my sig. Book two is being written now. So you never know where your notes will take you.

 

[d3track]

I use the notes and log sections in brew toad, I lose anything paper...

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

I blog about my recipes, and when anything turns out good, I add it to my brew journal. It was a birthday gift to myself and I love it so far. http://kegscode.com/brew-journal/

 

[beergolf]

I have notes from every brew I have done since I started.

I use a three ring binder. In the front is a list of brews that has brew date, bottle or keg date, and cap marks to identify the beer.

The I use a sheet protector for each recipe. I print out a copy of the recipe and a brew day checklist with room for notes. I also keep electronic copies but I like the physical book. It keeps thing in order.

The checklist has spots for thing like water quantity, water treatment, mash temp, sparge temp, time, pre boil gravity, post boil gravity, final gravity. Hop additions, yeast pitched , starter size and temp at pitching. Fermenting temps and times. Also room for tasting notes and notes of what I would change if I brewed that recipe again.

 

[SnakeRidge]

I brewed sporadically for over 10 years from kits, and while I saved a lot of those recipe sheets with notes, most got lost. Since 2010 I've had BeerSmith where I do all my recipe development. I print out the brewday sheets and make notes there. These get moved to a 3 ring binder and get updated in BS with brewday actuals so I have the BS file and the paper copy of the brewday.

 

[soccerguy83]

Subscribing

 

[Fionnbharr]

Hi; Original Post followup.

Since I asked the question, I've seen that a couple of y'all have mentioned BeerSmith.

I don't use BeerSmith. Not yet, anyways. For the longest time, it was because it wasn't available for Linux (early adopter: been using Linux since the early 90's, exclusively Linux since 2003). Then it wasn't available for 64bit, and now it's only available for Debian-based distros, like Ubuntu.

And besides; I make beer in part because I like the hands-on feel of 'doing it myself'. Is BeerSmith really a game-changer? Or is it just for automation or easy calculations? Or What?

Thanks!

Oh, and, speaking as a nearly 20-year Linux user (Since before 'distros', even!) and network security consultant: Move on from Ubuntu. Seriously. Ubuntu is to Linux, what AOL was to 'The Internet'. Move on to something else. Your kids will thank you.

 

[riderkb]

I use bound comp books, too, they hold up better than 3 ring binders. I'm on volume five right now. The first volume was started in 1996.

Other than the recipe, the thing that I am most likely to reread is the note that I write to myself on the day the keg is kicked. Something like "Dear future self, this beer was pretty good but try adding 8 oz less crystal malt and boost the flavor hops by 50%." Before I started leaving myself a note I had a tendency to over-do the corrections and the recipe would go from one extreme to another.

 

[bms8ball]

I just started brewing less than 3 months ago, and the one piece of advice I've heard frequently is to keep notes, and I clearly see why. I start with a recipe, and write down ingredients and hops schedule, OG and FG, etc. I also write notes about flavor, color, things I might change next time, etc. These notes have been great for making adjustments to future batches, plus I have beeb learning alot folrom my reflections (and my mistakes!) I thought about using software, but I like writing down my thoughts in a notebook.

 

[aopisa]

I use various softwares to tweak and scale recipes, but write everything I do down in a composition notebook even if I followed the recipe to a T. Plus, I leave several pages for follow up notes like fermentation activity, FG, carbonation and bottling, etc. and taste impressions.

 

[Oginme]

Hi; Original Post followup.

And besides; I make beer in part because I like the hands-on feel of 'doing it myself'. Is BeerSmith really a game-changer? Or is it just for automation or easy calculations? Or What?

BeerSmith makes the recipe calculations much easier, especially for those of us who like to tweak their recipes up to the last minute. When properly set up with accurate equipment and mashing profiles, the water calculations and gravity calculations are pretty much spot on.

I've done a number of recipe calculations by hand to make sure that 'I' know what is going on and could easily enough set up a spreadsheet to do them for me, but BS is very convenient and flexible for the various processes that I use for brewing (indoor/outdoor, 10L/20L/28L batches, BIAB/traditional mash tun).

For me it was a game changer in that it allowed me to focus on recipe development in many different styles. That said, many people prefer the layout and functioning of BrewToad, Brewer's Friend, ProMash, or other software over BeerSmith. They all do pretty much the same function.