Do you guys "code" your beer-caps to know what is inside months later?

[EvilTOJ]

I use the 3/4" round Avery labels and print them off for the caps. I actually design labels for mine now that I do this.

 

[Bob]

I'd suggest you (1) use the Sharpie and (2) use a notebook. Each beer has a page in my notebook with a big number at the top right. I put an 8 on the cap of brew No. 8 and can look in the book (in the unlikely event I forgot) and see that's an Amarillo Ale. I can also see in my notes that I didn't secondary it and how much of what kind of hops I added when and so on.

In other words, it's good to know not just what kind of beer it is but how is was made in case you run across a spare beer a year later and realize it was damn good and want more.

+1,283. Each gyle I brew is assigned a number, and that number goes on the bottlecap. Then again, I'm really, really anal about record-keeping, right down to room temperature on brew day.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[Bobby_M]

I catalogue every single brew in beertoolspro and label it with a batch number so that I only have to write a number on the cap. However, I've also been using the mnemonic two letter code so I don't always have to run back to the brewlog. It hasn't been that much of a bother because I only bottle 6-8 bottles per batch and keg the rest.

 

[Tenchiro]

I always use colored labels to identify the beer.
​

 

[Tweaker]

By using only numbers you must decode them with a logbook. Funk dat!

If you underline your 2 letter cap code you cannot mistake them upside down. Haven't ya'll seen that for 6's and 9's?

 

[tom777]

The little round stickers are awesome if you get the ones that are printer-friendly. Designing and printing takes just minutes. You can get a lot of info onto a 3/4" or 1" label, too. I usually put the name and bottled date, and it's big enough to be easily readable, though you could fit a lot more if you went to smaller font sizes.

+1 to this... I still write some by hand too as I have a bunch of non-printer friendly ones left. Just enough room for a simple name or abbreviation and a date.

 

[capn]

I use paint pens (better than sharpies). I get them at the local art supply store. I'll write the name and date bottled on the bottle and give a color dot on the cap so I know what I'm reaching for in the fridge. The paint comes off when I soak them in oxy clean. done and done.

 

[Tripod]

I code mine in cuneiform like the early brewers did.

Question: what is cuneiform? Could you pst an example?

-Tripod

 

[michael88n]

Little circular stickers, like you'd use to price items for a garage sale. 1,000 of them for like 3 bucks.

+1

All I write on the label is the style of beverage and the date I bottled it. I can always cross-check my "notes" later to see the particular details.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Tripod]

I always use colored labels to identify the beer.
​

First: The photo really helps! Thanks for that.

Second: I noticed that a lot of those bottles have the original labels on them so I would imagine you would have to ID what is really inside. I originally didn't even think about an old label mis-leading me since I've been using blank bottles so far.

Someone mentioned underling the letter and numbers. DUH!! I think that one was to simple and obvious for me to come up with on my own! GREAT TIP Tweaker!

-Tripod

 

[batches_brew]

Question: what is cuneiform? Could you pst an example?

-Tripod

The cuneiform script (pronounced /kjuːˈniːəfɔrm/) is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Created by the Sumerians about 3000 BCE (with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium or about the period.

Cuneiform script - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Tweaker]

Cuneiform; I am definitely among my people: Zealots and Nerdz! Too funny!

You are welcome for the obvious help. For anything more teckinkal, look elsewhere.

 

[zacster]

I just use a sharpie, and a single letter code. I = IPA, E=ESB, L = Lager. B=Nut Brown. That's all I have at the moment, and that's more than I've ever had at once.

 

[Tripod]

Thanks, Batches.

I remember that now from waaaaaay back High School! My head has been in science ever since so I didn't the joke at first....but good one.

I suppose I could learn Katakana...

Seriously, thank all for the fantastic ideas and welcoming responses!

-Tripod

 

[Sager Brewing Co.]

I haven't been able to brew as often as I like so I have not had to do this yet, but my plan is to use a fine point sharpy and do something along the lines of Month/Year(09/08) and a short abbreviation of the style, like APA for American Pale Ale or EPA for English pale. You could also keep a log and give them a code, like make your first brew 1001, second brew 1002 and have a log of that brew with the corresponding code and any special notes and recipe for it.

 

[ChewUrBrew]

Sharpie ftw.

 

[Bytor1100]

This is what I do

 

[batches_brew]

Thanks, Batches.

I remember that now from waaaaaay back High School! My head has been in science ever since so I didn't the joke at first....but good one.

I suppose I could learn Katakana...

Seriously, thank all for the fantastic ideas and welcoming responses!

-Tripod

I actually do the sharpie thing as well. I have my dates logged but I'll probably start marking that as well. Never know when that computer could go.

 

[malkore]

Another option is some small round labels that fit on the bottle cap. You could handwrite or use software to print the beer name, code, or whatever else you wanted to label the beer.

this is what I do, but i have SWMBO write the brew name on the labels...I don't have enough need for a printer at home anymore.

Most of my beer gets kegged anymore, and i put a chalkboard on my kegs.

 

[Tripod]

This is what I do

Nice...

Where do you pick up the card-board boxes for your bottles? Or do you buy a case to begin with and then drink/recycle the bottles? The later sounds like a lot more fun!

-Tripod

 

[Bytor1100]

Nice...

Where do you pick up the card-board boxes for your bottles? Or do you buy a case to begin with and then drink/recycle the bottles? The later sounds like a lot more fun!

-Tripod

Those are AHS bottles and they come with those boxes. It's a much better deal for me to buy the bottle than to buy beer to reuse the bottles where I live. Unless I can get them from friends.

 

[jgohean]

I was thinking of making a custom stencil (w/ a design, the contents, and maybe the date) and then spray painting the cap - has anyone tried that?

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

I too number. I also keep a cork board by the fridge with the number and a little description of each beer. That way, guests are not constantly asking me:

"Whats number 12?"
"Its an Imperial pale"
"Whats that?"
"A really hoppy pale ale"
"Oh,.....Whats number 21?"
"Its a hefe."
"Whats that?"
Second guest interrupts, "Whats in the 28 bottles?"

It can be annoying.

 

[Conan]

A simple number: 1,2,3,4... representing which batch I'm on written with a Sharpie on the cap. Then I keep a detailed description of the recipe, brew dates, everything relating to each beer in an Excel document on both my computer and flash drive. These are labeled "Brew Name Here" (Brew #). Since at this time I'm the only one who has to know what's in each bottle (well, my roommate/ brewing partner does too) it works out okay. Keep all my beer files in a seperate folder- any pictures I take go into a folder with the brew's name and number along with the recipe. Kyle

 

[fratermus]

I get beer boxes with inserts like that behind the local liquor store. They put boxes out for people who are moving.

Since my weizen-style bottles are too tall, I cut off the top flaps and invert a beer flat on them. Looks like the ones stacked against the wall there during my cleanup this weekend.

As part of my later-summer cleaning I boxed up all my empties. Turns out I had 30 cases of cleaned and delabeled bottles, plus the odds/ends/clears/greens/oversized/twistoffs you see unboxed on the shelf. I guess I got a bit carried away with the bottle collecting.

 

[zoebisch01]

I just use a Sharpie and make a letter according to the recipe name. In the case of redundancy I simply add another letter.

"Tennenbaum" is a "T"

for the sake of argument if I made a brew and called it "Tiberius", it would probably be "Ti".

 

[Ecnerwal]

Date. Notebook tells me what a particular date was. If bottling two batches on the same date, add a letter or something.

Numbering by batch would be essentially the same - the point is the long drawn out info is stored elsewhere and referenced.

I do put an M on meads and a C on ciders as well as the date. Everything else is some type of beah.

 

[Apollo]

Ecnerwal does your abbreviation for your city perhaps stand for Williamstown?

 

[Ecnerwal]

Ecnerwal does your abbreviation for your city perhaps stand for Williamstown?

I give up. Yes, Wmnstn == Williamstown, but since it seems to attract repeated questioning I'll just change my profile. Absolute NW corner of Mass. As Zork might say, "there is a small college here", which I worked for a for a few years, but I don't anymore. My hops came from a guy that didn't get tenure in Chemistry - Chemistry - beer, what's not to like? Heck, there's even trendy biochemistry going on there. One gathers that the small college has sent a few folks that became homebrewers out into the world.

 

[fratermus]

I too number. I also keep a cork board by the fridge with the number and a little description of each beer. That way, guests are not constantly asking me:

"Whats number 12?"
"Its an Imperial pale"

I do the same thing, but keep it on a website. So I can post a printout on the fridge, or give a copy to anyone who I give a sample to. It also has basic info on it (how to pour without stirring yeast, rinsing and returning bottles).