How do you identify your homebrews?

[metaltim]

i guess i drink my beers fast enough to not have to worry about having all that info on the cap. i've never had more than 3-4 beers at one given time in bottles, so if i see a bottle, it has a red x, i can generally remember what beer it is since it's one of my last 3 or so, and from that know how strong it is, ibu's, etc.. If i want full details, i pop open my netbook which has beersmith already running.
I can put a red x on 50 bottles in about 30 seconds. (since i put them all in cases as I bottle, they're all next to each other)
Don't have to mess with getting computer, opening word, messing with templates/printers/etc..

but what ever works!

 

[bovineblitz]

I just scribble a word on the caps. Amarillo for my amarillo IPA, porter, bacon, BS for butternut squash... makes it easy to identify, I don't need a color code or symbol system.

 

[Khemikal]

I have a small white board that hangs out next to the beer fridge. I keep a legend scribbled on it of what is available. Each cap gets sharpied with a letter. I've not had two batches of the same beer at the same time yet, but if needed I could easily add in a second character to differentiate between them.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Sharpie on the cap: Brew #, abbreviation for style (eg MH = Munich Helles), Date bottled.

I've used those colored, round stickers but it takes more time to write them out and stick them on so I just write it on the cap with Sharpie now.

 

[Frodo]

I do the sharpie thing with code and date bottled. The sticker thing sounds pretty cool though, quicker, and more "presentable". Edit: Well probably not quicker, but less writing which is a PITA.

 

[pksmitty]

Hardly a lot of extra work. It takes me a few minutes to enter the info into Word, copy/paste across the template, print the labels and stick them on the caps. It allows me to get a lot more information on the bottle than a sharpie... I can fit the full beer name, date bottled, ABV and IBU.. it's great.

This is what I do, too. Got the idea from here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f46/cheap-easy-bottle-cap-labels-125410/

Works great!

 

[tmneyer]

write a code on the caps with a sharpie. simple and basically no cost.

 

[bonsai4tim]

Most of the time I make a fairly simple label like this (its 2 in x 3 inches)

and stick it on the bottles with milk (I put a folded up paper towel in a plate, and pour milk on it, so I just have to lay the label on the paper towel to get it wet enough to stick).

I was using address labels, but the longer they have been on the bottle, the harder they are to get off. Plus they never print out exactly straight.

I usually do the labels in black/white using the cheap office laser printer at work, 9 or 12 to a sheet, and only do a few in color at Kinko's.

Makes it look more profession when visitors get a beer.

t

 

[jerkstore]

I mark the bottles and caps with # of the brew, w/ a silver sharpie

 

[TonyR]

I just write some letters on the caps. I have a big whiteboard above my keezer in the kitchen, and have each beer listed along with the cap label. Worked out great for Christmas/New Years. The only people who had trouble, were the ones who probably shouldn't have anymore anyway..

 

[glenn514]

Looks like I'm with the majority on this one: sharpie on the caps! I have a brew log book, and I indicate on my brew page(s) what color cap I used and what I put on it. I'm currently enjoying a kit from Northern called "Midnight Beatdown Wheaten Porter." I just put a big "P" on the cap.

glenn514

 

[dfc]

sharpie on cap.

This.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Sharpie on the cap. One letter or symbol, recorded in the brew journal. My favorite: a check mark. Fast and easy. Last used on a Czech Pils.

 

[marcycaulkins]

i number all my beers, starting at 1 for the first one of the year, then that number is written in sharpie on the cap. We commonly refer to brews by number ("any more 6s left?"

 

[pksmitty]

i number all my beers, starting at 1 for the first one of the year, then that number is written in sharpie on the cap. We commonly refer to brews by number ("any more 6s left?"

Go Fish!

 

[Frodo]

What if you age a beer over a year? Accidentally give a 3 year old barleywine to a scumbag neighbor cause the barleywine was a 3 but so was the bud light clone... oops!

 

[superjunior]

What if you age a beer over a year? Accidentally give a 3 year old barleywine to a scumbag neighbor cause the barleywine was a 3 but so was the bud light clone... oops!

my wife just gave a 3 year old barley wine to one of her freinds who will probably take 1 sip and dump it out sharpie on cap for us, PADLOCK for swmbBEAT

 

[Hex]

Sharpie on the caps. Initials of beer name eg. Otter Pop is OP (Marris Otter Bitters) and the bottling date so:

OP
1.10.11

If I ever get a stockpile, I can refer back to my brew binder and notes.

 

[shanecb]

A small scribble with a different colored sharpie. I just remember. I barely brew similar styles one after the other, so I can usually just tell by looking at the beer. I always leave a few unmarked for each batch for possible competition purposes.

 

[cockybitz]

Different colored caps. Midwest is who I get all of my ingredients from and they carry 8

 

[Frodo]

PADLOCK for swmbBEAT

Oh no! That's tragic.

 

[step]

Another here for the sharpie method but its kind of a bish when you go to give some away! " This letter or symbol or whatever means this but let it sit for 15 mins because its over carb'd or this is better served at a warmer temp"... I much prefer to pour my own beers for sampling at my own discretion, but I digress!

 

[elproducto]

I just write a number on the cap, and have a corresponding list posted on my beer fridge. People really dig it, as it lends sort of a brewpub atmosphere. Easy to keep track of.

 

[Bithead]

Sharpie abbreviation on cap with additional identifier as necessary.

 

[Dr_Gordon_Freeman]

I use a sharpie to write a (usually two letter) acronym of the beer name either on the cap or if it's a fliptop I use masking tape and tape it on the side of the bottle.

I don't write a date, that's what the brewlog is for.

 

[dvdanny]

Sharpie on the cap (Abbreviation of style and recipe revision number) until recently, I've started printing out cool looking labels for the bottles. People are more willing to try a bottle that is labeled then one that is not, I have no idea why. Plus my handwriting kind of sucks so I couldn't tell the difference between my Maple Dunkelweizen, labeled "MD" and my Molasses Porter, labeled "MP".

 

[petep1980]

Memory. If I'm particular drunk when I bottle and store, then sharpie on bottle cap.

 

[TVM71]

I started by putting a small piece of masking tape on the cap with a code as to what the brew was and then my wife found the small round color lables at the Dollar Store and have been using them.

 

[yummybeer]

sharpie on cap.

i also use a sharpie and mark on the cap what it is.

 

[tnbrewer371]

Standard address label with small font name of brew, brew date, bottle date, abv and kcal as determined by beersmith or beertools what ever I used, very easy simple and the little guy likes to help daddy put stickies on his big boy drinks, some of them are crooked but makes yah smile big time when you pop that one for sure as you pour it!!

 

[gannawdm]

This is a simple but great thread. I was in the "sharpie on the cap" camp, but I read about the 3/4" labels in this thread. I went to office depot and picked some up. They are great. After 30 batches, I guess it's time to class up my game.

 

[rico567]

I bought some small circular Avery blue stickers (I think they're 3/4") from Amazon, got the template from the Avery web site, and print labels. I used to mark the caps with a sharpie, but other people claimed my Old Kingdom hieroglyphics on the caps were hard to read. Go figure.

Anyhow, this way I can get something descriptive on there, like "Boston Plus Amber," and the bottling date "11/21/10."

 

[Rob_B]

Silver sharpie on glass. Comes off with scrubby.

This is what I do too, quick dip in oxiclean or PBW when you clean your bottles then a little rub and it's gone. Also blue painters tape on the six packs/cases for quick referance.

 

[Beer_Guy]

I use a marker on the cap for all bottles. But for the ones I take to club meetings, I will make a simple note I scotch tape to the bottle. Once the cap is off no one can tell what the brew is unless they ask. Saves a lot of confusion.

---------------------
Robust Honey Barrel Porter
Bottled: Oct 3, 2010
OG: 1.062 FG:1.012 ABV:6.71%
---------------------

I’ll do a two column word doc with enough to cover 12 or so bottles for each brew. Come club day, I build a 6er, cut out the labels I need for each brew and tape them on. Works great.

 

[Carter1932]

I buy lots of different colored bottle caps, but I also create labels for most of my brews.

If I use like colored caps I'll mark the top to give indication of which batch the bottle represents.

 

[hibbleton]

I used to design bottle labels on my computer, print them off, and tape them on. The tape was hard to get off so I stuck the labels on with milk. Labels got runny so I stuck them on with glue stick. I got tired of rinsing the glue off so now I print cap labels with Name, Date, ABV, and Style. My only problem with this is finding a program that lines up an image so it is printed correctly on my sheet of circle stickers. Anyone find a good one? Or preferably a good way of doing this in Inkscape?

 

[Beer:30]

I used to use a sharpie for writing the batch number on the caps when I bottled. Now that I keg, I write the batch number on painters tape which I stick on the keg handle. The corresponding entry in the brew log summarizes all info about the batch.

 

[Carter1932]

I used to design bottle labels on my computer, print them off, and tape them on. The tape was hard to get off so I stuck the labels on with milk. Labels got runny so I stuck them on with glue stick. I got tired of rinsing the glue off so now I print cap labels with Name, Date, ABV, and Style. My only problem with this is finding a program that lines up an image so it is printed correctly on my sheet of circle stickers. Anyone find a good one? Or preferably a good way of doing this in Inkscape?

I'd recommend printing to gum backed paper. They apply easily and remove easily. The manufacturer warns that ink may run if you print from ink jet printer, however my experience has been great with color laser printers - thanks work .

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/bottling/bottle-labels/white-label-making-paper.html

 

[l1ranger]

i do what revvy said - i also put the cap code in my brewlog so that if there is every any question, i can go back and look.

 

[dvdanny]

I'd recommend printing to gum backed paper. They apply easily and remove easily. The manufacturer warns that ink may run if you print from ink jet printer, however my experience has been great with color laser printers - thanks work .

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/bottling/bottle-labels/white-label-making-paper.html

Another suggestion is craft spray or photomount. It'll come off easy in water, doesn't bleed through paper and it is what I used before going with gum back paper. It does make a mess while you are spraying each label then sticking it on the bottle though.

another vote for laser-jet. they won't bled like ink jet does when it gets moist or wet. I always just go to kinko's to have my labels printed out as I don't have a color laser-jet.