How many people keep log books and how detailed of information do you put into them. I jotted down notes from my first brew... but then I started thinking, It might be a great thing to start jotting down every bit of information... hops, extracts, weights, temps, yeast, ferment times, etc etc etc. Then at the end of it all, notes on taste and all. That way you will know how to recreate or how to stay away and eventually start learning from your mistakes!!! Just something I was thinking about! I have been cooking for many years and sometimes you make that one dish that was awesome...but then you can never seem to get it spot on and you just don't know how or what you did to get it there!
Log Books
- Thread starter Donutz
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
jjefrey
Well-Known Member
I keep all my notes in beersmith.
I've been trying to figure out the best way to do this as well since I started brewing. I have two google docs that I keep for tracking my brews, but they're still changed fairly frequently and have some room for improvement. One is the recipe and process notes, with maybe some tasting notes (need to work on that) and the other is a spreadsheet of "stats" I guess. Both are based on things I found on the internet made by other people.
I use beersmith for storing the base recipe and calculating brew day volumes and temps and for calculating the IBU/SRM etc of a recipe, but my main reference is the brewlog. I also have been calculating mash/sparge water additions using Bru'n water and add that info to the brewlog but not beersmith. Since so many pieces of software add to my brewday I like having a single place to track it which I am in control of, and I like that it's not a functional system with a goal to accomplish like beersmith. Just a brewlog. I get all the info in one place and then use it from a computer or printed out on the brew day.
(these are in my signature at the moment but I will link them here in case that changes)
Brew Stats
Brewlog
I use beersmith for storing the base recipe and calculating brew day volumes and temps and for calculating the IBU/SRM etc of a recipe, but my main reference is the brewlog. I also have been calculating mash/sparge water additions using Bru'n water and add that info to the brewlog but not beersmith. Since so many pieces of software add to my brewday I like having a single place to track it which I am in control of, and I like that it's not a functional system with a goal to accomplish like beersmith. Just a brewlog. I get all the info in one place and then use it from a computer or printed out on the brew day.
(these are in my signature at the moment but I will link them here in case that changes)
Brew Stats
Brewlog
yep. I have a notebook full of my recipes for the last few years
on the first side of a new page (right-side when looking in the notebook) is all information related to the recipe, the mash temp, water volumes, boil time, OG, FG, yeast used, ferm temp, etc
reverse side of the recipe page (left side when looking in notebook) is tasting notes
on the first side of a new page (right-side when looking in the notebook) is all information related to the recipe, the mash temp, water volumes, boil time, OG, FG, yeast used, ferm temp, etc
reverse side of the recipe page (left side when looking in notebook) is tasting notes
My SWMBO bought me a leather brew book and created a brew log using a sheet from Radical Brewing. I've attached it if you want.
View attachment rbws1.pdf
View attachment rbws1.pdf
I was recording everything in note books then I ordered the log book from Basic Brewing Radio.
http://basicbrewingshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1
http://basicbrewingshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1
TANSTAAFB
Well-Known Member
I have kept various brew logs/ journals in various formats for years...handwritten, Beersmith printouts, etc. Then I picked this up
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440561451/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Drew Beechum's Homebrewer's Journal
Love it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440561451/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Drew Beechum's Homebrewer's Journal
Love it.
Last edited by a moderator:
I have a three-ring binder. When I want to brew, I pick a recipe and print it out and put it in the binder.
Then on brew day, I make notes on a lined paper and add it to the back of the recipe. I usually have a full page of notes at the end of the brew, and add to it as the beer ferments along with carb and taste notes.
I also have a running list of beers that I've brewed with: the date brewed, dry-hop date, kegged date, and the date the keg kicked.
Then on brew day, I make notes on a lined paper and add it to the back of the recipe. I usually have a full page of notes at the end of the brew, and add to it as the beer ferments along with carb and taste notes.
I also have a running list of beers that I've brewed with: the date brewed, dry-hop date, kegged date, and the date the keg kicked.
Btaz
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 26, 2012
- Messages
- 317
- Reaction score
- 35
I am still pretty new to this but I've been going up my process on my website. I've also made an excel sheet to track my brews schedule. Then on brew day I print it out and mark it up with red lines and other notes. When I'm done I update my process for any lessons learned, make my notes about how I did on each activity day in the excel document, and write up a blog post about each beer with pictures. It's work in progress, feel free to take a look at http://blt.loosecannon.info/wordpress/?page_id=778
Sorry if it's sloppy, this was sent from my phone
Sorry if it's sloppy, this was sent from my phone
I still use the one subject notebook I started with. But I also have BS2.1 with recipe info,dates,notes,etc as well.
Calichusetts
Well-Known Member
Beersmith for recipes and fermentation notes. Notebook for brewday notes. Untappd for tasting notes
beergolf
Well-Known Member
Three ring binder. In the front is a list of brews and the date they were brewed and the date they were bottled or kegged. After that I print out a copy of the recipe and a checklist. Make any notes on them and put them in a sheet protector. I have done this since I started and have copies of every recipe with notes I have ever brewed.
kombat
Well-Known Member
I keep a duotang of printouts of the actual recipes from Beersmith, and I also keep a separate handwritten journal documenting dates, temperatures, and other aspects unique to each brew in case I deviate from my normal protocol for any reason. This helps me identify probable causes if something goes wrong with the resulting beer, or helps me replicate good results if I've done anything differently for some reason (such as didn't get around to kegging it for an unusually long time due to travel, shortage of empty kegs, that sort of stuff).
nvious23
Well-Known Member
I have a notepad app on ny phone that I try to keep the notes handy on and save.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Home Brew mobile app
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Home Brew mobile app
seph
Well-Known Member
I take the recipe printout and just make notes as the brew day progresses (Mash temps, first runnings SG, second runnings SG, preboil SG, post boil SG). I also come back and make notes when I check gravity readings and dry hopping.
I've been using evernote to store my recipes and track brew day and fermentation info (dates, gravities, etc). I don't prefer this but it makes it easy to bring up the recipes and notes on my tablet which I tuck in the corner of my kitchen on Brew Day so I can glance at it when I need something.
I'd like to find something better but I like to be portable and cross platform (I use windows and Linux). I have beersmith on both systems but they don't sync with each other and I haven't found any note location in the software (I haven't played around with Beersmith much so if it does have something, i haven't seen it at all)
I'd like to find something better but I like to be portable and cross platform (I use windows and Linux). I have beersmith on both systems but they don't sync with each other and I haven't found any note location in the software (I haven't played around with Beersmith much so if it does have something, i haven't seen it at all)
ArkotRamathorn
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2013
- Messages
- 1,302
- Reaction score
- 317
Pink leopard print beer diary, reading front to back I have recipes I've done and plan on doing. Starting on the back and going the other way, I have random notes and stuff for myself, like if I wanted yeast X but the lhbs doesnt have that what replacements I could pick out.
Clonefan94
Senior Member
I print out my brew sheets from Beersmith. I make all my notes on those as the brew day goes. Then I put them in a 3 ring binder and make additional notes as fermentation goes on, through all the tasting.
bajaedition
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2013
- Messages
- 1,187
- Reaction score
- 306
I have my original composition book full of notes and stuff
keep it around because it reminds me of all the experiments and mistakes I made during the learning curve
I have a single subject note book I used next, it is ratty and is mainly just records of brews
Last year I took all the other notebooks and went through them and took all the good recipes and got a composition book and wrote them down, with all the notes I do
then threw out all of those notebooks
so now I have 2 books I call the learning curve and one recipe book
an
a single subject notebook I make notes in of each brew.
I think notes are a very very important part of this hobby, I have seen to many guys not be able to replicate a brew when it may have just been some little item they did, Like an extra 15 minutes of boil because they were out back throwing a football, they forgot, but that beer has the best hops profile of that recipe they ever had.
kind of like breaking bad, when Mr W stepped in with all the knowledge, suddenly the product was killer, humm, maybe there is something to learn there, like that maybe doing it correct and measuring step by step is the way to go?
keep it around because it reminds me of all the experiments and mistakes I made during the learning curve
I have a single subject note book I used next, it is ratty and is mainly just records of brews
Last year I took all the other notebooks and went through them and took all the good recipes and got a composition book and wrote them down, with all the notes I do
then threw out all of those notebooks
so now I have 2 books I call the learning curve and one recipe book
an
a single subject notebook I make notes in of each brew.
I think notes are a very very important part of this hobby, I have seen to many guys not be able to replicate a brew when it may have just been some little item they did, Like an extra 15 minutes of boil because they were out back throwing a football, they forgot, but that beer has the best hops profile of that recipe they ever had.
kind of like breaking bad, when Mr W stepped in with all the knowledge, suddenly the product was killer, humm, maybe there is something to learn there, like that maybe doing it correct and measuring step by step is the way to go?
I had a spiral notebook that literally fell apart. After several years, it looked like swiss cheese, like termites got at it. It's long gone - wish I still had it.
I've spent the last 5 years putting everything in Beersmith. Everything is in there. [I'm experimenting with Brewer's Friend right now... might change to that to get stuff online]. Electronic is the way to go for me - I hate clutter. I don't have hard copies of books, music, or movies anymore.
I've spent the last 5 years putting everything in Beersmith. Everything is in there. [I'm experimenting with Brewer's Friend right now... might change to that to get stuff online]. Electronic is the way to go for me - I hate clutter. I don't have hard copies of books, music, or movies anymore.
My mind is like swiss cheese so everything I do, starting on brew day through bottling, gets written in my brew log, which I made a template for on the computer and print out for a 3 ring binder. I log ingredients, dates, temps, water amounts, gravity, SRM, IBU, ABV and every brewing acronym under the sun. If I do it, I record it. That way A. if something goes wrong or B. I want to replicate a great batch I know everything I did. It's even more important since I switched over to all grain. Plus, making a brew log takes virtually no time so why not have one?
I use iBrewmaster for brewday/batch information.
When I have a recipe that I really want to get every little detail down about, I put it in Beersmith.
I also have a hand written log I keep of my "tried and true" recipes...... well, just because I like books and writing and the idea of having a "journal." This is where I bought my journal I do by hand - they are really cool, hand-made, leatherbound journals..... If you are into that sort of thing - they are really cool.
This is the one I got - but there are all kinds of styles and sizes.
http://ionahandcraftedbooks.com/store/rustic-original-journal/
When I have a recipe that I really want to get every little detail down about, I put it in Beersmith.
I also have a hand written log I keep of my "tried and true" recipes...... well, just because I like books and writing and the idea of having a "journal." This is where I bought my journal I do by hand - they are really cool, hand-made, leatherbound journals..... If you are into that sort of thing - they are really cool.
This is the one I got - but there are all kinds of styles and sizes.
http://ionahandcraftedbooks.com/store/rustic-original-journal/
I keep detailed notes in a diary. Ingredients, mash temps, pitching temp, fermentation temp, taste notes. You always think you'll remember details, but I know I don't.
Ditto!
TANSTAAFB, is there a photo somewhere of the brew log sheets in Beechums journal? I like the Basic Brewers Logbook that I'm using, but I'd like more room for ingredients - adjuncts, flavor components, hops, water additives, yeast attenuation etc.
FreshSafari
Well-Known Member
Bump!!
I use the brewers friend calculator online to make sure I'm in style range or just to know if I'm a bit to heavy on hops or other variables.
I like to have a physical copy of my recipes and notes just for a piece of mind. Never know when the CPU will take a dump and you lose everything.
I have always been a fan of taking notes and I like stickers so I put the two together and came out with something a little like this!!
I use the brewers friend calculator online to make sure I'm in style range or just to know if I'm a bit to heavy on hops or other variables.
I like to have a physical copy of my recipes and notes just for a piece of mind. Never know when the CPU will take a dump and you lose everything.
I have always been a fan of taking notes and I like stickers so I put the two together and came out with something a little like this!!
I still use my spiral notebook. But now that I have BS2,they go in there as well. And yeah,that hackthis virus messed up my comp. So having them in separate files here & there definitely helps.
