Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Good notes?  (Read 2859 times)

Offline fmader

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1675
Re: Good notes?
« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2016, 06:58:57 am »
I pretty much do what is typed up here. I have many beers that I never go back and look at recipes. But then I have that ah ha moment and need to reference something from a past brew. Or I'll reference my notebook to add threads on this forum. I use a Five Star spiral notebook... for a few reasons. They have nice folder on the inside to house printed recipes, they are very durable, and when the cover is closed they are relatively spill proof lol.

One thing that I add to my notes is the weather. The glorious thing about brewing in Ohio is that I've brewed when it's been 100 degrees, and I've brewed when it's been 0 degrees. So, when I brew next January and it's ball freezing cold, I can reference last January's notes and see if I came up shy on a target mash temp and see how many degrees I need to compensate with my strike temp.
Frank

Offline reverseapachemaster

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3778
    • Brain Sparging on Brewing
Re: Good notes?
« Reply #16 on: September 20, 2016, 09:11:18 am »
I build the recipe in beersmith and the water profile in Bru'n Water then transfer it all into my blog where I add notes. I like to include my thought process on the recipe along with brewday and fermentation notes. I go back later and add tasting notes. If I didn't blog I'd probably keep the notes in written form.

IMO you can't be too detailed in your notes. It's better to have those notes if you need them than to want to figure something out about a past brew only to find you don't have notes on what you're looking for.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline ynotbrusum

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4882
Re: Good notes?
« Reply #17 on: September 20, 2016, 12:47:39 pm »
Beer smith and Brunwater here - then try to remember it all while I walk to the garage brewery.  I have printed it out occasionally, but usually not anymore.  I do write on a large desk calendar on the wall the date of a brew, so I can track it😉
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline JJeffers09

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1127
Re: Good notes?
« Reply #18 on: September 20, 2016, 03:24:22 pm »
I usually take notes of:
Brewing salts used additions in grams or ml and a snip of tab 5 in brunwater
how the mash went volumes starting temp, strike temp,  temp log every 15 mins after mash starts, pH every 15 mins, adjustments if necessary and what those are
preboil OG, log additions at exact times, start of wp/chilling time, post boil og, and pH at time of pitching yeast
Pitchrate and strain info
Fermentation and temp log
carbonation level and priming sugar used
storage temp for carbing
then tasting sheet from craftbeer.com for each batch.
"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin

AHA Member
Indiana Brewers Union (IBU)

Offline el_capitan

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 491
Re: Good notes?
« Reply #19 on: September 20, 2016, 05:12:14 pm »
One really nice thing about my Google Docs spreadsheet is that I can access the files from my phone, from anywhere.  So although I do print a version, I really don't need to.  I can pull it up and add comments, measurements, etc. while I'm brewing.  I can also pull it up later if I'm having a beer with a buddy and they want to know details.  Or if I'm at the brewshop and decide on a whim to grab supplies for a recipe, I have access to all of that through the magical cloud.   :D

Offline fmader

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1675
Re: Good notes?
« Reply #20 on: September 20, 2016, 06:21:57 pm »
One really nice thing about my Google Docs spreadsheet is that I can access the files from my phone, from anywhere.  So although I do print a version, I really don't need to.  I can pull it up and add comments, measurements, etc. while I'm brewing.  I can also pull it up later if I'm having a beer with a buddy and they want to know details.  Or if I'm at the brewshop and decide on a whim to grab supplies for a recipe, I have access to all of that through the magical cloud.   :D

Google Drive is amazing. Everybody should just dump MS Officd and go with Google. I don't put my notes on Drive, but all of my recipes are there.
Frank

Offline natebrews

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 484
Re: Good notes?
« Reply #21 on: September 20, 2016, 06:44:37 pm »
If only you could post an image here from google drive...or maybe I'm not quick enough to figure it out.
Risk of failure should be no deterrent to trying.