What do you use to record brew notes? I’ve been using google docs (spreadsheet) for ~20 batches and it is getting tedious to record info now that I’m doing all-grain. Comments are ok for one liners but paragraphs are hard to read. Is there a good tool out there for manage and record notes but also have that spreadsheet-like flexibility?
EDIT: specified spreadsheet
Guessing quite a few use some sort of brewing software. I use Beer Alchemy which has lots of room for notes. BeerSmith looks to be very good too but I like being able to sync with Beer Alchemy on my iPad so I can just work off of it and enter info directly on there when brewing rather than have my MacBook out among my brewing stuff.
I do use Google Calendar, Docs and Spreadsheet to keep track of my brewing schedule, keg pipeline and water adjustments though.
Consider me Old-School, but I put all my notes on the printed off recipe sheets. All kept in a 3 ring binder with scores received from my home brew club. If I were to do it on the computer I would probably use Word, or open source equivalent. You can also store a lot in different brewing software, which I have not found the need to purchase at this point.
I use iBrewMaster on my IPAD and for tested recipes that “make the cut” - I have an “old school” hand written journal that I keep them in:
http://ionahandcraftedbooks.com/store/our-most-popular/[quote=“Braufessor”]I use iBrewMaster on my IPAD and for tested recipes that “make the cut” - I have an “old school” hand written journal that I keep them in:
http://ionahandcraftedbooks.com/store/our-most-popular/[/quote]lolz.
I’m another old-time three ring binder guy. I made my own recipe sheet on Excel. I really need to update it.
[quote=“Braufessor”]I use iBrewMaster on my IPAD and for tested recipes that “make the cut” - I have an “old school” hand written journal that I keep them in:
http://ionahandcraftedbooks.com/store/our-most-popular/[/quote]For the ones that “make the cut.” My wife bought me a similar journal for my birthday. I’ve been putting my labels in it and using it for the same purpose. Only those recipes that are worthy enough to be made again and again. All home spun recipes originate in my beersmith.
[quote=“Steppedonapoptop”][quote=“Braufessor”]I use iBrewMaster on my IPAD and for tested recipes that “make the cut” - I have an “old school” hand written journal that I keep them in:
http://ionahandcraftedbooks.com/store/our-most-popular/[/quote]For the ones that “make the cut.” My wife bought me a similar journal for my birthday. I’ve been putting my labels in it and using it for the same purpose. Only those recipes that are worthy enough to be made again and again. All home spun recipes originate in my beersmith.[/quote]
She doesn’t sound bitter at all.
[quote=“Braufessor”]I use iBrewMaster on my IPAD and for tested recipes that “make the cut” - I have an “old school” hand written journal that I keep them in:
http://ionahandcraftedbooks.com/store/our-most-popular/[/quote]75 bucks?! I’m getting a stir plate if I’m spending that much.
[quote=“Wrathius”][quote=“Braufessor”]I use iBrewMaster on my IPAD and for tested recipes that “make the cut” - I have an “old school” hand written journal that I keep them in:
http://ionahandcraftedbooks.com/store/our-most-popular/[/quote]75 bucks?! I’m getting a stir plate if I’m spending that much.[/quote]
I suggest the $95 one, your beer will be better.
The $75 one works just fine:)
Someday, when it all goes to S*#!, the internet crashes and we have to resort to the basics, you will be wishing you would have bought that nice leather-bound journal for your beer recipes instead of that stir plate:)
I have used a hard cover journal for the last seventeen years and just purchased a beer journal. it lists everything from grain bill to yeast to hops + additions, gravity measurements x3 and kegging notes/bottling notes and finaly tasting notes all set with dates. I wish I had found the many years ago. definitly a great way to keep as much data ona brew as possible.Yes I love books! no need to worry about crashing computers or lost files!
Unless you sample your product a bit too much and lose it.
I have a school type composition book that I hand write in, a 3 ring binder that I keep the direction sheets that has ingredients listed as well as a print out from Beersmith and put notes in beersmith.
I use a free piece of software that I can run on my phone, tablet, and pc called Evernote.
http://www.evernote.comWhat I love about this software other than it being free is the ability to keep separate spirals. I ahve some for work, personal, and then I have a beer recipes spiral. For each beer I take notes on my phone of mash temps, water additions, anything that went wrong, or if I used new gear.
Probably the BEST part is I take a picture of the final product and do tasting notes and you can attach the picture right from your phone into the note. That way when you go back months or years later you can see what it looked like to see if you needed to tweak it any.
You can take voice notes with it too inside of each note. It’s probably the most used app I have. It doesn’t require any installs on a PC, you can access it anywhere by going to evernote.com
cheers
edit: one other thing I keep in there is a copy of the Wyeast/White labs chart for when I am in the brew store and they are out of something. I just pull up the list and pick a new one or a substitute.
I keep notes in both my brewing software and a 3 ring binder of recipe sheets with notes.
I keep track of recipes and batches in a one-page word doc, edited and printed out for a batch as needed and with room for adding notes to help keep track of the brewing processing and timing. I keep notes together with a big spring clip. Still making formulation calculations by hand or with a calculator.
I too use BeerAlchemy to keep track of recipes (because they almost always differ in some way) as well as to keep track of gravities and stuff. There is plenty of space for notes, though I usually only note something I did differently or some curious behavior like my SAISON yeast fermented on the BOTTOM in my latest batch without ever coming to the top.
Don’t think I’d dish out 75-95 bucks for a journal like that. That much money would get me a decade supply of notebooks (and I write a lot in the lab) that are just as good when it comes to writing in them or pasting beer labels.
I do try to keep detailed notes on my yeast ranching, and that is done with pen and a marble notebook.
Notes? I write the recipe out on paper. Then I log it in my brew journal in a small notebook, and then make a brew sheet in Brew mate. I plan to print those off and do the 3 ring binder thing. If it’s my recipe, it will change from the first recipe, and I will perfect it. I usually number those, and make notes in Brew mate when I have made the beer just the way I am happy with.
I looked and looked and just couldn’t find a logbook that fits my needs. Finally, i had to just make one. It has room for 100 recipes in a comprehensive form-factor plus a compilation of formulas, conversion tables, calendars, and lookup tables. It’s printed in a perfect bound, hardcover format so it can pass the test of time.
I’ve had this book for about two yeast now (and it’s almost full), and I absolutely love it. It is my one convenient book that holds all my recipes, brew notes, tasting notes, side notes, additional notes, notes about my notes, and more notes. PLUS it has all the information I need to brainstorm new recipes and calculate my next brew sessions.
Check it out here → http://www.lulu.com/shop/cedric-rochefo … 67021.html
