Brew Logs

[lucas]

I replaced a column ("bottled in" which I'd thought seemed important at the time) in my brew spreadsheet with a new one ("average brew temp" which I've decided would be important to know if i tried recreating anything). Anyway, it got me thinking that people have obviously already walked this path and come up with good methods for doing it

so folk, how do you keep your brew logs? speadsheets? word documents? a dead tree book? what sort information do you keep in there?

currently i have a spreadsheet with the columns:
batch number
date started
ingredients
time to start fermentation
OG
FG
estimated alc %
date bottled
average temp
method
tasting notes

 

[Batz]

Beersmith

Batz

 

[razz]

I use the trial version of Promash to calculate recipes, ibu, sg, etc. Stopped keeping records about 3 years ago.

 

[peas_and_corn]

I have an excel spreadsheet. It has:

Batch no
Beer style
Can used (this will become redundant when I go AG in a fortnight)
Ingredients (with hops includes time added)
OG
FG
Yeast
Notes

EDIT: oops, missed a category

 

[deadly]

Beersmith

 

[Stuster]

Lucas

I use Excel for my brewlog. I'm an AG brewer so the heading list is rather long, up to 37 headings at the mo. Average temp of the fermentation is a good one to include IMO. Some other things you could include are

Beer style
Volume in fermenter
Yeast used
Primed with (if you still bottle)
Attenuation
Standard drinks/ stubbie
No. of bottles
Problems

 

[RobW]

Promash

 

[browndog]

I do mine on paper and set it out to help me work out my AG system and to give me a handle on how things work being a new AG brewer. Mine is
Date
Brew
Weather (ambient temp)
HLT start time

MASH

grain KG
mash in time
strikewater temp
mash temp correct? yes/ no
total water used
total in kettle

WORT

preboil gravity
post boil gravity
post boil volume
litres into primary

HOP ADDITIONS

FWH___FIRST___SECOND____ THIRD____FORTH____ FITH___


After doing 4 or 5 brews with this amount of info it has been easy to work out the ins and outs of my set up. I get up around 5:30 AM on a sunday morning to brew and am now finding I have to compensate the strikewater temp for the decreasing ambient temp as winter approaches so this info will be beneficial down the track in the future for hitting mash temps whether it is 5C or 30C outside.


cheers

Browndog

 

[AndrewQLD]

beersmith

Andrew

 

[DJR]

I keep a simple enough log of ingredients used etc. after using Qbrew to work out the basic recipe calculations. This is kept in a excel spreadsheet with a separate worksheet per batch, each batch has a number which i write on the bottle cap so it can be traced back.

For each i keep a log by day of temperature and SG readings, so i can draw a pretty graph that shows me the progress of a brew - i.e when it slows down so i can rack to secondary, and when it's ready to bottle. This way i can add any notes for a particular day next to the reading (e.g. broke hydrometer, added gelatin, added sugar, bottled etc).

It's quite thorough but once you have the graphs in it works quite well since Excel automatically generates the graphs once you have the source data ranges.

I've attached one page from it so you can see.

View attachment BrewLog15.xls

 

[Ross]

Beersmith.

A poll on this would have be interesting, to see how ground beersmith has made up on promash...

Cheers Ross

 

[Doc]

I made a template for Beersmith available here.
If you use the template make sure you read the notes on how to use on this page.

I keep printed versions in a folder.

Beers,
Doc

 

[Duff]

Promash

 

[Jazman]

Promash

 

[Bizarre]

I was a pen and paper man until I recently discovered Promash (which I am pretty happy with too)

 

[lonte]

bottom line, doesn't matter how you do it but record everything you can.

 

[normell]

Have looked at both Beersmith & Promash, both good programs for the AG, top end of brewers
But me being a modified K&K'er, partial type of brewer, I use a $15 shareware program called Homebrew Log 2, from a bloke in NZ
www.djsoftware.co.nz
This is I think, a very easy to use, & simple program for us non AG brewers

 

[Josh]

I formulate my recipes using my excel spreadsheet and Designing Great Beers. Sometimes use beertools.com. I then record each brew in a little notebook with the date, style, ingredients, mash temps/lengths, boil length, hops additions, OG, ferm temp, FG, how I bottled/kegged it, and the label on the bottle tops. Anything else that pops in my head is a bonus too. Plus some very minor tasting notes if I get the urge and the book is out when I'm drinking.

 

[mika]

Have got the girl working on an Acess Database for calling it all up. Intend to use Access as the front page with it calling up, or at least referencing the Promash/Beersmith recipe log.
The idea's been in the pipeline for a while, just got to persuade the girl to get on with it

 

[JSB]

Beersmith and also a log of the days brew kept in a folder in the brewery....good to keep notes on the actual day..

View attachment BREWLOG__version_1_1.xls