brew day worksheet

Started on paper(2003), then made my own excel spreadsheets(2004-2007), then to nothing(2008-2010), then to brew pal for iPad(last year), and then ibrewmaster for iPad(last 7-8 months and I'm very satisfied). There is lots of brewing software free online. I find brewing software to be superior to paper pencil. Print it out and bind it, but I never could remember to update my digital copy with the notes I scribbled on paper. I just started updating my recipes and notes in the software.

 

Started off with paper, soon moved on to hopville.com. Now, I still store all my recipes on hopville, but I make more detailed brewing logs on my blog.

 

Its been an evolution of an excel spreadsheet for me. Does all the math (gravity, ibu, mash temp, etc), and has a spot for notes.

I used to print them up and put them in a binder... then I realized I don't actually USE the binder.

 

I use BeerSmith to keep track of all my junk. It allows you to print out a brew day sheet that has all your steps on it. It includes spaces to write measurements and stuff.

 

I develop recipes in my own spreadsheet.. that way I don't have to deal with someone else's software 'features.' On Brewday and during fermentation, I jot down measurements and notes on the recipe printout. If there's anything particularly noteworthy (like a lesson learned on a particular ingredient/strain) I'll also note that in a word document that sort of serves as a 'book of collected knowledge' that I can refer to later. Once the finished beer is tasted, I may go back to the original recipe sheet and write down impressions and 'do differently next time' ideas.

 

I do all my recipe planning with Beersmith, and then I record everything from making the starter through bottling and tasting notes in time/date noted journal entries in Microsoft Word. Each batch gets its own Word document.

 

I use a standard Composition Notebook (the kind with the black and white marble patterned cover). One page per brew. I list the ingredients, hop schedule, and note anything that strays from my 'standard' procedure (60 minute single infusion mash, 60 minute boil, etc.). I then add dated comments as fermentation progresses (intermediate gravity readings, temperature, dry hops, etc.). For a few years I was doing all of the calculations (OG, IBU, SRM, etc) with pencil and paper, originally to reinforce what I was learning while studying for the BJCP exam. That habit stuck for a few years. A year or so ago, I started using the Recipator website, and, more recently, started using BeerSmith (I won a copy at a raffle following a local competition a few months ago). The printed report is a nice complement to my hand written notes, but I'm more of a pencil and paper kind of guy, so I still haven't fully integrated this into my routine. I envision a day when this notebook fills up and I switch to a 3 ring binder and start using the software more consistently.

FWIW, I use the same type of notebook to record my cooking/baking endeavors and another one to track my adventures in coffee roasting. The format just seems to work for me.

 

This is pretty much what I do in a leather-bound notebook. I leave room underneath the recipe for notes and reviews, what I would do different, etc.

 

I am a pencil and paper guy as well. Personally it just helps me get the feel of the ingredients and the "why" behind quantities over a computer program. But that is just the way my brain works, so I go with what seems to help me the most.

Also, I have a brew day checklist up on my refrigerator. It has all the basic steps I should be doing in a relative order that I like to follow. I've brewed more than enough times to have the process down, but some days when my brain is uploading info like an old Tandy as opposed to a newer intel it comes in handy to just double check and see where I'm at.

 

Im a recently converted digital guy myself, but this link below will show screen shots of their layout, maybe yuo can borrow some of their ideas.

http://basicbrewingshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1

 

BeerSmith is great and easy to use. I transfer the brew sheet text to Evernote for my actual log that I can see on any of my devices and add notes to gravity, temps, tastes, pics on the fly.

 

thats a great idea...transferring to evernote. I will be looking into that

 

I don't have beersmith, but I print out something similar every time I brew, with the info I want on it. This was from my last brew day:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oluN4lNJa43qDeQfuuYNy096tQL9SJ7wcIJl3ewSYk0/edit

 

I started with Brewtarget and QBrew, then moved to Homebrew Formualtor (which I loved & still do, just won't work with my machine for some reason :-/), then test drove the ones you pay for.

I have since settled on Hopville. I keep my notes in there and most of the info. I fear for the "upgrade" to paying though. All these 'feature rich' software have so many things I don't need, or I find finicky and don't work like I think they should.

 

I have an excel spread sheet set up that I can plugin all my numbers into to figure out how much hops to add and to calculate my grain bill. I also keep a pretty anal lab style notebook of everything that I do on brew day along with tasting notes on how the beer turned out and what I would do differently next time.

 

I use a blog to document, and a checklist on brewday. So far it's working for me. I will probably upgrade to brewing software soon, but I'm not in a huge rush since I'm still doing partial mash, and have plenty of help.

 

I keep everything in ProMash. Always have, always will. The Brew Session section of the software is great for record keeping. And it sounds as though Jeffrey might be updating it soon!

 

I use google docs. I have a template i just fill everything in on. I always have either a computer or a my smart phone near by to fill everything in\take notes.

 

My BIAB excel document goes as follows:


BREW DAY CHECK LIST
DATE: BATCH:

Start Time Stop Time Step Target Actual
Add Brewing Water to Kettle and Fire Kettle
Add Brewing Salts to Kettle 110F
Mash In Grain
Add 5.2 Mash Stabilizer (rarely these days)
Sacchrification Rest
Mash Out
Remove Grain Bag
Record Mash Volume
Record Pre-Boil Gravity with Refractometer
Fire Kettle
Start Prepping Dry Yeast (if applicable)
Strain Hot Break 210F
Test PH and adjust if needed 5.2 - 5.4
Add Bittering Hops
Continue Prepping Dry Yeast (if applicable)
Add Flavor Hops
Start Prepping Therminator, Pump, and Kettle Hoses
Add Aroma Hops
Add Aroma Hops
Add Yeast Nutrient, Whirfloc, Corn Sugar (if applicable)
Add Aroma Hops
Continue Prepping Dry Yeast (if applicable)
Add Aroma Hops
Add Aroma Hops
Flame Out
Record Kettle Volume
Record Post Boil Gravity with Refractometer / Hydrometer
Continue Prepping Dry Yeast (if applicable)
Add Flame Out Hops (if applicable)
Chill Wort and Fill Carboy(s)
Oxygenate Carboy(s)
Pitch Yeast
Set Fermentation Temp. in Chest Freezer