My problem with home brewing

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Benigail, Mar 3, 2016.

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  1. Benigail

    Benigail Initiate (0) Jan 14, 2016 Massachusetts

    ... Has nothing to do with actually brewing beer.

    Instead, when I'm not brewing beer, I'm thinking about brewing beer. Im sitting here at work, wondering about things like how much yeast is going to be produced from my last batch. Will it be ready in time? Should I fine it? Says here that will make carbonation more difficult. Says here it won't. Says here I should add more yeast to bottles. Hmm I wonder if I can reactivate the yeast I just used for that batch to do it. Oh but wait I don't have a spare flask cause I'm using it for my next batch...

    I've got a 5-gal batch in primary and a 5-gal batch in secondary and two 1-gallon batches fermenting and because there's so much time in between steps IM GETTING BORED AND NEED MORE TO DO!

    So I fill the time thinking about it, cause I want to perfect my craft, but being unable to do anything immediately, I make plans for what I'm going to do, and then lose those plans, and remake them again and again. Probably different each time because i get so much differing information, of course.

    So, to end rambling - what's the best way to keep track of all that I have going on in one place I can easily reference anywhere so I can keep notes, jot down ideas, and finally feel at peace with what's bubbling in my kitchen?
     
    #1 Benigail, Mar 3, 2016
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  2. CurtFromHershey

    CurtFromHershey Initiate (0) Oct 4, 2012 Minnesota

    If you do find a method, please let me know.
     
    #2 CurtFromHershey, Mar 3, 2016
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  3. DunkelFester

    DunkelFester Zealot (607) Aug 24, 2004 Pennsylvania

    A friend of mine created an excel spreadsheet to keep track of scheduling, inventory, costs, etc and included some useful links, a balance value calculator, and other info (style guidelines, beer line length calculator and more). You can store it in google docs or dropbox for easy access from anywhere.

    He's a process excellence geek, so his is always up-to-date. My own is admittedly less-so. If you want to PM me your e-mail address, I'll send it to you.
     
    #3 DunkelFester, Mar 3, 2016
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  4. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    I'm not an excel user, but I keep a Google word doc with a grain and hop inventory as well as planned out recipes, often months in advance. Yes, it is a disease...
     
    #4 scottakelly, Mar 3, 2016
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  5. Benigail

    Benigail Initiate (0) Jan 14, 2016 Massachusetts

    I can definitely get behind the process-excellence aspect. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that, that would be perfect.

    My instinct was to follow up and see if I could find similar templates for that, but honestly, I can't think of a better way to pass the time between brewing that crafting a painstakingly comprehensive excel template for this. I'm getting excited at the thought. But I will PM you, because that would be an excellent starting point. Thanks!

    I use the Brewer's Friend website to keep track of my recipes, but I need something more visually useful for determining what inventory is available and what beers are in what buckets and how long, etc. I've got this nagging fear in the back of my head that constantly pops up worrying that I'm going to need to secondary something, or make a transfer, and not have an open bucket.

    I might have a problem. Glad I'm not the only one :stuck_out_tongue:
     
    #5 Benigail, Mar 3, 2016
  6. HopVol

    HopVol Initiate (0) Mar 31, 2015 Tennessee

    I feel your pain, OP. Well, not really. It's all what makes home brewing a fun hobby. Five years ago I started keeping a spreadsheet with the Brew Name, Brew Date, Secondary Date, Bottle/Keg Date, OG, FG, and Final ABV. I can easily see everything I brewed in the past five years there. I also have a folder on my laptop with Word docs if I have extensive notes or changes to a recipe. And finally, I use BeerSmith to create/keep track of recipes and make small notes. Yes, it is a disease...
     
    #6 HopVol, Mar 3, 2016
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  7. Lukass

    Lukass Pooh-Bah (2,891) Dec 16, 2012 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    My method is a stack of about 60-70 homebrew recipes that I've printed out over the years. Each recipe has an insane amount note-taking on them (ex: how many degrees I was off on my strike water temps, dates, pre-boil vs. post-boil volumes, fermentation temperatures, reasoning behind certain practices, etc.) That's the extent of my insanity, but sounds like yours is a bit more complicated.

    Google docs is a good way to keep track of everything, and you're able to reference it/change it from wherever:

    https://www.google.com/docs/about/

    It's definitely a fun and rewarding hobby, but when you start managing multiple batches it gets busy quick!
     
    #7 Lukass, Mar 3, 2016
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  8. OldBrewer

    OldBrewer Maven (1,385) Jan 13, 2016 Canada (ON)

    I keep extensive notes on each beer I make - often 5 or 6 pages of notes just while brewing (yes I'm a documentation freak). For each beer, I keep a separate file folder, of my notes, calculations, recipe, ideas, and related things. Sometimes a folder will have anywhere from about 15 to 50 pages in total. I keep the file folders in a file box. For each of the first 50 batches I made, I typed the notes in Word document files. I got lazy and never typed the notes since then. I also have an Excell Spreadsheet which keeps a summary of every beer I've made - up to date. I also have Excell Spreadsheets for every calculation I do (I have Beersmith but only use it to look for recipes). These spreadsheets keep the results of the calculations for every beer I've made.

    When I get ideas, I write them down on scraps of paper which eventually find their way into the folders. I hate scraps of paper as I often have an awful time trying to find them. I wish they would come up with an electronic note taker with a relatively large keyboard and screen (but not as large as a portable computer) that could hang from a pouch from your belt or in a compact backpack. Cellphones are much too small for me - my large fingers easily cover several letters at a time, and it takes too much time to edit, and if I don't have my reading glasses with me, I can't read the screen. Better yet - a compact voice recording device with a voice translation feature which converts your words into a typed document.
     
    #8 OldBrewer, Mar 3, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2016
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  9. Benigail

    Benigail Initiate (0) Jan 14, 2016 Massachusetts

    I love hearing about how others organize their notes. These are all excellent ways of documenting our labors :stuck_out_tongue:

    I like best keeping digital notes that I can access through the cloud from any computer or my phone - so Google Docs is a natural for that. The trick then is to make sure that my excel file is SO COMPREHENSIVE I never have a stray note laying around that I can miss.

    Bonus points if I can present it visually appealing with automatically updating status notes for a given date. A data wonk can dream....

    If I create anything amazing and new I'll share it.
     
    #9 Benigail, Mar 3, 2016
  10. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    5-6 pages of notes on brew day? 15-50 pages of notes per beer? :confused:
     
    #10 Brew_Betty, Mar 3, 2016
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  11. scurvy311

    scurvy311 Savant (1,135) Dec 3, 2005 Louisiana

    [​IMG] For day to day ideas and inspirations I use the native notes app on my phone.

    For recipes I use BrewCipher using the excel app on my iPhone.
     
    #11 scurvy311, Mar 3, 2016
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  12. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    #12 VikeMan, Mar 3, 2016
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  13. OldBrewer

    OldBrewer Maven (1,385) Jan 13, 2016 Canada (ON)

    As I say - I do all my own calculations. So I take extensive notes and adjust the calculations for future attempts to reality, rather than theory. I enjoy the math as much as the brewing.
     
    #13 OldBrewer, Mar 4, 2016
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  14. OldBrewer

    OldBrewer Maven (1,385) Jan 13, 2016 Canada (ON)

    #14 OldBrewer, Mar 4, 2016
  15. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    @dmtaylor takes almost as many notes on brew day as Old Brewer and he doesn't even do the math!

    I'd pay money to see the notes on his world famous Jalapeno Porter.
     
    #15 Brew_Betty, Mar 4, 2016
  16. dmtaylor

    dmtaylor Savant (1,149) Dec 30, 2003 Wisconsin

    I'll get those notes to you tomorrow Betty. I do take a lot of notes but am not quite as organized or verbose as others it seems. Makes me feel a little better. But I'm nerdy enough for sure. I do keep a detailed spreadsheets with stats for every all-grain beer I ever brewed. It's pretty awesome actually.
     
    #16 dmtaylor, Mar 4, 2016
  17. GormBrewhouse

    GormBrewhouse Pooh-Bah (2,111) Jun 24, 2015 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah

    Document freak here for recipes, hop invintory, hop harvest, grain invintory and beers on hand down cellar. But what is additional fun and knowledge is this site. I learn a lot from others which can cause document drift due to a new method, grain or hop combo, different yeast or yeasts and of course the comedy factor from some of the sharp witted Brewers here.
    Always something different or funny which for me is what it's all about , FUN!!!
     
    #17 GormBrewhouse, Mar 4, 2016
  18. dmtaylor

    dmtaylor Savant (1,149) Dec 30, 2003 Wisconsin

    Unedited for her pleasure. I’m not super tech-savvy so this is the best way I could figure in 5 minutes to share this.

    http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af341/dmtaylo1/JP1.png
    http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af341/dmtaylo1/JP2.png
    http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af341/dmtaylo1/JP3.png
    http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af341/dmtaylo1/JP4.png
     
    #18 dmtaylor, Mar 4, 2016
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  19. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    That was a very detailed set of notes. Only 4 pages, though. I was hoping for more.
     
    #19 Brew_Betty, Mar 4, 2016
  20. dmtaylor

    dmtaylor Savant (1,149) Dec 30, 2003 Wisconsin

    Sorry... you paid money for the wrong recipe I guess. I have others that go 8-10 pages or maybe more.
     
    #20 dmtaylor, Mar 4, 2016
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