Hello, beer lovers! I recently started homebrewing but there are so many recipes that I cannot keep them in my head anymore. I wanted to ask for your advice. Where do you keep your recipes? I hope to find one convenient way for it) Waiting for your responses)
If you are a frequent brewer, software is probably the way to go. I don't brew often so I make a copy (photocopy, print from online) from the recipe's source and write notes in the margins, backside, etc. and then keep the recipe in a folder in my file cabinet for future re-brewing. (There is only one recipe that I've brewed more than once.) Certain key data I also keep in a spreadsheet so that I have an index of what is in the paper folder.
There was a recent thread on this that may be helpful. https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/homebrew-record-keeping.597402/#post-6290171 I use Brewers friend and also store info in my Google drive.
Copy the Brewers friend blank recipe sheet on line, make copies, get. 3 ring binder and record. Binder gets full, start another
Software, for me there'd be no other way with ease to keep track. Many times I try a beer and then write a receipt, often to never brew them. However, it keeps me creative. Sometimes I merge some parts of one recipe with another to create something new all to its own.
Another brewery friend user here. I also subscribe to byo magazine and save the back issues. It has around 6-8 recipes a month.
I type up the recipe for every beer I've made in a separate Microsoft Word document, all of which are kept in a "Recipe" folder. I also keep separate Excel documents for the grain calculations, hop calculations, water calculations, etc. I also keep print-outs for all the information of each beer I've made in alphabetized folders which I keep in a file cabinet fro easy reference.
This is very close to what I'll be setting up after the first of the year. I already have my recipes in MS Word and use the printout for assembling stuff on brewday and for making handwritten notes and changes on the fly. Most of my quick-reference calculators are in Excel. I'll use BrewCipher for a one-stop-shopping of more detailed calculators for the individual recipes. All those will eventually find their way to separate folders or 3-ring binders to consist of recipes, malt, yeast, hops, water and misc notes. They won't go in a filing cabinet, yet. A satchel will suffice for now.
