How do I keep good records?

RECORDKEEPING

Q: What records should we keep of our brewing activities? Can you recommend a good format?

A: Record each beer recipe and all measurements associated with the brew, such as the volume and strike temperature of the mash water, mash temperatures at the various times and stages, total time for each step in the process, and so forth. The numbers will give you a way to compare your procedures so that you can explain differences in your results.

It is impossible to give a complete list because brewing processes are so variable. At minimum, however, it is a good idea to record the recipe (amounts and specific types of ingredients and how they were used) and basic fermentation data, including original and terminal gravity and temperature. If you have a fairly elaborate process, your log sheets should reflect its complexity. At the Saint Louis Brewing Company we use a six-page form to record data for each brew. On the other hand, a simple malt extract brew might require only a page or two to record all the relevant information.

A number of predesigned, preprinted log forms have been published over the years. I suggest that you at least look at some of these or at the logs kept by other brewers you know to get an idea of what information you might want to record. It is easy to overlook things if you are just writing notes on a blank sheet of paper. On the other hand, it is highly unlikely that someone else’s form is going to fit your methodology and your preferences exactly. Over time, you will probably find yourself adding notes in the margin. When this happens, it may be time to have a go at designing your own form. A good word processor and printer make this easy, and you can change the form as often as you wish.

I would not try to make my log entries directly into a computer. Log records are made on the fly, so to speak, in various parts of the house and often in places where a computer, even a portable one, does not belong, like a steamy kitchen with a kettle of wort boiling away. A paper form attached to a clipboard and a ballpoint pen are much more rugged and cheaper to replace if wort or beer is splashed on them. This is not a criticism of the various computer programs that have been published specifically for home brewers. Many of them provide valuable help with number crunching and other aspects of brewing. I do not believe, however, that they can take the place of a good paper log form that is customized to your brewing method and that can be carried around with you.

Whatever form you decide to use, do not limit yourself to recording numbers. Verbal descriptions of various activities — especially accidents or unusual occurrences — are just as important. The more notes you write to yourself about your brewing, the more you will learn from each brew session. Reviewing these notes periodically will help you formulate hypotheses about why you encountered certain difficulties and may suggest possible courses of action to solve them. By taking careful notes about our sparging operations, for example, I have learned that, at least with our mash/lauter tun, a thin mash makes it easier to clarify the wort and keep it clear during runoff and sparging.

Records are the key to learning from your brews. The more time you put into your log, the better it will serve you.

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