# Record Keeping



## tonyt (Apr 15, 2012)

I was just making a reply on another thread and ended by saying "be sure to keep good records" (of how you made each batch). That got me thinking what an understatement that was and should be a topic for it's own thread again. 

Let's all chime in our own Who What Where When How and Why of our record keeping.

I used to think I was keeping track of the steps I take with each batch of wine in order to replicate batches that I think came out particularly well. Twice I actually tried copying exactly how I made a batch only to discover that effort was fruitless. Neither time did I get very close to the previous effort, not necessarily better or worse just not exactly the same by simply copying step by step. Now I rely much more on tasting every step of the way and tweaking as I go with a general aim at what I want at finish. 

I have now found that the true value of my record keeping is to find and avoid errors in batches that did not turn out as well as I hope. It has been very useful to go back months later and see what I might have done or failed to do that negatively impacted my wine. For instance going back I realized I degassed in winter and in spring the wine was still fizzy - wine was too cold to degass. On another occasion looking back over my notes I discovered I didn't add the final K-Meta, ended up re-bottling the entire 30 bottles.

Here is the form I got from one of you and changed up a bit. I am sure many of you have better ones. 

View attachment Wine Makers Log.pdf


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## SBWs (Apr 15, 2012)

What I do is buy 8 1/2 X 11 card stock and cut it into 8 smaller cards and punch a hole in the end. I then fasten a card to each batch of wine with a tie wrap. When ever I do anything to the wine I write it on the card. Everything goes on the card from start date, S.G., pH, Acid, recipe, anything added, when racked so forth all the way to bottling. Sometimes I end up with 2 or 3 cards before I'm done. I found if I try and keep a log on my computer or even a note book, I get to doing something else and forget to write down what I did. After the wine is done I then transfer into my computer wine notes but always keep the cards for backup.


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## roblloyd (Apr 15, 2012)

I use BrewTrax and have reminders set to remind me to follow each step. When you start the program it pops up like Outlook saying it's time to do your set task. Very helpful. You can print out everything for a paper backup if you want too.


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## Luc (Apr 16, 2012)

I find that every winemaking log limits my freedom.
So I keep record with a textprocessor and just make plain texdt files.
I can write down in detail every step I make and add any comments I want later.

For me this is still the best

Luc


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 16, 2012)

Simple Excel spreadsheet with a tab for each wine. But I'm in finance, so I'm comforatable with Excel.


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## rocket man (Apr 16, 2012)

Boatboy24 said:


> Simple Excel spreadsheet with a tab for each wine.



That's what I do with mine too. I print out a blank sheet of the form and jot down along the way so I don't have to open up the program every time I add something to the wine. When it's all done and bottled I go back to the program and enter it all in.


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## Bartman (Apr 16, 2012)

I've abandoned the record-keeping I did when I started making wine (5+ years ago), because I rarely, if ever, referred back to my notes once it was bottled. I have never had a batch I didn't either like or love, and the mistakes I have made would not have been avoided by reviewing past experience - they were just dumb mistakes that I knew better than to do (like not topping off 10-15 bottles with the cloudy last ~cup from the carboy because I couldn't stand to waste that much, which I would have done if I had racked that one last time). After 40+ batches, I know the 'drill' for kits and frozen juice pretty well. I'm still learning with fresh grapes, but I feel the experience of doing it is far more valuable than writing it down and trying to remember that feeling or thought process months later. As far as adjustments/additions such as sugar, oak, etc., the time lag between making the wine, aging it, drinking it, comparing bottles over time, and planning on what I will do the 'next time', is too long (2-3 years) to remember and appreciate why I did it in the first place and compare the later modifications to the first batch results. 

I just don't have that much interest in analyzing and re-analyzing everything that was done then and how I'd do it differently now. I just want to make wine I enjoy drinking and am comfortable will turn out reasonably well, which it always has so far. I don't use the foil caps and I don't care to enter contests, because frankly, I don't care if others love or hate my wine if my family and I like it. My work has to satisfy my clients' needs/expectations, but my wine is made for and by me alone, so it's liberating to do what I want, when I want, how I want. I believe most home winemakers are like that too - not to discourage you from doing what you enjoy, Tony, but if every hobbyist/winemaker had to keep detailed records of every wine they had made and maintain those records, I think there would 75% fewer winemakers out there! I know folks who make 3-4 kits/batches a year, and are quite content with what they get; being compelled to do many of the things described on this forum as 'essential' or 'extremely important' would probably lead them to never make wine again. There's always more than one way to skin a cat, and I think a lot of times we on the forum feel there is only 'right' way to go about making wine. It may be the 'recommended,' 'safest' or most reliable method, but it's probably not the only way.

For those who are starting out and learning, taking and reviewing your notes is helpful if you are going by trial and error, but this winemaking has been done for a very lonnnnng time under much more primitive conditions, so once you have made 5-10 batches, you have learned the essential procedures and further experimentation is for your own purposes. Others like to have the records of what they have done, in the sense of a scrapbook, I suppose, but that's not for me; but like I said before, there are many ways to skin a cat, and if keeping detailed records floats your boat, then have at it!


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 16, 2012)

rocket man said:


> That's what I do with mine too. I print out a blank sheet of the form and jot down along the way so I don't have to open up the program every time I add something to the wine. When it's all done and bottled I go back to the program and enter it all in.



I'm thinking I might go to Google docs with mine so I can simply edit from my iPad.


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## shoebiedoo (Apr 16, 2012)

Boatboy24 said:


> I'm thinking I might go to Google docs with mine so I can simply edit from my iPad.



That's an excellent idea!!!!


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## shen (Apr 16, 2012)

Boatboy24 said:


> I'm thinking I might go to Google docs with mine so I can simply edit from my iPad.


I just posted this the other day. Google Docs works great for this. I can even access it from my phone.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f6/winemakers-log-30705/


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## Boatboy24 (Apr 16, 2012)

shen said:


> I just posted this the other day. Google Docs works great for this. I can even access it from my phone.
> http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f6/winemakers-log-30705/



Got the idea from your post. I already had my spreadsheet, but using Google docs is brilliant.


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## Dugger (Apr 16, 2012)

While record keeping may not be for everyone, it is something I still do, although I stick to paper records. I occasionally refer back to them for my own information but not often; however I do find them valuable for reference when someone asks a question on here about a kit they are making and I have made in the past and may be able to provide some helpful info.
I think that is the great part about this forum - the amount of helpful information sharing, and good record keeping is an important part of this.


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