Beer Brewing Log (Homebrew)
A homebrew beer brewing log — recipe (style, batch size, grain bill, hops, yeast, water), brew day metrics (mash temp, OG), fermentation (FG, temp, days), packaging, tasting + scoresheet (BJCP), and lessons for next batch.
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HOMEBREW BREWING LOG Brewer: Morgan Lee Batch: Batch 047 — "Linden Ave Pale Ale" Style: American Pale Ale — BJCP 18B Size: 5 gal post-boil Brew date: June 8, 2026 GRAIN BILL • 9 lb | 2-row Pale Malt (Briess) • 1 lb | Munich 10L • 8 oz | Crystal 40L • 4 oz | Carapils • 8 oz | Flaked Oats HOPS • 0.5 oz | Magnum 14% AA | 60 min | bittering • 1 oz | Centennial 10% AA | 15 min | flavor • 1 oz | Cascade 6% AA | 5 min | aroma • 2 oz | Citra 12% AA | dry hop day 4 | aroma • 2 oz | Centennial 10% AA | dry hop day 4 | aroma YEAST + WATER Yeast: Wyeast 1056 American Ale — 1L starter prepared 2026-06-06 Water: Springfield municipal water; treated to amber-balanced profile (Ca 120, Mg 12, Na 30, SO4 200, Cl 50) BREW DAY METRICS Mash temp: 152°F for 60 min; mash-out 168°F 10 min Boil: 60 minutes OG: 1.054 actual / target 1.052 (~78% efficiency) FERMENTATION 66°F primary fermentation 7 days; raised to 70°F day 8 for diacetyl rest; dry-hopped day 11; cold-crashed day 14 at 35°F for 2 days FINAL GRAVITY + ABV 1.012 FG · ABV (1.054-1.012) × 131.25 = 5.5% ABV PACKAGING Kegged in 5-gal cornelius keg; force-carbonated to 2.4 vol CO2 at 38°F (12 psi); transferred 2026-06-22 TASTING NOTES (BJCP-style) Appearance: pale gold, slight haze (dry-hop), 1 finger white head, good retention. Aroma: bright citrus + tropical (Citra), pine (Centennial), light bready malt. Flavor: pale-malt backbone, light caramel (Crystal 40), assertive citrus + pine hops, finish dry, moderate bitterness 38 IBU calc. Mouthfeel: medium body, medium carbonation, slightly drying finish. Overall: clean American pale; meets style. BJCP score (self): 41/50. LESSONS FOR NEXT BATCH • Efficiency slightly higher than target — adjust mash water by 0.25 gal next time • Dry-hop aroma faded by week 4 — try double dry-hop or biotransformation hop (during active ferment) • Carbonation perfect at 2.4 vol • Yeast: would re-use 1056 for this style • Try Mosaic + Galaxy combination for next pale ale variant BREW-DAY CHECKLIST [ ] Recipe + water adjustments calculated [ ] All equipment sanitized (StarSan / Saniclean) [ ] Yeast starter prepared 24-48 hr ahead (liquid yeast) [ ] Mash temp logged + verified [ ] Pre-boil + post-boil gravity logged [ ] Wort cooled to pitch temp + oxygenated [ ] Yeast pitched + airlock observed [ ] Daily fermentation observation logged [ ] FG verified stable (3 readings 2 days apart) [ ] Cold-crash + clarification (if used) [ ] Packaging carbonation calculated + verified [ ] Tasting notes within 2 weeks post-package [ ] Style notes vs BJCP guidelines
About this template
**Homebrewing reproducibility starts with a brewing log**. The difference between "that was great" and "I can make it again" is the brew-day data — exact grain weights, hop schedule, yeast strain + pitch rate, mash temperature, OG, fermentation profile, FG, and the tasting notes that connect the data to the result. **US federal law** (27 USC §5053) **allows up to 100 gallons per adult per year, or 200 gallons per household with two adults**, for personal or family use only — homebrew may NOT be sold without licensing. **The log carries six datasets**. **Recipe** — style, batch size, grain bill, hops schedule, yeast strain, water profile (modern brewers treat water with mineral additions to match style — Ca / Mg / Na / SO4 / Cl). **Brew day** — mash temperature (single-infusion 148-156°F is the typical pale-ale band; lower = drier + more fermentable; higher = sweeter + more body), boil duration (60-90 min standard, 90 for pilsner DMS reduction), original gravity (OG) actual vs target. **Fermentation** — pitch temperature, fermentation temperature curve (most ales 65-72°F, lagers 48-55°F), days at temperature, diacetyl rest, dry hop timing (4-5 days post-active fermentation, or biotransformation during active fermentation), cold crash. **Final gravity** — verified stable across two readings 48 hours apart; ABV = (OG - FG) × 131.25 (approximation). **Packaging** — bottle conditioning with priming sugar (typically 4-5 oz corn sugar per 5-gal batch for ales), or force carbonation in keg at temp / psi appropriate to style (2.0-2.6 vol CO2 for ales, 2.6-3.0 for many wheats, 1.8-2.4 for British). **Tasting** — BJCP scoresheet covers appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, overall; the 50-point scale + style-fit assessment. **Lessons** — what to keep and what to change next batch. Saving logs over a year of brewing surfaces the patterns: which yeast strain finishes cleaner at what temperature, which hop combination delivers what aroma, which grain bill produces what color + body. **Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)** style guidelines (current edition 2021, partial 2025 update) are the working reference for amateur and competition brewing.
When to use it
- Per-batch homebrew documentation.
- Recipe iteration across batches.
- BJCP competition entry preparation.
- Yeast harvest + repitch tracking.
- Club share / recipe handoff.
What to include
- Brewer + batch # + style + batch size.
- Grain bill (lb / oz + grain).
- Hop schedule (variety + time + use).
- Yeast + water profile.
- Mash temp + boil + OG actual.
- Fermentation temperature + days.
- FG + ABV.
- Packaging carbonation.
- BJCP-style tasting notes.
- Lessons for next batch.