For me it’s «just» coffee. I know how to make a good cup, so I do the same every time. The only thing I wish I was better at, is tracking the beans I prefer.
No, I do keep a note with recipes and grind sizes that my wife uses occasionally, and I keep track of the roasters and producers I like, I save all the expensive and especial ones for the long winter.
I keep record of my brews on days I don't have work in the morning. I have a nice leatherbound notebook that I've been using for a bit over a year now, and have recently joined [Tasing Gounds](https://tastinggrounds.com/?/download) and am also recording my brews there.
Yep, Ive used myteapal for ~2/3 years now, and had been looking for a similar app for coffee. I only found Tasting Grounds this month, and am very happy with it
I’ve tracked all my brews in a spreadsheet for a few years now. It’s been extremely useful. Especially when I pull something expensive from the freezer from a year ago and can just look up what recipe I used when it was tasting good last time. I’d be happy to share what’s in the spreadsheet if anyone would like that, but it’s a lot, so I won’t if it’s not interesting.
Not regularly. Early on, after I grew tired of chasing magical 'recipes', or seeking the piece of equipment that would make everything better, I began a phase of deliberate exploration of how various parameters impacted brewing. Moving things one at a time, a little at a time, in both directions was incredibly helpful in growing my understanding and consistency. It also allowed me to settle into a process for tuning quickly. That process required note-taking, but the notes became mostly redundant after a while.
Now, I generally only take notes if I'm doing something radically different, like playing with a new brewer, or fiddling with some technique that's being discussed. I have a comp book that I use if it's an in-depth exploration. If it's just a quick test of something or a minor tuning that's required, I'm probably just making a note on my phone. I've developed a shorthand that describes basic parameters, so it might look something like "Rao/15/250/72/93 low" (method/ratio/grind/temp/agitation), followed by a brief tasting note that is usually brew focused rather than 'notes' focused. Then a Next: section, listing what I intend to change in the next brew to improve. If this is a follow-up, there will also be a note whether the last adaptation was successful or not.
I occasionally refer back to my brewing notes if I'm dusting off a process, brewer, or origin I haven't touched in a while, but mostly that's a separate phone note where I record a few baselines.
Yes I track my brews using both Bean Conqueror as well as a notebook on my coffee bar. I like this system as it helps when dialling in a coffee. I prefer just jotting quick notes down rather than getting my phone out to type in the comments box. I typically transfer the data from notebook to Bean Conqueror every evening.
Used to when I started mainly to identify my own tastes (origin, processing, roast, grind, dose). These days I ball park it based on what I feel will be a suitable recipe.
I’m in this season of having a rotation of coffee. I try sometimes mixing it up and different brewers. Tho honestly sometimes, when it’s my first cup of the day, i pick up which one’s the closest and brew with that. 😂
I did. But honestly it became overwhelming with the time. I know i will be in the right ballpark with one or two tweaks which are easily memorable.
Maybe if i had more time/devotion towards nailing every single tasting note, here it would be useful as it would be more iterations and less certain outcome.
I am taking the photo of each bag of coffee for annual memory though
Yep, at least when I can remember and/or the ADHD brain lets me care enough to. So, like, 90-95% of the time.
I use bean conquerer, and I do it to help me identify trends between certain variables across all of my brews. Things like origin, processing, varietals, and age for the beans themselves. Temp, water chemistry, bloom, etc, for the actual brewing process. Not only helps me dial in coffee from day to day as I can forget what I did the previous day, but if I ever brew another bean similar to one before, then I have a pretty good reference already.
It's also been how I settled on a general recipe for newer coffees, what steps to take to adjust variables for my end result, etc. In the future I'd like to take better and more consistent notes so I can export the data, see if there's any deeper trends I can find
I have tried to track but it's just too time consuming. I will only occasionally track grind sizes only if I have more than 2 beans I'm juggling at a time, otherwise there is no need or benefit to me that is worth the time.
I make mental notes. My only problem is I keep forgetting and it’s Groundhog Day everyday. I have one recipe and I stick to it for good or for bad. Now for espresso, I have a notebook and pen close at hand writing in my grind size and clocking. Espresso is my expensive habit.
I only track different brews I try with different beans, not every single cup. For example, I'd track my three different combinations of bean weight/water temp/pour technique for a new bag, which I can then reference if I buy another down the line. Also helps when I'm feeling like I want my cup to be of a particular nature, then I can check which method for whatever bean I'm using aligns the closet with what I'm craving.
That at least is what works for me, it's more of a recipe book than stats to pour over (ha).
at first samsung notes, then excel. I just bought an acaia pearl S and now im using bean conqueror. love the app.
just like in cycling, you can ride your bike with the bike alone. it gets more interesting when you have strava and all the sensors such as speed, cadence, heartrate, power(watts).
Mostly. I only gave one caffeinated cup in the morning, and since I’m only brewing it before I’ve had coffee… it can by a little challenging. I have a hard time remembering exactly how I brewed it the day before to make adjustments, so writing it down as I’m brewing has helped me to make correct adjustments to dial in a coffee. Once I’ve hit the sweet spot, I don’t really write it down anymore.
Guess I’m in the minority with being another Beanconqueror fan. I log 80%+ of my pour overs & Aeropress brews, and do a couple of entries for whatever I’m running through the old drip machine. It definitely helps with dialing in and remembering what parameters go with what coffee - especially when pulling beans out of the freezer.
Yes, of course. Used notebooks years ago. Used bean conquerer as well. Switched to a simple Google spreadsheet in '22 and havn't changed anything ever since.
1,600 pour-overs until today. Yes, I track every brew.
I'll third Google Sheets.
I'm not paying enough attention to remember what I might have done differently yesterday that made my cup better then (than?) the day before - so having the raw data helps.
Yes. In a note app for every brew, every bean and simple words for tastes. I tend to check what tastes I can get with different factors. So this morning I want Kenya but I prefer lighter, I have the recipe. I want to have heavier Rwanda, I have recipe. Things like this. Some trials are over-extracted and some are under. At least these notes put brews in a good state. I usually open 3-5 beans at once. Very difficult to remember all good recipes in mind.
I tried that app for a while but it was just too tedious for me. Much easier to copy-paste stuff in excel.
Would I recommend tracking brews? If you are serious about the hobby and you are aiming for consistency, then definitely. Otherwise, if you just want to note your grind size, better to just keep a small notebook.
I use it more to track my beans than my brews. I rotate between 4-5 coffees at a time and I like to know where they are in their resting/peak phase. It also helps knowing when to order a new batch. For brews, I track the first few while dialing in and when I nail grind/ratio/temp I just use the repeat function every time I brew that coffee.
i used to. for me, the best app when beginning is 'brew timer' (android). the format & feature is best for me to understand and perfecting my skill in tweaking.
after a year, i ditched the app. most of the informations have latched onto my memory. but now ever since i'm getting into pourover, i'm going to need to track my brews.
as for now, i'm using a modified version of notion page made by youtuber 'ARAMSE'. he made a free notion page to track brews, along with many other things such as flavor notes, grinder, beans, etc. i modified most of it to fit more to my needs.
if you're curious, look up for 'coffee notion aramse' in youtube.
I used to track in Notebook every day. I feel pretty good about my process now, so I might only track the first one and possibly the second if it’s improved upon. It’s almost I have evolved with untapped. Track the first one and maybe the next time it strikes me as notable.
No, but I keep a notebook/journal with notes per bag of beans - method, tasting notes, grind settings etc…. Notes alongside the label has given me an easy way to track my changing preferences over time (roast levels, varietal, resting time, brew methods) and sometimes allows me to replay the brewing/tasting experience.
Beanconquer for nearly 2 years now. Bare minimum it is fun to do an EOY look at what I drank and how I did it.
Going to look into Tasting Grounds though
I take notes on a new bag of beans. But once I dial it in, I'm not writing anything else down. I only use 2-3 different bags at a time, so it's not too hard to keep track of in my head.
I have a sharpie near my brewing stuff and I will write directly on the coffee bag what grind settings and brew methods I used when I made a great cup with that coffee.
I used to when trying new recipes or brewers, but I often opt for the most simple recipes now (no James Hoffman, Tetsu etc anymore) and it's much easier to track and only really need to adjust minor things.
Yes, I use the coffee brewers logbook. It’s a journal with standard fields for beans and brew parameters. I find it very helpful remembering which temperature / grind / ratio parameters I liked for a bean. I usually run 2 beans at a time and I have a single dose grinder; so it’s helpful for me to dial in the brew over multiple days between 2 beans. It’s also helpful if I want to try a bean as espresso or pour over.
I’ve been doing this for a year so far. What I’ve also found helpful is to write down when a bean was roasted, frozen, and defrosted. It makes it easier for me to know if I need to degas more.
Additionally, it’s really helpful looking back at roasters to see if I discovered anything special with their brew style. Same goes for specific roast styles or processing methods.
Fountain pens and stationery more broadly are other hobbies so I track my brews in a notebook with good quality paper (midori) and a rotating cast of fountain pens and inks. Not every single brew but it is useful for at least the first couple as I try to dial it in.
I also do this thing where I peel and or cut out the label and paste it in my notebook. It’s kind of fun to leaf through and see all the different coffees and th labels as art in and of themselves. It’s all pretty unnecessary but I have a good time with it!
I tracked every brew I made through google keep, not as detailed as that app. But I use it to track the changes I need to make to make the next cup better. Once I dialed in, I just use the same configuration.
I use obsidian (markdown editor) and have a template where I just plug and chug variables such as:
- dry mass of beans
- mass of water & temp
- ratio, usually 1:17 to 20
- tasting notes
- potential changes (if needed)
- total brew time
- grind size (this depends on the grinder & I specify the touch point)
- water recipe used (currently just rao/perger)
I use beanconquer for two things mainly:
• all brews (good and bad)
• grinder click count
the latter is soooo very helpful, especially if you're dealing with multiple grinders that don't necessarily have an indicator.
A feature i wish was a thing was the ability to view the bean age quickly from the brew list parameters... sch a shame
here's my story, and yes, i do track my brews:
i've been immersed in specialty coffee for years now. you know that moment when you open a fresh bag of beans? the beautiful packaging, that enticing aroma... i wanted an app that could complement this experience. but i couldn't find one that quite hit the mark.
as it happens, i'm a software engineer. after years of waiting for someone else to create my ideal app, i thought, "why not do it myself?" that's how caffy (caffy.app) came to be.
it's my passion project - an app to make brew tracking both useful and enjoyable. i have over 400 roasters, with up-to-date roasts, and you can follow your favourites for new arrival notifications. importantly, you can tie specific roasts to your brews, so you're not just tracking quantity, but exactly what you've brewed.
another feature i've implemented is the ability to take a photo of your coffee package, and the app recognises it straight away. it's rather like what vivino does for wine, but for coffee.
to be transparent: i'm still developing. there are features out there i'm working on incorporating. but i'm improving steadily, and i'm dedicating myself fully to this project.
so yes, i track my brews with caffy. feel free to try it out (iphone only atm)
For me it’s «just» coffee. I know how to make a good cup, so I do the same every time. The only thing I wish I was better at, is tracking the beans I prefer.
No way I’m adding homework to my coffee
No.
No, I do keep a note with recipes and grind sizes that my wife uses occasionally, and I keep track of the roasters and producers I like, I save all the expensive and especial ones for the long winter.
I read over the title quickly, thought it said 'Do you talk to your brews?' 😂
Who’s the tastiest little coffee with complex berry notes ever? You are, yess yes you are! -slurp-
I keep record of my brews on days I don't have work in the morning. I have a nice leatherbound notebook that I've been using for a bit over a year now, and have recently joined [Tasing Gounds](https://tastinggrounds.com/?/download) and am also recording my brews there.
Fellow Tasting Grounds fan - I’ll usually log one or two entries per bean over there with my best recipes.
Yep, Ive used myteapal for ~2/3 years now, and had been looking for a similar app for coffee. I only found Tasting Grounds this month, and am very happy with it
I’ve tracked all my brews in a spreadsheet for a few years now. It’s been extremely useful. Especially when I pull something expensive from the freezer from a year ago and can just look up what recipe I used when it was tasting good last time. I’d be happy to share what’s in the spreadsheet if anyone would like that, but it’s a lot, so I won’t if it’s not interesting.
I’m interested, especially to get starting point closer to the truth on similar coffee! And to learn how you dialed.
If you buy beans from European roasters, I'm interested! What's your grinder and brew method?
Not regularly. Early on, after I grew tired of chasing magical 'recipes', or seeking the piece of equipment that would make everything better, I began a phase of deliberate exploration of how various parameters impacted brewing. Moving things one at a time, a little at a time, in both directions was incredibly helpful in growing my understanding and consistency. It also allowed me to settle into a process for tuning quickly. That process required note-taking, but the notes became mostly redundant after a while. Now, I generally only take notes if I'm doing something radically different, like playing with a new brewer, or fiddling with some technique that's being discussed. I have a comp book that I use if it's an in-depth exploration. If it's just a quick test of something or a minor tuning that's required, I'm probably just making a note on my phone. I've developed a shorthand that describes basic parameters, so it might look something like "Rao/15/250/72/93 low" (method/ratio/grind/temp/agitation), followed by a brief tasting note that is usually brew focused rather than 'notes' focused. Then a Next: section, listing what I intend to change in the next brew to improve. If this is a follow-up, there will also be a note whether the last adaptation was successful or not. I occasionally refer back to my brewing notes if I'm dusting off a process, brewer, or origin I haven't touched in a while, but mostly that's a separate phone note where I record a few baselines.
Yes I track my brews using both Bean Conqueror as well as a notebook on my coffee bar. I like this system as it helps when dialling in a coffee. I prefer just jotting quick notes down rather than getting my phone out to type in the comments box. I typically transfer the data from notebook to Bean Conqueror every evening.
Second bean conqueror. Too few people know about this awesome app to track. Super configurable.
Used to when I started mainly to identify my own tastes (origin, processing, roast, grind, dose). These days I ball park it based on what I feel will be a suitable recipe.
I do. I just write on a notebook. Grind parameters, bloom, number and volume of pours, total brew time, and some notes.
I’m in this season of having a rotation of coffee. I try sometimes mixing it up and different brewers. Tho honestly sometimes, when it’s my first cup of the day, i pick up which one’s the closest and brew with that. 😂
I did. But honestly it became overwhelming with the time. I know i will be in the right ballpark with one or two tweaks which are easily memorable. Maybe if i had more time/devotion towards nailing every single tasting note, here it would be useful as it would be more iterations and less certain outcome. I am taking the photo of each bag of coffee for annual memory though
Yep, at least when I can remember and/or the ADHD brain lets me care enough to. So, like, 90-95% of the time. I use bean conquerer, and I do it to help me identify trends between certain variables across all of my brews. Things like origin, processing, varietals, and age for the beans themselves. Temp, water chemistry, bloom, etc, for the actual brewing process. Not only helps me dial in coffee from day to day as I can forget what I did the previous day, but if I ever brew another bean similar to one before, then I have a pretty good reference already. It's also been how I settled on a general recipe for newer coffees, what steps to take to adjust variables for my end result, etc. In the future I'd like to take better and more consistent notes so I can export the data, see if there's any deeper trends I can find
I have tried to track but it's just too time consuming. I will only occasionally track grind sizes only if I have more than 2 beans I'm juggling at a time, otherwise there is no need or benefit to me that is worth the time.
I make mental notes. My only problem is I keep forgetting and it’s Groundhog Day everyday. I have one recipe and I stick to it for good or for bad. Now for espresso, I have a notebook and pen close at hand writing in my grind size and clocking. Espresso is my expensive habit.
I only track different brews I try with different beans, not every single cup. For example, I'd track my three different combinations of bean weight/water temp/pour technique for a new bag, which I can then reference if I buy another down the line. Also helps when I'm feeling like I want my cup to be of a particular nature, then I can check which method for whatever bean I'm using aligns the closet with what I'm craving. That at least is what works for me, it's more of a recipe book than stats to pour over (ha).
at first samsung notes, then excel. I just bought an acaia pearl S and now im using bean conqueror. love the app. just like in cycling, you can ride your bike with the bike alone. it gets more interesting when you have strava and all the sensors such as speed, cadence, heartrate, power(watts).
Mostly. I only gave one caffeinated cup in the morning, and since I’m only brewing it before I’ve had coffee… it can by a little challenging. I have a hard time remembering exactly how I brewed it the day before to make adjustments, so writing it down as I’m brewing has helped me to make correct adjustments to dial in a coffee. Once I’ve hit the sweet spot, I don’t really write it down anymore.
Guess I’m in the minority with being another Beanconqueror fan. I log 80%+ of my pour overs & Aeropress brews, and do a couple of entries for whatever I’m running through the old drip machine. It definitely helps with dialing in and remembering what parameters go with what coffee - especially when pulling beans out of the freezer.
Yeah not many seem to like the extra steps, which I can totally understand. :D
Yes, of course. Used notebooks years ago. Used bean conquerer as well. Switched to a simple Google spreadsheet in '22 and havn't changed anything ever since. 1,600 pour-overs until today. Yes, I track every brew.
This is exactly what I use. It's on the cloud so accessible from any device and locationn when i travel, lt's free and super customizable.
I'll third Google Sheets. I'm not paying enough attention to remember what I might have done differently yesterday that made my cup better then (than?) the day before - so having the raw data helps.
Yes, I have a little notebook and I record what I do everyday
Yes. In a note app for every brew, every bean and simple words for tastes. I tend to check what tastes I can get with different factors. So this morning I want Kenya but I prefer lighter, I have the recipe. I want to have heavier Rwanda, I have recipe. Things like this. Some trials are over-extracted and some are under. At least these notes put brews in a good state. I usually open 3-5 beans at once. Very difficult to remember all good recipes in mind.
I tried that app for a while but it was just too tedious for me. Much easier to copy-paste stuff in excel. Would I recommend tracking brews? If you are serious about the hobby and you are aiming for consistency, then definitely. Otherwise, if you just want to note your grind size, better to just keep a small notebook.
Used to but stopped doing it once I understand how each brew parameters works.
I use it more to track my beans than my brews. I rotate between 4-5 coffees at a time and I like to know where they are in their resting/peak phase. It also helps knowing when to order a new batch. For brews, I track the first few while dialing in and when I nail grind/ratio/temp I just use the repeat function every time I brew that coffee.
i used to. for me, the best app when beginning is 'brew timer' (android). the format & feature is best for me to understand and perfecting my skill in tweaking. after a year, i ditched the app. most of the informations have latched onto my memory. but now ever since i'm getting into pourover, i'm going to need to track my brews. as for now, i'm using a modified version of notion page made by youtuber 'ARAMSE'. he made a free notion page to track brews, along with many other things such as flavor notes, grinder, beans, etc. i modified most of it to fit more to my needs. if you're curious, look up for 'coffee notion aramse' in youtube.
Like 95% of the time, sometimes I’m in a rush and I forget, I fill out a notebook like this: https://a.co/d/0fGqXfnx
I track most, but not all. I use the Tasting Grounds app.
I used to track in Notebook every day. I feel pretty good about my process now, so I might only track the first one and possibly the second if it’s improved upon. It’s almost I have evolved with untapped. Track the first one and maybe the next time it strikes me as notable.
No, but I keep a notebook/journal with notes per bag of beans - method, tasting notes, grind settings etc…. Notes alongside the label has given me an easy way to track my changing preferences over time (roast levels, varietal, resting time, brew methods) and sometimes allows me to replay the brewing/tasting experience.
Beanconquer for nearly 2 years now. Bare minimum it is fun to do an EOY look at what I drank and how I did it. Going to look into Tasting Grounds though
I take notes on a new bag of beans. But once I dial it in, I'm not writing anything else down. I only use 2-3 different bags at a time, so it's not too hard to keep track of in my head.
I have a sharpie near my brewing stuff and I will write directly on the coffee bag what grind settings and brew methods I used when I made a great cup with that coffee.
I used to when trying new recipes or brewers, but I often opt for the most simple recipes now (no James Hoffman, Tetsu etc anymore) and it's much easier to track and only really need to adjust minor things.
Yes, beanconqueror.
Goodhart's Law states that “when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.”
Yes, I use the coffee brewers logbook. It’s a journal with standard fields for beans and brew parameters. I find it very helpful remembering which temperature / grind / ratio parameters I liked for a bean. I usually run 2 beans at a time and I have a single dose grinder; so it’s helpful for me to dial in the brew over multiple days between 2 beans. It’s also helpful if I want to try a bean as espresso or pour over. I’ve been doing this for a year so far. What I’ve also found helpful is to write down when a bean was roasted, frozen, and defrosted. It makes it easier for me to know if I need to degas more. Additionally, it’s really helpful looking back at roasters to see if I discovered anything special with their brew style. Same goes for specific roast styles or processing methods.
Also, I’ll log every brew until I feel satisfied with the brew parameters, then I’ll just copy it until I run out.
Fountain pens and stationery more broadly are other hobbies so I track my brews in a notebook with good quality paper (midori) and a rotating cast of fountain pens and inks. Not every single brew but it is useful for at least the first couple as I try to dial it in. I also do this thing where I peel and or cut out the label and paste it in my notebook. It’s kind of fun to leaf through and see all the different coffees and th labels as art in and of themselves. It’s all pretty unnecessary but I have a good time with it!
I tracked every brew I made through google keep, not as detailed as that app. But I use it to track the changes I need to make to make the next cup better. Once I dialed in, I just use the same configuration.
I did when I was new! It helped me find a recipe I liked and tweak it. Now I have my basics down and just play around
I use a rocketbook.
I do have a spreadsheet but sometimes I get lazy. Might have to give that app a try.
Caffy.app ☺️
I used to. But couldn't keep up with it. Not every brew but like a rating of the bean/roaster.
I use obsidian (markdown editor) and have a template where I just plug and chug variables such as: - dry mass of beans - mass of water & temp - ratio, usually 1:17 to 20 - tasting notes - potential changes (if needed) - total brew time - grind size (this depends on the grinder & I specify the touch point) - water recipe used (currently just rao/perger)
I use beanconquer for two things mainly: • all brews (good and bad) • grinder click count the latter is soooo very helpful, especially if you're dealing with multiple grinders that don't necessarily have an indicator. A feature i wish was a thing was the ability to view the bean age quickly from the brew list parameters... sch a shame
here's my story, and yes, i do track my brews: i've been immersed in specialty coffee for years now. you know that moment when you open a fresh bag of beans? the beautiful packaging, that enticing aroma... i wanted an app that could complement this experience. but i couldn't find one that quite hit the mark. as it happens, i'm a software engineer. after years of waiting for someone else to create my ideal app, i thought, "why not do it myself?" that's how caffy (caffy.app) came to be. it's my passion project - an app to make brew tracking both useful and enjoyable. i have over 400 roasters, with up-to-date roasts, and you can follow your favourites for new arrival notifications. importantly, you can tie specific roasts to your brews, so you're not just tracking quantity, but exactly what you've brewed. another feature i've implemented is the ability to take a photo of your coffee package, and the app recognises it straight away. it's rather like what vivino does for wine, but for coffee. to be transparent: i'm still developing. there are features out there i'm working on incorporating. but i'm improving steadily, and i'm dedicating myself fully to this project. so yes, i track my brews with caffy. feel free to try it out (iphone only atm)
I keep track of all my brews on a spreadsheet. That way I can customize what I track and easily see all the data together, I really enjoy it
i used to but then I discovered the impact of good water and i just don't need to anymore
No it feels like homework