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Recipe date and version

Derek Toering

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I know this can be managed, but I find it very confusing to have a date stamp on a recipe.  I have never seen a recipe book anywhere that has a date assigned to a recipe.  The version makes sense, but if you need to change a date to have the recipe store differently (ie brew 2007  has to be saved as brew 2008 in order to differentiate it in the system) what is the point?  It should be a brew session using a recipe. 2 separate things.

Just seems completely backwards to me.
 
Every professional brewing log I've seen has a date on it. I tend to brew the same style many times. I might brew a cream ale for example every two weeks during the spring and summer. I'd like to keep track of each one and without a date it would be next to impossible.
 
I can understand where your recommendation is coming from.  I am not sure it is an easy change to adjust the file structure in the program without a major rewrite of the way it handles recipe archives.

The way BeerSmith is set up, each recipe (and associated brew session) is a self-contained archive (almost, there are a few global settings which should IMHO be included in the equipment profile, such as grain absorption rate).  The separation of separate brews from the base recipe is generally what the 'brew log' function intends to do in BeerSmith.  It contains the brewed recipes and brew sessions to separate them from the initial recipe. 

The way I manage this is to set the date for each of my base recipes as 1/1/2001 in the recipe folders where they are stored.  This distinguishes them from any brewed recipe which then contains a more valid date stamp.  I copy the recipe using the 'copy to log' button where I can then make any last minute adjustments, update the %AA, prices, and add my water and water adjustments before setting the brew date.  I can then brew the recipe using this copy in the brew log to enter in the brew day and finished beer data. 

While this is not as neat or clean as having a base recipe and attached brew sessions such as in Brewfather, it does help with tracking a recipe over time and individual adjustments made to the brewing sessions.
 
I'm not saying don't have a date, just that the date should not be tied to the recipe.  It should be tied to the session.  Same recipe brewed 50 times with different dates in beersmith seems to end up as 50 recipes as opposed to 1 recipe with 50 sessions.

Not easy to change even if Brad agreed...but just throwing it out there anyway regardless.

Thanks for your thoughts. 
 
And found this.

Different thought approach to same result in my own mind... handy little clip.  Thanks Brad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zmS0A4cfao
 
I bump the version up a number also, but other than that what Brad described in the video is no different from what I outlined above.

 
It's being said above but please allow me to say it this way

In your mind, separate your base "Recipe(s)" from what have previously brewed, AKA your "Brew Log"

I have a folder called recipes, the dates never change and I don't care about the date, the folder usually contains 1 copy of each recipe unless I want something different then I create a new recipe called something different.

I have another folder called "Brew Log" and when I want to brew a recipe, I copy it from the "Recipe" folder and place it into the Brew Log folder (or use copy to brew log button) and that is where the "brewed recipe" gets a date

Dates in the Brew Log folder are critical as it's your history of what you brewed and when.  Notice how I have brewed Black Lepus (amazing BTW) many times, I don't use versions... I use the brew date

Hope this helps
Rick
 

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