Here's how I keep my recipes and data organized. I set them up like a directory structure. Here is mine:
My Recipes
Brew Log
Downloader Recipes
All Grain
Extract
Partial Mash
Past Season Brew Log
08-09 Brews
Planning
All Grain
Luna Pier Beer
Pirate Point Beer
West Erie Basin Beer
Extract
Partial Mash
Sample Recipes
I create a recipe in one of the "Planning" folders depending on the type.
"All Grain" we keep our three basic beer lines separate.
"Luna Pier Beer" is simple 10lb batches of our house beers.
"Pirate Point Beer" are our seasonal and stronger beers. Typically 12 lb brews.
"West Erie Basin" are specials, 12 to 16 lb beers.
"Extract" Self explanitory
"Partial Mash" as above
When we are ready to brew a recipe, we "Duplicate" it and edit the name to include a batch number.
Example: The Duplicate of "Erie Beach Blonde Beer", would be renamed from "Copy of Erie Beach Blonde Beer" to "107 - Erie Beach Blonde Beer". We would then drag this into the "Brew Log Folder".
Brew Log contains a list of this current brewing seasons beers. At the end of the brew season, we create another folder under "Past Season Brew Log", the use <Edit>, <Select All> and drag all the recipe's to the newly created folder. This leaves "Bre Log" clear for next season.
It is important to keep the "Brew Log" folder neat and only have the brews you are brewing as the "Calendar" is set up to only look at recipes in "Brew Log"
For our data during the brew session, we have created simple list of the data we want to collect while brewing. We <Copy> a blank form into the "Recipe Notes" box at the bottom of the recipe page. When you print your "Brewsheet", theses notes appear at the bottom of the page. We fill in the data during our brew session with pen, and when all packageing is complete, we type the data into the Recipe page where it wull stay on file for future use.
Copy of our Recipe Notes Form:
Strike = ___*F, Mash Start = ___*F, Mash End = ___*F, Corrected Decoct Volume = ___ qt, Mash Out = ___*F,
1st Running Volume = _.__ gal, Absorption = _.__ gal, S.G. = 1.___, Sparge Temp = ___*F, 2nd Running = _.__ gal, S.G. = 1.___,
3rd Running = _.__ gal, S.G. = 1.___, Pre-Boil Gravity = 1.___, Boiled Wort Gravity (O.G.) = 1.___, Primary = PRI- _
Yeast History = __, __, __, __, __, __, __, __, __, __, _ Use, Pitch Date = __/__/__, Pitch Temp = __*F, Pitch Time = __:__,
Date Air Lock lift = __/__/__, Time Air Lock Lift = __:__, Full Activity Date = __/__/__, Full Activity Time = __:__, Secondary = SEC - _, Rack Date = __/__/__, Gravity into Secondary = 1.0__, Secondary Temp = __*F, Bottle/Keg Date = __/__/__, Final Gravity = 1.0__, Attenuation % = __.__%
Clear as Mud?? I hope this helps.
Preston