# Spreadsheet - Coffee Log ?



## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

Ownership of a new Olympus 75e has encouraged me to start sampling some different beans, starting with a trio from Coffee Compass. I'm never going to be overly anal about my coffee making but inevitably, I am now scribbling little notes, here and there and anywhere, as I go about swapping beans. Truth is that these notes are often undecipherable after the event, likely on scraps of paper or coffee bags that get thrown away and so are of little real value.

So I have decided that a spreadsheet is the way forward, especially as my PC is on 24/7 and generally has Excel open.

The data that I would wish to log is minimal and a doddle for me to set up.

However, I know from my forum browsing that there are members who make reference to their spreadsheets and I would be curious to know&#8230;&#8230;..

How common this is?

Do you use an Excel spreadsheet?

Did you set it up yourself or is there a 'standard' template out there?

Is it easy to use?

Does it do all that you would wish?

What sort of info do the more serious members wish to record?

How do you refer back to or analyse your data?

I am reasonably proficient with Excel, including automation with VBA, and if there is sufficient interest in me trying to develop a flexible and useful spreadsheet that could be made available to members then I would consider taking the project on.

I wouldn't wish to reinvent the wheel nor to create something of little or no value and so I would welcome any comments.


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## hilltopbrews (May 17, 2013)

I use an app called libations. You can record all beans you've tried including their origins, roaster, flavour profile, your rating, photos, acidity, ph level etc etc. Can't remember if it was free or not. I just checked the App Store but it doesn't show how much it was as I have the app on my phone. Unfortunately, it can't be exported into excel. Hopefully, the next development of that app would include that.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Yes i use one for brewed and espresso , allows me to keep track of grind settings, taste and brew preference

I tend to capture more specific data for brewed , then a summary of the beans itself ( taste , best brew methods etc )


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Sarah0817 said:


> I use an app called libations. You can record all beans you've tried including their origins, roaster, flavour profile, your rating, photos, acidity, ph level etc etc. Can't remember if it was free or not. I just checked the App Store but it doesn't show how much it was as I have the app on my phone. Unfortunately, it can't be exported into excel. Hopefully, the next development of that app would include that.


Free, with in-app purchase of 79p for the coffee pack (comes with a free beer pack)


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## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

Thanks for those responses.

For the sake of 79p I might just take a look at Libations. Although I have to say that I'm sort of allergic to the word App. Will that mean that I will need to upgrade my mobile phone? I currently have a state of the arc plastic flip lid Nokia that retails at £9.95. At Mrs Snakehips' insistence I'm on a £1.00 a week deal with EE that quite frankly gives me more calls and texts per week than I will ever make in a year! I have it for emergencies! Well, I say I have it... It's in a draw somewhere or maybe the glovebox of the car and the battery is probably dead. Maybe I'll give Libations a go on the Mac? Love computers and Excel but hate mobile phones with vengeance !!


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

Shame - it's iPhone only.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

£1.00 a week deal with EE. That's priceless...literally


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## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

jlarkin said:


> Shame - it's iPhone only.


That's me scuppered then!!

What a relief ..........Excel lives!!!!



The Systemic Kid said:


> £1.00 a week deal with EE. That's priceless...literally


Priceless?? It's £52 a year !!! That would buy 5/6 Kg of beans and I know what I'd rather have.


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

I use a notebook and update my excel spreadsheet periodically. Nothing fancy on mine, just weights/doses/outputs and taste notes along with equipment used. Only formulas I use are one that fills in a column to show how many days past roast the coffee was and another that works out the brew ratio. High tech stuff I know!


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## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

risky said:


> High tech stuff I know!


High tech - low tech ..... who cares if it does the job?


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## Sk8-bizarre (Jan 22, 2015)

jlarkin said:


> Shame - it's iPhone only.


Ahhhhhhh bum! Was quite interested in that.

Don't use xcel and all that Microsoft office stuff, shame. Back to pen and paper then I suppose, which I still haven't got round to starting as I'm useless and I so should as my memory is not great!


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Would have been interested in a custom designed spreadsheet by excel supremo Snakehips had it not been for Sarah0817's suggestion of Libations app (good shout btw) which is probably handier for me as only occasionally in front of a computer but my phone is always with me.


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## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

Bum!!!

A thousand curses on Sarah0817 and the Libations App !!

Am I the only iphoneaphobe out here?


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## Obsy (May 21, 2012)

I've got an Android phone so no good for me either


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I've got little bits of paper stuck to the fridge with these new-fangled 'magnet' things. I do also have a 'Samsmug' Galaxy Note 4 with a pen and virtual post-its but keep forgetting to use it for that. One of my jobs on my to-do list for today (written on a scrap of paper) was to transcribe my coffee notes from all these bits of paper onto. ... a bigger bit of paper! I may have to reconsider. The thing I find most useful is which grind settings for which coffees just so I don't waste any when changing bean.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

@hotmetal

Why not create a note on your smartphone of each bean plus the setting on grinder once dialled in? That's what I've done since buying fresh beans. The hope was if/when I purchase the same beans as I've previously used in the past, I'll have a rough idea of where to start.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Yeah that's what all my little bits of paper on the fridge (next to the grinder) are! I just need to get into the habit of putting them on a spreadsheet or even just a virtual post-it. I do go back to beans I have liked. And also if it's a totally new bean for me, if I've had something similar it gives me an idea where to start from, so if I'm going from a Daterra to a PNG say, then I don't waste by starting too far up the scale.


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## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

Whoo!!! You have a fridge? And magnets!!!

I still have to chalk my notes on the stone walls of the outside pantry!

I will set about creating a spreadsheet and will, initially, probably keep it simple in line with my own needs.

Still happy to share it if anyone should wish.


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## tobimax (Jul 7, 2015)

iPhone best thing since toast


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## hilltopbrews (May 17, 2013)

Oh dear what have I done lol!


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## hilltopbrews (May 17, 2013)

Snakehips said:


> Bum!!!
> 
> A thousand curses on Sarah0817 and the Libations App !!
> 
> Am I the only iphoneaphobe out here?


Loads of great coffee apps on App Store such as brewseful and coffeebof


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Got Coffee Boff but nothing coming up in Apple App Store for brewseful.


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## hilltopbrews (May 17, 2013)

Brewseful by Kevin Zweerink

https://appsto.re/gb/2tdDZ.i


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Thanks. No idea why search found no results, typed it in exactly the same as what came up from above link!


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## hilltopbrews (May 17, 2013)

It's a bit fiddly to start with but great app if you use chemex or v60


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## Snakehips (Jun 2, 2015)

@Sarah0817,

Sarah you are a star............... et je suis un pi!!*ck.

I maybe sans iPhone but I do have an iPad !!!!

Have just downloaded Libations (free) and the in App Coffee buy (£0.79)

That's just the job for storing the basic notes that I wish to record, for my beans / espresso based coffees.

Excel?? Who the hell needs Excel??

The 1000 curses are being removed as I type !!


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## pestrickland (May 12, 2015)

I've not found an app on Android so far, but I created a form and spreadsheet on Google Drive that works for me.

On the phone I'll fill in the form with a variety of criteria (beans, weights, extraction times, tasting notes etc), and when submitted it adds a row to a spreadsheet. From there you can do what you want with the data.

It works for me - I keep my phone with me to easily record the shot attempt, but can always look back through the spreadsheet at what worked well.


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