Keeping a log

Multibeast

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7
Location
Denver, CO
Grill(s) owned
  1. Bull
How are people keeping logs of their smokes? What format are y’all using and what information do you find the most helpful when you refer back to past cooks. I’m only on my 4th cook and I’m only doing some baseline cooks to get a feel for capabilities and basic procedures.

I wish the recteq app could keep records of all cooks similar to the Strava app and all you would have to do is add some notes and information.
 
I can’t help you there but if you want to see how you SHOULD do it check out the Grilling Notes that @Sscottfitz posts. I’m a horrible note taker (just ask any of my former teachers) but I really like reading his notes.
 
I try to keep a journal of my cooks, but I struggle with closing the deal. I’ll start out the cook well enough, even take early pictures, but as the cook progresses I’m focused on putting the entire meal together, so I usually forget to record ending times, take pictures, make notes of what I might do differently next time, etc.

If you are using Apple devices, the Day One.app is outstanding for keeping a journal. It does it all, pictures, notes, etc, and even automatically records the time and weather info when you make entries. However, it is a subscription and would be pricy if all you are going to do with it is track your cooks.

Ditto the recommendation on @Sscottfitz notes. I could never hope to be that detailed, but I sure enjoy reading about his cooks.
 
I just keep adding to a Note file in a recipe folder on my laptop's desktop. Here's an excerpt from the Ribs page. I have a hard time finishing the entries, when the foods done I forget about completing it. I don't add pics.

9/28/20 Chairman's BB's, starting grill @225 @ 10:45, ribs on @ 11. Wrapped @ 13:10 w/butter, br sugar, and honey, temp showed 160. Upped temp to 250 @ 15:00, parts of the ribs are just 173. Unwrapped at 15:30, some areas are 190+, some 180. Set temp to 240, basted with sauce at 16:00 and pulled at 16:30 @ 200.

Here's the last entry from the Butts page.

11/7/20 Temp 38 overnight, tomorrow 70's. 8.4 lb Chairman's Choice, on @ 21:00 @ 225, Mr Brown's rub. Tin of water & full smoke tube. Flipped & spritzed @ 05:00 @ 160. 180 @ 11:00. Flipped again @ 13:30. 196 @ 14:00. The last spot was 198, pulled @ 15:00. Resting till 16:30
 
I have a medium sized spiral bound notebook that I use. I'm not as detailed as indicated by some above, but mainly the meat, brining, rub, begin time and temp. I also like to log the IT at various points of the cook and also if I rotated the meat, or spritzed.

I will use previous cooks as an indicator of other cooks. Knowing meat cooks different from one piece to another, I can use it as a best guesstimate. If a 3lb Chuck that was long and thinner had a certain IT as a previous Chuck similar in size, cooks "should" be similar in finishing time. If they are way off, I can adjust accordingly.

I will then log in the finish time, rest period and how it turned out. As Greg mentioned above, I will at times forget to log in the ending details or photo taking to wrap things up. This is especially so if the cook ran late and the family is hungry (that never happens, right?). A lot of times I will fill in the ending into after eating. Anyway, a log definitely will help out.
 
So far, so good. Now a couple thoughts that go beyond the paper file thing.

Many folks will add temp measuring equipment to their arsenal of cooking tools. One such, well respected, device is the Fireboard (do your own investigation, I'm not selling the device, just doing awareness). It does the data logging that many complain the RT app doesn't, and it's cloud based, so readily available across platforms. And as you expect, it has note functions, so you get all the info you might desire on one, handy device.

If you just want an app to track info there's one that is highly regarded as a "recipe file", but it allow much more. It's known as Paprika (btw, it's on Black Friday sale until tomorrow, 40-50% off depending on device format). Go to www.paprikaapp.com You can download recipes from online, manually enter your own, edit ingredients/methods, attach pics and add notes. Another handy tool that also helps organize your life.
 
@Uncle Bob, I use FireBoard also, I love the notes feature and ability to add pictures tagged with the meat temps along the way. It super easy to label all your cooks and sort through them quickly. It has worked out well for me.

Prior to the FireBoard i was using sheets of printer paper and an old folder which was useful for my first few months but then became a mess...self inflicted of course
 
I try to keep a journal of my cooks, but I struggle with closing the deal. I’ll start out the cook well enough, even take early pictures, but as the cook progresses I’m focused on putting the entire meal together, so I usually forget to record ending times, take pictures, make notes of what I might do differently next time, etc.

If you are using Apple devices, the Day One.app is outstanding for keeping a journal. It does it all, pictures, notes, etc, and even automatically records the time and weather info when you make entries. However, it is a subscription and would be pricy if all you are going to do with it is track your cooks.

Ditto the recommendation on @Sscottfitz notes. I could never hope to be that detailed, but I sure enjoy reading about his cooks.
Thanks Greg for the recommendation on cook log, I do most of mine on "Evernote", but it's just a note keeper, I'll certainly check out the Day One app. The reality for me is 1). I'm extremely anal retentive, 2) my wife does most of the food prep "heavy lifting", when I DO touch food, it is usually under very close adult supervision, and 3) I'm mostly limited to "Grill Operations", and 4). Did I say I'm really "anal retentive".....<grin>.....
 
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If you just want an app to track info there's one that is highly regarded as a "recipe file", but it allow much more. It's known as Paprika (btw, it's on Black Friday sale until tomorrow, 40-50% off depending on device format). Go to www.paprikaapp.com You can download recipes from online, manually enter your own, edit ingredients/methods, attach pics and add notes. Another handy tool that also helps organize your life.
Paprika is an outstanding app, I’ve used it for several years now. I forgot that in a way, I do somewhat track cooks with it as I’ll tweak the recipes I create to make time/temp guidelines, rub combinations, etc., and I award stars to the combos I like best. I also use it’s grocery list function to do my shopping.
 
So far, so good. Now a couple thoughts that go beyond the paper file thing.

Many folks will add temp measuring equipment to their arsenal of cooking tools. One such, well respected, device is the Fireboard (do your own investigation, I'm not selling the device, just doing awareness). It does the data logging that many complain the RT app doesn't, and it's cloud based, so readily available across platforms. And as you expect, it has note functions, so you get all the info you might desire on one, handy device.

If you just want an app to track info there's one that is highly regarded as a "recipe file", but it allow much more. It's known as Paprika (btw, it's on Black Friday sale until tomorrow, 40-50% off depending on device format). Go to www.paprikaapp.com You can download recipes from online, manually enter your own, edit ingredients/methods, attach pics and add notes. Another handy tool that also helps organize your life.
Let me second Uncle Bob's comments about Paprika. We've used the app for 7+ years for all our inside-the-home recipes and when I got into smoking seriously about 5 years ago and wanted to document what I did and what worked...and what didn't...it was a natural for me just add a few additional recipe categories/folders (Smoking>Beef>Brisket, Smoking>Pork>Pork Belly, etc.) for documenting my growing outdoor smoking recipe collection. It may be more than you want or need, but the very flexible format allows you to list ingredients, quantities, as many or as few step-by-step instructions as you want, and it also provides a free-form "Description" box and a similar "Notes" box where you can add anything more in terms of comments you may want. And on the current version of the apps you can add as many pictures as you want and you can place them anywhere in the recipe that works best for you.

It also is uncannily good at analyzing and directly downloading a recipe from the web if the author does even a rudimentary break down of "Ingredients" and "Instructions" or the like. I then use that as a starting point, edit or make changes to my preferences, then after the cook make adjustments to ingredients or the steps I took. I often add "try next time" comments in the Notes box if applicable. There are also annotation boxes for prep time, time to cook, overall recipe rating, etc., to include an auto notation of the source recipe URL if you downloaded it in case you want to see the original recipe page or author's comments again for some reason. Just click on the link in the recipe listing and Paprika's built in browser takes you straight to the web page.

Lastly, since my wife and I share the program with her as the registered user, we have the Paprika apps on all our devices--two desktop Macs, two iPads and two iPhones. And yes, we use them all depending on where we are. (Paprika is available for Windows and Android as well.) All devices sync to the same data base every time you make an addition or a change. Many times we've been shopping and I see a piece of meat with a good price and I can open up my phone app, and take a look at a recipe I've been meaning to try and double check the other unique ingredients and go grab them at the same time. It may seem over the top to you but if your phone is with you your recipe collection is with you. Recipes can also be "shared" with others via the usual email/text etc options.

Again, maybe more than you need, and there is a reasonable one-time purchase fee for each device, but for us we love cooking so Paprika is in our top 5 apps we use constantly. And also like Uncle Bob I'm not selling the apps just trying to raise awareness of what options are available. Good luck.
 
Speaking of logs... what kind of data would you guys want to record?

I'm asking because I think I might be able to setup something here where everyone could keep logs. Then you'd be able to go back to it anytime, search and even see other members logs.
 
Cook time
Current weather
Cook temp/temps
spritz, flip, wrap
If applicable, link to recipe. Maybe parts of a general comments or notes area.
Location
Brand, source, weight, of meat if applicable
Meats finish temp
 
I keep it really simple. Take meat out of package, put rub on it, throw it on pit and check it every few hours to see how tender it is. I have a general idea on timing, brisket goes 16 or so hours, pork butt goes around 12. That is my log.
 
I use OneNote. Works well with the ability to add pictures. On my phone to make quick notes during the cook. On my desktop for more annotations after.
 
@BethV, @Greg Jones, @Sscottfitz, @padlin00 - hey guys I think I'm getting close to show off what I have in mind for a grill log here on recteqforum.

If there is any other info you'd like to see or keep in the log over and beyond what @padlin00 had mentioned here please let me know!

Cook time
Current weather
Cook temp/temps
spritz, flip, wrap
If applicable, link to recipe. Maybe parts of a general comments or notes area.
Location
Brand, source, weight, of meat if applicable
Meats finish temp
 
@BethV, @Greg Jones, @Sscottfitz, @padlin00 - hey guys I think I'm getting close to show off what I have in mind for a grill log here on recteqforum.

If there is any other info you'd like to see or keep in the log over and beyond what @padlin00 had mentioned here please let me know!
@Mike here are some items I use when tracking:
Type of meat and cut
Rub
Marinade
Binder
Meat Prep
Cooking Procedure
Wood Used
Precook Notes
Cooking Procedure
I use a chart to log the cook throughout the day or night (Time, Cooker Temp, Meat Temp, Comments)
Post Cook Notes
Notes for Next Time (really important)
And Rating the following from 1-5
Bark Quality
Smoke Ring
Moisture
Tenderness
Flavor
 

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