Tracking My Coffee Brews – Game Changer! ☕

Lately, I’ve been getting more serious about my coffee—not just drinking it, but actually paying attention to how I make it. I realized that every time I brewed a cup, I was basically winging it: random grind sizes, whatever water temperature felt right, pouring however I felt that day.

The result? Some cups were absolutely amazing, others… not so much. 😅

The Lightbulb Moment 💡

So I decided to start keeping a coffee brewing log using a simple markdown template in Joplin. It’s basically a structured form where I jot down all the details:

  • ☕ Bean origin & roast date
  • ⚖️ Grind size & brewing method
  • 🌡️ Water temperature & timing
  • 👅 Detailed tasting notes

Being able to see exactly what I did for each cup is where the magic happens.

The Results Are In 📊

Now, instead of guessing, I can look back and say:

  • “Ah, this Ethiopian brew at 94°C with a medium-fine grind was chef’s kiss“
  • “Hmm, maybe that bloom time was too long”

It’s like having a roadmap of my coffee journey—each entry helps me fine-tune the next one.

What I’ve Discovered:

✅ My coffee has actually gotten better
✅ I’m spotting patterns in what works for certain beans
✅ Small tweaks lead to huge flavor improvements
✅ It’s genuinely fun to see how my notes evolve over time

Ready to Level Up Your Coffee Game? 🚀

If you’re into coffee and want to step up your brewing game, I highly recommend starting a brew log. It turns every cup into a mini-experiment—and trust me, some of those experiments taste incredible.

Since I use Joplin as my note-taking app, I asked ChatGPT to create a markdown template that’s been incredibly useful. Here’s the complete template:

📋 Coffee Brewing Template

Copy this template and fill in the placeholders with your brewing details:

### Coffee Details

- **Coffee:** [Coffee Name] ([Roaster]) — [Origin / Process]
- **Roast date:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
- **Dose (coffee):** [grams] g
- **Grind:** [Grinder] — setting [value] ([coarseness description])
- **Ratio:** 1:[ratio]
- **Water:** [grams] g total at [temperature]°C ([water source]])
- **Target yield:** [grams] g in cup
- **Target time:** [mm]:[ss]
- **Equipment:** [Brewer], [Filter type], Kettle [model], Scale [model]

### Brewing Steps

#### 1) Prep

- Rinse and preheat brewer and cup
- Add [Dose] g coffee; settle bed and make a small well

#### 2) Bloom

- Pour [bloom_water] g (≈2–3x dose) at [temperature]°C
- Swirl or gently stir to saturate. Bloom [bloom_time] s

#### 3) Main pours

- **Pour pattern:** [continuous or pulse pours]
- **Pour(s):** [e.g., 60 g to 60s, then 60 g every 30s until [total_water] g]
- **Agitation:** [swirl/stir/none]

#### 4) Drawdown

- **Target bed flatness:** [flat / slight dome]
- **Finish time:** [mm]:[ss]

### Tasting Notes & Adjustments

- **Grind adjustments:** [notes]
- **Taste:** [aromatics, acidity, sweetness, body, finish]
- **Next time:** [what to tweak]

📝 Example: V60 Brew (1:16 ratio, 18g dose)

Here’s how the template looks when filled out for an actual brew:

Coffee Details

  • Coffee: Ethiopia Guji (Sample Roaster) — Washed
  • Roast date: 2025-08-10
  • Dose (coffee): 18 g
  • Grind: Comandante C40 — 24 clicks (medium-fine)
  • Ratio: 1:16
  • Water: 300 g at 96°C (filtered)
  • Target yield: 270 g in cup
  • Target time: 02:45–03:00
  • Equipment: Hario V60-02, Hario tabbed filter, Fellow Stagg EKG, Timemore scale

Brewing Steps

1) Prep

  • Rinse filter; preheat brewer and cup
  • Add 18 g coffee; tap to level and make a small well

2) Bloom

  • 0:00 — Pour 45 g, swirl to saturate
  • Bloom time: 35 seconds

3) Main pours

  • 0:35 — Pour to 120 g in slow spiral; light center pour to settle
  • 1:10 — Pour to 210 g
  • 1:45 — Pour to 300 g
  • Agitation: Gentle swirl after final pour, no stirring

4) Drawdown

  • Target: Flat bed, finish around 2:50
  • Note: If over 3:10, coarsen grind next time

Tasting Notes & Adjustments

  • Taste: 🌸 Floral aromatics, 🍋 lemon acidity, 🍯 honey sweetness, medium body, clean finish
  • Next time: Try 94°C for more clarity; if sour, extend bloom to 45s

Start Your Coffee Journey Today ☕

Give this template a try and see how it transforms your brewing! Each log entry becomes a stepping stone to your perfect cup.

Pro tip: Don’t worry about getting everything perfect at first—the beauty is in the journey of discovery. Happy brewing! 🎯