What are some ways you handle keeping track of your tea? I only have a dozen bengs now and I still cannot keep the Chinese/English squared away in my mind only. I refer back to the web page I bought them from often. Any suggestions? How do you do it with the stashes I have seen posted.
Thanks, Jim
Strategies for keeping tea organized
Last edited by Goose on Dec 7th, '08, 23:20, edited 1 time in total.
The puerhshop usually puts a small white label on the items to denote what they are (if it's not already obvious what the item is).
Similarly, I'd recommend a piece of tape or something (depending if you want to save the wrapper or something) to write the English on it.
Like Tom, I also use an excel spreadsheet.
And I also try to keep track of the Chinese, because I know a bit of Japanese and can recognize a number of the characters.
Tonight, I'm actually in the process of organizing a recent order!
Similarly, I'd recommend a piece of tape or something (depending if you want to save the wrapper or something) to write the English on it.
Like Tom, I also use an excel spreadsheet.
And I also try to keep track of the Chinese, because I know a bit of Japanese and can recognize a number of the characters.
Tonight, I'm actually in the process of organizing a recent order!
Dec 7th, '08, 20:45
Posts: 1633
Joined: Feb 15th, '08, 10:15
Location: Pennsylvania
I just started a Pu log in a composition book. It has a TOC, one for sheng, one for ripe. It lists the name and the pages of the book where its located. There I provide the name, company, date made, date acquired, price paid, and place of purchase. After that there is a page for tasting notes, so I can see there developments. I think I am also going to start posting pictures in it as well.
Dec 7th, '08, 20:56
Posts: 1953
Joined: Apr 6th, '08, 19:02
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Contact:
chamekke
I'm not into pu - yet - but I do use an Excel spreadsheet to catalogue my teas, including when each was ordered, its price, preparation instructions, and of course my tasting notes. I also include a hyperlink to the original listing so that I can refer to it if need be.
______________________
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on."
- Billy Connolly
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on."
- Billy Connolly
i wrap my individual beengs, tuos, or bricks in an extra layer of sketching paper.
on the extra layer, i just write the year of production, factory, and if its shou or sheng cha.
as for pu that i got the whole bag of tuos, or tongs, i just leave it as is, and when i open them and they become "alone" then i do the sketching paper thing.
the purpose of the sketching paper is really to be an extra barrier against moisture, and the labeling part is just secondary, naturally i have to put labels cause i dont want to open every beeng all the time to check which is which
on the extra layer, i just write the year of production, factory, and if its shou or sheng cha.
as for pu that i got the whole bag of tuos, or tongs, i just leave it as is, and when i open them and they become "alone" then i do the sketching paper thing.
the purpose of the sketching paper is really to be an extra barrier against moisture, and the labeling part is just secondary, naturally i have to put labels cause i dont want to open every beeng all the time to check which is which
Dec 7th, '08, 23:47
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
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Location: Gainesville, Florida
Excel is my tea fairy also.
One workbook for brewing and tasting notes, one for current puerh inventory. Into the inventory I copy and paste vendor photos, occasional links to reviews, and notes about why I bought the cake, who liked it and who to blame if I don't like it.
I use a Word doc for the contents of my seven-drawer pumidor. I usually attach a very short and tiny descriptive note to each wrapped cake either by using removable tape or by just sticking the little note inside the wrapper. I suppose a pin would be another good way to attach it without doing too much damage to the wrapper.
For very broken up and partial cakes, I put the pieces into open brown paper bags with folded wrapper and nei fei inside, and outside a description written on the bag itself. I either cut the bags to a short size or fold them back like a sleeve so they are open on the top. I have decided these brown bags start smelling funky after about 6 to 8 months of moderate humidity so I change the bags periodically. I used to keep a hard copy of the vendors' pages in the pumidor with the tea, but I decided that copy paper starts to smell funky too if the storage is a bit humid, so now I keep those outside the pumidor. I no longer print those hard copies, however, since I now just copy the photos and text I want into the Excel speadsheet.
Needless to say, frequent backups are critical.
One workbook for brewing and tasting notes, one for current puerh inventory. Into the inventory I copy and paste vendor photos, occasional links to reviews, and notes about why I bought the cake, who liked it and who to blame if I don't like it.
I use a Word doc for the contents of my seven-drawer pumidor. I usually attach a very short and tiny descriptive note to each wrapped cake either by using removable tape or by just sticking the little note inside the wrapper. I suppose a pin would be another good way to attach it without doing too much damage to the wrapper.
For very broken up and partial cakes, I put the pieces into open brown paper bags with folded wrapper and nei fei inside, and outside a description written on the bag itself. I either cut the bags to a short size or fold them back like a sleeve so they are open on the top. I have decided these brown bags start smelling funky after about 6 to 8 months of moderate humidity so I change the bags periodically. I used to keep a hard copy of the vendors' pages in the pumidor with the tea, but I decided that copy paper starts to smell funky too if the storage is a bit humid, so now I keep those outside the pumidor. I no longer print those hard copies, however, since I now just copy the photos and text I want into the Excel speadsheet.
Needless to say, frequent backups are critical.
The spreadsheet is essential for keeping track of the purchase details, but don't underestimate the value of photographs associated with each tea! So many times have I pulled a cake from the back of an old pile, and spent quite a while trying to remember what it is. Photographs help so much... 
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
