[Vineyard & Winery Elf EN](https://help.vineyardelf.com/index.md) / [Bottling Logs](https://help.vineyardelf.com/bottling-logs.md)

# [Batch number on a bottling entry](https://help.vineyardelf.com/bottling-logs/batch-number-on-a-bottling-entry.md)

The batch number is a column in the bottling control log and at the same time the code that has to reach the bottle: visible, legible and indelible.

**Where:** WineryElf menu → **Bottling** → the log for the year → **Add entry**

## Where to enter it

When adding a bottling entry, next to the date, there is a **Batch no.** field. Enter the same number you print on the label. If it cannot be told apart from the rest of the labelling, prefix it with the letter **L** (for example `L2605A`).

The number shows in the entry table and on the log printout.

## Older entries

Entries added before this column existed show a dash. You can fill them in by editing - the change is kept in the correction history, so the trail remains. The application never backfills numbers on its own, because it cannot guess which batch matched which bottling run.

## Why it matters

The batch number ties a bottle standing at a customer to a specific entry in the log: bottling date, volume and the wine batch behind it. It is the basis for a recall if something goes wrong, and the first thing asked for when a complaint arrives. In jurisdictions with label integrity rules it is also part of the one-step-forward, one-step-back traceability you are expected to keep.