Formulas for any version of an item should automatically grant future and past versions as you level.

[sandersontavares]

It has been clarified in multiple occasions since the remaster that having the formula for a lesser Elixir of life, for example, gives you the formula to craft all the other versions of the Elixir of Life. It would be useful then that if you added a formula for an item with multiple versions, you would get all the versions in your formula book.

[stwlam]

This may come as a surprise, but knowing the rule doesn't automatically implement a feature. It'll get added eventually.