Grab a notebook. When it comes to notes you should record everything about your brew day and each brew. I even record the weather, and what i'm watching or listening to on the tv/radio.
You never know when you will hit that PERFECT brew and wonder what you did. Just reviewing notes a week, month, etc later can make you 100% better.
Man, that is a great idea! I'm leaving lots of "memo" space on this spreadsheet I'm making, just to record the details. I wonder what it would read like....
December 24th, 2011
12:15 pm Mashed 11 lbs. of grain and 168F water. Stirred vigorously.
Closed lid and popped open a Beels HOPSLAM! Oh yeah! That's tasty!
12:30 Glass is empty. Pop open another Hopslam! Good, but not as good as before... Maybe a shot of bourbon, just to see what it tastes like together??
1:00 pm Forgot to start heating sparge water. Getter bet going on that.
1:05 pm Whew, catastrfy avoiddd. What now? read notes... Ok, begin lauter. where'es my pail thingy?
1:15 pm. Found thing and popped another Hopslam. lauter time!
1:25 pm beer is gooood! oh**** forgot sparge water!
1:35 pm. sparge water cooling now. was boiling! lauter compltee.. f it.
1:45 pm adding spgr water.
1L5 pm left valve open. stupid ber! he he
2 forgot to lauter. hard to type. WTF? always like this... f it. too tired to brew. must go on.
215 fire upbk! forggggg check gravity.
240 boil over. fogt hops. restart timr add hops fck id my mometer///./????
3:45 took nap. feel a bit better. Hope my thermometer is not in the BK. Skipping chiller. too tired. looks like it's another NO CHILL brew.