1) exhaustive planning beforehand nets benefits (like hitting my mash temp dead-nuts on, being within .001 of my estimated OG, & coming out w/ 10 gallons exact into the fermenters.)
2) mistaking exhaustive planning for something not quite exhaustive yields surprises (like not realizing how long it takes to heat up sparge water and missing my mashout point by 1/2 hour, or realizing after-the-fact that the aquarium pump I was going to use to feed icewater into my IC wasn't up to the task.)
3) If you're brewing outdoors, it might help to check the weather forecast first. Boiling wort would have been a bit less stressful if I didn't have to stop in the middle of it to rig up a makeshift storm shelter from lawn chairs, cardboard boxes, a tarp and zip-ties. On the plus-side, I did get plenty of practice lighting my propane burner. And found out the sound it makes when the wind blows it out makes cats do funny things.
4) planning to drink a beer every hour probably wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't brewing for twice as long as anticipated.
5) The burns hurt worse the next day.
6) These forums, which I've been lurking on for some time now, have been INVALUABLE to me, and I thank you all!!!!!!!
2) mistaking exhaustive planning for something not quite exhaustive yields surprises (like not realizing how long it takes to heat up sparge water and missing my mashout point by 1/2 hour, or realizing after-the-fact that the aquarium pump I was going to use to feed icewater into my IC wasn't up to the task.)
3) If you're brewing outdoors, it might help to check the weather forecast first. Boiling wort would have been a bit less stressful if I didn't have to stop in the middle of it to rig up a makeshift storm shelter from lawn chairs, cardboard boxes, a tarp and zip-ties. On the plus-side, I did get plenty of practice lighting my propane burner. And found out the sound it makes when the wind blows it out makes cats do funny things.
4) planning to drink a beer every hour probably wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't brewing for twice as long as anticipated.
5) The burns hurt worse the next day.
6) These forums, which I've been lurking on for some time now, have been INVALUABLE to me, and I thank you all!!!!!!!