Not sure about the first part of the question - how to mark items you're following but the second question, how do you know a recipe is good, is the more interesting. A recipe represents what one brewer did with their unique system. Most recipes include a list of ingredients but little information as to how the brewer handled them and are at best a set of guidelines for another brewer. Any recipe I evaluate I look at from a few perspectives. The first is a sniff test - does the recipe make sense. A witbier with dark grains doesn't pass that test. Then I research both the style and recipes listed from known sources such as Zymurgy or BYO Magazine to see how close they are. Swapping out an ingredient or two or splitting the Crystal 60°L into 20°L and 120° L makes sense to me, replacing it with CaraMunich might not. Then I apply my experience, thinking about similar beers or ingredients I've made using my processes. If I know the brewer and their work, I'll factor that into my evaluation of the recipe. Once I've done all that, if it passes, I brew it. Ultimately that's the only test that matters.
