The Three Most Important Things In Brewing

I'm a relative newbie (3 batches in). I've seen a ton of advice on here and learned A LOT. However, I'd like to see what people think is the most important. If you had to boil your brewing advice down to three things to make the best beer possible, what would it be?

From what I've gathered so far, I'd say:

1. Sanitation
2. Quality ingredients (freshness is key...extract vs. all-grain not as important)
3. Fermentation temperature control

What do you say?

I would honestly switch quality ingredients with temperature control, and then make patience #3. Lack of patience ruins many batches from what I see on this site all too frequently.

1. RDWHAHB
2. read your ass off.

you'll be makin good beer everytime

Here are my three...

1. Fermentation and Temperature Control
2. Clean and sanitize
3. Keep it Simple

I also wrote a blog which may help... the 5 best tips I got as a new brewer...

My 3

PREP
PREP
PREP

1. Patience
2. Routine
3. Beersmith

I think getting in to a routine has been most helpful to me. When you get all of the steps down until it's just habit, you can make perfect beer every time.

1. Sanitation
2. Have a plan
3. Relax!

Temperature control is something I am still looking to fix. I do not have a fridge that my fermentation bucket will fit into. I'm thinking about buying a mini a/c for my beer closet since the temp of the house is generally too high (70-76 degrees...I live in TX).

Airborneguy said:

I would honestly switch quality ingredients with temperature control, and then make patience #3. Lack of patience ruins many batches from what I see on this site all too frequently.

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I couldn't agree more. Although i'm sure there are a lot of less than quality ingredients available out there, every homebrew shop/website that I have ever purchased from had been right on par. Patience is key during the actual brewing process and especially afterwards.

1. Patience
2. Good Technique
3. Sanitation

You can make a pretty good beer with bad ingredients, and a great beer with good ingredients with those 3 things.

Giving itTime, is definatley up there.And a noobs biggest problem that cant seem to be comprehended until after a few batches.

1) Patience, we're not making coolaid here, just about every aspect of this takes time, and you're not in charge, the yeast are.
2) Relax, it's really hard to screw this up.
3) flip a coin and choose 1 or 2 again.

1) Sanitation
2) Temp control
3) Get the pipeline going which makes patience much easier. After getting a few brews done you'll forget about the ones in the fermentors.

1. Explaining to the wife all this stuff is necessary.
2. Once it is all set up, the savings are going to roll in.
3. Having a good hiding place once she realizes you were lying.

Yeast,hops, malted barley grain extract(ed).maybe some water?

1 cleanliness
2 planning & process
3 ingredients

1. Sanitation
2. Sanitation
3. Patience

lou2row said:

1. Explaining to the wife all this stuff is necessary.
2. Once it is all set up, the savings are going to roll in.
3. Having a good hiding place once she realizes you were lying.

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Ding ding ding, we have a winner!!!!!

1. Plan & Prepare (Yeast starter, good quality ingredients, basic sanitation)
2. Patience (Give the yeastie beasties time to do their magic)
3. Relax, it'll be great!

=)

Revvy.. Like everything it seems, got it right again.

1. Making quality beer.
2. Drinking quality beer.
3. Enjoying quality beer.

To make good beer:

Sanitation

To make great beer:

Temperature control

To make fantastic beer

Mess with your water profile (for those of us who don't have ideal brewing water right from the tap)

Sanitize
Starter
Ferm Temp

Sanitation
Ferm temp
RDWHAHB

There are various other things to think about once you get the first few down pat. But nothing to get twisted over.

this thread reminds me of the three most useless things for a pilot

1) the fuel in the fuel truck
2) the runway behind you
3) the airspace above you

1) Sanitation
2) Temperature Control
3) Pitching the proper amount of healthy yeast into aerated wort

Malintent said:

this thread reminds me of the three most useless things for a pilot

1) the fuel in the fuel truck
2) the runway behind you
3) the airspace above you

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Three old pilots are walking on the ramp. First one says, “Windy, isn’t it?”
Second says, “No, its Thursday!”
Third one says, “So am I. Lest go get a beer.”

Sanitization
Boil
Fermentation/Yeast

1: Relaxing
2: Not worrying
3: Having a home brew

Since you asked about making better beer, I assume you mean what will take your beer to the next level. Since you should always be practicing good sanitation at any level, I'll rule that one out.

1. Patience. This means letting your beer ferment completely, and testing that it has done so. Then give it an appropriate amount of time to condition before drinking it. Also not rushing through any part of the brewing process.

2. Temp control. While brewing, cooling, and fermenting. Understanding the appropriate temps for your yeast/beer style and adjusting temps at appropriate times.

3. Water Chemistry. Start with a good basis for your beer style.

I have compiled a step by step brewing process. As I learn new things I update the notes. Before I brew and while I am brewing I reread the notes. If I didn't do this I would forget something important.

brettwasbtd said:

1) Sanitation
2) Temperature Control
3) Pitching the proper amount of healthy yeast into aerated wort

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+1. Without a doubt.

lou2row said:

1. Explaining to the wife all this stuff is necessary.
2. Once it is all set up, the savings are going to roll in.
3. Having a good hiding place once she realizes you were lying.

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this^^