Prioritize this

[Ariando]

When looking at everything involved brewing beer, what would be the top 10, 50 or what ever things most important to making great beer. I would think the first bunch might be consistent.

 

[jtratcliff]

Good ingredients,
Sanitation,
Proper temp control during fermentation,
Proper yeast pitch,
Proper mash temp control,
Water chemistry

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

Temperature control for mashing and especially fermentation.

Pitching the proper amount of yeast.

Giving the yeast enough oxygen at the start of fermentation.

Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation.

Patience, patience, patience.

 

[unionrdr]

A good process
Freshest ingredients you can find
Rehydrate dry yeast & pitch at high krausen within 10 degrees of wort temp
Good temp control, especially during initial fermentation.
Patience
Good cleaning & sanitizing always!
Weighing priming sugar to style
Maintaining good mash temps
Sparge mashed grains to boil volume for better efficiency
And...MORE PATIENCE!

 

[d3track]

Clean
Sanitize
Freshness
Patience
Fun

 

[Braufessor]

*Sanitation at all stages
*Control of fermentation temp.
*Yeast health/pitch rate/oxygen/etc.
*Water - get rid of chlorine for sure. From there how important water treatment is will depend on your source water. For some, it may be no big deal. For others, it could be absolutely essential and critical to make good beer (high bicarbonate hardness for example).
*Good recipe/quality ingredients

 

[chickypad]

*Sanitation at all stages
*Control of fermentation temp.
*Yeast health/pitch rate/oxygen/etc.
*Water - get rid of chlorine for sure. From there how important water treatment is will depend on your source water. For some, it may be no big deal. For others, it could be absolutely essential and critical to make good beer (high bicarbonate hardness for example).
*Good recipe/quality ingredients

That pretty much sums it up for me. I might add at the end minimizing exposure to oxygen post fermentation.

 

[Ariando]

Where might differences is sparge techniques, differences is mash temperatures, recirculating or not, fit into y'all's thoughts

 

[j1n]

*Sanitation at all stages
*Control of fermentation temp.
*Yeast health/pitch rate/oxygen/etc.
*Water - get rid of chlorine for sure. From there how important water treatment is will depend on your source water. For some, it may be no big deal. For others, it could be absolutely essential and critical to make good beer (high bicarbonate hardness for example).
*Good recipe/quality ingredients

This^

 

[SnakeRidge]

Where might differences is sparge techniques, differences is mash temperatures, recirculating or not, fit into y'all's thoughts

I'd list all of those as of secondary or tertiary importance over sanitation, ferm temp control, etc. It doesn't matter how you make the wort, if it's infected or ferments in the 80's, it's going to taste like a burning tire smells. Unless you're belgium and into those things.

 

[unionrdr]

Sanitation is important, but mash temps are equally important. Light beers, low mash temp. Stouts, barleywines, porter, etc with more body desired, higher mash temp.

 

[Braufessor]

Mash temps are important in the extremes...... If you mash at 120 or 180 you are going to have big problems. If you meant to mash at 150 and you mash at 154....... I would honestly be surprised if many people could even tell. You need to be able to get in the ballpark and hold temps close to where you intended. Being off a bit might prevent you from making perfect beer - but it won't prevent you from making good beer.

Poor sanitation.... now that will make bad beer on a consistent basis. High fermentation temps and wild fluctuations in temp will cause problems and off flavors.

 

[chickypad]

Where might differences is sparge techniques, differences is mash temperatures, recirculating or not, fit into y'all's thoughts

Mash temps need to be within reason as above, but I consider sparge techniques and recirc systems as preferences that would not make my list of things you need to make great beer. I sometimes fly sparge, sometimes batch, occasionally no sparge. One of my set ups is recirc with a HERMs coil, the other is BIAB. The other things listed are much more important regardless of the system you choose to brew on.

 

[Ski12568]

Temperature control and understanding why (mash and fermenting)
Trusted tools (thermometer)
Good brewing habits
A good understanding of off flavors and why they happen
Patience
Budgeting
Discipline
Enjoying yourself