Since you started, which techniques/equipment/knowledge yielded biggest improvement

[ThomasRau]

I would have to say the #1 thing was learning patience, allowing extra time in the primary and lots of extra time in the secondary has really made a difference in the quality of my brews.
#2 better temp control. I bought a Sanyo fridge (and temp controller) for a future kegerator project and have been using it for primary/secondary temp control. What a huge difference, plus I now can do some really good lagers (near impossible with florida temps)
#3 RELAX

 

[Cheesefood]

You want to know a great tip?

Be familiar with the style you're going to brew. Don't make something you've never tasted on hopes that you'll like it. Have a commercial example in mind when you make a brew.

Know your ingredients. Know how they taste and interact with each other. Know how much to use and how to use each.

 

[Jester369]

For me personally, it has been controlling fermentation temps. So far!

 

[Chad]

I've noticed that the vast majority of folks say controlling fermentation temperature made the biggest difference. Makes sense, but how do you do it? I sit the fermenter in a restaurant bus tub and fill it with cold water if necessary. Is there a more precise method?

I've got a couple of Fermometers coming so I can more precisely gauge the temperature of the wort/beer rather than relying on ambient temps. That'll make things easier.

Chad

 

[olllllo]

I've noticed that the vast majority of folks say controlling fermentation temperature made the biggest difference. Makes sense, but how do you do it? I sit the fermenter in a restaurant bus tub and fill it with cold water if necessary. Is there a more precise method?

I've got a couple of Fermometers coming so I can more precisely gauge the temperature of the wort/beer rather than relying on ambient temps. That'll make things easier.

Chad

I use a fridge with a temperature controller.

 

[HarvInSTL]

I use a fridge with a temperature controller.

I use a chest freezer with a temperature controller. If I am using 14gal fermenters I can normally ferment around 50 gals at a time. Using carboys/buckets I can normally ferment 30gals at a time.

 

[Jester369]

I use a temp controlled fridge, but I have to use a two stage controller - one for the fridge and one for a heat source. This time of year it gets cold enough at night to need the heat, but warm enough during the day to need the cooling (of course, the fridge is in my garage. an indoor fridge wouldn't need the heat!)

 

[WortMonger]

I love my chest freezer conversion to lagerator.

Still haven't used it for lager though I plan on racking up some kegs this winter of lager for march till the end of summer drinking. :rockin: I am even thinking of bottling a couple of kegs worth to free up more kegs for lager production while I have free cold storage space in the garage (never gets below freezing and stays below 45*F most of the winter due to tree shading, yes!!!), lol.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I almost started an identical thread, so I'm reviving this one.

1. Fermentation temp control (65°F for most ales)

2. Proper pitching rate (rehydrated dry yeast or BIG, BIG, BIG starters)

3. Patience. Lots and lots of it. Leave your beer alone and let it do its thing!