Yes, since you asked.
1: Your airlock is a cheap piece of plastic. Your hydrometer is a calibrated scientific tool. Listen to the friggin hydrometer, and tell your airlock to STFU.
2: If you don't have the patience to wait for your beer to mature, you're in the wrong hobby. How do you get to good beer hall? Patience, patience, patience.
3: Control your fermentation temps. This is one of the easiest things the new homebrewer can do to ensure good beer.
4: Star San is amazing. Use it in bulk, and don't rinse that foam! It's impossible to over-sanitize (unless you start boiling your yeast) so sanitize the hell out of everything and never look back.
5: If you're an extract brewer, go full boil ASAP. Your beer will thank you. Your friends will thank you. Your tastebuds will thank you.
6: Don't sweat the small stuff. Forgot to add the irish moss? RDWHAHB. Didn't rehydrate that dried yeast? RDWHAHB. Airlock isn't bubbling after 4 hours? RDWHAHB.
7: Listen to the folks on HBT. HBT is the combined collective wisdom and experience of 10,000+ brewers who have been brewing for decades. At this point, they know what they're talking about.
8: Don't start a new thread about something that's been discussed ad infinitum already. Plastic vs. Glass. Star San vs. Iodophor. Dried yeast vs. liquid yeast. Craigtube vs. Every other homebrewer. Do a search before you ask a question. Some people say there are no stupid questions. I say that some people are stupid, and that there are plenty of stupid questions, or questions that are just plain lazy. Don't expect HBT to do your homework for you.
9: Measure twice, cut once, and write it down! It's not hard at all to take some notes and just save them to a word file on your PC. In the long run, it will pay off big.
10: Most importantly, brew what you love! If the beer you love is a malt heavy stout with just a shaving of a hop pellet, brew the hell out of it! If you prefer a mouthfull of super hoppy 200 IBU 10XIPA, then brew that! Don't try to impress anyone other than yourself.
