five most important factors to making quality beer

[JDSanders]

I was wondering if some of the more experienced people on here could give us new guys there five most important factors/skills to making a quality brew.

 

[user 84304]

1. Fermentation - Control your temps, pay attention to your gravity, care about your yeast and they will care back
2. Cleanliness - If it's next to godliness, then so be it. Be cleaner than you think you should be and hopefully your disgusting self won't infect a batch.
3. Get down your process - Learn it like it's surgery. Don't forget to add this there and monitor this temp and use timers and be organized. Can't make good beer if you're missing things.
4. Cleanliness - Yeah, it's here again. Just clean and sanitize and be merry.
5. RDWHAHB, because worried brewers make ***** brewers.

Cheers!

 

[mux]

Have patience.
Plan your day.
Don't get discouraged when you don't hit your numbers.
Keep you gear clean.
Read this http://www.howtobrew.com/

 

[fishkid]

1. Take detailed notes: Too many times I've skimped on the note taking only to either love or hate the beer and wish I had a better idea of what I did.

2. Yeast Care: Take care of these guys, they're making your beer. Pitch the proper amount (http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html), make starters, rehydrate.

3. Clean: As the brewers above mentioned, be strict with your cleaning process.

4. Ingredients: Use fresh ingredients, don't use the 15 year old can of malt extract that your cousin's neighbor's dad found in the basement from when he dabbled in brewing in the mid 90's. Although it might make a good beer, choking down 5 gallons of beer you don't like is hard work. (I hate to dump batches I'm not crazy about)

5. Have fun: Having a plan of action helps for a smooth brew day. Enjoy the process and make sure you have some homebrew or craft beer to sip on.

 

[Malticulous]

Yeast quality, yeast run the brewery not you
Sanitation, you don't want any dumpers
Temperature control, nothing else increased quality more for me than this
Quality ingredients, poor quality ingredients can only make poor beer
RDWHAHB, experience is the most important factor.

 

[poislb]

Ferm Temps (controlled enviroment)
Proper Yeast pitch (starters), make sure ya pitch enough so it doesnt stress them out.
Fast cool down
Beersmith program
Sanitize everything post boil

 

[scotched]

Ferm Temp control. Bar none.

 

[jiggs_casey]

Have patience.
Plan your day.
Don't get discouraged when you don't hit your numbers.
Keep you gear clean.
Read this http://www.howtobrew.com/

Well put!

If I can add to this. Don't try and conquer everything, everytime you brew. Work on improving one aspect of your brewing process with every brew. IMO, if you take on too much, you'll get discouraged and burn yourself out...

 

[enkamania]

Make notes, something I'm starting to improve on

 

[Runyanka]

1. Fermentation temp control.
2. Proper pitch rate.
3. Sanitation
4. Relaxing
5. Enjoying the HOBBY!

To many people put to much into it in my opinion. If you like the beer you brew than your golden.

 

[JLem]

1) Remember beer is resilient - you need to work hard to really f@!$ it up
2) Yeast know what they're doing - leave them alone and let them work
3) Be patient - see #2
4) Keep your fermentation temps low (and under control as much as possible)
5) Brew what you want, how you want, when you want

Bonus: use of a secondary should not be a standard operating procedure