It's been years since I last brewed my own batch...but great info. Cleanliness is next to Godliness...you must keep everything sanitized. I preferred using hop pellets for bittering and whole hops for aroma. Another HUGE factor for me was temperature during primary fermentation. If it got too hot in my apt, my batch was ruined. Make sure you get yeast for specific temperatures. Now you have me wanting to brew again...