Which ingredient affects the taste of beer the most?

[agentgonzo]

What are your views on which ingredient affects the taste of beer the most? (Spill over from another topic)

[steve_flack]

All of them (water least important).

[Stonechat]

I couldn't pick just one either. As has already been said, with different styles of beer different ingredients gain or lose prominence.

[Jim]

Within a particular style of beer I would say the yeast and hops.

[steve_flack]

Can I add another ingredient? The Brewer.

[MightyMouth]

Can I add another ingredient? The Brewer.

Argh I would hate to taste that in my beer

[ritchie]

add taste buds too

[stevezx7r]

For me I'd go out on a limb and say hops.

C'mon guys, stop sitting on the fence

[mysterio]

Malt & hops closely followed by yeast, and as SF points out, brewing technique. Once you've made 5 gallons of TCP or vinegar never forget it.

[Seveneer]

I went for yeast as you can substitue for many types of hops or malt but a particular yeast can make or break a beer.

Given the choice though, I'd have chosen malt, hops and yeast above water.

/Phil.

[Graham]

Can I add another ingredient? The Brewer.

Well done Sir! I was going to post something similar, but thought better of it, due to the mess I sometimes find myself in, after posting such stuff...

[prolix]

I went for hops, because for me getting the proportions of the ingredients wrong can be rectified in someway by the hopping as it comes last but over hop or under hop and the beer will suffer. Yeast obviously affects flavour but adding three times as much yeast does not effect it nor does half the amount. So in a brew once it has been decided upon, the hops are the most important, well in my head anyway.

[Vossy1]

All of them but

Untreated malt, hops and yeast, will give a fine tasting beer but water full of chlorine will only give one result

The brewer is also another, as said above, but fermenting temp is also another, though not an ingredient I suppose

[Jim]

So to sum up, you have to get everything right to make a great beer.

[Stonechat]

So to sum up, you have to get everything right to make a great beer.

Thank you for that summary Jim. When I read some of these threads I am reminded of the philosophers of old arguing about how many angels would fit on the end of a pin