After using Tempilac for a while, I now anneal by color. By in large the Tempilac worked, when it didn't, I hadn't gotten the case hot enough.
A case gets almost shiny when you get the right heat. It is also a lightish blue, but that shiny appearance is what works for me. If you get too hot, it will begin to dull -- but that's too hot.
If I have to go a while between annealing sessions, I'll use Tempilac for a few cases until my eye gets accustom for what to look for . . .
Quenching isn't suppose to matter for brass. But in spite of what the metallurgists say, I get better results if I dip the case in water right after the color is reached, still in the electric screwdriver.