When my velocity extreme spreads exceed normal levels it is time to anneal.
I dont watch the brass under the flame, I let the flame itself tell me when enough is enough. The flame will start to change color when the brass is the right temprature. With a typical plumbers propane torch at full strength, it only takes a few seconds.
IMHO if you wait to see the neck orange in normal light, youve gone to far. The neck will be too soft to be consistent. In dim light when you just start to see it change color, it is time to remove the heat.
Water quenching while convienient, is not neccesary for the annealing process.