I've automated my annealing redneck style.  Use a battery drill with a square drive adapter that lets you use 3/8 sockets.  With a 9/16 deep well socket in the adapter in the drill I set the propane torch on my work bench, secured with duct tape (hence redneck) flat on the bench with the flame facing away from the bench.  Drop a Krag case  base down in the socket and hold the inner cone of the flame at the junction of neck and shoulder at about a 45 degree angle.  Rotate on low speed for 7-10 seconds until you see a color change.  Low light works best and time is dependent on how you set the flame.  Once you do several just time the anneal.  I drop into a metal cookie tin set on a chair under the flame.  It is not necessary to drop in water, in fact it makes no difference in hardness after the annealing.