Beginner Advice on Equipment and Recipes

Hey guys,

I'm new to HBT, but have heard great things and as an aspiring homebrewer, I figured I could ask you for advice on what to buy. I feel like the beginner equipment kits are nice to start up with, but if I shop smart, I might be able to not only save money, but maybe even get better-quality stuff too. I've been trying to follow along with what I've read from Charlie Papazian.

I've been thinking a lot about what kind of beer I'd like to try for my first brew, and kinda wanted to try Oberon (being from MI, this seems simple and good). I want to try following this recipe: http://alestolagers.blogspot.com/2010/05/recipe-of-week-bells-oberon-clone.html?m=1

Would this be a good idea? Do any of you have any advice on equipment and recipes? What if I'd like to rack from primary into multiple small secondaries, to experiment with different flavors added? Thanks a lot!!!

Another Michigander here, and kinda was in the same boat as you. Are you doing AG or Extract? This recipe was my first attempt at an AG, and its in Primary right now
http://www.brew365.com/beer_bells_oberon.php

They are very similar, I also harvested fresh Oberon yeast out of 3 bottles, and stepped up the starter 2x.

Nice, well that's kinda what I'm wondering... Would it be too ambitious of me to try this, especially if it's an AG? And what equipment would I need for this kind of thing?

It does't have to be a costly buy-in to get started. I do stovetop BIAB with a 10 gal aluminum kettle ($19.99 tamale pot on sale at smart n final) a $4 voile curtain from Ikea, and a few 7.5 gal buckets I get for free from a local soap making store. Thermometer and hydrometer are pretty necessary ($5-$10 each). Airlocks are optional (I use 'em because I like to see the bubbles and they are only a buck or two).

The free buckets I get are food-grade and originally contained oils for soap making. A good cleaning and overnight soak with hot water and homemade PBW (oxyclean + TSP90) and they're good to go! The lids seal air tight and even have a pop-out pour spout that holds the small universal stopper w/ airlock perfectly. I've heard other people hitting up restaurants for food-grade buckets. The soap store was glad to let me have them since they were just going out in the recycle trash.

I also save 1 gal glass jugs from apple juice or cider. Great for starters or small test batches.

You'll need a capper ($15-25) and caps (usually a couple of bucks for 144 caps) if you plan to bottle and 54 bottles or so for each 5 gallon batch (good excuse to go buy 12 packs of Sam Adams or other non-twist, amber bottled commercial beer). I also like to save Martinelli Apple cider champagne-style bottles. They take regular caps. haven't tried real champagne bottles. Grolsch-style flip tops are nice to use as well.

I drilled one of my free buckets to hold a bottling spigot ($2-3), built a dip tube using a cvc nipple an elbow from the plumbing aisle. A bottling wand ($5ish ) and auto siphon ($10-15 ) along with some tubing (~$1ish/foot) and you should be ready to go. (look for Revvy's posts on diptube and bottling hints)

Oh! Sanitizer... You can use bleach buffered with vinegar but starsan is soooo much easier. Make a 5 gallon batch and re-use several times. Also keep some in a spray bottle for quick sanitizing of spoons, stoppers, etc.

You can get started for less than $100 if you shop around, scrounge free buckets, save bottles (have your friends save too), etc.

Good Luck!