Recipes

[eujamfh]

Hello again. I am new to brewing...and new to AG. Have two extract, three PM and one 10G AG under my bel.t. Learning curve is still steep, but having a blast.

I originally planned on buying AG kits from Midwest/Austin but the more I read, the more sense it makes to buy my grains from the LHBS since I can get 2row at around $40 for 50lbs. Hops are the same price online or local (And i would pay a little more local to keep him in business so lng as they are fresh).

That has led me to the recipe database here...I have already culled many I want to try. I also looked at purchasing Beer Smtih based o nthe recommendations here...my question is between the recipes here and ones on Beer Smtih - do I need to but kit versions from AHS or MIdwest? Seems like I could skip about $10 a batch buying locally...

Any thoughts? Am I over thinking this?

 

[BlackGoat]

Not sure if I understand the question. If you are buying the ingredients you can skip the kits entirely. I've never once brewed a kit, there is no need whatsoever to stick to them unless you just want the ease of having a tried and true recipe picked out for you and packed up. This tends to be great for people just starting out as it takes out a couple of the variables and lets you focus on the processes. But, you have an AG brew under your belt and some PM batches so it sounds like you're moving along nicely. Making up the recipes is one of my favorite parts of brewing.

 

[daksin]

No, there's nothing different. Just get the grains you need. Of course, if you buy a sack of 2-row, you'll need a mill to crush it.

 

[eujamfh]

Guess my question was muddy...was looking for a reason why to buy the kit vice buying things seperately (base in bulk) and following recipes on this site and on Beer Smith.

Since there seems to be enough clones on this site...I could follow those recipes and skip the kits!

 

[BlackGoat]

yeah, sounds like you have the right idea. I have no doubt kits are great but you'll probably learn more and have more fun with just buying in bulk and making up your own recipes. I buy certain things in bulk but often I just make a run to my local homebrew store to pick up the ingredients needed for a batch. You don't necessarily need to buy a 50lb sack of 2-row, although I'm sure that has the best cost savings.