First time brewer

[Ryan0186]

Hello all, I am interested in brewing my own beer at home and need advice on a good beginner kit. I want to do the malt extract brewing style as from what I have read and seen it is the simplest form for a rookie. Also any advice on essentials for home brewing and where the best place on the net would be to purchase the kit and ingredients together as I don't have a store in town that carries these products. Thanks

 

[unionrdr]

Midwest has a starter kit for $65. Northern Brewer & AHS also sell starter brewing kits. Midwest has various options you can add to it depending on what you need or want.

 

[woozy]

I guess I should comment (although I wouldn't call it advice) that you can buy brewing equipment on amazon.

*I* would prefer to buy my equipment from a brew store/site because I'd trust the descriptions and would be able to ask folks' here advice but as some folks might like to do all their shopping and supplies in one place, knowing that amazon (and other multi-purpose shooping sites) carry brew supplies and brew equipment needn't be considered a specialty item could be useful information that one wouldn't have considered.

I'm not sure that I'd do it, but the information is out there and information is always a good thing.

 

[BigFloyd]

Do you have a local home brew supply (aka, LHBS) where you live? They all sell starter kits. You will likely pay a few bucks more than you will online, but, if the owner/staff of your local store knows what he's talking about (like mine does), you will gain someone nearby to help guide you through the initiation into this fun and addictive hobby.

If you are going to order it online, I'd probably opt for this Northern Brewer kit packaged with a free batch of Caribou Slobber -http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/beer-equipment-starter-kits/essential-brewing-starter-kit.html

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

+1 on the NB starter kit. I didn't do this kit but a friend did and highly recommends it. I've done some of their ingredient kits and they are good quality fresh kits. Customer service is quite good.

That being said, +1 on getting in touch with your LHBS as well. My LHBS is staffed by some real hop heads that are really into making good beer, and they want your first brew to be a good one so you keep coming back to them. I go to my LHBS just to wander around and shoot the breeze with those guys, you learn a lot. Many LHBSs are also meeting places for homebrew clubs, another great source of info.

 

[woozy]

The original poster said he didn't have a LHBS. Which is a pity but cant be helped.

So *we'll* have to help him out. All the starter kits above look great. Make sure you get a hydrometer if it doesn't come with the kit.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

I would double check about the availability of a LHBS. I thought I was out of luck after my move, but it turns out that a liquor store down the road stocks homebrew supplies, including fresh grains and hops and yeast. It's not a big operation, but they have all the ingredients I'll need.

+1 on a hydrometer and a test column. Get a cheap turkey baster from the supermarket and use it only for pulling samples. It is key to know how done your ferment is - lets you know if things are going well and puts the spectre of bottle bombs to rest.

 

[BigFloyd]

The original poster said he didn't have a LHBS. Which is a pity but cant be helped.

So *we'll* have to help him out. All the starter kits above look great. Make sure you get a hydrometer if it doesn't come with the kit.

Oops. Missed that.

I can certainly sympathize. Until recently, we didn't have one either. Now we have a good one and I am glad. Our homebrewers club meets there every third Thursday.

 

[brewkinger]

+1 to any of the online retailers above. I myself went the NB route and got the deluxe kit.
In my honest opinion (henceforth IMHO)
Forego the glass carboys and stick with plastic buckets. All the benefits of glass are outweighed with the danger if one of them breaks.

 

[Ryan0186]

A high school friend of my girlfriends brews his own beer here in Charleston so I am going to ask him if he knows of a place here in town that sells supplies before I commit to a purchase online. I did find a great kit that comes with all the ingredients for 168 dollars including shipping. It is from a company based out of California. http://homebrewmart.com/instructions_sanitation.php. I have been looking for a kit like this online that includes the ingredients and this has been the only one I have found. I really appreciate all the help that y'all have given me thus far.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Mind that the LHBS prices will be a bit higher than online retailers, but it should be a near wash when you consider shipping costs. I like to see and touch what I am buying, but I check prices too. LHBS is usually close to competitive price-wise and they let you get what you need that day so I tend to give them my business when I can. If there is a little mark-up I count that toward the intangibles of chatting and getting advice and ideas, and actually checking out stuff in person. Going to the LHBS is kinda like visiting a wizard's apothecary - there is just so much weird stuff kicking around that it is endlessly interesting to wander around.

 

[Ryan0186]

Actually after looking a little deeper into y'alls advice I am going to probably go with the kit from Northern Brewer, Like a few of y'all said it comes with the ingredients and everything needed to brew and bottle. Also looks like I will save about 70 dollars. Thanks again guys!

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Cool! Have fun!

 

[BlindFaith]

A high school friend of my girlfriends brews his own beer here in Charleston so I am going to ask him if he knows of a place here in town that sells supplies before I commit to a purchase online. I did find a great kit that comes with all the ingredients for 168 dollars including shipping. It is from a company based out of California. http://homebrewmart.com/instructions_sanitation.php. I have been looking for a kit like this online that includes the ingredients and this has been the only one I have found. I really appreciate all the help that y'all have given me thus far.

I just saw you were in Charleston. Holy City Brewing in N. Charleston sells grain, hops, and yeast, but no extract or kits. If you don't mind the drive, you can shoot up by me here in Lexington and go to Keg Cowboy. They have all the equipment you'd need and ingredients. Call beforehand or you can message me a list and I will find out if and when they'll have what your looking for. You could always just order online and pay the shipping which is cheaper than driving the 100+ miles, but some like convenience. I sometimes drive to Charleston and get grain and hops because it is so much cheaper than here. Holy City has hops for $1 an ounce which is AWESOME!!!! I load up when I go. Keg Cowboy is also a bar now that serves only craft beer and mead, so you can get your stuff and drink some great beer.

 

[Ryan0186]

Kit from Northern Brewer has been ordered! Let the fun begin! BlindFaith I appreciate your offer. Ordered the kit before I read your post. Next time I am in Lexington I will def check that place out. Thanks

 

[celticdevildog]

I know you said you were already going with the NB kit but I figured I'd add my opinion here too. I ordered the deluxe kit from NB with the Irish Red Ale which is currently fermenting. I couldn't be happier with this kit as a newbie myself. I went with the plastic carboys because of the weight difference but it's all preference and to each his own.

The kit is very easy to use and the instructions and DVD that comes with the kit are very simple to follow and understand.

 

[woozy]

That kit from homebrew mart in California was really kinda expensive. (Nice choices for ingredient recipes.)

Nothern Brewer is a better deal. But it doesn't come with a hydrometer. Order one!

(I'd get the gravity upgrade kit [wine thief useful but you could also use a turkey baster if you are a real cheapskate, hydrometer jar (to float the hydrometer in) useful but you could use the tube the hydrometer is shipped in, hydrometer holder utterly useless, hydrometer !essential!] but only the hydrometer is essential. The Mad Upgrade has more useful stuff [whirlfloc, very useful] but mostly it's got the book how to brew and of course a hydrometer.)

(Or you can just order a five dollar hydrometer.)

 

[Ryan0186]

Yea I ordered the gravity testing kit with my starter kit. I have been watching beer brewing youtube video from a youtube user called Craigtube. Really nice guy who has been home brewing for years and has a lot of great product reviews and step by step brewing videos. If your not familiar with his video check them out.

 

[brewkinger]

I would also suggest picking up a copy of How to Brew written by John Palmer or Charlie Papazian also has one but the name of it slips my mind at the moment.
Home brewers bibles!

 

[BMClark2210]

Northern brewer has some good 1 gallon kits to get your feet wet. I started with a gallon of caribou slobber and I must say it was awesome. After that I was hooked and bought everything I needed to make 5 gal batches from the keg to a brewing spoon lol.

 

[unionrdr]

Yea I ordered the gravity testing kit with my starter kit. I have been watching beer brewing youtube video from a youtube user called Craigtube. Really nice guy who has been home brewing for years and has a lot of great product reviews and step by step brewing videos. If your not familiar with his video check them out.

Craig Farraway has been doing youtube videos for years. A large number of us know of him & started brewing because of him & others like him. Hes downright popular around here. He dose anything from AE to AG,light to dark simple to complex. He's been doing it for some 25 years.