Beginners kit

[jacobch]

Hello. I am a food science major and wanting to start into the beer making world. I haven't made beer at home. We did fermentation stuff in labs in college but I never carried it over.

I wanna start home brewing. What is everyone's suggestions on a kit?

 

[suckmyale]

Craigslist is great, but you might not know what you all need. Check midwestsupplies and northern brewer for their kits and compare. Sometime they have decent deals.

If you live near a LHBS check them out as you will save on shipping.

Extract kits are a great start to make good/great beer without spending a lot.

 

[zacster]

Buy a kit from any of the suppliers or the LHBS. Don't buy on Craigslist as you won't know how it was used. Buckets in particular don't last forever as they get scratched. And definitely start with extract. I did extract for years before moving to all grain, although admittedly I wouldn't go back.

 

[DomsInABadMood]

I just started (I'm posting on my 2nd batch on another thread) but I received a Midwest Supply Beginner Kit as a gift, which was purchased through Groupon, and I think it ended up costing $65 for fermenting bucket, bottling bucket w/ spigot, airlock, hydrometer,capper, caps, tubing, racking crane, etc, and a choice of one of their kits. Their kits come with grains, malt extract, yeast, etc, so it's not just the canned stuff. Also, as a beginner, they've been very patient and helpful walking me through the whole process, and answered all of the questions I've had for them (and I've asked them a lot&#8230. The only thing I had to buy was the brew kettle (about $35?), and I cleaned up some used bottles for bottling. Might not be the most high-end equipment but I've so far been very happy with them.

 

[Waynep005]

I agree with using a Home brew supply store on line or in person. For your first extract kit I recomend using a local home brew supply store, if you have one. They can help you pick out a kit that is a style you like, and if they are a good shop it is great to develop a relationship with them. They can be a big help. Just my opinion of course.

 

[jaftak22]

I am on my 6th batch so I am really new to this as well. I would recommend reading How To Brew and The Complete joy of home brewing. Both are good books but How to Brew for me is easier to understand. I wish I had bought one of the kits with two carboys and a bottling bucket. Just and idea for you. Also get a auto siphon, they work really well

 

[DomsInABadMood]

+1 on How To Brew. It's sort of written so you can go at your own pace, and includes some plain english explanations, as well as more technical stuff, which is perfect.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

If you are really starting from zero, get a copy of "How to Brew" by John Palmer. Skip the second half of the book, and concentrate on understanding the section entitled " brewing your first batch" that should get you on the right track. There's also an online version of the first edition, althought some of the info is outdated.

 

[danb35]

...and that online version is at www.howtobrew.com.

 

[mChavez]

I'm a beginner myself (2 batches bottled, 2 fermenting) and I highly recommend going to LHBS and asking them to talk you through basic brewing from kit. You can get cheaper kits online but you won't get as much advice as from LHBS.
I do suggest though that you get your second fermenter soon after the first one
Also, buy an autosyphon right away - it makes life a lot easier!

 

[Tonyctitan]

I got the brewers best starter kit it was 130 and its a great little kit it came with everything I needed to get started. I still want a couple little things like a racking cane clamp but that's just a "comfort" type item.

 

[jacobch]

Thank you all. I will see how this goes!