Please allow me to introduce myself.

[SmokeyNY]

Here's the story. I'm 23, and in graduate school. My grandfather had a home brewing kit that he never used, and when he passed my father got it. He used it once when I was little, but now I have it. I started with a small Mr. Beer unit in my dorm room when I was an undergrad. I made some beer and very crude mead. I've also acquired a wine kit that I have used once. Everything I have made so far has been pretty good, but probably closer to a prison brew than a microbrew. Anyway considering that with school, family and work; my only vices are home brewing/winemaking and golf. I would love to have my own microbrewery in my retirement which is sometime from now. If anyone has any tips especially the ones you wish someone had told you when you started, or the ones you discovered on your own that everyone should know, send 'em my way.

 

[RichBrewer]

First off. Welcome to HBT.
It sounds like you are enjoying home brewing quite a bit. The only advice I would give is to buy quality equipment for your brewery. I've jerry rigged a few things and it has always come back to bite me. I'm not saying don't build anything yourself. I'm just saying that if you do, have a plan and buy quality parts.
What equipment do you have now other than the kit you got from your father?

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

Here's some advice from a newbie, get away from the Mr. Beer kits... and try to avoid "pre-hopped" malt extracts as well. You'll soon learn making beer is most fun when you know what hops and malts you are using and can critique the taste based on that!

 

[SmokeyNY]

I've already moved away from Mr. Beer. It was nice when I was in the dorms and wanted to conceal it, but now that I'm out on my own it is not of much use to me other than to store stuff in. Right now I have an old beer kit whose maker I am not sure of, bottle capper, glass carboy, racking tubes, funnel, enamel pot, and some other stuff I have picked up along the way.

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

Nice, looks like you are ready to rock then. I swear man, every time I see the title of your post I started singing that rolling stones song. "Please to meet you... WON'T YOU GUESS MY NAME!!"

 

[Fingers]

Heh, "I'm a man of wealth and fame."

 

[SmokeyNY]

I chose that title because that song was in my head at the time.

 

[Brewing Clamper]

Nice, looks like you are ready to rock then. I swear man, every time I see the title of your post I started singing that rolling stones song. "Please to meet you... WON'T YOU GUESS MY NAME!!"

Dude, that's funny! I totally did the same thing when I first saw it...