I am just thinking about getting started so I dont need anything to crazy. I just want to have a simple basic setup for now and was hoping I could get some advice for what I really need. As far as space I live in a condo so I have a back patio, and a two car garage which doesn't have much space since due to the complex we have both cars in it. We have two kids so we have hardly any spare room in the house, you got any idea where or how much space I really need for a simple basic set up?
Doesnt really take up a lot of space, but i dont know your set up lol!! its easy to get into. I would go to your local brew store and ask them. You can start with a kit that pretty much has everything you need in it. Or you can do the all-grain method!! I started off with a kit that my dad got me and then after jumped to all-grain. The only thing i would reccomend is getting a nice patio burner it really helps alot lol obviously
I'd start by asking myself how much homebrew I want to drink. 10 bottles per gallon. A gallon system will only give you 8 beers. A 5 gallon system can be quite compact and give you about two cases. Homebrew takes 6 weeks to 6 months before you want to drink it. (Depends on the style). How many bottles of homebrew do you want to drink per month?
The way I got started was with a turkey deep-fryer kit. You get a gas burner and a good-sized boiling kettle with a lid. (They should be on sale everywhere now.) Then you'll need a couple of plastic 6.5 gallon buckets (one for fermenting and one for use as a bottling bucket, unless you are going to keg your beers, then you'll need a keg or two) from your local homebrew store or an online supplier. You'll also need an LP gas cylinder. Those are the major items that take up space. Then you'll need some smaller items - a thermometer, hydrometer, plastic tubing, bottling wand, auto-siphon, etc. It's all in HowToBrew.com which is free online, or the newer edition is reasonably priced in homebrew shops, good bookstores, Amazon, etc. All of that takes up some space, but not an exorbitant amount. The LP has to be stored in your garage, but it's your choice where you can stash the rest of it.
If you're pressed for space, I'd recommend starting with 1 gallon batches. It really doesn't take much, and you probably have some of the items in your kitchen already. You can brew using your kitchen oven/stovetop and a 2-3 gallon stock pot. I followed this guide, which I thought was really awesome for breaking down the process and what you need: http://www.thekitchn.com/collection/beerschool-521
