New to BA, looking to brew my own beer!

Read this: How To Brew

Then go to a Local Brew Shop or online brew shop and get a brewing kit (buckets, measuring tools, packaging equipment, siphon, and sanitizer) as well as an extract beer kit (extract, steeping grains, hops, yeast). Follow all the instructions except transferring the beer to a secondary (leave it in the primary for 3 - 4 weeks then bottle).

Stout/porter is actually a good beer to start with as they can hide flaws easily with all the roast malt, and they make good fall/winter beers.

 

Welcome aboard Sir !

 

Welcome to this insane hobby! You have started very well by seeking advice from experienced homebrewers. I'll suggest two things to add to the suggestions above and that will follow by others:

1. Find out from your local homebrew supply store if there is a homebrew club in your area, and then join it so that you'll have local experts available to you. A member may invite you to one of his sessions, or you may be able to have someone help you during your first session.
2. I've selected most of my recipes from a book titled "Clone Brews" so that I could purchase the real beer to compare to the beer that I brew. It's a fun thing to do.

 

BA has an excellent search engine.

Here's a few collected for you to get started...
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/getting-started.49813/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...d-in-home-brewing-where-to-shop-online.49108/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/is-starting-out-with-extracts-really-necessary.54361/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/noob-help.31245/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/going-to-start-homebrewing.80299/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/posts/1077232/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/homebrewing-where-to-start.70838/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/equipment-where-to-start.58486/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/what-to-start-homebrewing-what-do-i-do.42144/
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/what-kit-to-start-with.27498/

And of course...
http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

 

The howtobrew.com link is a great place to start. Most shops will have about the same sort of equipment starter kits available, I think. Most of those shops will also sell you a decent ingredient kit for making a porter or stout. After doing an ingredient kit or two, perhaps you are starting to think about other recipes; this is the time to look through the book Brewing Classic Styles - you don't have to copy them but see how they recipes are put together and use it as a guide. I recommend brewing basic beers styles and simple recipes that you know should work for the first several batches, so you can really focus on process. However, for some people, it's not worth doing if you don't do it big, wild, and crazy - those are the folks who start with Triple IPAs and Chocolate Imperial Mango Porters and such. Either way, have fun with it.

 

Been talking about this place since I have found it. My buddy got this deal and I am planning on getting my brother the same for x-mas as he still uses my equipment.

http://www.valuebrew.com/collections/home-page-featured/products/valuebrew-starter-bundle

 

This looks like a pretty good deal. When I bought a starter kit 8 years ago, I was able to find some 5 gallon kettles for less, but I probably came within 15 bucks of this price, and I didn't get a recipe kit with it. I see some of the recipe kits drive the cost up, but still seems like a good deal.

 

This is the 2nd one of these on the first page, why cant we have a sticky...

 

That does look to be a good deal, including the pot and an extract kit.
I got the Brew Gold kit, and then went with the 16qt Graniteware pot as my boil. I could get 3gal plus out of it into my fermenter when I was doing extract. I later went up to the 33qt version of the same thing. UNder $30 at Bed Bath and Beyond, with the 20% off coupon... That pot is plenty big for full boils with minimal worry about boil-overs.
Does it have the same presence as an all-stainless with sight glass, built in thermometer and spigot? nope, but it works well and is easy to store.

 

for someone just starting out, would you guys say brew in small (a gallon batches; to get the hang of it)...Or go for the 5 gallon kits (so if and when I want go up, i already have the equipment)??

 

IMO One Gallon Batches would be almost a waste of time and effort.

 

cool..thanx....5 it is then...lol.

 

+1 on skipping secondary. Unnecessary for beginner, heck I've been brewing over 10 years and I still skip a secondary sometimes. John Palmer (howtobrew) rocks and I have his book earmarked and written all over. It is like my brewing bible.

 

I think 3 is the sweet spot. I dont like being stuck with 2 cases of the same beer, even if its really good. 3 is a bit cheaper, lets me experiment more, and doesnt leave me with as much of the same style to drink. Plus if youre a stove top brewer 3 gallon batches can be a little easier to switch to partial mash/biab.

 

As ive been here at work (slacking, reading about beer..LOL) I started to think that too. That around 3 gallons is where its at.

 

Yes, you certainly have been talking about it a lot. In the 10 days you've been a BA member, you have posted 18 messages. 10 of these messages promote Valuebrew and/or its kits. Two of your other messages don't mention Valuebrew, but do contain negative comments about other suppliers. Thanks goodness you and your buddy found Valuebrew online! I see you're from Minnesota. Valuebrew is incorporated there, don't 'cha know.

 

I don't mind seeing and (sometimes) responding to these posts, by and large. Gives us an opportunity to say "Welcome to the part!" to the newbies.

@Petey9790 - Welcome to the party!

 

DON'T start off with imperial stouts and high ABV porters (if there's any distinction there, lol). Again, DON'T start off with imperial stouts or high ABV porters.

Did I mention NOT to start out with imperial stouts and high ABV porters?

Use the KISS* method when brewing. Only complicate things SLIGHTLY when adding complexity. I didn't even attempt a DIPA till I had been brewing more than a year and a half. And you know what? My first IIPA came out fantastic. I doubt it would have if I would have attempted it on my third batch. Keep your ABV in the 5-6% or so range for a while, and keep the ingredients simple. You will thank me for this advice when you've brewed lots of batches of simple yet delicious beer.

Oh, and read how to brew.

*keep it simple, stupid

 

however, there's no reason you couldn't brew a nice porter or stout early in your brewing career. My 2nd or 3rd batch was a milk stout that came out pretty darn good. Not perfect, but way way way acceptable considering how new I was. Everyone that tried it liked it, good enough for me! I also brewed an American stout early in my all grain brewing, it came out good too. Both were around 1.060 OG and 6-ish% ABV.

try a porter, dry Irish stout, moderate ABV American stout, oatmeal stout, or milk stout. If it's your first recipe, buy a kit.

that reminds me, it's time to bottle my oatmeal stout, and time to brew again...