Greetings ba cronies, What kit should I buy and from where. I want to brew my first batch of extract. I'd like to do an iPa. Any suggestions on equipment kits and ingredient kits and/or the separate individual route would be appreciated. Hyperlinks would be good too. Also, am I over thinking the process?- Meaning, is an 80$ brew kit from amazon going to give me quality equipment to match whatever quality ingredients I buy? Thanks.
I started with this beginner kit freom Rebel Brewer and was happy with it. More than $80 but a good investment which also includes the book How To Brew (everyone's recommendation). http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shop/getting-started/deluxe-equipment-kit
morebeer.com has a great kit that I used my first few brews..after that though you will find yourself spendings a ton more on things like a nice kettle, burner, chiller, more carboys, bottles, more starsan, etc.. I think I racked up like another 500 bucks in the few months after the initial kit was bought.
If you don't already have "how to brew" I would highly recommend it before you start brewing. The instructions that come with pre-made kits are notorious for being inaccurate or just outright wrong. Read the book and get an idea of what to do and when. You will avoid many mistakes that way. For example my first kit said nothing about cooling the wort before pitching the yeast. Had I followed the instructions it would have killed the yeast immediately.
And Palmer's book has a section on the equipment that you'll need. It's free online as an older edition at howtobrew.com or you can purchase the book online at Amazon, etc. and have something that you can mark up with notes, etc. Because your question is frequently asked in this forum, you might also want to page thru 5-6 pages (or more) to read the many replies/suggestions in these other threads (or do a search of this forum with a key word 'equipment' or 'newbie' or similar words). Welcome to the BA site and this forum, and to this crazy hobby.
Brewferm no-boil kits from heartshomebrew are nearly foolproof. They have some kits on sale for 10.99. I have always gotten positive feedback from my customers.
A kit like this has almost everything you need (plus it comes with ingredients for your first brew) http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...arter-kits/essential-brewing-starter-kit.html Basically, you need two buckets. A regular one (fermenter) and one drilled for a spigot (bottling). I like my autosiphon, but it is not necessary. I would also suggest getting some Starsan for a sanitizer and a cheap spray bottle from lowes/home depot. If you have a patio space, a turkey fryer will allow you to do full boils and that will make for better beer vs. a partial boil on your stove. Don't bother with a carboy or a better bottle for the time being. And when you are reading How to Brew, disregard any mention of a secondary fermenter.
Do your research online, but if there is a homebrew store nearby I would stop by there as well. In general you should know where one is because in brewing you will have your "Oh Sh** I forget/broke/missing" moments
