I was wanting some preference on where to start and get supplies. Since I haven't brew before what can I expect? And what are some things I should look for. Any help or advice will be great.
Read "How to Brew," either the old online version or the updated print version, first. After you do that, the advice that people will give you in this thread will make a lot more sense.
1. 'How to Brew' by John Palmer 2. Northern Brewer or MoreBeer .com, they sell extract recipe kits, I would start you off there 3. YouTube some homebrewing videos to get a visual of the process. Extract or all-grain, you'll be able to find some good visuals on the process.
Welcome to the BA site as well as to this insane hobby. It's a lot of fun, but it will drive you crazy if you let it, or if you get too serious about little things. My recommendation is to back and read all of the tips given in the previous threads in this forum. Some are threads from new brewers such as yourself, and some are just general threads that were started in an attempt to better educate the masses. Many of the questions asked by new brewers will be the same as what you might ask, but at this point you don't know what to ask. That's why reading Palmer's 'How to Brew' will be beneficial. It gives you the basics as well as the details, but as good as that book is, you'll still have questions.
Read How to Brew as has been said. Before you brew anything. When you get your first kit, ignore the instructions that come with it regarding any part of the process and use what you learned in the book. I'm not exaggerating at all - those instructions are useless and do more harm than good.
Another good book is Charles Papazian's The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. It's the book that I picked up when I started to home brew and it has been really good to me. I'd also enlist the assistance of the local home-brew store staff.
As nearly everyone has said, how to brew is a great place to start. After reading that you should have a fairly good idea what equipment you absolutely need to brew a batch. Personally I bought the starter kit from more beer, and have been happy with it. It doesn't come with an ingredient kit, so you will need that to. Several online retails have similar kits, and if you have a local homebrew store (LHBS), they likely have their own as well. What you need depends on if you can repurpose existing equipment (like you already have a large stock pot for example). Other than that, plan to either hate it (it is a lot of cleaning) and quit early or love it and continually think of more brewing equipment you need.
It depends on whether you want to actually brew or simply make beer. For the former I would look up the nearest home brew shop. I use a kit called "Brewer's Best." It is a simple kit and gives you everything you will need to make a good solid brew. And the best part is, you do everything yourself. If you are just looking to make beer, I know a lot of people who pick up those Mr. Beer kits. However they are not real homebrewers. They give you a canned malt that has all the ingredients mixed in. All you do is add it to water. There is a difference between making homemade chicken noodle soup and boiling Top Ramen. Mr. Beer is basically like making Top Ramen.
No offense, but Mr. Beer kits are no more less advanced than the Brewers Best kits. They are both extract. None of those being the equal to "homemade". While the Mr. Beer kits have hopped extract you add water, boil, cool, and pitch yeast, they aren't much different than steeping a pre measured bag of aged grain in water, adding a can of extract or bag of dry extract, boiling it and adding hops. Both, with the right recipe, care, and environment, will produce good to great beers. But don't fool yourself thinking one if making beer, and another is brewing.. They both are brewing.
