Brand new, but don't want extract - EQUIPMENT Q's

Dan said:

You can make a mashtun out of your cooler without the expense of a ballvalve which cost around $10 for brass and $35 for stainless. If you go to youtube and search "batch sparge" the first one that comes up is by a guy named Don Osborn. He was able to make one with out a valve just using tubing and a stainless steel braided water line. He also shows how easy batch sparging is. Good video!

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I got started in AG watching Don. My first mash tun was just an old cooler with the tubing pulled through the drain. I used electrical tape to make it a tight fit. Then I used the braid off a water supply line. Very ghetto, but cheap cheap way into AG (and it worked fine).

If I had just stopped there, I could truly claim I'm saving money. But the gleam of stainless and electricity and gadgetry was too much to resist - I'm weak

Great advice from everyone, so I'll keep this short:

I too got started brewing with William's Brewing kits. I made 5 kits before going all grain. My biggest complaint with those kits: while I learned about fermentation, sanitation, and some of the brewing process, the recipe is totally hidden from you. I didn't know what hops I was using, how much did the packet weigh?, how many IBUs would that contribute?, what type/quantity of grains were mashed to create the extract? The instructions kept so much a mystery... I wasn't cooking- I was making mac-n-cheese out of a box.

I found a local home brew store and then I was convinced I needed more control of the recipe after I tried steeping a muslin bag with a pound of chocolate malt a William's Double Stout kit. (I was blown away by how much fresher it tasted and how much flavor there was from just stepping some grain along with the kit!)

If I had to do it over again here's the advice I'd give myself to speed up the learning process (and give the most bang for the buck):

1) Book number one that helped me: How to Brew by John Palmer
2) Book number two: Brewing Classic Styles (there is no shame in extract brewing and the book gives all grain versions too should you decide to go AG)
3) Help someone brew AG and watch. (I took a class at the local home brew store since I didn't know anybody.)
4) If you don't have a propane burner, then a turkey frier is great if you are on a budget (about $40 when you find the sale). Even the cheap aluminum pot comes in handy now and then.

As they say in the Ad... "Brewing is easy the William's way", but I get much more satisfaction by brewing MY beer.

you sound just like me a few weeks ago. i strated with extract and was quickly over it... started pricing out AG equipment and saw how much $ goes into it..... so..... i just started buying items at like $50 a pop and collecting the bare bones to put a complete system together. i picked up new 9 gallong Bayou SS pots for around $50 shipped online. Started buying pulming gear from bargainfittings.... a 10 gal cooler from Homedepot.. in about 2 months (just as my extract kegs were getting empty) I had enough to brew my first AG. I love it!! There is so much more you can do.. and the cost savings it great!!

Good luck..