so here I am confused about what equipment to buy

I've been learking this forum for over a year and read "how to brew" so now I'm ready to try to make beer and buy some equipment. I looked at a few local web site and visited a place but I'm a little confused on what I really need to get started. I've read some previous thread and looked a videos.

Most shops here sell a primary (bucket and lid) and a secondary Glass cardboy (5G)

My initial idea after reading / watching and thinking was to get 2 buckets one for primary and one for bottleling. With all the other goodies needed.

My first batch will be the Recepie "cincinnaty Ale" from the How to Brew book and my goals in the short / medium term would be to make IPA mostly.

So am I taking the right direction or completely off the track ?

Thanks a lot

Ernie

Extract brewing? Get a 5G pot, a Ale Pail and a bottling bucket. that's all you NEED. Lots of people, my self included, don't bother with secondaries. You can very clear beer from just leaving it in primary. I tend to leave everything in primary for 3-4 weeks, then rack to keg.

If you get this kit http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=7585, you have everything you need to make a batch right out of the box (including a nice recipe with ingredients). If you want to get a secondary fermenter later you can easily upgrade. Or, there is another kit that includes the carboy from Midwest that is about $30 more.

I feel that these kits are great because it's a stress free situation. You buy everything you need at once, it shows up at your door, and you can brew that night. You then have everything you need to bottle a few weeks later and you'll be drinking your first beer in no time!

any starter kit will do. i haven't seen one yet that didn't have all the basic equipment. you just need a 5-7 gallon pot, a way to boil that much water, bottles, caps, and priming sugar. check the kit for a grain bag. some have them some don't. if your going to brew a recipe out of How to brew you will need one.

i would recommend getting an auto-siphon. the racking cane that comes with most kits is a pain in the butt to use to get a good siphon going.

Several times I've seen complaints about that recipe from how to brew.

Start out making what you like. No reason you can't make an iPa right out of the gate. There is nothing more complicated about them.

+1 to the auto siphon and they make a bigger one now much faster siphon.