Extract Kit - How do you "know" what to select?

Howdy! Due to some family issues, I am just getting to purchase my FIRST extract kit. THIS one has been recommended from Members here.

Being new to Home Brewing, how do I know which Yeast to choose? Do I want Yeast Fuel? Should I get their Priming Sugar, or get something else? Do I want the Alcohol Boost additive?

What are opinions on these things, and how is a noob supposed to know, other then asking???



TIA!



KillJoy

To start, why not go to a local beer shop and ask them and have them set you up with a Brew House or similar kit. Great beer. Simple to do.

B

To keep things simple go with a dry yeast (either the Danstar Nottingham or Safale us-05), its easier to work with, just sprinkle it on the cooled wort. The yeast fuel and alcohol boost is not necessary. Dry yeast should be fine without a cold pack.
Their priming sugar will be fine for bottling. Do you need bottle caps also?

KillJoy said:

Being new to Home Brewing, how do I know which Yeast to choose?

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Use dry, as it is easy to start with.

KillJoy said:

Do I want Yeast Fuel?

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No, your OG shouldn't be high enough to need it.

KillJoy said:

Should I get their Priming Sugar, or get something else?

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Get what they have. It'll be the correct amount

KillJoy said:

Do I want the Alcohol Boost additive?

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Only if you want higher abv, but I vote no

Get nottingham 05 or o4 or the liquid yeast. I would also recommend reading all you can first before buying and brewing. I spent months before i decided what and how to buy how to make and how much.I would recommend using the search for questions first and reading the stickys and How to Brew by John Palmer its free online also(older version)
Priming sugar is cheap you can get it there cheap or buy dextrose at a health or supermarket. You can use almost anysugar,Maybe all.Table sugar works as well,so you could skip buying it,ive just started using dry malt extract to prime with-is suppose to give a creamier head.

Your making it too complicated. Dont worry about alcohol boosters or yeast fuel. Get the priming sugar for bottling. If they give you a choice between liquid yeast or dry, i prefer the liquid, but thats me, you can make great beer with dry. Get the first batch under your belt, you will have a better understanding of whats going on.

I agree with all of the above. Kits are good about giving all the instructions you need to get off to a good start. Forget about everything extra like nutrients and so forth and focus on sanitation and learn the why of what your doing not just the how and focus on sanitation. Oh I forgot to mention to sanitize! . You will make good beer so do t worry. Let us know how it turns out! Oh and one thing that I forgot to do on my first few batches is to shake the hell out of that fermenter (Before you pitch the yeast) to get oxygen in to the wort so the yeast can survive so keep that in mind.

Read the stickies on the beginner forum. I could be wrong, but I think the general consensus is that dry yeast is superior if they have it for the type of beer you are making. I have never tried the alcohol boost, but I have used the yeast fuel. It was only my second batch so it might have helped and I didn't know about it, but it was a pretty low OG beer and it fermented pretty quickly. Not like holy **** quickly but quick enough. Its only 1.50 and personally I don't think it should matter too much. My two most recent kits from AHS I didn't buy it.

Also, just a consideration, you might want to consider not doing a clone kit for your first brew. I know this is more of a personal subject, but for me, I would rather brew something that isn't supposed to taste like something else until I nail in the process. Personally if I did that kit I would be expecting it to taste just like SNPA and if it didn't I might assume something went wrong. Thats just me, but AHS has a lot of their own recipes that are good, and they seem to be a little bit cheaper than their clone kits as well.

Very good point about the clones. Also in regards to yeast I agree to go with dry but make sure to buy a fresh pack and don't use what's in the kit. The yeast included with kits is often no good due to not being refrigerated during shipping.

Take it from someone with two kits under my belt. I did two brasiers best kits from the lhbs and I have two kits from Austin and I am already looking a playing with one of the recipe. Start slow don't worry and most importantly have fun.

Brewers best kits, sorry

I have enjoyed brewers best kits... Good quality and good instructions for even the noobest of noobs to make good beer. I did a dunkelwiesen from them that was very delicious.

The reviews for that beer are very good.

NRS

Another piece of advise I wish someone had gotten into my head before I started brewing was to learn the art of patience. The directions that came with my kits had me bottling as soon as two weeks after brewing. You may hit your FG in that time, but extra time in the fermenter in my experience helps lend better flavor and clarity to the finished beer. Welcome to the hobby! You'll have a closet full of carboys before you know it =)

===============================
Primary1: "Black Idea" Cascadian IPA
Primary2: Pinot Noir
Primary3: Air
Secondary1: Russian Imperial Stout
Secondary2: Cinnamon Spiced Aphelwine
Secondary3: Magic Hat #9 Clone
Bottle Conditioning: Caffery's Clone, Mind Bending Barleywine, Aphelwine
Drinking: "Black Idea", McQuaker's Oatmeal Stout, Sam Summer Clone

Buy any kit you like but I would recommend these guidelines.
1) Stick with something with a normalish gravity. Something in the 1.040-1.050 range. Most first time brewers will not have the patience to actually let their first beer sit long enough and higher gravity beers take longer to ferment and bottle condition.
2) Only buy liquid yeast if you are doing a style where the yeast is important to the flavor of the beer. Mostly Belgian's or wheat beers. Not IPA's or most pale ales.
3) Buy a style you like.

Thanks all! Everyone has pretty much told me what I expected, I just wanted reassurance!



KillJoy