questions

I had the Mr. Beer syste a few years ago and really enjoyed making my own beer. I got away from it for a while and due to the InBev takeover of Anheuser Busch and my reluctance to buy beer not made in St. Louis, by a St. Louis company am wanting to start doing home brew again. I need some help on what exactly I need to start brewing my own, where I can get good equipment without breaking the bank, and any other info a beginner needs. I have a friend who makes home brew and I love it, so it' s not just about spiting InBev, that's just a bonus.... Thanks in advance for all your help.

Local Brewing stores or northern brewing has all you need. It can be as low as $100 with an ingredient kit, or as high as you want it. It is cheaper to use buckets than glass carboys, but I would suggest dropping the money for the carboys. Of course I haven't yet but I'm saving.

Here is a basic kit from northern brewer.

NORTHERN BREWER: Beer Starter Kits

I use www.midwestsupplies.com. They provided me with a pretty good CD detailing the entire process. They deliver fast, have good prices, and their employees are friendly and helpful.

midwest is great but also check on austinhomebrew

for 1st recipe try biermuncher's centennial blonde it's a really easy drinking lighter colored beer

Are they no longer brewing beer in St Louis? Who cares who owns the company, local St Louis folk still work there and still need to feed their families. Think of it this way, if you still buy their beer, you are supporting the workers, not the owners. Having said that, brew your own as well, it'll be better and you'll have more satisfaction knowing you made it.

Actually, what really irritated me about the Inbev thing was that they promised they weren't going to make all the cuts. Then within a week or two after the takeover they made big cuts, I think the workers were notified a day or two before Christmas that there would be 4 or 5 thousand lay offs in ST. Louis, but they hadn't decided who yet. I think that's low to do it at that time of year, and even worse to leave everybody wondering who's staying or going, so everybody stresses over it instead of just those who are losing their jobs. They also I think eliminated their sports department and got rid of the Clydesdales if I remember what I read correctly. Just not right. I've been a loyal AB drinker for my entire drinking life, but if I can come up with a way to avoid them now I will, and only drink beer made myself or by an American brewer, probably Schafly here in town.

That is pretty lousy to say that you are laying off several thousand but they won't tell you who. That is happening all over the county though. My company is small but we laid off 20 guys the week before Thanksgiving.

Good luck with your homebrew, and I hope you find a local beer that's good.

I collect beer stuff and had allot of A-B collectibles........they are now in the trash. The company said they would fight the takeover tooth and nail and fight for the workers here in the U.S. and said if a takeover happened that no layoffs would take place. They have already laid off 1400 people since the takeover with thousands more planned and not just in St. Louis but all over the country. I don't support anything like that, period!!!!!