Friend wants to get into brewing

Where and how should I start him out? Should I have him purchase a kit w/ extract kit included?

Or should I have him jump straight into all grain, saving him time and money for the inevitable?

Extract first, but I'd start with something that at least has specialty grains.

You don't wind up wasting any money on equip that you won't use for all-grain, and you save money if he abandons it before he gets there--plus he gets a chance to learn some technique before doing everything at once.

It's not necessarily inevitable that he goes AG. For about $100, he could get a good strong starter kit (Brewing Intermediate Kit- with Two 5 Gallon Better Bottle Carboys :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies for example, the kit I started off with) that will last him a good long time. I started with that particular kit, and still use every last piece in it, except for the bottle brush.

Then again, it depends how much free money he has, and how much he's willing to spend on a hobby he may or may not be fully addicted to. If he's willing and able to jump in head over heels, a good all grain setup with a few corny kegs might be the way to go.

My first brew was an Extract, but afterwords it was All Grain from there on out.

If your friend is into tinkering and recipes and DIY. He might never be satisfied with just extract. If he just wants to brew some good beer in his spare days off then Extract might be more than enough to make him happy.

It really depends on the person.

Let him buy an extract kit and make it with him on your setup. That way he is only out $30...

Well, seeing how the guy is a chef and a "foodie" then I think I will build an AG set we can share, and in the mean time brew some extracts to get the technique down.

BTW, by technique, you mean adding hops and aerating the yeast? Cause I don't see any other points of failure in extracts.

digdan said:

Well, seeing how the guy is a chef and a "foodie" then I think I will build an AG set we can share, and in the mean time brew some extracts to get the technique down.

BTW, by technique, you mean adding hops and aerating the yeast? Cause I don't see any other points of failure in extracts.

Click to expand...

well then you dont read the beginner forum much!
mabe you should check it out help a few noobs

digdan said:

Well, seeing how the guy is a chef and a "foodie" then I think I will build an AG set we can share, and in the mean time brew some extracts to get the technique down.

BTW, by technique, you mean adding hops and aerating the yeast? Cause I don't see any other points of failure in extracts.

Click to expand...

Proper sanitation, making a yeast starter, hitting and holding the proper temperature for specialty grains, learning your heat source's ability to hold a boil and how high to keep it, figuring out whether you want to use hop sacks or strain, figuring out what a hot break looks like in person, coming up with a good checklist system to make sure that you don't forget to rehydrate your irish moss or whatever, using a hydrometer, chilling the wort, aeration, temperature control, leaving in primary for the proper amount of time after fermentation ends, sanitizing bottles, using the autosiphon and bottling wand to fill things, if you need ice or water what's the best way to prep, store, and use it, etc.

And things like when are you going to have a hand free to hold a sanitized piece of equipment and when are you going to have to plan to have a sanitary place to keep it, learning not to put the hydrometer anywhere it can roll around even in the tube, etc.

None of it's hard, but walking through it once or twice gives you some first-hand experience.

Also, how to recognize and prevent a boilover.