To all of you that said you would have started with all grain:
Were you that convinced that you love this hobby before you even brewed a batch? Were you ready to fork over all the money for all grain before even figuring out if you could make good beer?
Eric
Good point, however, if anyone is a true beer lover, how could you not love this hobby? Might as well have the proper equipment, even if you only brew once in a while.
Sure, I wish I would have bought my 15 gallon pot first, but that pot cost more than my kit and first three batches combined! I could not have justified spending that much money when I didn't even know if it would be worth it.
Eric
True, but you definitely don't need an expnsive 15 gallon pot for AG, a keggle can be made for ~$25, buy a keg off craigslist.org and cut the top off. Voila, instant brew pot. Equipment doesn't have to be expensive.
Hindsight it 20/20, but I doubt that most of you would have put forth all of the money and effort to go AG on your first batch.
Eric
All what money? That is the beauty of this hobby, it can be as expensive, or inexpensive as you want it to be. Extract is not cheap! Grain is.
Also, I would never recommend that someone use AG for their first batch. Get your process down and really understand what is going on first. Once you have a process down, it is easy to add the AG steps. Of course, if you are brewing with someone much more experienced and they can show you the ropes, that changes everything.
Eric
Although I brewed a couple of kits first, a little research will show that AG is easy, and there are some great videos here on HBT as well as Youtube (and other sources, I'm sure).
Not trying to stir the pot, I just think that going AG from the start is unrealistic.
Eric
Yeah you are! But thats cool, it gives a different perpective on things that may be beneficial to someone.
