Planning my 1st Brew

Recently ordered a Brewers Best Deluxe kit and i'm waiting on it to arrive along with a couple ingredient packs. Planning on starting with a brewers best english brown http://www.brewersbestkits.com/pdf/1016 English_ Brown_Ale.pdf
I was looking through the sticky/faq threads, and one of the warnings was about poor quality directions on kits, will I be fine if I follow their directions (in that .pdf I tried to link but it wouldn't let me make a hotlink) they seem fairly complete (but then again i know nothing about brewing). Other than a blow off tube is there anything really worth adding to that kit?

Sorry if this has been covered 1000000x

I'm a noob as well, i'll be bottling my first batch this weekend. But i've been reading and reading and reading some more.

Those instructions look pretty good to me. I have that same Brewers Best Deluxe kit and its got everything you'll need. I ended up buying some bottling equipment: vinator and a 90 bottle drying tree. But those are not required by any means.

Go for it!

The only issue I have with the instructions is they lead you to believe that the beer will be ready after about a week in the bottles. 3 weeks is a little more like it typically. Otherwise I think they are fine. Follow them and you will end up with beer.

You more than likely won't need a blow off either. I use one for at least the first few days just so I don't have to worry about krausen blowing up into the airlock and making more work.

Over time, you will slowly, or maybe quickly, get more and more equipment. It starts with things like 'i could really use a scale', then its 'a new thermometer would be helpful', then 'a bigger/better kettle would make the beer better' then 'a carboy/better bottle will make this better', etc.... Next thing you know you are eyeing an addition to the house...

With a basic extract kit, you really only need the basic equipment. The rest will come with time.

Ha...Ha... I was still typing the same thing when your post popped up.

+1 in regard to their time line. You'll be happier with the result if you let it ferment longer than the instructions tell you.

I completely skipped over their section on fermenting. Yeah, their schedule for when fermentation is over is off too. They lead you to believe that after 4-6 days you are good to go. Let it sit closer to 21 days. Ultimately, your fermentation is complete when your gravity reading stops dropping over a couple day period.

The longer you let it sit, the better it will be.

haha i only read the actual brew instructions too. Sorry.

so plan on 20-30 days in the fermenter and 3+ weeks in bottles thanks
one thing i've been wondering is with all the emphasis on sterilization how the hell did people in the middle ages end up with drinkable beer?