Want to start brewing---Where do i start?

Looking at a kit from Northern Brewer. What's an easy/safe beer to start with? No IPAs.

I take it you are starting with an extract brew? What kind of equipment do you have?

Definitely start with extract, and I'd probably recommend a stout or porter for your first go-round. They do a better job of hiding minor flaws than a light colored beer can.

But do make sure you have down pat sanitation, pitching enough viable yeast, and fermentation temperature control.

And patience. That's probably the hardest skill to acquire.

Nothing at this point. All research so far. Have found some ingredient kits that look user-friendly.

I say brew an ale. Amber, Pale Ale, Cream Ale, Wit, all easy beers, pick an style that you know you like. Stay away from lagers or high gravity beers for a start.

Any recommendations where I should go for ingredients? Online just as good as brew shops?

phenry said:

They do a better job of hiding minor flaws than a light colored beer can.

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I've found that pretty much every beer can hides minor flaws

Seriously though, pretty much do everything phenry said, especially the patience part.

Starter kits a good way to go, or is it just a gimmick for people that don't know any better?

Equipment starter kits.

What beers do you like and why? Why no IPAs? Answers to these questions could help us to make recommendations that suit your tastes.
For example, phenry recommended a stout or porter. If I were starting out, and everybody recommended that I started with a stout or porter, I would probably give up because I don't like dark beers. That doesn't make him wrong. It just makes us different.

-a.

I say get any kit that sounds good, try it, see how it turns out... and keep on brewing. It gets better... though the first beer you make will always be special. hmmm just like sex

Porters and stouts are a little strong just yet. Ales lagers and ambers. Local brewery in Cleveland has an amber called Elliot Ness which is a favorite. Oktoberfest and Christmas ales. Fan of malty and steer away from hoppy.

Equipment kits are perfectly fine. The biggest 'problem' people have is they get a good decent starter kit, fall in love with the hobby and end up buying better versions of some of the equipment that came in the kit, or new pieces of equipment, or making new equipment, and more fermenters, and .......

Equipment kits can vary from place to place and they all have advantages/disadvantages depending on who you ask. Key things you need to look for are:
-fermenter (could be a bucket or a better bottle or a glass carboy)
-lid for the fermenter or a rubber stopper for the bb or carboy
-bottling bucket
-hydrometer
-bottle capper
-bottling wand
-air lock

I'm probably forgetting a thing or two. As a GENERAL rule of thumb, don't get the cheapest and don't get the most expensive.

You will also need a thermometer that can read from @60-@160F. I have 1 that goes from 30-150 and another that's 100-450 and I use 1 for the high temperatures and the other for the lower ones but as long as you have the 60-160 range covered you'll be fine.

As far as what style goes, get what sounds good to you, but the advantage of Porters/Stouts is they don't use much hops, so the recipe tends to be simple and are darker, so you aren't worried about hazy beer or sediment you might be able to see. Plus, this time of year, people tend to brew darker beers for the colder weather.

At the end of the day, there is no wrong answer about which beer as long as it isn't a style you know you don't like, which is why I assume you say no IPAs. Best of luck to you and keep asking questions around here.

www.howtobrew.com awesome place to start...

iron_city_ap said:

I've found that pretty much every beer can hides minor flaws

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Amen to that. And enough beer can hide some pretty major ones as well

Well, to actually give some advice, I LOVE the NB ESB kit. The extract version is excellent. Really great flavor.

Any ideas where i can find a recipe similar to Christmas Ale?

Is there a difference in what yeast i use? and whats a primer?

Yeast
1 x Safale US-05 Ale Yeast $3.75

Priming Option
1 x Brewer's Best Conditioning Tabs $5.50

You have already found a great site. I started with NB's deluxe starter kit and the Irish Red Ale extract kit. I fermented too hot for the first day. I tasted the wort and it tasted sour to me. It was probably fusel alcohols from the high temps. I got on their online chat right away. I was advised to primary to the full 2 weeks, secondary for at least 2 weeks and bottle condition for at least 2 weeks. I went about 3 weeks in secondary and it took 2 1/2 weeks to carb up in the bottles. The beer turned out great.

I have done the Irish Red ale, Patersbier, Extra Pale Ale and Nut Brown Ale extract kits. All of them were easy to brew and turned out great. I would suggest any of them. Northern Brewer instructions are also very good. The length of each step suggested is a bit short though, I would suggest going to the longer times at each stage.

GLBC_fan said:

Is there a difference in what yeast i use? and whats a primer?

Yeast
1 x Safale US-05 Ale Yeast $3.75

Priming Option
1 x Brewer's Best Conditioning Tabs $5.50

Click to expand...

Yeast does make a big difference on your beer. If you are buying a kit online, you can pick any one of the options they have. Make note of how you like it because different yeasts will add a little different taste.

Priming is the type of sugar you use to carb the beer in your bottles (or keg). I like using sugar but you can use the carbing tabs. They all work fine

OP - Something not mentioned yet (at least I didn't see it) for equipment is a brew pot/kettle. For extract you can get away with about a 8 to 12 quart pot, BUT it is much easier with at least a 16 quart. If you move to all grain later, you can switch to something bigger. Usually an acceptable 16 to 20q pot is available from someplace like Walmart or other less expensive places for the <50 and maybe even <30.

I STRONGLY recomend you look for a 16 to 20 qt. I do extract in a 16 and often wish I had a larger one, although my stove can't heat it.

As to kits, the usually come in 2 or 3 levels at the online places, basic, dulux and super dulux or something liek that. The basic has all you need to get started (although if you get hooked you will want more stuff). And everybody has their basic in the same price range. Occassionally there is a Groupon for Midwest's kit.

Try a Hefeweizen or some other wheat beer. It's easy to make as an extract and it goes from extract to glass rather quickly.

You could be drinking your own beer in 4 weeks!