Brewing/Kegging Starter Kit and Essential Equipment

I've been mulling over the home brew alternative for a few years now, but I've finally moved into a house with enough space for the equipment and I'm ready to get started. I have a great finished basement with a beautiful bar already installed that I'm going to convert to a wetbar (little plumbing necessary). I am also planning on coverting a small fridge (under the bar) to a keggerator with a tower, so I'm wanting to go straight to kegging. I'd also, someday, like to get to all grain brewing, but realize that I'll need to master the basics first so I'll start with an extract kit.

Anyway, I've got about $600 to blow and want a fairly high-end, full brewing and kegging starter kit. I've seen a ton of kits out there, but I can't seem to find the perfect one. Any recommendations on a starter kit and other equipment that a newb with a serious drive to brew can't live without?

Suggestions are greatly appreciated! I'll make sure to post pictures as I pull the operation together.

I've been looking around for kegging kits, and this one looks like a great deal:

Brew Logic Dual Tap Draft System- with NEW Aluminum CO2 Tank :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies
(Has a nice double regulator so you can have one keg at serving pressure and one at a higher force carb pressure).

Add this:

Brewing Intermediate Kit w/Two 5 Gallon Glass Carboys :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

And a stainless pot, some PBW and StarSan, and you've got everything you need for extract + kegging for right around $400 (Minus ingreds and fridge)

I have that kegging kit from Midwest. Very nice, all you need is beer and a CO2 fill.

Personally, I use Better Bottles instead of glass carboys. They are MUCH lighter. I once had the entire bottom of a glass carboy come off, it was full of fresh wort.

Thanks for the links. Looks like I know where to start now! Any other "essentials" that you recommend?

Also, what is the tradeoff with going to the plastic carboys instead of the glass? I like the idea of lighter, less breakable carboys, but I'm worried about how well the sanitize versus the glass.

The glass are slightly easier to clean, and won't get scratched (don't use the carboy brush on plastic, scratches = possible places for bacteria to hide). They're also 100% good as to being impermeable to oxygen. Supposedly the better bottles are essentially oxygen impermeable but some people don't believe it....so if you're doing a long (many months) secondary, you *might* get some oxidation with BB's, though I've not seen conclusive evidence of this...but I'm a n00b.

That said, glass is heavier and has potential to break, so really it seems like a matter of preference. I personally use BB's but I don't do anything big yet requiring a long secondary.

I'm with ya on the Keg idea, just came back from Lowes looking at bar fridges.

I have lots of stuff from Wine making, so only need the keg stuff and ordered from these guys as for me they appear to be closer to me.

But I did think about this kit with all serious ness, as I'm sure my neighbor would like to get started... I gave him a taste of my first batch sample from the Primary... Yummy!

Personal Home Brewery #5 - Kegging Super Deluxe | MoreBeer