Greetings from Orlando

Hello,
I'm just getting into this hobby, plan on making my first batch this coming week. Hopefully start it on Monday. I have been reading this forum for a few days now, and have started to get the equipment, regrettably starting out on the cheap end with buckets from the bakery, but will soon hopefully move up to something bigger and better. Looking to find some good recipes to start out with, going to hit up the site, and the Local HB over the next few days. I'm excited and can not wait to be sipping on beer that I can call my own.

Bocajoshua

Welcome! I'm in Oviedo. Good luck on Batch #1!:rockin:

Thank you, Im actually in the UCF area so im right near Oviedo, but where is the best home brew shop?

Thank you, Im actually in the UCF area so im right near Oviedo...

Click to expand...

Yep, you're just right up the road a bit. UCF area is torture for a guy my age...beautiful girls everywhere you turn...all half my age.

...but where is the best home brew shop?

Click to expand...

Minnesota. I use Midwest Supplies a lot. I also use Austin Homebrew...they have cheap flat-rate shipping but I much prefer the grain selection and grain prices at Midwest. Midwest ships fast too, if you use the cheap flat-rate shipping from Austin Homebrew they don't ship as fast (but whadda you expect if you get 100# of grain shipped for $6.99!). There are several other reputable online HBS that I haven't tried...mainly because their grain selection isn't as good as Midwest or their prices are higher (usually both). Morebeer often has good prices on equipment. Some seem more geared towards beginners while others less so.

The only local HBS I know of is Heart's Homebrew in the Edgewater area. It's a bit of a drive. I go there only when I really need something quickly but usually order my stuff online. The prices are better online and the lack of sales tax usually offsets any shipping costs. Heart's isn't terrible or anything but they always seem to be out of the 'second most important reason for my trip' and sometimes the staff are kinda jerks. So I buy online...55# bags at a time.

Nice, i may hit of Hearts just to get something going in these 2 barrels this weekend and than start checking out online for all future purchases.

Welcome

Thanks for the warm welcomes, and this site has been a great help, every question i have is answered, and I can not wait till monday/tuesday to begin brewing

I used to live right around the corner from Hearts. He has a lot of stuff crammed into a small place. He does come off kind of rough at first but once he gets to know you he loosens up. He also knows ALOT about brewing.

YMMV
Storm

Welcome aboard.

Welcome from the Space Coast

Welcome to HBT from the mud season capital of US

I am near downtown and have been brewing for about 7 years but just now joined this forum. Hearts is a decent place. They aren't real friendly but they are local and can help out in a pinch. The less you ask them the friendlier they are.

What is your first batch going to be?

Welcome from just up the road in Volusia County! I concur with SpanishCastle that Heart's isn't a great shop. I still buy there though because it's on my way home from work - just don't go in looking for much advice or discussion. Know what you want and make your purchase. Any questions you should bring back to this forum - it's about the best around IMO. I also suggest you hook up with the local homebrew club Central Florida Homebrewers or us if you like a much smaller crew Volusia County Home Brewers Guild. You can learn a lot by joining in a group brew.

If you use Heart's...best to place your order online and select 'Store pick-up'. Then when you arrive it will all be boxed up and ready to go. If you need to add-on something then just make a seperate purchase for that but it's def advised to place the order online...you never know how busy he might be when you show up.

Thanks for everything, I did end up hitting up Heart's, and it seemed he didn't really like having me there, but once i dropped Star San when he asked what i was going to sanitize with he opened up a little, got all the rest of the stuff I needed and will prob just use the internet for the rest of the ingredients if/when I need. I had just wanted to start brewing something asap, and it was the only place around.

I am brewing some of Edwort's Apfelwein because everyone speaks so highly of it, and its simplicity, and than I'm also doing a wheat PM that i picked up from Heart's both are already fermenting and bubbling away. I have a Brown Ale PM to do as well, I needed another bucket, and some Irish moss so I will brew that up tonight/tomm.