total newbie. 2 q's

Hi there-
So, I've decided I'm going to take up this interesting hobby. Always wanted to try home brewing. I actually did one of those Mr. Beer things I got as a gift some years ago, but thought that was pretty silly. I mean, I didn't really "do" anything - those kits are kind of like making instant iced tea. anyway, i digress. I think i fit the profile pretty good - i'm a scienc-y, how-does-it-work type of guy, plus im a big DIY-er. Most of all - I love beer! I bought palmer's book, been reading through it and am all ready to go - i just have 2 questions:

1. So it seems i've picked the absolute worst time to start home brewing with this hops shortage. Who would've thought? Is it possible to get what I need for a beginner to brew a few batches?

2. What kind of equipment should I get? should I buy one of those kits? I have to admit, it chaps my a$$ pretty good to be paying a huge markup for stuff that is repurposed and slapped with some cheesy un-authentic looking logo I mean - it seems, for the most part, you can get most of the equipment at a hardware store. Also - I see myself eventually going all-grain. Is there anything I should buy now, that I won't have to replace if I go that route?

Thanks! Looking forward to participating in the forum!

The hop shortage wont effect your ability to still brew great beers, theres still a good abundance of hops out there to get your feet wet.

I would check out a starter equipment set at your local HBS or try Midwest Supplies or Northern Brewer or even Austin Homebrew Supply online. As far as all grain equipment goes there are alot of different options, I would check out the DIY section of this board theres some good cheap conversions on there for equipment.

1. This is not a big deal. The hops for the most part are there, they are just more expensive than they used to be. You should be able to make do.

2. The thing you are going to find with this hobby is that you are always going to be upgrading. So what that means is, dont just buy the cheap stuff, go ahead and get the nicer kit and it will save you an upgrade later. As for something you can buy that will help you in all grain, get a large kettle...trust me. You can easily get by with a 20qt when you are doing extract, but not AG. Get at least a 30qt. As a matter of fact, I would recommend getting yourself a nice 30+qt pot, a nice burner and a wort chiller. If you are seriously thinking about eventually going AG, you will definitely need this equipment and it will be beneficial while doing extract as well.

Oh, and welcome to the obsessio....er I mean, hobby

+1 on getting a nice big kettle. I have a 30 quart and i have used it for every batch i've made, from extract to PM to all-grain...it works wonders. i've even boiled crabs in it

i would go for a simple kit along with that...something like this:

MoreBeer Deluxe Starter System

you may want to shop around for price.

that looks like a good kit. I would also buy 5 gallon better bottle to use as a secondary. It's about the same price as a glass carboy but a lot safer. you'll regret it if you don't. If you're a diy, you can check out the diy section and do a wort chiller. But certainly get a very large pot.