Recommend a Kit

I am looking at buying my first home brewing kit. I've looked around and here are my three choices which I can pick up locally:

1. Mr. Beer
2. America's Best
3. Brewer's Best

Any advice on which one would be best?

i have not used these kits, i've heard of brewers best though. I would think the important issue would be the style you want. After that make sure the yeast is fresh or purchase fresh liquid yeast "smack-pak" that you can pitch directly. Dry yeast really needs to be re-hydrated in sterile warm water. Hop freshness will make a big difference also. If your retailer has good turn over these issues shouldn't be a concern. you've found the right place for help here at home brew talk, the folks here have been great to me. good luck, if you dont find a kit for the type of beer you want to make locally, try an on-line retailer. The small shipping fee is worth the guarentee of freshness and choice. good luck and good brewing.

Lochness
Are you loking for a ingrediant kit or a equipment starting kit??

just bottled a brewer's best english pale ale and the hydrometer sample tasted delicious.

For a starter kit I would suggest a simple brewers best kit. If you go overboard, never fear - it always helps to have extra equipment. Brewers Best makes a decent starter kit, as well as tasty beer kits as well.

Mr. Beer is okay for the absolute noob who isnt quite sure they are going to take to homebrewing, but it can be frustrating as you cant exactly 'expand' your kit.
-Me

My Mr. Beer kit worked well, the result was not bad. I know people knock the Mr. beer kit but if you skip the priming sugar and use carb tabs or corn sugar you are ok.

As a word of advice I would skip the small kits and go straight to the 5 gallon size since the refills are almost the same price and the quality improves greatly but the choice is yours. I also get more out of brewing a 5 gallon batch than the kits where you mix water an hopped malt and then let it sit for a week or two. There wasn't enough there for me and I wanted more from a hobby. If you are concerned about spending the cash try the smaller kits but don't judge the final product as being the same as the larger 5 gallon kits.

Here is a link to the basics that you would need for going to the 5 gallon kits if you are interested. Basic Kit Could easily get started with this set-up and it is reasonably priced.

May I recommend a kit from Cooper's? That's where I started, and am still using the equipment (in particular, it comes with a handy five gallon fermenter). This kit had it all, and made my first brew painless and idiot-proof. From what I gather, Cooper's is pretty good about sending reasonable, fresh yeast with their cans.

I for one am elated with my first foray into home brewing and the Mr. Beer kit was the perfect start into the process. The instructions were easy to follow and the results have been great so far. Other than the time, (I went beyond instructions) and added some maple syrup, I followed the instructions - including the priming sugar to the letter and the beer is really, really good. The price is right as well and I plan to brew one - perhaps two more batches before moving on to a more involved system.

I've had a couple Brewers Best kits and really like the American Style Pale Ale. The reason I recommend the kits is that they use plain LME - non pre-hopped - and are still very simple to make.

I had the Mr. Beer kit that the girlfriend got me to get me into this whole wonderful mess of deliciousness and obsesion. I found myself thinking there must be more after brewing my first brew with Mr. Beer. And disapointed after drinking the second batch. Garanteed I messed up the first one but the second one I followed the recipe and directions to the tee. The beer tasted like cider. Anyway its not that im saying dont get it, Mr Beer did get me into the game but as soon as possible I got the real deal and have been much happier. I got my kit from Midwest Supplies which seemed to have the best kits with the most bang for your buck. They have a vast array of equipment and everything you will ever need. Kits start at like 69.95 I think. check it out. Hope this has been helpful

I've made 2 Brewers Best kits (Classic English Pale Ale & American Micro Style Pale Ale). Right now I can say I've been very happy with both. The English Pale Ale reminds me of Bass...though better of course . Everyone who has tried it really seems to love that one. The American Pale Ale reminds me a less hopped SN Pale Ale. So far only my wife and I have tried it and she likes it more than the English Pale Ale. However, it tastes like a weakly hopped SN Pale Ale. I am not sure which one I like the best yet.



Now if you're questioning which equipment kit to get I can't comment on any of them from personal experience. My first kit was the Coopers kit. That fermentor you get blows away normal buckets IMO (its huge with a large screw top lid). You get the awesome fermentor + 30 plastic bottles + hydrometer + a prehopped beer kit (not the greatest but not bad either)... The problem with the Coopers kit is that there is no bottling bucket. The kit is designed for using carb tabs and they work but you're better off in the long run getting a bottling bucket in addition to the Coopers kit.


IMO...skip the Mr Beer. I am sure it makes an acceptable brew. But in the very likely chance that homebrewing becomes your new obsession you're definitely going to want to brew 5 gal batches.

I have used the Brewer's Best and have no complaints. I have brewed many of thier kits and am satisfied with each one. Personal favorites are the Irish Stout and the Amber Cervesa. I have each of these kits ready for this weekend and four in primary. Also have a European Bock in the primary. A buddy has brewed this one many times and it's not bad either. The instructions are pretty basic and easy to follow with these kits which makes it easy for us noobs. I have never had a problem with the yeast that is supplied in them but my store has a pretty good turnover rate.