Getting Started

I've been researching home brew kits online and am somewhat overwhelmed. Can a knowledgeable brewer point me in the right direction for a quality kit? I'd be willing to spend some extra money to get a quality set-up. I figure this would be a better investment so I don't have to upgrade in the future.

Also, I'm curious as to the quality of the beer I will be able to brew. Being a beginner, will my first few batches be at least half-way decent? I assume it takes a while to get your brew to perfection. I go through beer swings every now and then and am currently stuck on wheat beers, so I hope to have that as my first concoction.

This sounds like a real fun hobby, and I'm eager to begin. Thanks in advance for you help.

First of all, welcome to the club, it WILL become an obsession. This kit is a pretty good start:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6874

It's got everything you need to start, minus a brew kettle, and you can always purchase specific things later.

You will be suprised how good of a beer you'll be able to make. Make a wheat beer first, and you might not go back to buying any (well, you will need bottles )

Do you have a local store nearby? If so pay them a visit, they'll more than likely have everything you need and will gladly spend the time putting together a kit that meets your needs.
Are you looking to start off with extract brewing? If so you really do not need a lot to get started. I started off with a combination fermentation/bottling bucket, paddle, bottle filler, a couple of cases of 16oz pet bottles with twist off caps and a couple of "no-boil" extract kits. The beer came out surprisingly good and by the second batch I was hooked and ordering equipment like a madman.

http://austinhomebrew.com/

$5.99 flat shipping, prolly no sales tax if you live outside of texas, and they have an awesome selection. plus, did i mention it's in texas? :rockin:

wheat beers are simple. all you need to make a good wheat beer is:

6 lbs wheat DME
1/2 oz hallertau hops
wlp300 yeast

boil your water, remove from boil and add your ingredients, then let it boil 60 minutes.

bam! ferment at 65 degrees and you've got yourself one great hefe