Lurking and learnin' in NC

Just thought I should post a short intro and say hi, at least to get that danged banner to go away.

I have purchased nothing yet, as I'm still on the fence about trying out the homebrew thing. I love to cook, and love beer, so I imagine I got a couple things in my favor already. I'm a huge fan of Pilsner Urqell (sorry if it's spelled wrong), as well as Newcastle, but I'm also happy sitting down with friends to a couple rounds of Yuengling if the place has it on tap.

I don't have a local brewing supply place, so I'll have to order online or drive a couple hours to get the supplies.

I feel my current brewing goals would be to initially produce an ale that is along the lines of Newcastle type. I'd also love to try some of the higher gravity brews I've been reading about.

Thanks for readin',
Matt

Welcome to HBT!

All you'll get is people here trying to convince you to go for it - but I get to be the first! Order yourself a kit and order a clone recipe from one of the major suppliers, you'll be hooked, guaranteed!

Nothing quite so satisfying as creating a beer for pennies on the dollar.

Take the dive.

Mines on the right:

I was in your situation (enjoying cooking, beer, and thinking that brewing would be fun). I read this site for a couple weeks while learning about the process and deciding what equipment to buy. I ended up learning a lot and buying equipment for all-grain brewing. Now after my first brewing session, I'm hooked and have a new hobby (which can turn into an obsession - just check out the pics of some of the fancy brewing setups people have).

All-grain wasn't too difficult, but does require a bigger initial investment than extract brewing. If you're not sure you'll keep at it, you may want to try extract brewing first.

Good luck, and good brewing.

Definitely jump right in. If you cook regularly, especially if you make your own stock, brewing beer is pretty basic.

Just be aware of proper cleaning & sanitation (again, just like making stock) and you'll be absolutely fine. In some ways it's kind of like making homemade bread -- even if it doesn't turn out exactly as you'd imagined, it's still pretty damn good.

Chad

Thanks for all the info. I am probably going to be jumping into this shortly, like in the next couple weeks. I have been reviewing the vendors links and sites, as well as re-reading the "How to Brew" online instructions alot this last couple weeks.

I think I'm leaning towards this kit from Midwest except with the Better Bottle instead of the glass carboy.

Cool news on the brewfront...

I found a local brewing and winemaking supply shop, they have most of the good stuff, and the prices are in line with what I've been looking at online. This makes me happy because I can support a local small business owner, as well as have someone local to talk to about the whole brewing process. I spoke with the guy on the phone last night and he was really a positive sounding person and he really seemed to have a passion about beer and wine, not just some sales talk.

Pretty cool story about finding this guy and his shop:
I was digging online for "near to me" brewing suppliers and came across an older number listed on yellowpages.com for a local shop. The place had a number that wasn't connected, but an address that happened to be just around the corner from one of my offices, and since I was headed in that direction anyways yesterday, I went in search of the place. While driving around the business park where the place is supposed to be I notice a Sunfish sailboat hull hung up on a storefront with "Azalea Coast Brewery" painted on the bottom. I pulled in immediately. There were four guys hanging around the front of the place, and I could see some large stainless containers and various aluminum kegs inside their roll-up door. I'm in a button down shirt, khakis and loafers, and these guys are all in jeans or shorts and tees. They were a little perplexed as to my appearance at their shop. One of the guys came up, a little defensively, and asked what I wanted. I told him I wanted to make beer, and his demeanor changed immediately. He explained that they used to sell homebrewing supplies but that they like making and selling beer more than just selling equipment, so now they're a microbrewery supplying a number of bars and stores locally. The guy gave me the contact info for the place that they sold all their homebrew inventory to, the one I wrote about above, and then asked me if I wanted to check out their place. I spent about an hour there. Everyone was super friendly, which I suppose I would be too, were I making something I enjoyed as much, and they showed me their whole process and operation. I didn't get any taste tests though . Something to do with their license, and not being able to serve on the premises... Anyways, they gave me a couple business cards and said they'd be happy to talk beer anytime they're available.

Links:
Local supply shop: Lumina Winery

Beer Advocate page about the brewery: Azalea Coast Brewery

Awesome story!

That kit you have pegged out looks like a great starter. I picked up one similar. If you're looking for a Newcastle-ish beer to start out with, I highly recommend Northern Brewer's Nut Brown Ale. It was my first brew and tastes excellent. Your friends will be amazed that you made it!

And, as my moniker points out, I also love to cook! Be sure to post some of your favourite recipes in the Cooking and Pairing Forum!

it is not bad taste to reply to you own question here. you can ask a question and if you don't get a quick answer, we might have missed it.... so "bump it" .... or post on it again and it will bring it back to the beginning as a new post