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shooting42stars

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Hi I am a 23 year old in southern California. I Have been looking into home brewing a batch for a couple months but don't know really where I should start??? Should I get a kit or do they suck when it comes to learning and getting a good beer? What would you recommend in southern Cali? I know I want to brew around the 5 gallon mark but want to start on a good beer I can't really mess up. Also I don't want to heckle my wife into spending lots of money batch after batch... Thanks in advance for these tips and tricks... I need to study this app and how to use it a little better...
 
I think a kit would be a good place to start. If nothing else it will help you get familiar with the process. Then after a few batches you'll better know if you want to keep doing kits or try All Grain, BIAB, partial mash, extract etc etc etc
 
My girlfriend bought me a starter kit (fermenter, carboy, etc) for my birthday. Made my first batch in June (IPA from Brewer's Best). It turned out okay, but seems to be a little too bitter. For the record, I love IPA's. My next batch (Caribou Slobber, brown ale, from Northern Brewer) was bottled about two weeks ago and it's coming along nicely. Taste is good, but needs to condition a little longer.
I would recommend using an ingredient kit. Not sure who you're thinking of, but Northern Brewer, Midwest Supply, Morebeer and Austin Homebrew all seem to be really good. Even a local homebrew store may sell their own kits.
 
Depending on where you are, there may be a homebrew store near you which isn't a bad place to look for a kit and for advice. I'm in Thousand Oaks, so I can let you know some places if you're North of LA. Maltose Falcons is the oldest homebrew club in the country as far as I know, and they're based in Woodland Hills. Message me if you'd like more info.

I started with a kit, and pretty quickly went much further, but I'm still glad I started with a kit. It shows you the process, and they make pretty good beer, and if you follow directions they're pretty hard to screw up.
 
GilSwillBasementBrews said:
I think a kit would be a good place to start. If nothing else it will help you get familiar with the process. Then after a few batches you'll better know if you want to keep doing kits or try All Grain, BIAB, partial mash, extract etc etc etc
Click to expand...

+1

Also, I think one of the things that is easily overlooked, but is necessary, is to get down some procedures for sanitation. The (ingredient?) kit will have all the ingredients needed to start an extract batch. And it will familiarize you with the process of brewing. You might also want to get a starting brewing kit. Your LHBS should have something; if not, you can order one on line. This will have the fermenters, racking cane, tubing, bottle capper, etc needed to get you started. One thing that you will need, but will probably not be in the kit, is a boil kettle. I would recommend at least a 10 gallon boil kettle. Sure it is a little large for your needs now, but it will still have utility if and when you move into all grain.

And welcome to the forum. Mark
 
Cromwell said:
Depending on where you are, there may be a homebrew store near you which isn't a bad place to look for a kit and for advice. I'm in Thousand Oaks, so I can let you know some places if you're North of LA. Maltose Falcons is the oldest homebrew club in the country as far as I know, and they're based in Woodland Hills. Message me if you'd like more info.

I started with a kit, and pretty quickly went much further, but I'm still glad I started with a kit. It shows you the process, and they make pretty good beer, and if you follow directions they're pretty hard to screw up.
Click to expand...

I am in the San Bernardino area. I have Hangar close by are they the closet brew shop? Who else is near by? I love beer and have been to beer festivals just not sure on where to start. I guess I'll get a kit, is it cheaper for a home brew store kit or a BevMo mr beer kit? Lol I probably seem retarded! I want to do an easy beer that isn't hard to screw up the flavor. I personally love wheat beers(hefe's) and also hoppy flavors but when I'm playing beer pong bud light lol!!!
 
Kits are great for someone just starting out, because, if you don't think you know more than the creator of the recipe and try to mess with it like jacking it up to make it have more alcohol, or adding fruit where fruit isn't necessary, then they are FOOLPROOF. You don't need to worry about the ingredients or the recipe, and can concentrate on the process of brewing. You can get a feel for how to sanitize, how to follow the hop additions, how to transfer your beer, how to take gravity readings, knowing that everything else will fall into place. That at the minimum you'll still have good beer.

Also it will allow you to troubleshoot anything wrong easier, than if you chose an unproven recipe, or tried to wing it, or dumped a bunch of crap into it. Because you know the recipe is foolproof. If it tastes funny, you know it's NOT because of the recipe...it's because of some flaw in your process.

It's one variable less to worry about, until you get the basics down, get your process nailed, and a little more about recipe creation and the fundamentals before you start experimenting.
 
Actually, Brewers Best makes some good kits, IMO. I've made a few of them and they turn out darn decent beer. I think the IPA is very nice. I'm about to do an APA.. along with getting my junk together to try my first all grain. Coopers makes some decent kits if you can find them. However, I think they are pretty low abv and can use some help in the taste area. But, they do make beer. There are threads here to help how to help those kits. I've had best results from Brewers Best tho. Good every time. They are a bit more "advanced" than the Coopers kits in that they have specialty grains which have to get STEEPED.. not boiled for a period of time.. usually about 30 min before adding the extract. Hoping you have great success's
 
Revvy said:
Kits are great for someone just starting out, because, if you don't think you know more than the creator of the recipe and try to mess with it like jacking it up to make it have more alcohol, or adding fruit where fruit isn't necessary, then they are FOOLPROOF. You don't need to worry about the ingredients or the recipe, and can concentrate on the process of brewing. You can get a feel for how to sanitize, how to follow the hop additions, how to transfer your beer, how to take gravity readings, knowing that everything else will fall into place. That at the minimum you'll still have good beer.

Also it will allow you to troubleshoot anything wrong easier, than if you chose an unproven recipe, or tried to wing it, or dumped a bunch of crap into it. Because you know the recipe is foolproof. If it tastes funny, you know it's NOT because of the recipe...it's because of some flaw in your process.

It's one variable less to worry about, until you get the basics down, get your process nailed, and a little more about recipe creation and the fundamentals before you start experimenting.
Click to expand...

Thanks that sounds pretty good... I do like to rush things and get creative. I definitely need a kit to get the basics down a few times before I start "experimenting". Are any style beers way different when it comes to the kits, or are all about the same level???
 
Yeah, I started out with BB kits too. Pretty good stuff. I've also had other folk's BB kit beers, and they're pretty tasty. If you like Mexican beers, the Mexican Cerveza is great. I know one AG brewer who still brews that kit when he wants a simple cerveza.
 
Revvy said:
Yeah, I started out with BB kits too. Pretty good stuff. I've also had other folk's BB kit beers, and they're pretty tasty. If you like Mexican beers, the Mexican Cerveza is great. I know one AG brewer who still brews that kit when he wants a simple cerveza.
Click to expand...

Thanks I will look into that. But is a Pale Ale harder to brew then a Dark Lager or visa versa? Does it matter what type of beer you are actually brewing?

Thank you everyone else cant wait to buy a kit this weekend!!!!
 
shooting42stars said:
Thanks I will look into that. But is a Pale Ale harder to brew then a Dark Lager or visa versa? Does it matter what type of beer you are actually brewing?

Thank you everyone else cant wait to buy a kit this weekend!!!!
Click to expand...

No, a style is a style is a style. In terms of difficulty, unless you're getting into all grain brewing and doing things like "abrew in a bag triple decoction with a step infusion and a mashout" then one recipe is no more complicated than any other, especially if you are starting out by doing an extract with steeping grains recipe.

Your grain bill might be different for different recipes, but what you with them (the process) will be the same, which is something akin to "steep grains for x minutes, in y gallons of water, remove grains bring to boil, add extract and hops as directed, cool, transfer to ferment, pitch yeast and relax."

And if you come upon a kit that says "abrew in a bag triple decoction with a step infusion and a mashout", and you don't understand what it means, then you're not ready for it yet. ;) But you will be later.
 
Revvy said:
No, a style is a style is a style. In terms of difficulty, unless you're getting into all grain brewing and doing things like "abrew in a bag triple decoction with a step infusion and a mashout" then one recipe is no more complicated than any other, especially if you are doing any extract with steeping grains recipe.

Your grain bill might be different for different recipes, but what you with them (the process) will be the same, which is something akin to "steep grains for x minutes, in y gallons of water, remove grains bring to boil, add extract and hops as directed, cool, transfer to ferment, pitch yeast and relax."
Click to expand...

Nice tits thanks!
 
shooting42stars said:
I am in the San Bernardino area. I have Hangar close by are they the closet brew shop? Who else is near by? I love beer and have been to beer festivals just not sure on where to start. I guess I'll get a kit, is it cheaper for a home brew store kit or a BevMo mr beer kit? Lol I probably seem retarded! I want to do an easy beer that isn't hard to screw up the flavor. I personally love wheat beers(hefe's) and also hoppy flavors but when I'm playing beer pong bud light lol!!!
Click to expand...

I'm about 3 hour north of you in Visalia if you ever want to stop by for a brew you're more then welcome.
 

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