Hello From The North Country

[indeedproceed]

Hey, I'm a new brewer, I got referred here from another forum I'm very active in. Basically I know nothing, and I'm anxious to learn. So far the only thing I've used is a true brew kit.

 

[Homercidal]

Welcome! I may be biased, but I believe this is the most knowledgeable and friendly homebrewing site on the Internet. If I may be so bold, could I direct your attention to the "Beginner's" thread? There you will find a vast array of questions being answered and answers being questioned.

Can I ask what type of beer you would like to start brewing? American Light Lager? Stout? Wheat? Pale Ale?

There are many to choose from and some are easier than others. Before actually starting, check out www.howtobrew.com for some good advice on brewing. I highly recommend his book to have on hand.

Otherwise there are a few things to remember when brewing.

1. RDWHAHB.
2. Clean and SANITIZE!
3. Watch fermentation temps (possibly the most important factor in brewing, behind sanitation).
4. Read up on how to pitch yeast. www.mrmalty.com
5. It's actually hard to not make drinkable beer, so RDWHAHB!
6. The instructions in the can or worthless. Get brewing instructions here. The can people try to simplify things too much and cut too many corners. They leave out some good advice.
7. Starsan makes the best (IMO) sanitizer. Did I mention cleanliness?
8. If brewing with extracts, full boils and late extract additions are helpful.
9. Know your hydrometer and use it!
10. Clean and sanitize and RDWHAHB!!

 

[indeedproceed]

I have questions on basically everything you said there, but I will go to the beginners forum to air those and see what I can learn.

I've already brewed one batch though, a kit from truebrew and I stuck to the instructions from it.

I was actually a bio major in college, so the concept of aseptic technique is pretty easy for me to practice. Sanitation is one area I'd rather error in caution.

Yes. Lots of a questions. Lots...

Oh but thank you for the welcome and starting points! Forgot to mention that!

 

[the_bird]

If you do order online, there's a lot of good suppliers. I've tended to order from Northern Brewer, they've got a great selection (prices can be a little high). Austin Homebrew's another great site, as is Brewmaster's Warehouse. The owners of the latter two are regulars around here. I've never had an issue with any of these suppliers.

Even if you do have someone local to you, there are still some advantages to buying from these guys - they move a lot of inventory. One of the challenges that extract brewers face is getting fresh extract; some of the kits, especially if they've been sitting on someone's shelf for a while, can get stale over time.

 

[DragonTail]

Welcome