Another Newb thread

[Bigban]

Hey everyone, just found this site and im loving all the information here so i just want to thank all of you before hand.

Now to my newbie question...im stuck up in canada and there is not to many home brewing stores up here. i found a few but only one has a site. im looking into brewing just beer to begin with. i found this kit

Mashing Heads

just wondering if that would be a good kit to begin off with. Also im just wondering if you guys can give me any advice on which hops to use and what not to make some delicious beer, i know this isnt going to be easy but i love me a challenge. thanks everyone!

 

[gointomexico]

That looks great to me. I cant really say anything about the price, its been so long since I bought a beer kit. You will also need to order bottle caps, and a caper with your kit.

Additionally, you only have 48 beer bottles in this kit, which is 4.5 gal or 17.something L. You would need more like 54 bottles to bottle a typical 5 gal (19L) batch of beer. Or you could just make sure that you have 17.2L (just over 4.5 Gal) in your primary fermenter, and have slightly stronger beer.

Sorry, I forgot to add, you will also need a boil kettle, aka a pot. 2.5 gal (oh, 9.5L?) should be fine for extract

 

[cimirie]

The kit does look fine to me as well with the additions that GTM added.

As to your hops quesion... That, sir, is a loaded question. One thing you'll learn (or maybe you already know) different hops are used for different purposes. Some hops are used for "bittering" (counteracting the sweetness derived from the malt). Some are used for flavor (self explanatory) and some are used for aroma. Some hops are suitable for all three uses. Some only for one.

The combination of hops can make for infinite possibilities so my suggestion is to browse and brew the recipes on this site and from other sources. Note the hops used and every time you use a new hop, read up on it and find out it's qualities and traits.

No hops are inherently "good" or "bad" for making beer. All can be good when used appropriately. That's the fun with this hobby. You can make a beer taste any way you want!!! Good luck and welcome aboard.

PS I highly recommend picking up a copy of "The Brewmaster's Bible." I know everybody has a different favorite brewing book, but this one explains the science of brewing in a very easy to read manner. It also dives into depth about the different hops, grains, and yeast used in brewing and when and why to add them to a recipe. It has helped me hugely!!!

 

[Bigban]

thanks for the answers guys, but i have one more question!
leaf vs. pellets

whats the big difference?

 

[Runyanka]

Here is the kit I started with...
Maestro Homebrew Kit with Amber Ale Kit | Home Brewing Supplies from Monster Brew
As far as leaf vs pellet goes, IMO I use the pellet then use a strainer when transfering from boil kettle to primary, if you use leaf hops, make sure you use a hop bag. Hope you become just as hooked as all of us brew junkys

 

[gointomexico]

I use pelet hops because they stay fresh longer, and they sink for the most part. I use hop socks.