Good online resources

[dornjmd]

Hey guys,

First off, I apologize for some of the stupid questions I am about to ask. My brother has been looking into home brewing for some time yet hasn't purchased a kit. I'd like to get him one for the holidays but since I haven't researched anything (beyond a few searches on the forum for this general topic) I know not what to get.

I've done a bit of digging on local shops and, per the few threads i found on the forum, there don't appear to be any worthwhile places in the Orlando area unless you know exactly what you want.

Can someone point me to a good kit for a beginner that likes bitter beers? We already have a 16 qt pot.

I'd also like a reference to a solid beginner book and/or web resource for him to learn.

Once again, thanks and I apologize for my stupidity.

Jared

 

[gcdowd]

There are plenty of great online retailers that sell kits. Northern Brewer and Midwest Supplies are two I have used in the past and both are great.

 

[tigwelda]

I just bottled up my second batch... this one with a northern brewer deluxe starter kit. I went with the glass carboys. I can tell I need two or three more cases of bottles but two cases to start with. Also I picked up How To Brew. It is a good book to get going with.

 

[JLem]

A good book is How to Brew by John Palmer. It is worth buying the updated edition, but an older edition is available for free online at http://www.HowToBrew.com

There's also the "Joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian, which is a classic, but is probably somewhat outdated at this point

 

[gcdowd]

Don't buy bottles if you can avoid it. Just buy beer with pry of tops and reuse the bottles. You'll save a lot of money. You'll just need to buy caps.

 

[dneubeck85]

I just head up to the corner liquor store and pay them the deposit for the bottles they get from customers. My lhbs charges $ .50 a bottle so it's worth it to me.

 

[BrewerBear]

I second http://www.midwestsupplies.com as well as http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php both have good products and service.

 

[dornjmd]

Thank you for the very good information.

For the recycled bottles, do you recommend a good rinse through the dishwasher then using a sanitizer?

Are there any specific kits you guys recommend?

Once again thanks for the information and keep the replies coming!

Jared

 

[unionrdr]

The dishwasher isn't going to clean inside the bottles very well with such a small openning. Brewing kits usually come with a bottle brush,which with some PBW will clean them nicely. PBW is "Powdered Brewery Wash" that you mix with water to soak/clean everything related to your brewing. Then sanitize with Starsan one step no rinse sanitizer.
Midwest has a basic brewing starter kit for $65 that also has options that can be aded to the kit when ordering. Including kits. It also comes with a DVD that shows what to do. They have books & everything else he could ever need. They also have Fed-Ex home delivery that's really fast for me.
A bottle tree & vinator will help make things easier as well.

 

[BrewerBear]

Fermtech double jet bottle washer is a very nice addition to have also.

 

[unionrdr]

Oh yeah man! I like the black fermtech one that also has the lil nipple on the top that you put your hoses on to blow them out. Cool feature.

 

[dornjmd]

I went ahead and got this. It sounds damn near perfect. Thanks for the tips guys!!

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_52&products_id=12922

 

[BrewerBear]

Looks like a pretty good choice.What did you get to brew?