Help with starting out?

[kruzzen]

Hello folks,

I know I should use the search option but I am bad about that, lol.

I have brewed homemade beer a few times using a Mr. Beer kit I purchased for a cheap price off of WOOT. It made great beer and I never really screwed anything up besides one time when I forgot and fermentation ended up going as long a year before I remembered it

However, Mr. Beer as good of a kit as it is, is limited and very beginner.

I want to actually brew everything with better equipment and mainly experiment by making my own beer using my own recipes that I discover. Who knows, maybe it can turn into a small business as that sort of thing is growing popular in my area (southern Illinois, USA).

I just don't know where to start... especially on equipment to buy, where to get ingredients and so on.

It looks like a fun hobby and I might as well let the German in me out and start making beer

Any help from all you pros would be awesome!

 

[scottballz]

Look in your area for a home brew supply store and they can usually point you in the right direction. You are going to need a decent amount of equipment depending on whether you want to go all grain or stick with extract. I suggest upgrading your MR BEER kit to a better 5 gallon kit and go from there. If your local home brew shop or LHBS seems a little pricey look online and see what you can find.

 

[mdindy]

brewers best and northern brewer have full starter kits more advanced than the mr beer kits that have everything you need (except kettle) that go for about 100$ or so. bottling supplies, fermenter, utensils, hydrometer ect. after that you can get ingredient kits from any brew store or online that have everything you need to brew a 5 gallon batch, grains, extracts, hops and yeast. those will go for about 45-55$. the kits are pretty simple just follow the directions and you will be fine.

 

[kruzzen]

Thanks for the suggestions, folks.

Question, do I have to get ingredient kits or can I try making my own? Is it dangerous to venture down that route?

 

[mdindy]

I would recomend a kit atleast the first time to become familiar with a typical recipe but its up to you, if there is a home brew store near you than they will have everything you would need to make your own.

 

[adamdillabo]

I wouldn't bother making your own with so many tested true recipes available to you. Would you make a cake with out a recipe? Would you make your first cake without a Betty Crocker box cake on a whim?

 

[kruzzen]

Would you make a cake with out a recipe? Would you make your first cake without a Betty Crocker box cake on a whim?

Truthfully? Yes

I moved out on my own in my early 20s not knowing how to cook. I got tired and broke from too many fast food meals so I decided to learn how to cook. A Jack's Pizza was my first meal lol and I burnt the heck out of it. Then I tried to cook by box recipes and such and it bored me so I started experimenting and doing my own things... much better than following suit as I've made some pretty awesome meals - mainly Cajun styled as I love the spice!

As far as the beer making goes, I'll use recipes from others here and there but I really want to see how it is on making your own and possibly look into starting a micro-brewery in my area - it is actually getting popular over here as well as all the wineries, we have TONS of those.

 

[aprichman]

Truthfully? Yes

I moved out on my own in my early 20s not knowing how to cook. I got tired and broke from too many fast food meals so I decided to learn how to cook. A Jack's Pizza was my first meal lol and I burnt the heck out of it. Then I tried to cook by box recipes and such and it bored me so I started experimenting and doing my own things... much better than following suit as I've made some pretty awesome meals - mainly Cajun styled as I love the spice!

As far as the beer making goes, I'll use recipes from others here and there but I really want to see how it is on making your own and possibly look into starting a micro-brewery in my area - it is actually getting popular over here as well as all the wineries, we have TONS of those.

Just use recipes you find and then order the ingredients. Most kits are marked up ~200% for no good reason other than its a kit.

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

Like any other recipe, you should know what each ingredient contributes. I suggest you explore the single malt/single hop recipes to get an idea for taste and smell. You could do this with extract but will have more options once you move on to all grain.

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

Northern Brewer gives out a free kit when you buy a starter set up.
I would brew the recipes for a while before making things up on your own. That is, unless you don't mind doing a lot of research first.
I have really enjoyed impulsive brewing but I have also made some REALLY ****ty beers with impulsive brewing. My researched choices have got me much better beers.

 

[kruzzen]

Thanks for the ideas, folks. I think I will stick to existing recipes for now and do the research as I learn more about this

 

[CJ-3]

You may want to pick up a copy of "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian. It will help you understand wht each step of brewing exists, as well as how ingredients blend together.

You can probably get a copy at the library but I recommend buying one so you can make notes in it to refer to later.

On a side note I am in Lombard, what part of Illinois are you in?

 

[pablosbrewing]

John Palmer's book is also good. First edition is free online, some things are updated in the newer editions - this is still solid info that will help you make great beer.

http://www.howtobrew.com/