New Brewer, Where To Start?

[RealestWhiteBoy]

Hey, everyone. I am looking to brew my first batch.

I have a carboy on the way, but beyond that I feel over my head. There's not a big brewing community where I am ... don't know of any stores to sell the supplies here. Shining community, but not legal brewing. haha

What are the absolute essentials I should get to start with? And where do I go for a decent recipe? Any tips for a new guy?

BTW, I normally drink American ales. So, that is probably where I would like to start. Seems like the simpliest and most straight forward. If not, I am open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance for anything.

 

[RealestWhiteBoy]

Also, I do plan to bottle in glass. I have a bottle capper on the way. However, where to get the bottles, I am open to. Should I start saving some brown bottles and sanitizing them?

Also, is it possible to bottle in pint mason jars?

 

[helibrewer]

Check out the starter kits at Midwest Supplies, Northern Brewer, or Austin Homebrew Supply...they have everything you need to get startered.

 

[biohaz7331]

99% of what you have questions on will be on this forum just a word of advice use google instead of the built in search featurea dn you will almost always find what you are looking for.

 

[ACbrewer]

What is the beer you just made? post name/reciepe.

Most important thing to get beer is to have good sanitation. I recommend you read the sticky about sanatizers. Basically there are 2 types that are contact ones. Iodine based (ex. idaphor) and acid based (ex. star san). Each has a pro/con but neither is better/worse than the other per se, more preference. Someone here on hbt is using animal iodine (for teet sanatizing).

Bottling - ask friends for poppers (not twisties) and learn to drink poppers between now and then. Also try local bars since many recycle, offer to take them out for them and sort from there. Then sanitize. You might want to do an oxyclean soak (a simple detergant, it can sanitize, but it is not a contact sanitizer, which the iodine and acid ones correctly used are.)

You can not bottle in mason jars. You can only bottle in bottles that can take preasure, so empty beer bottles, or you can use plastic soda bottles. The problem with plastic soda bottles is 2 fold - 1 they are usually clear, so the beer has to be stored in a dark place. 2 they will only keep carbonation for a few months, so you have to 'drink fast'... that is if you make a beer that will take some time to age, you can't use those.

for online or internet homebrew supplies ohbs? ihbs? try midwestsupplies.com northerbrewer.com austinhomebrew.com morebeer.com and there are others which are slipping my mind. Most of the online places have decent recipes to pick from.

speaking of recipes, on yeast - start with dry, it is less expensive and more robust in general (although less variaty makes liquid far superior once you have the hang of the hobby). Get a 4 or 5 gallon pot for stove top use and partial boils - you probably have that. Doing steeping grains with a recipe is easy - it is like making tea. Same with adding your own hops. Get away from prehopped kits as soon as you can, it gives you more power over the recipe.

And where to get? well there are several good books, and I'd say try amazon on taht. OH take a look at homebrewfinds.com This guy has a lot of generally good homebrew stuff, and tips one reducing cost of the hobby.

 

[woknblues]

I recommend you start off with a good, easy drinking beer that not only you will like, but your friends will too. A super easy and simple recipe with lots of feedback would be perfect (check out biermuncher's centennial blonde). IMO, you out to do a partial mash with hop additions. All this is in reality is an extract batch with a "tea bag" to add flavor. If you check out the recipe section, you will find all kids of recipes. Even the "All grain" recipes will likely have extract people requesting or converting and posting equivalent recipes.

You can't bottle in mason jars.

Just start saving beer bottles. make sure to rinse them out very well after drinking them. All you need is 50 or so to bottle a 5 gallon batch. Please don't buy bottles if you can avoid it, plus you can research styles!

Get a bigger pot than what you think you need.

 

[RM-MN]

Hey, everyone. I am looking to brew my first batch.

I have a carboy on the way, but beyond that I feel over my head. There's not a big brewing community where I am ... don't know of any stores to sell the supplies here. Shining community, but not legal brewing. haha

What are the absolute essentials I should get to start with? And where do I go for a decent recipe? Any tips for a new guy?

BTW, I normally drink American ales. So, that is probably where I would like to start. Seems like the simpliest and most straight forward. If not, I am open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance for anything.

Start at the begining. Read www.howtobrew.com and learn where the beginning is to be found. There is a lot of basic information in how to brew and John Palmer has been a saint to have put the entire text online for people to read for free.