New here and to brewing

[Nemanach]

Hello everyone, I have been thinking about brewing my own beer for about two years now but things just keep popping up that stop me from doing it. I originally got the idea because I drove by Northern Brewer every day and decided to stop in and see what it's all about. In my excitement I went home and told my roommate about it and I was buying the stuff the next day, she talked me out of it because of the tiny amount of room we had. Then the next apartment I was with my girlfriend at the time and she gave me the definate "No way in hell is that happening." Partially because of the small apartment we had and the fact that she knew it wouldn't be a "small setup as promised." This is coming from my other hobbies that started small and stayed small for a very short period of time. Such as the cigar hobby that quickly went from a 20 cigar collection to me converting a wine fridge into a temperature controlled, cedar lined humidor to store my 500+ cigar collection. Which is now running out of room to grow.

But that girlfriend is now gone and in November me and a long time friend are moving into a nice roomy townhouse and he loves beer. So now I can finally persue my beer brewing hobby (read: obession).

My plan is to start with Deluxe Starter Kit from Northern Brewer http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html and a German Alt extract kit http://www.northernbrewer.com/docs/kis-html/1061.html. After some extract brewing experience I plan to quickly move into all grain brewing once I can justify getting the rest of the equipment (probably soon after, I am excellent at justifying to myself things I want).

Thanks for this forum, I have learned alot of stuff here allready and I havn't even started brewing yet.

-Nathan

Also I should mention I am in St Paul, MN.

 

[Blender]

Hi and welcome to the forums. Your going to like brewing. It is a blast even though it involves some work but the reward is well woth it.

 

[disaffected]

Hello everyone, I have been thinking about brewing my own beer for about two years now but things just keep popping up that stop me from doing it.

Greetings Nathan,

I had that same experience. I would encounter things that made me think about brewing, but I figured I just didn't have time, or I had too many hobbies already, or I was already too fat for this sort of hobby, etc. Then the combination of the Alton Brown show about brewing and the constant mention of homebrewing on the BBQ forum I frequent did the trick... I'm about to start my third brew, while my first brew is still conditioning in secondary and isn't even bottled yet!

This is coming from my other hobbies that started small and stayed small for a very short period of time. Such as the cigar hobby that quickly went from a 20 cigar collection to me converting a wine fridge into a temperature controlled, cedar lined humidor to store my 500+ cigar collection. Which is now running out of room to grow.

Ahh, another cigar man! I dig cigars, too. My two humidor hold about seven or eight boxes at a time, total. Your setup sounds nice. My latest acquisition is a 2002 box of Camacho Corejo Churchills from the 1997 crop, the ones with the Lone Star band. Good stuff. I've come to appreciate pipe smoking too, since my brother turned me on to it I smoked Frog Morton Across the Pond tonight in a custom Joel Shapiro chubby Rhodesian. Very nice.

My plan is to start with Deluxe Starter Kit from Northern Brewer http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html and a German Alt extract kit http://www.northernbrewer.com/docs/kis-html/1061.html. After some extract brewing experience I plan to quickly move into all grain brewing once I can justify getting the rest of the equipment (probably soon after, I am excellent at justifying to myself things I want).

I bought the Nothern Brewer Deluxe Starter Kit too. It's a great kit. I've since added a 6.5 gallon carboy so I have two primaries, and another 5 gallon carboy so I have two secondaries. And more and more and more... You get the idea.

 

[puravida286]

It looks like you're already moving on to bigger and better things. But all you will need for extract/steeping grain brewing is a big brewing pot and the kit which you already bought. This shouldn't take up more than a closet full of space. Have fun with the new hobby!