newbie looking to brew first batch

[nickolas388]

hi everyone, i recently started looking up some information on the internet on how to brew my own beer. im very overwhelmed right now to say the least lol. im hoping i can get some help here though.

a little about me: im 23 years old from new york. i first became interested in good beer when i worked for a irish pub at 19. some of my favorite beers include,

- brooklyn brown
- shocktop
- sam cherry/noble pils
- saranac pumpkin
- bluepoint blueberry
- blue moon spring/summer

these are just a few off the top of my head. maybe this can give you guys a better idea on what i should make? i guess im kinda a wheat beer guy, but i heard wheat beer is a lot harder to make. i know these are probably some pretty weak beers compared to what you guys drink. im 23 though, most people my age are drinking crappy budlight haha.

anyways, im looking for a decent starting kit. im going to split the cost with a friend, so im thinking of spending around 100 or maybe more. im not sure if that will get me something decent...? i think thats all my questions , ill edit my post if i think of anything else.


thanks,



-nick

 

[Christianb17]

That will be enough. Especially for your first batch. Most people including me jusy slowly acquire their brewing equipment. Dont worry about being overwhelmed brewing can be as simple our as complicated as you want. I wouldnt get into all the details at first. Its too much to take in at once. Maybe a hefeweisen would be good for u?? I just made one but added honey to the boil and it was one of best beers ive ever had. Anyways homebrewing is a lot of fun and I'm sure you will do fine. Good luck

 

[Christianb17]

Sorry there was a couple of typos in there

 

[Piratwolf]

Welcome to HBT & brewing!

A. Don't worry about style of beer comparison. Brew whatever you like!
B. My first beer was a wheat beer, and it was easy. (I messed it up, but that was me being in a rush not the recipe... And it still tasted pretty good!)
C. Despite all the "Help! I ruined (X)" posts on here, some of them mine, it's hard to ruin your beer. Have fun & experiment!
D. Start with basic stuff until your addicted like the rest of us. That will give you enough time & experience to figure out what direction you want to go in when you have more $ to spend.
(Edit) E. I forgot your price question in my enthusiasm. My starting kit cost $180 (free shipping from austinhomebrew.com !) and got me through over 199 gallons in the last 10 months. In fact, it would be enough to continue with for another year, but I love brewing so much I've upgraded to do 10 gallon all-grain batches.

Just my two cents. Cheers!

"All your home brew are belong to us!"

 

[birvine]

To start try a good kit like 'Brew House' to get the steps down. Then start venturing into more intricate recipes.

 

[unionrdr]

If you have a local home brew shop,start there & ask questions. Otherwise,there's AHS,Midwest Supplies,Northern Brewer,etc that have good starter kits that start around $65 & go up.

 

[Brewnoob1]

I agree with checking out a Local Home Brew Store if you have one. Mine has a starting kit for $65 and they gave me a discount on my first extract kit. So, all said and done, I had 4 cases of my first home brew and all my starting equipement for $100 bucks. But be warned, you'll get addicted quick and want to just keep going. It's hard to contain yourself once you start. You see all these things that people are doing that sound so amazing that you will want to try it yourself. It does get overwhelming for a newbie as I'm still WAY in that category, but it's definitely all worth it. Just remember, when you start freaking out or getting overwhelmed, go back to basics, relax, and have a brew!

 

[PIGMAN]

There's a decent LHBS in Farmingdale called Kedco. I think they're on Smith St. I prefer Karp's Homebrew, which is in East Northport on Larkfield Rd. They're located in the back of Karp's Hardware. Their prices are much better, and their selection is good. Also, there is a gentleman named Alan, who is knowledgeable and friendly. You can pick up a good starter kit there, and they also have a nice selection of Brewers Best extract kits. Unless you are going to keg right off the bat, start collecting non-twistoff bottles now. Do you have a kettle yet?

 

[Ufkin17]

I felt just like you when I started brewing at home but it sounds much more complicated then it really is. I'm 21 and have been brewing at home since my 21st birthday in February.

I got my starting kit from Homebrewers.com, here is a link to the kit I have: http://www.homebrewers.com/product/1000/Beer-Making-Starter-Kit-with-Ingredients.html

This kit won't come with your brew pot or bottles but i suggest looking elsewhere cause you can get it cheaper. This kit will include everything you need to start (except for the brew pot and bottles) and will also include an ingredient kit.

My suggestion when your just starting out is to start with these kits just to get the process down and understand the basics of home brewing. I've used 3 of these ingredient kits thus far and am just ordering my supplies for my first original recipe. The site also has videos for beginner brewers that will walk you through the entire process, even if you end up ordering from somewhere else these videos can be very helpful to you.

Relax and enjoy home brewing, that's what it's all about, you'll make some mistakes your first time but you learn from those.

Good luck and have fun

 

[Brewnoob1]

You'll make more mistakes than your first time..trust me! But the point is to learn from them. It's a fun and rewarding hobby for sure.

 

[joelmole]

I think the reason why people say brewing wheat beers is harder refers mostly to all-grain brewing, because wheat can cause stuck sparges. For extract brewing it isn't an issue.

Also, adding fruit to a beer can add some complexity, and if you just do it willy nilly without following best practices you can easily introduce bacteria or mold into your beer from fresh fruit. For your first batch if you're interested in doing something like this, you might try a hefeweisen or witbier, the latter of which would only require adding coriander, bitter orange peel, and possibly orange zest, either added to the end of the boil, or added to the fermenter after soaking it in grain alcohol. Chamomile is common too.

 

[nickolas388]

That will be enough. Especially for your first batch. Most people including me jusy slowly acquire their brewing equipment. Dont worry about being overwhelmed brewing can be as simple our as complicated as you want. I wouldnt get into all the details at first. Its too much to take in at once. Maybe a hefeweisen would be good for u?? I just made one but added honey to the boil and it was one of best beers ive ever had. Anyways homebrewing is a lot of fun and I'm sure you will do fine. Good luck

thanks, i guess ill just start simple then.

Welcome to HBT & brewing!

A. Don't worry about style of beer comparison. Brew whatever you like!
B. My first beer was a wheat beer, and it was easy. (I messed it up, but that was me being in a rush not the recipe... And it still tasted pretty good!)
C. Despite all the "Help! I ruined (X)" posts on here, some of them mine, it's hard to ruin your beer. Have fun & experiment!
D. Start with basic stuff until your addicted like the rest of us. That will give you enough time & experience to figure out what direction you want to go in when you have more $ to spend.
(Edit) E. I forgot your price question in my enthusiasm. My starting kit cost $180 (free shipping from austinhomebrew.com !) and got me through over 199 gallons in the last 10 months. In fact, it would be enough to continue with for another year, but I love brewing so much I've upgraded to do 10 gallon all-grain batches.

Just my two cents. Cheers!

"All your home brew are belong to us!"

thanks for the info man, ill have to look into kits at austinhomebrew.com.

There's a decent LHBS in Farmingdale called Kedco. I think they're on Smith St. I prefer Karp's Homebrew, which is in East Northport on Larkfield Rd. They're located in the back of Karp's Hardware. Their prices are much better, and their selection is good. Also, there is a gentleman named Alan, who is knowledgeable and friendly. You can pick up a good starter kit there, and they also have a nice selection of Brewers Best extract kits. Unless you are going to keg right off the bat, start collecting non-twistoff bottles now. Do you have a kettle yet?

i just looked up Kedco in farmingdale, i cant believe theres this brewing store in my own backyard and i didnt even know about it lol. thanks for letting me know though. i think ill check out kedco first, then make my way to Karps Homebrew and ask for Alan. are the prices just as good as online? i guess i rather pay a little extra, and be able to talk to a person though. by collecting bottles do you mean just used bottles? does it not matter because i have to sanitize them anways?

thanks for the help.

I felt just like you when I started brewing at home but it sounds much more complicated then it really is. I'm 21 and have been brewing at home since my 21st birthday in February.

I got my starting kit from Homebrewers.com, here is a link to the kit I have: http://www.homebrewers.com/product/1000/Beer-Making-Starter-Kit-with-Ingredients.html

This kit won't come with your brew pot or bottles but i suggest looking elsewhere cause you can get it cheaper. This kit will include everything you need to start (except for the brew pot and bottles) and will also include an ingredient kit.

My suggestion when your just starting out is to start with these kits just to get the process down and understand the basics of home brewing. I've used 3 of these ingredient kits thus far and am just ordering my supplies for my first original recipe. The site also has videos for beginner brewers that will walk you through the entire process, even if you end up ordering from somewhere else these videos can be very helpful to you.

Relax and enjoy home brewing, that's what it's all about, you'll make some mistakes your first time but you learn from those.

Good luck and have fun

wow, they have a lot of kits to choose from. ill definitely check out some of those videos also. thanks for the link

I think the reason why people say brewing wheat beers is harder refers mostly to all-grain brewing, because wheat can cause stuck sparges. For extract brewing it isn't an issue.

Also, adding fruit to a beer can add some complexity, and if you just do it willy nilly without following best practices you can easily introduce bacteria or mold into your beer from fresh fruit. For your first batch if you're interested in doing something like this, you might try a hefeweisen or witbier, the latter of which would only require adding coriander, bitter orange peel, and possibly orange zest, either added to the end of the boil, or added to the fermenter after soaking it in grain alcohol. Chamomile is common too.

thanks for the info. i actually like a raisin tasting beer, would i have a problem putting some raisins in there? lol