which of these should I purchase...

[Roopert]

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...-starter-kits/deluxe-brewing-starter-kit.html


http://morebeer.com/view_product/15910/102142/Personal_Home_Brewery_Kit_#2_-_Deluxe

Weekend warrior
https://www.fhsteinbart.com/products/index.php



I'm a newbie and have never brewed before...if there are any suggestions for starter kits please submit ...any advice helpful. Thanks !

 

[Eliterunner1]

Only speaking from my own experience I would suggest the northern brewer kit. I bought the basic starter kit not the deluxe one though. I've never had any experience with morebeer or fhsteinbart. I've really enjoyed the northern brewer kit and found it to be pretty solid for a beginning brewer.

 

[RM-MN]

Before you decide on either of those kits you should think about what you will use a carboy for and if you are willing to have a large, heavy, slippery glass item in your house. Many of us do not use any secondary or very seldom. I've used mine twice in 4 years of brewing. There are several threads on here about the injuries that brewers have suffered when the glass carboy broke.

Since you are a beginner, start with a more basic kit. It will make very good beer and will leave you with more money for ingredients. It's the ingredients that make beer, not the bling. I'd suggest you start with a kit like this one and add another fermenter bucket (or two!). http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-basics-equipment-kit.html

Once you have brewed a few batches you can decide if you need a carboy. They are readily available and you might even score a really cheap one off Craigslist.

 

[stratslinger]

When I got started, I picked up the equivalent of that Norther Brewer kit with Better Bottles... I've now got 1 pair of Better Bottles (6 and 5 gallon) and 1 pair of inherited glass carboys (6.5 and 5 gallon), the 5 gallon Better Bottle is usually used for carting around water on brew day, has seen beer in it 3 or 4 times out of 20-odd brews, and the 5 gallon glass has been used once. Might not be bad to have one around "just in case," but it's definitely not a necessity to get started. Also, when given the choice, I'll always use my Better Bottles - they're lighter and easier to handle, and I'm never worried they're going to crack or shatter and slice me open.

If you're trying to stick to a budget, I'd lean towards that MoreBeer option. If you're looking to get yourself equipped with an eye towards the future (you really don't have to secondary the vast majority of the time, but there are times where it's beneficial), go for the NB option with the plastic carboys!

But I'll throw another option out there, just to make things even more fun. Here's one from Midwest Supplies:
Granted, it includes a bucket as a primary fermenter, so you don't get as much visibility into fermentation. But it's a 6.5 gallon bucket, so you have a little more head room, which means a little less liklihood of messy blowoffs than with that 6 gallon better bottle. Also, this kit, unlike the Northern Brewer one, actually includes a hydrometer - a crucial piece of equipment for every brewer. Granted, the kit doesn't come with a beer kit, but it's $60 cheaper - I think you can sneak in whatever kit you'd like (maybe 2!) and still have a few bucks to spare.

 

[el_horno]

Id go with the northern brewer kit, but everyone will have something different to suggest. In the end, they all make beer, which after all is the goal right?

Cheers!

 

[TopherM]

Midwest also has kits that include bottles, a kettle, and your first ingredient kit for around the same price as the kits you linked above:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/equipment-kits/compare-all-kits.html

 

[AMonkey]

If you use Ebay, you can find Midwest's basic kit that comes with an ingredient kit and a $25 gift certificate towards a purchase with them. Comes to around $105 with shipping. This was a good deal for me and got me everything I needed to get started.