Today we are going to talk with Dan about his first time homebrewing experiences and what his advice for anyone thinking of getting into the hobby!

Background

I’m a graphic designer (and I work with Mike)

What is your name?

Dan

Where do you live?

Milwaukee, WI

Tell us a little about yourself. (married, children, pets, education, career, whatever you want to tell us)

I have an awesome job designing racecars and magazines (two different career paths, but there you go). I’m newly married and just moved to Milwaukee from Fargo, ND to push my career to the next level.

Do you have a blog? Tell us about it. (ex. name of it, why you decided to start it, what’s the blogs goal)

I have two blogs- DanNisbet.com and NoviceRunners.com. DanNisbet.com focuses on design and typography, NoviceRunners.com is my newest venture into getting more people into running and where they can start.

What is your favorite style of beer?

I’ve always been a fan of thick, dark beer

There is almost always a story behind why you get started homebrewing. What’s your story?

I had the privilege of helping Mike with the technical side of getting Mike’s Brew Review up. Along with tagging along on a few brew days and seeing the costs of getting started, I was hooked pretty easily.

For the Prospective Brewer

If there was one piece of advice you’d like to pass on to a prospective homebrewer, what would it be?

Watch for boil-overs and make sure you at least start with a 4 or 5 gallon pot.

Before you started brewing where did you look for information in regards to your questions about brewing? (websites, books, clubs, friends, etc)

Simply to Mike- as I’ve watched him get this all started up, I had the opportunity to ask lots and lots of stupid (and sometimes smart) questions.

Did you start with a starter equipment kit or did you put something together yourself?

I purchased the Basic Kit from Northern Brewer

Was there anything unique about your initial equipment setup?

Nope

Your First Brew Day

What was your first recipe? (Extract, partial mash or all grain)

I did a kit from Northern Brewer- a Scottish 60-Schilling Ale. It came with about a pound of grain and extract.

Describe your first brew day, as much as you can remember. Were you nervous, did things go right, horribly wrong, forget something?

We had everything set up pretty well. I learned some good shortcuts here and there that really helped out as well. To be honest, I wasn’t so nervous until it came time to cooling the wort and realizing I didn’t have enough ice to cool it. Thus, the famous snow-shovel picture when I decided to snag some snow off the roof of my apartment.

Did your yeast start right of way or was it lazy, making you a nervous wreck?

As I recall, it took about 8 hours to start- and it went wild for a few days

Did you know what that hydrometer do-hicky did and how to use it?

Yep!

Your First Bottling Day

What did you use to siphon your beer? Did it work?

Part of my home brewing kit included an auto-siphon. I can’t imagine how bad it would have sucked had I not had an auto siphon. So if you don’t- get one.

Describe your first bottling or kegging day. Everything go as planned?

Bottling was a little bit messy at the get go, but once we had a process down, it went very smoothly. I didn’t have as many bottles as I thought, so a few extras and a growler helped get me to the bottom of the fermenter.

Finally, Your BEER!

How long were you actually able to wait before you decided to open a beer and drink it?

I ended up waiting two and a half weeks before I opened the first one- looking back at how excited I was, I consider this a huge accomplishment on my part.

Was that beer good?

Yes! I really didn’t know what to expect, but the carbonation was good and it had a sweet flavor to it.

How did it make you feel to taste a beer that you brewed for the first time?

This was probably the best part for me- it was fun to know that I had the ability to take water and make beer.

Will you make beer again and what would you do differently?

I will be brewing more this summer! Plans include getting a secondary fermenter and a bigger pot for the stove.

What will be the first “toy” you’ll be adding to your brewing equipment setup?

I’m considering how to set up a wort chiller. I’ve looked at the one from Northern Brewer and it doesn’t seem all that difficult to set up at possibly a cheaper price. Besides the chiller, I would like to eventually move to a kegging system.

Do you already have dreams about taking your homebrewing beyond a hobby or are you satisfied with just making yourself some tasty brews?

For me, it’s going to remain a hobby. It’s something fun I can do with friends, kick back and relax with.

Do you have a beard? (Just taking a survey!)

I am unfortunately not as awesome as Mike. I’m just plain awesome.

Anything you’d like to add go right ahead and do it here!

The process of making my first beer was a lot of fun. Having gone through countless brewery tours (everything is a brewery in Milwaukee I think), I’ve learned about the process a million times or so. But it takes on a new level of fun when I can actually go home and do it myself. It’s given me a whole new appreciation for beer… not like I didn’t have one to begin with

I’d like to personally thank Dan for participating in the First Time Homebrewer questionnaire! Thanks Dan! Do you have any plans to brew coming up?

Also, remember you can Get Started Brewing Extract Beer, just by following the link!

Background

What is your name?

Christy

Where do you live?

San Jose, CA

Tell us a little about yourself. (married, children, pets, education, career, whatever you want to tell us)

I’m 28; a newlywed originally from the Washington, DC area. I quit my job of 5 years last August to follow love and adventure to the west coast. My husband works at a tech startup. I write, raise our puppy (Herbert, the cutest little blue-nose you’ve ever seen), and dabble in hobbies of varying degrees of ridiculousness.

Do you have a blog? Tell us about it. (ex. name of it, why you decided to start it, what’s the blogs goal)

You can find me at www.thebeerb1tch.blogspot.com and at twitter.com/thebeerb1tch.

I started the blog for a few reasons. First, I knew that homebrewing was going to require a lot of record-keeping, and figured that a blog would be a better place to keep these records than say scraps of paper towels, old notebooks and the backs of Christmas cards. Second, I (rightly) assumed that taking up this hobby would lead to a fair number of misadventures, and figured my friends and family are always looking for a good laugh at my expense. Finally, I don’t think I fit the stereotypical image of the homebrewer. For one thing, I’m a girl. Furthermore, I’m a girl who loves pink, reads romance novels, and spends a ridiculous amount of time applying makeup just for the sake of sitting around the house and looking pretty. So yeah, I wanted to bring a little girly perspective to the craft, and let people know that chicks like beer too.

What is your favorite style of beer?

Do I have to pick one? I almost always have an IPA and an Irish Stout in the fridge (Lagunitas and Guinness being the go-to’s, respectively). But then again I almost always have some brand or style I’ve never tried before in the fridge, too.

There is almost always a story behind why you get started homebrewing. What’s your story?

I guess it started as an off-hand comment to my husband back when we were still engaged. I’ve always wanted a job with a really cool title. You know, the kind of job where people ask, “What do you do?” And you say, “I’m a professional whistler.” And they say, “Really? I didn’t even know people could do that for a living!” So anyway, we were having dinner at a brew pub one night, and I decided that the job Master Brewer fit the bill of Awesome Job Title perfectly. I didn’t (and still don’t) actually intend to pursue brewing as a career, but the comment turned into a discussion of how much fun it would be to learn how to brew. And since I like to dabble in hobbies, I started to do some minimal research into what it took to become a homebrewer.

But here’s the thing with hobbies. The start up costs tend to be very high, and the follow-through (at least for me) tends to be very low. For example, the amount of money I’ve spent on scrapbooking supplies is mildly embarrassing; but the fact that I’ve only made one and a half scrapbooks with all those supplies is downright humiliating. So, I pushed the whole homebrewing thing to the back of my mind and figured that maybe it would be something I’d try someday.

Fast forward to last Christmas, our first as a married couple. We decided to stay out west, so we had the entire holiday to ourselves. We were planning to get our puppy that weekend, so I figured that was our big gift to each other. I wasn’t really expecting to have much under the tree. But lo and behold, we woke up Christmas morning, and there were boxes EVERYWHERE. Big ones. My husband had gotten me all the necessary equipment along with two extract kits from Northern Brewer. It was the perfect Christmas gift. I was completely surprised, and it was exactly the kind of thing that I wanted but never would have gotten for myself.

Of course, everyone thought it was one of those gifts that my husband really wanted for himself. My mom was all, “What, no jewelry?” and my friends were all “Well at least he’ll enjoy it.” But that’s just proof that my husband knows me better than my mother or my friends.

For the Prospective Brewer

If there was one piece of advice you’d like to pass on to a prospective homebrewer, what would it be?

Consider your first batch a practice run. Even if you’re 120% sure you’ve messed it up beyond any possible repair, keep going. At the very least, you’re learning how to use all the crazy equipment and figuring out a workflow that’s best for the space you’re in. And you may be surprised at how not messed up that first batch turns out.

Before you started brewing where did you look for information in regards to your questions about brewing? (websites, books, clubs, friends, etc)

"How to Brew" by John Palmer has by far been my biggest resource so far. I also frequent my local homebrew store, and find the guys there to be really helpful. I’d love to join a club, but so far my tendency toward shyness has kept me at home.

Did you start with a starter equipment kit or did you put something together yourself?

I have the Deluxe Beer Starter Kit from Northern Brewer, which has more than everything I need (really, there are still a couple pieces I haven’t figured out a purpose for).

Was there anything unique about your initial equipment setup?

Not that I can think of.

Your First Brew Day

What was your first recipe? (Extract, partial mash or all grain)

My first brew was the Northern Brewer extract kit for a Czech Pilsner. I learned, too late, that this is not an ideal brew for a beginner.

Describe your first brew day, as much as you can remember. Were you nervous, did things go right, horribly wrong, forget something?

It was mid-February. Yes, I let my beautiful Christmas gift sit in boxes for a month and a half because I was so nervous about starting out. What finally gave me the guts to get started was deciding, “whatever, I’m just going to ruin this first batch and get it over with.”

I started with a trip to the brew store. I needed yeast and sanitizer. I brought the instruction sheet that came with my extract kit with me, and told the owner of the store that this was my first brew ever. He seemed surprised, and that’s when I learned that most beginners don’t start with lagers. They’re evidently more temperamental than ales, and take longer to finish. I asked if I should just buy a simpler kit to start with. This is where the store could have made a quick few bucks off of me. Sell this poor, dumb girl a bunch of really expensive ingredients for a really simple beer and send her on her way. Instead, the guy said, “Nah, go ahead and challenge yourself.” Then he spent a good 15 minutes printing out recipes, tips for beginners, and step-by-step instructions on lagering for me, and told me to call or come in if I had any questions or problems. He also told me to bring in a bottle of the finished beer if I wanted any advice on how to improve future brews. This is when I realized that homebrewers are a pretty humble bunch who are really interested in sharing their craft.

For the actual brew, I think the things that made me most nervous were timing and sanitation. Boiling the wort actually went pretty smoothly. It was cooling it that gave me a fit. I vastly underestimated the amount of ice I’d need for the ice bath (FYI-the contents of your ice maker is Not. Enough.) To add insult to injury, lagers need to be a lot cooler than ales before the yeast is pitched. All together it took about an hour and a half of cycling cold water in the sink to get it down to 80 degrees, which still wasn’t nearly cold enough. I think I had it in my head that I had to pitch the yeast as quickly as possible, and I eventually lost my patience. I probably killed a good bit of yeast because I pitched it too soon.

Did your yeast start right of way or was it lazy, making you a nervous wreck?

My yeast took forever to start. I was convinced that I’d burned it all to death in the 80 degree wort. It finally started after 3 days, and active fermentation only lasted for about 48 hours. I left the beer in primary for almost 3 weeks, but probably could have moved it along a lot sooner.

Did you know what that hydrometer do-hicky did and how to use it?

Not even a little bit. Supposedly the OG of my Pilsner was 1.000. I know enough about the hydrometer to know that’s incredibly wrong. Obviously, taking the reading when the wort was well over 60 degrees was part of the problem, but the bigger problem was that I didn’t know what all the little numbers I was looking at meant.

Your First Bottling Day

What did you use to siphon your beer? Did it work?

Auto Siphon. Beautifully

Describe your first bottling or kegging day. Everything go as planned?

Yes. The first bottling day went much more smoothly than the first brewing day. I would say this was my favorite part of the process so far. There’s something very satisfying about watching each bottle fill with beer you made yourself.

Finally, Your BEER!

How long were you actually able to wait before you decided to open a beer and drink it?

Well, I just bottled it yesterday, so I’ve made it this far. Honestly, I don’t plan to open it before the full two weeks are up. I think flatness takes a lot away from a beer’s flavor, and I want my first taste to be the real deal. I did sneak a sip of the sample I used for the hydrometer reading, and was pleasantly surprised. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely not the disaster I was expecting.

Was that beer good?

How did it make you feel to taste a beer that you brewed for the first time?

Will you make beer again and what would you do differently?

Absolutely. I’ve already got my second brew in bottles as well, and I have 3 more kits waiting in the wings. I’m planning to brew at least one of them this weekend. I’m already considering getting a couple extra carboys so I can have a few beers going at once.

What will be the first “toy” you’ll be adding to your brewing equipment setup?

Well, I already purchased a chest freezer. Lagers need to condition below 40 degrees, and winters in Northern California just aren’t cold enough for that. I do want one of those fancy-schmancy wort chillers, and I have fantasies about expanding to an all-grain system…but I think that will wait until next Christmas.

Do you already have dreams about taking your homebrewing beyond a hobby or are you satisfied with just making yourself some tasty brews?

I don’t have any designs on making money off of it, if that’s what you’re asking. I would like to get more involved with local homebrewing groups, and I’d love to expand the blog into something useful, but I think that all still falls under the hobby category.

Do you have a beard? (Just taking a survey!)

Ha! I told you I don’t fit the stereotypical brewer image!

I’d like to personally thank Christy for participating in the First Time Homebrewer questionnaire! Thanks Christy! I know its been a while, but how are the beers coming? Make any more stellar pilsners?

Also, remember you can Get Started Brewing Extract Beer, just by following the link!

Background

What is your name?

Anthony

Where do you live?

Katy, TX

Tell us a little about yourself. (married, children, pets, education, career, whatever you want to tell us)

Oldest of four children, single, veteran of two tours in Iraq (2005-2006 and 2007-2008), mechanical engineering student. Guitarist since the age of 5 (26 now). Motorcycle enthusiast. Photographer.

Do you have a blog? Tell us about it. (ex. name of it, why you decided to start it, what’s the blogs goal)

Yes, blog.ajmartinez.com “A Look Inside” –  I started writing it as a means to provide updates to my family/friends while I was in the Army. Rather than keep track of a mailing list, I just wrote the sorts of things you might write in a giant mass-email and figured anyone who cared enough to read could just click the link. I ended up using it as a way to share my thoughts on pretty much anything and everything.

What is your favorite style of beer?

I’m somewhat partial to Belgian Trappist Ales, though I’m increasingly becoming a fan of IPAs as well.

There is almost always a story behind why you get started homebrewing. What’s your story?

I developed a taste for craft brews while serving in the United States Army (2003-2008), mostly as a means to keep my soldiers from drinking my beer. A fridge full of BMC would be pilfered in short order, but beer with “strange” colors, aromas, and an actual flavor would be left alone. When I got out of the Army, I started frequenting the Ginger Man (a bar with lots and lots of different beers on draught) because most of my friends work there. That led to me meeting important people within several of Texas’ microbreweries. Talk of brewing was common, and I loved their beers, so I figured I would have to give it a shot.

For the Prospective Brewer

If there was one piece of advice you’d like to pass on to a prospective homebrewer, what would it be?

Above all else, make sure you have fun. Pay attention to detail, develop a routine – but always have fun.

Before you started brewing where did you look for information in regards to your questions about brewing? (websites, books, clubs, friends, etc)

homebrewtalk.com, Brew Strong podcasts (The Brewing Network), howtobrew.com, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, DeFalco’s (Houston’s LHBS), my great-uncle George.

Did you start with a starter equipment kit or did you put something together yourself?

My parents actually bought me a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas, from there I ended up buying equipment off another brewer who was moving and did not want to pack up all of her stuff. Now I’ve got the Mr. Beer, 2x 6.5gal fermentation buckets, 2x 5gal glass carboys, 2x 1gal glass carboys, 1x 6.5gal bottling bucket, 1x copper immersion wort chiller, lots and lots of bottles, 1x 2L growler, 2x hydrometers, 2x thermometers, 1x 10.5gal aluminum boil kettle, 1x propane jet burner, 1x big ol’ spoon, 2x large plastic storage containers I’m using as temperature control for my fermentation until I can build a fermentation locker, 1x keezer setup with 2x faucets and 2x 5gal corny kegs and a picnic tap conversion for filling bottles from the keg.

Was there anything unique about your initial equipment setup?

Nope.

Your First Brew Day

What was your first recipe? (Extract, partial mash or all grain)

Mr. Beer’s West Coast Pale Ale (hopped liquid malt extract)

Describe your first brew day, as much as you can remember. Were you nervous, did things go right, horribly wrong, forget something?

I was definitely nervous, after reading all of the CAUTION tales on homebrewtalk regarding sanitization and all of that. All in all, the brew day went fine. I followed the directions that came with the Mr. Beer kit, and locked it away in my closet.

Did your yeast start right of way or was it lazy, making you a nervous wreck?

I could not really see any yeast activity for a while, so I was certainly nervous for a day or four. Then I saw the krausen on top and got pretty excited.

Did you know what that hydrometer do-hicky did and how to use it?

I did not have one when I started my first brew, I purchased one before I declared fermentation complete on that beer.

Your First Bottling Day

What did you use to siphon your beer? Did it work?

I actually poured it out of the spigot on the Mr. Beer fermenter. It took a LONG time. It worked, but it illustrated to me the dire need for an auto-siphon.

Describe your first bottling or kegging day. Everything go as planned?

Bottling was a lot easier on the Mr. Beer brew than my next, mostly on account of the volume. Bottling a full 5gal batch was enough to turn me onto kegging.

Finally, Your BEER!

How long were you actually able to wait before you decided to open a beer and drink it?

I started the Mr. Beer kit on December 27, 2009 and poured my first bottle of it on January 27, 2010.

Was that beer good?

I was pleased with the results, for sure. No hop character to speak of, but I enjoyed the beer. So did my friends. We drank it very quickly.

http://blog.ajmartinez.com/2010/01/27/first-brew-ready-for-consumption/

How did it make you feel to taste a beer that you brewed for the first time?

See above link.

Will you make beer again and what would you do differently?

I fully intend to brew beer again, and again, and again. Right now I am still brewing extract, but I intend to move to all-grain over the summer if at all possible.

What will be the first “toy”  you’ll be adding to your brewing equipment setup?

My next brewing toy will quite probably be a fermentation locker, so I can control my fermentation temperature better. Right now I’m using a large plastic bin with about 3gal of water in it and a towel wrapped around my bucket/carboy to wick up the water and keep the temperature stable. Works quite well so far, but isn’t really the ideal location. (Read: Mom isn’t happy about me taking up an entire closet.) After that, it’s on to my brewstand. I’ll be building a single-tier system with a pulley/wench system to elevate any given stage to facilitate gravity transfers of water/wort.

Do you already have dreams about taking your homebrewing beyond a hobby or are you satisfied with just making yourself some tasty brews?

People have always said to find something you love, and the find a way to get paid to do it. I love brewing, and I love beer. If the opportunity comes for me to be able to work as a brewer, I will absolutely take it.

Do you have a beard? (Just taking a survey!)

At the moment, yes I do.

I know Anthony has grown his system since this interview. I think he’s got a keezer and some kegs now. (Jealous) I’d like to personally thank Anthony for participating in the First Time Homebrewer questionnaire! Thanks Anthony!

Also, remember you can Get Started Brewing Extract Beer, just by following the link!

Mike’s Brew Review brings you real life stories of first time homebrewers in an effort to help those thinking of getting started brewing to brew that first batch of beer.

BACKGROUND

What is your name?

Ali K

Where do you live?

Los Angeles, CA

Tell us a little about yourself. (married, children, pets, education, career, whatever you want to tell us)

I’m in my late 30s and am married. We have a little house and 2 not-so-little dogs. My husband works in the film business and I’m in the music business.

Do you have a blog? Tell us about it. (ex. name of it, why you decided to start it, what’s the blogs goal)

I have a WordPress blog called “My Life In Suds”. I started it because various friends were interested in my brewing exploits and there’s only so much one can put in a status update on Facebook or twitter.

What is your favorite style of beer?

That’s really hard to say. I’ve always been a heffeweizen fan, but the more I brew, the more styles I learn about, so my horizons are expanding.

There is almost always a story behind why you get started homebrewing. What’s your story?

My father once said that there are three things you have to do in life as a man. 1. Raise a family. 2. Build a house. 3. Brew beer. I’m a woman, so I’ll never be a man, but I feel like I can at least take care of 2 dogs (family), fix stuff around the house (“build”) and I know I can brew beer.

FOR THE PROSPECTIVE BREWER

If there was one piece of advice you’d like to pass on to a prospective homebrewer, what would it be?

The same advise my brother-in-law (who also brews) gave me. Buy local. There are brew shops all over the place and it’s so easy to find supplies on the web, but the friendships you can make with the folks at the local brew shop are invaluable. They have lots of knowledge and are happy to answer questions because they want you to succeed and enjoy making great beer.

Before you started brewing where did you look for information in regards to your questions about brewing? (websites, books, clubs, friends, etc)

I just knew I wanted to brew. I tried searching online to figure out what I needed to brew and got so frustrated. I emailed my brother-in-law who lives in MA if there was a website he would recommend. He said “Buy local” and sent me a link for the Home Beer Wine and Cheese Making Shop in Woodland Hills, CA.

Did you start with a starter equipment kit or did you put something together yourself?

The shop sells starter kits with everything you need to brew your first batch of beer. An “ale pail” with lid, a carboy, siphon and tubing, bottling cane, thermometer, hydrometer, capper, caps, stopper and airlock, a book on how to brew, sanitizer (both San-Clean and TSP) and a kit of ingredients. I brewed their “Wet & Wild Wheat” first.

Was there anything unique about your initial equipment setup?

Not really. I didn’t buy a brew kettle from them since I thought I had a big enough stock pot. I ended up having to go buy a bigger one. I went to a restaurant supply shop and spent probably twice as much for it, but it’s been used enough to justify it.

YOUR FIRST BREW DAY

What was your first recipe? (Extract, partial mash or all grain)

“Wet & Wild Wheat” It was a partial mash.

Describe your first brew day, as much as you can remember. Were you nervous, did things go right, horribly wrong, forget something?

I kept telling myself “I won’t be intimidated by the wort.” The actual brewing process wasn’t so bad, although I was a bit neurotic about it and hovered around the kitchen the entire time. I cook a lot and follow recipes all the time. Brewing really isn’t all that different.

Did your yeast start right of way or was it lazy, making you a nervous wreck?

I was happy that the airlock was bubbling away the next morning.

Did you know what that hydrometer do-hicky did and how to use it?

I was fortunate that the woman who helped me at the brew shop took the time to explain what everything was and how to use it.

YOUR FIRST BOTTLING DAY

What did you use to siphon your beer? Did it work?

I used my husband. LOL. Totally not the most sanitary method, but it worked and the beer didn’t suffer. What can I say, he’s got lung power!

Describe your first bottling or kegging day. Everything go as planned?

So, we started bottling and the siphon moved SO slow. There were air bubble in the line and I think it took us at least 2 hours to get all 5 gallons into the bottles and capped. Oy! We started talking about kegging that afternoon. That was in September 2009. We still have yet to keg a batch of beer. We managed to master the siphon and bottling now takes us about an hour.

Finally, Your BEER!

How long were you actually able to wait before you decided to open a beer and drink it?

We waited two weeks.

Was that beer good?

It was good, although we found that it was actually better after another week of bottle conditioning.

How did it make you feel to taste a beer that you brewed for the first time?

I was really excited and proud. Heck, I was thrilled when I heard the CO2 escape when I opened the first bottle.

Will you make beer again and what would you do differently?

I’ve been brewing regularly ever since. I actually have a spreadsheet detailing every beer I’ve made. I’ve brewed a few multiple times and I’m curious to know why there is such variation in the ABVs. I’m not sure if I’ve just read the hydrometer wrong, or if I somehow did something so different.

What will be the first “toy” you’ll be adding to your brewing equipment setup?

I think I’ll get a wort chiller one of these days. I’m not in a rush for it though. The kitchen sink full of ice seems to do the trick just fine.

Do you already have dreams about taking your homebrewing beyond a hobby or are you satisfied with just making yourself some tasty brews?

My husband and I are enamored with the idea of opening a brewpub. It’s a fun idea that I’ve already started to research. There’s so much more to it that I realized, but who knows. Maybe one day we’ll make it happen. Until then, I’ll keep brewing in the kitchen and stocking the fruits of my labors in the guest room until there is space in the fridge for more beer.

Do you have a beard? (Just taking a survey!)

Nope. My husband doesn’t either, but he can grow one.

I’d like to personally thank Ali for participating in the First Time Homebrewer questionnaire! Thanks Ali!

Also, remember you can Get Started Brewing Extract Beer, just by following the link!

It’s finally here! My first e-book and you bet your ass it was about beer! What else would it be about? Birds?

Seriously though, this has been a bit of a journey for me. When I started to think about brewing my own beer over 2 years ago, I was nervous, didn’t want to spend the money, had no idea what I was in for and had no one to really ask without feeling stupid about it. I figured, if I felt that way, there has to be a bunch of other people out there feeling the same way. So, if you are thinking about starting to homebrew, this is for you.

Watch the video to find out more or read on.

My free e-book, “Start Brewing Beer with Extracts” lays it all out for you. We discuss everything you’ll need to know about that first batch of homebrewed beer, that you make and enjoy. It is a lot easier and cheaper than you think. All you need is some time. This book covers it all.

• Why I Decided to Homebrew
• Homebrew Start Kits, who sells them, how much and what you get
• Extract Kits – what’s in them and why they are a good place to start
• Brewing Day – step by step what is to be expected of you along with some tips

• Fermentation – what’s going on inside that fermentor and what you can occupy your time with
• Bottling Day – what you’ll have to do, sanitation practices, tips and more
• Drinking that first beer
• Readings
• Checklists and recipe forms
• And some words from other first time homebrewers.

I’m not going to ramble on about it. If you are thinking about starting to homebrew, this is a great place to start! Check it out!

Also, if you need any assistance, questions, comments, concerns or whatever, shoot me a message and we’ll tackle it together!

Good luck and I’ll be checking up on you!

Cheers!

Holy CRAP! There are a ton of different places to get homebrew starter kits on the web. When I was starting out I didn’t know exactly which place to purchase from nor exactly what was going to be needed when I did finally purchase. Some came with this, some came with that??? But what did I really need and more importantly, how much was my new homebrew starter kit going to cost me?

To help ease the struggle I’ve picked out 5 homebrew starter kits from the top 5 online homebrew supply stores. This rank is based on Alexa.com‘s website traffic stats. I also believe they all come from reputable homebrew supply stores. I’ve compared what is in the kits and what you would still need, aside from a pot and bottles, to make your first batch of homebrew. I’ve tried to put together all the information you would need to help make a solid purchasing decision.

***Disclaimer

I hate writing these but I feel a need to in this case. All research was done on the same day and all comparisons of products were done with the intent to putting the most alike products together. For example, a plastic stirring spoon from one supplier was the same or, the closest that supplier had to offer, to the same product. The intent of this article is to give a potential first time homebrewer the knowledge and confidence to get the most for their money.

Homebrew Starter Kits

1. William’s Brewing

I have never purchased from William’s brewing but I receive their catalog, hear their advertisements and have read some reviews on homebrewtalk.com about them, so I believe the company is solid. I am using their kit as a bench mark as I believe it comes with everything you would need to get started, including an extract kit. Usually that, plus thermometers and spoons are all purchased separately but the kind folks at William’s Brewing put it altogether in a no fuss package. This kit is siphonless by using a spigot on both fermenters to easily transfer wort from one vessel to another. I’ve been assured through email correspondence that their unique transfer valve prevents yeast from moving with your wort. Their website is a little difficult to navigate upon first landing, but once you figure it out it isn’t to bad.

William’s Homebrew Kit Highlights

• Comes with everything
• Instruction Booklet and Video’s Included!
• Unique transfer valve allows for siphonless transfers without yeast cake disturbance

2. Northern Brewer

I have used Northern Brewer quite a few times for equipment and ingredients. The ingredients are always fresh and everything shows up in a very timely manner. It could be because I live less than 300 miles away. Regardless, a solid company. A very solid kit that I’ve recommended to a couple of friends who love them.

Northern Brewer Homebrew Kit Highlights

• Speedy Delivery
• Flat Rate Shipping on most products
• Solid Option

3. Midwest Supplies

Midwest Supplies has a very good reputation and a lot of my friends have used them and their physical store. Prices are usually pretty good, the staff is knowledgeable and willing to help. Their homebrew starter kit is very well priced for what you get. The one main drawback to this kit though, is that you have to calculate shipping which, when I did it for Fargo, ND it ran me over $10. So what you save with this kit, might be lost in shipping.

Midwest Supplies Homebrew Kit Highlights

• Liquid Crystal Thermometer
• Instruction Booklet and Video’s Included!

4. MoreBeer

I have yet to use MoreBeer but I plan to in the future. They have been around for a while and from my understanding have some sort of affiliation with the Brew Strong Crew. On top of that…it is the cheapest homebrew starter kit option that I have found. You may be wondering, “There is no auto siphon.” That is because both of your buckets will have a spigot on them. All you have to do is hook up your tubing from one bucket and drain it into the other. It is a lot less fuss, similar to the Williams Kit above. The free shipping is pretty nice too! The site could look and function a bit better, but again, once you get used to it, its easy to use.

MoreBeer Homebrew Kit Highlights

• Cheapest with free shipping
• Star San sanitizer (one of the best in the biz)

5. Austin Homebrew Supply

Another brewing store I have yet to use, but it ranks up there as number 3 of trafficked sites. Again, I’ve heard good thing from people on homebrewtalk.com and Austin Homebrew has been around for a little while. The site is a little confusing to use and based on their starter kit, you are going to need to make some extra purchases.

Austin Brewing Homebrew Kit Highlights

• Most Expensive
• Requires a lot of extra purchases
• Has the biggest fermenters (could be good or bad)

There you have it. These are 5 very good options for getting started brewing. The prices are not all that far from each other so any option is a good option. If your looking for no fuss, hit up the William’s Brewing kit. Everything that comes in that homebrew starter kit will get you going. If you don’t mind a little moving around on a site and filling a shopping cart, grab the cheapest, MoreBeer option. The Star San makes that kit worth it to me. If you really think your going to need an auto siphon, the Northern Brewer kit comes with the same one I use, which has been good to me.

Your call my friend!

If anyone has anything to add, please feel free to let me know. Again, the purpose here is to give someone basic information to help possible first time homebrewers make a sound decision on a homebrew starter kit, so we can get more homebrewers making fine and tasty beer!