Hi everyone! My fiance and I have decided to learn how to brew our own beer, and I thought one of the best things to do would be to join a community to get advise. I've been looking at some books to give my fiance for Christmas and so far I have bought him "The Complete Joy of Home Brewing" (3rd edition). Does anyone have any suggestions for other books?
While I'm asking questions, I was also looking at equipment and wondering what was the best way to get started? Should we look at kits? Which kits are the best? Does it depend on what kind of beer you're looking to brew? Thanks!
New Here
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Re: New Here
Welcome!
For books, I would highly recommend "How to Brew" by John Palmer. It walks you through extract brewing through all-grain brewing and you can continue to use it as a resource as you advance through the obsession, er, hobby.
Another good publiciation is the Introduction to Homebrewing PDF from the Homebrewers Association.
Have you brewed or seen anyone else brew before?
Kits are a good way to start if you don't have any previous equipment. With most kits out there you will still need a large pot (like a 5+ gallon stock pot) and bottles. You may or may not need ingredients depending on the shop, but most include your first recipe kit. There are a couple of ways to go with kettle size, so it kind of depends on if you are looking to use your stovetop or something else like an outdoor turkey fryer type burner.
A good example starter kit example is similar to this one: http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BASIC-HO ... Y-C73.aspx. You can order kits online from many of the vendors out there or visit any local homebrew shop and find something similar. That particular kit uses buckets for fermenting. Most places have glass carboys for an additional upcharge.
Are you local in Orange County? We will be hosting a homebrew day at Beach City Brewing in Huntington Beach on Nov 2. There will be a few different extract and all-grain setups there, so it would be a good opportunity to see some different setups in action. More details for that event are at https://www.facebook.com/events/640982982608910/
Please ask any other questions you might have!
For books, I would highly recommend "How to Brew" by John Palmer. It walks you through extract brewing through all-grain brewing and you can continue to use it as a resource as you advance through the obsession, er, hobby.
Another good publiciation is the Introduction to Homebrewing PDF from the Homebrewers Association.
Have you brewed or seen anyone else brew before?
Kits are a good way to start if you don't have any previous equipment. With most kits out there you will still need a large pot (like a 5+ gallon stock pot) and bottles. You may or may not need ingredients depending on the shop, but most include your first recipe kit. There are a couple of ways to go with kettle size, so it kind of depends on if you are looking to use your stovetop or something else like an outdoor turkey fryer type burner.
A good example starter kit example is similar to this one: http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BASIC-HO ... Y-C73.aspx. You can order kits online from many of the vendors out there or visit any local homebrew shop and find something similar. That particular kit uses buckets for fermenting. Most places have glass carboys for an additional upcharge.
Are you local in Orange County? We will be hosting a homebrew day at Beach City Brewing in Huntington Beach on Nov 2. There will be a few different extract and all-grain setups there, so it would be a good opportunity to see some different setups in action. More details for that event are at https://www.facebook.com/events/640982982608910/
Please ask any other questions you might have!
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lexuschris
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Re: New Here
Welcome to Brewcommune!
I concur with Brian's suggestions above, and watching some folks brew on Nov 2nd would be a great way to get acquainted with homebrewing.
Many of us started off with kits and very basic equipment. It is a great way to get going and enjoy the hobby. Once you get comfortable with that, there is a whole world to explore in some of the more advanced areas of brewing. My best advice is to keep it simple at first, and not let the avalanche of fine details overwhelm you.
If you cannot make the Nov 2nd 'Learn to Brew' event, we have regular open meetings every odd month, usually about the 3rd Tuesday. (November sometimes is moved earlier to avoid Thankgiving week). We post the date, time, location info in this 'Cheers!' forum about 2 weeks before the meeting, and the next one is just about a month away.
Until then, check out the boards, and ask as many questions as you like!
--LexusChris
I concur with Brian's suggestions above, and watching some folks brew on Nov 2nd would be a great way to get acquainted with homebrewing.
Many of us started off with kits and very basic equipment. It is a great way to get going and enjoy the hobby. Once you get comfortable with that, there is a whole world to explore in some of the more advanced areas of brewing. My best advice is to keep it simple at first, and not let the avalanche of fine details overwhelm you.
If you cannot make the Nov 2nd 'Learn to Brew' event, we have regular open meetings every odd month, usually about the 3rd Tuesday. (November sometimes is moved earlier to avoid Thankgiving week). We post the date, time, location info in this 'Cheers!' forum about 2 weeks before the meeting, and the next one is just about a month away.
Until then, check out the boards, and ask as many questions as you like!
--LexusChris
"A woman drove me to drink, and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her." – W.C. Fields
Re: New Here
Welcome and +1 to both of the above .. especially Palmer's How To Brew.
Dan
Dan