First Time Brewing

[Capn Antonio Malasses]

I'm doing some research on brewing my own beer. My father used to do it years ago and with the completion of my bar I think it's about time I stock it with my own beer.

My eventual goal is to make my own rum but I figured I'd start with something smaller, in this case beer. Try my hand at that and then move onto the liqueurs.

So what advice do you have for a first time brewer? Any tips or tricks I should try to make the process smoother and the product better?

Thanks for your help

Capn Antonio Malasses

[marlinspike]

first... find a good local homebrew shop. They will be able to help you with any questions that may arise during the process.

second... get a copy of John Palmer's How To Brew

For equipment you will need the following:

At least one fermenter (two would be better, but not really necessary.)

A bottling bucket (can double as a fermenter- that is how I use mine)

A four gallon stock pot

Two cases of bottles, or a keg system

A hydrometer to calculate ABV

A thermometer

A Racking cane and tubing

And a bottle filling wand

Most of this is all available in kit form - except for the stock pot and thermometer

A banjo burner/turkey fryer if you don’t want to brew in your kitchen

For your first brew I would suggest an extract kit, they are easy to brew, don’t take a whole lot of time, and produce fairly good beers. The important thing to know is not to go overboard – The process is as complicated as you want to make it.

Have fun!

[Oscar Henry]

check out homebrewtalk.com and read till your hearts content

[Duchess]

I second the recommendation of How to Brew. It contains a lot of information, ranging from very basic to much more advanced, so it will "grow" with you as you become more experienced. I'm also a fan of Northern Brewers. Their extract kits come with some nice basic directions and produce very solid beers. Do look around and see if you have a local shop to support as the staff will most likely be a good resource for your questions. I know I hound the poor folks at Northern Brewer every time I'm in the shop. :)

[Zephaniah W. Nash]

If you want to go really basic, and really start off simply and easily, go with Mr. Beer -- available at Amazon, if nowhere locally. I've been using it for a year or so now, and have just about talked myself into moving on into "real" brewing, instead of the pre-prepared ingredient kits and simplified process.

The Englishman's Nut Brown Ale and the St. Patrick's Irish Stout are both downright awesome (though I do suggest using an extra "booster pack" or just adding some extra sugar to the kits to up the alcohol content a bit -- it's pretty weak without it).