brewing tech advice?

[thecrusader]

this may or may not be appropriate, im sure i will be told
but i want to start home-brewing. i saw my neighbors setup
(basically a drum and some ingredients) he doesn't boil the hops,
he just gets the mix stuff in the can, and does it that way.
in a plastic drum.

the "basic" process was semi explained and he said that really
to do it properly the hops need to be boiled, etc. he said it
smells and can be messy, and difficult maybe to get the hops.

i have seen some pics of you guys doing full brews, can
anyone roughly say what equipment and stuff is needed,
and how hard it is? i know some of you are probably masters
of doing it.

help or advice is appreciated, ta.

 

[JeremyH]

It isnt difficult at all to get hops. www.austinhomebrew.com will sell you anything you need.

As for a basic description of the process, if you read through this book:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=1528
it will be explained. I read through a few chapters when I first started and that book helped immensely.

Most of the equipment can be purchased at a hardware store, but AH sells kits that include everything you need:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_33_52

They also sell recipes that include all of the ingredients you need to make a certain beer.
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_452

Brewing is easy and fun! Yes, boiling the wort can be a smelly process at first, but you'll soon love the smell of the hops!

BTW, thanks for sending your money to Texas! :lol:

 

[Sydwaiz]

www.homebrewtalk.com

I've done a couple batches myself so far. Tons of home brew shops in the states. Not sure bout Australia, haven't checked.

edit: I was going to mention Austin home brew till I saw you were from Australia. Austin has some good kits and good prices if you buy online.

 

[JeremyH]

Austin has some good kits and good prices if you buy online.

Ya know, AHS is one of the smallest brew stores I have ever been inside, but they have a massive online store. Every brewer I have spoken with has heard of them....:mrgreen:

 

[Cliffhanger1]

I started out with a Mr beer kit.It is by far the best easiest and cheapest for a beginner.Comes with instructions,recipes, beer mix,booster,yeast,fermenter,cleaner,everything you need"thumbsup"
makes 12 20oz or 20 12oz bottles per batch. Good luck!

http://www.mrbeer.com/

 

[C*H*U*D]

Homebrewing is the best! I started about 10 years ago, and it's still one of my favorite hobbies...I'm drinking a homebrew right now as a matter of fact! The best part about brewing beer is that it isn't rocket science......unless you want it to be. You can go as easy, or elaborate as you want.

You might want to check out some homebrew supply stores in your own neck of the woods too. It would probably be cheaper for shipping, and you might be able to walk right in and get some first hand advice.

http://www.countrybrewer.com.au/category92_1.htm

Homebrewers are a lot like the crawler crowd......everyone is always willing to help "thumbsup"

 

[montana.matt]

I started out with a Mr beer kit.It is by far the best easiest and cheapest for a beginner.Comes with instructions,recipes, beer mix,booster,yeast,fermenter,cleaner,everything you need"thumbsup"
makes 12 20oz or 20 12oz bottles per batch. Good luck!

http://www.mrbeer.com/

X2... I started out with that kit also then moved up to a "normal" set up....

For the OP, the book "Homebrewing For Dummies" is a good beginners book IMHO:
http://www.amazon.com/Homebrewing-Dummies-Marty-Nachel/dp/0764550462

I've purchased quite a bit from Northern Brewer with good results.... http://www.northernbrewer.com/

 

[C*H*U*D]

I've purchased quite a bit from Northern Brewer with good results.... http://www.northernbrewer.com/

A few more good places are:

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/

http://morebeer.com/

I've ordered from both of them as well as Norther Brewer. Check out all three sites and ask for a catalog. There's a lot of information in them and they are fun to look through when having a beer.

.

 

[thecrusader]

you all obviously love doing it,
as much as i hope to. thanks alot
guys for the response.

my neighbor pointed me to a brew
shop thingo, that sells all the bits.
it got my interest when he said they
sell stills, but thats just asking for trouble
i think and ive never been into spirits.

the place in just up the road i might go
and have a talk to them, and check out
the links you posted.

thanks again "thumbsup"

 

[cfox109]

How to Brew by John Palmer helped me alot to get into brewing and it has a free online version so you can read everything there is to know about brewing beer.

www.howtobrew.com