My neighbor and I were discussing beginning to brew beer this fall

I finally started brewing this year, this is the starter kit I went with and I'm very happy with it. MoreBeer

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We have discussed it in the past but neither of us have any real experience with it ( I think he had one of those Mr. Beer kits when he was in college). I see there are a ton of "starter kits" but thought id check with the board to get some more experienced home brewers suggestions on a starting point, what we actually need vs what's unnecessary bullshite etc.

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Post in this thread and i can help you out.

Homebrewing Beer Thread Volume II

Jump in and do all grain. Don’t do that extract shite. It’s not real beer.

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Life's to short to drink mediocre home brew.

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If you make shitty home brew that’s correct. I like making beers that you can’t find on the shelves typically.

Where are you located? Homebrewing is simple. I'm always looking for interested parties to hang out and enjoy some beers while brewing more.

Been homebrewing for 20+ years.

Do yourself a favor and get a brewzilla.

Homebrewing has come so far and imo these all in one systems produce professional results with a minimum of headache, mess, and storage space.

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But it does take another big pot or an igloo cooler to mash in.

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I started doing Brew in a Bag from day one and that was over 10 years ago. Have seen no reason to ever change. One pot and a giant bag is all you need. Easy cleanup and storage.

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Homebrewing has come so far and imo these all in one systems produce professional results with a minimum of headache, mess, and storage space.

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Yeah. I've been brewing for 11 years now, and have a 3 vessel system. These all in one's almost seem like cheating.

I'm too stubborn to move away from a 3 vessel system right now, mainy because i bought a shiny new mash tun about 4 or 5 years ago.

But, if i was just getting started, i'd do a brewzilla/grainfather type setup.

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Buy this book now. You will refer to it over and over. I would bet that 99% of homebrewers have this book and many have gone thru a few copies.

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This. It is the homebrew bible when you are getting started. Also, don't get a Mr. Beer kit. That is the quickest way to brew beer and quit after 1 batch.

I started out with a 5 gallon pot and a glass carboy doing partial boil extract batches. You can make some pretty good beer this way. I still remember my very first beer. I thought brew day was a disaster. I had my burner on full heat the whole time, so i was combatting overflow and foam the entire time. I didn't know much about sanitation but the books scared me so much about infection, that when i dropped a rag in the boil pot i assumed i ruined the whole beer and if it wasn't for my brother being there, i would have dumped the batch and likely quit brewing. But, after brew day, i made a swamp cooler and used that for my temperature control.

I then bottled all my beers with a bottling bucket. After 3-4 weeks in the bottle, came the moment of truth. I took out my bottle opener..."pshhhh"...sounds like beer. Poured into a glass...looks like beer. Took a whiff of the "cincinnati pale ale" (recipe from How to Brew)...smells like beer. Then took the first sip of my first ever homebrew..."Holy shite! this tastes like beer!" After that i was hooked. And 11 years later, i still get almost as excited on brew day as i did back then.

But, for equipment, if you have the money, start with an all-grain system. And if you can, get one of those all in one systems like the grainfather. But for less money, you can do a 3 vessel system (boil pot, mash tun, sparge tank) for less than $250.

You will be asked by many people, "is it actually cheaper to make your own beer rather than buy it" and the answer is NO. At least for me it's not. Not because the ingredients cost a bunch, or because the startup cost of equipment and upgrading your equipment may increase your costs, which it does, and in time will level out. But i found myself buying more craft beer once i started homebrewing. I was constantly trying different styles and different beers i never had before. I miss those days. Now, i've tried most everything on the shelves. For those i haven't tried, i usually have a good idea if it will be quality based on the brewery, and i know what styles i like now, so im not experimenting as much as i used to.

But as the old saying goes, and as was told to me many times when i started (see links to the homebrewing pages on page 1 of the home brew thread), "relax, don't worry, have a homebrew"!