I am using Mr. Beer (two actually) and am glad because this is a great introductory kit. You can buy all the mixes from the one that comes with it to some really great stuff on the mrbeer.com website like liquid yeast and different kinds of hops.
I say it is a great starter because you get all the basics of what makes beer, and what makes beer great! I am adding honey to my last batch and then transferring my "first stage" to the other barrel for a second stage to get some of the sediment out of it. My friends help and explained that after the initial addition of yeast, it is not good to add any further aeration. So I am using flexible tubing to transfer from one barrel to the other.
I am also going to try mixing my priming sugar with a cup of boiled water and using the same technique of adding it to the barrel instead of each bottle to condition (carbonate) it. This is to make it a more uniform batch.
Get the kit. Follow the easy instructions and even call them if you need to, they are a great help! But it is a great introduction to homebrewing and a great stepping stone.
Plus it teaches proper sanitation which is holy writ in brewing!! And it is FUN!
Buy the kit. I priced everything in it separately and it costs less to get it all together. We live in Cincinnati, Ohio and have a brewery supply store where we buy our mixes and I got the kit there. It basically consists of a thermomiter, gravity measuring device, hoses for syphoning, bottle capper, 5 gallon bucket with a cut out in the lid for the fermentation lock. You still had to buy a pot separately. We checked into the Mr. Beer. It definately seemed simpler but we wanted to eventually be able to make our own recipes and we're having a lot of fun. Also, get a book from the library called "The Joy of Homebrewing" I can't remember the author but it gave a very nice explaination of the whole process.
Hi, Jim! I've been looking into this myself over the years (after one misguided attempt which produced a rather vile 'malt wine'). I hope to try again in the near future, and found a couple of sites to be interesting. Note that there are many others (try Google), but check these out: http://www.howtobrew.com looks like a good place to start. Then there's this one, http://www.voresoel.dk/main.php?id=71, which goes to extremes to get that perfect brew. I found it enlightening because it explores so many different ingredient options. For my next attempt I'll probably take Amber's advice and 'get the kit' and work from there. Happy brewing (and tasting)! - Alph
Jim, Get the Kit, We did and we still use it I got one called Mr Beer,It has everything in it,and! already measured in packs,yeast hops,cans of flavors etc.They have a site to to get more bottles, caps,differant flavors of beer mix,etc.Hope this helps
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