Ive been wanting to try to make my own beer, anyone done this before? Ive been looking online at some kits from Mr.Beer, any opinions on kits or good ways to get into home brewing?
dont know much about it but a buddy of mine got a kit online and makes some good shit. Deff worth a try, and if your a major beer drinker … it will save you some $$ in the end 
Yeah not a heavyyy drinker but i think it would be cool, you remember the name of the kit? Theres so many hopefully someone on here has bought/used one before
I have been doing this for years its a lot of fun once you start getting it down. I just spent a large sum of money upgrading to some more serious equipment this week.
There’s a lot of information out there. I lurk on the homebrewtalk.com forums and the beertools.com forums.
I would avoid the Mr. Beer kits, they are small choices in what you can make are limited due to its relatively small batch sizes. You can get good starter kits locally. Kits can range from $80-$120 depending on what they include. One thing that the kits dont come with is a brew pot which will run around $40-$60 some times you can get a cheap stock pot at walmart but you will need 6-7 gallon capacity minimum. Hammersmith Homebrew in Latham on route 9 has good stuff. They assemble there own beginners extract kits so there stuff is really fresh. Theres also Hennessey HomeBrew Emporium on route 4 in East Greenbush. The have more kits but from name brand manufacturers and more choice in specialty equipment you wont need right away. I use beer-wine.com for some specialty kits or ingredients and northernbrewer.com has a good choice or specialty stuff as well and 7.95 flat rate shipping.
not completly true. Yes beer is cheaper per glass but the enjoyment comes from the process and final product. I spend endless amounts of money on equipment and trying new techniques that I think im still behind in the cost war. You would have to be a serious problem drinker to drink the money I have dumped on equipment over the years :ahh
What do you typically brew… ales or lagers?
Oh nice man, honestly I had no idea there were local shops, probably because im from glenville and im NEVER up in latham or that area haha ill have to check them out friday for sure
they have wierd hours. weekdays the latham place is open 12-7 not sure of their weekend hours the place in east greenbush has more normal hours if i recall but i havent been there in awhile
Yeah i just told my old man about the stores and thats where my uncle and grandparents get there stuff for making the yearly wine batch :thumbup
mostly ales because lagers have to be fermented a colder temperatures (germans use to ferment in winter in cold caves) which requires almost a dedicated fridge or cold storage for 3-6 week fermentation period.
yeah homebrew supply stores are always with wine making stores
Hennesey Homebrew is a good place, i go there sometimes to get supplies for making hard cider and wine. A few of my friends have homebrew kits, one has a small Mr. Beer kit, and is just starting with it. I might get into homebrew at some point, but for now im trying to perfect hard cider and fruit based wine.
It’s definitely not cheaper when you factor in the cost of equipment and supplies. My uncle lives in Charlotte, NC and brews his own stout, which is surprisingly VERY good. Those rednecks down there sparked my interest in this hobby, and someday I would like to pick up some starter gear and go to town. For now though, I’ll stick to bars and grocery stores. :thumbup
weak
JVG speaks truth.
What was that tasty blueberry brew you made last year?
I am actually going to get into this once i get settled into my new place. Derrik if you wanna come over once i get settled (3 weeks or so) we can whip up a batch.
EBI in Saratoga has homebrew supplies as well.
If anyone has questions feel free to pm them to me and I can help you out. I’m giving my friend whos been looking at trying this a lesson sunday for the beer I am brewing for my superbowl party.
There 5 things to remember when starting. Sanatize ANYTHING beer will and can touch, start with a simple beer (cream ale, american ale, pale ale) not a complex beer (Stouts, porters, IPA’s, Lagers, any thing high gravity), follow the directions, make sure the tempertures are right and the yeast is good and healthy.
JVG has made some very good stuff before. Unlike his very first batch, in which he did not read the directions properly.
PWND.