Step Two: Obtain Equipment

The Southern Son chose to start not too small but not too big either.

I went with the Deluxe Starter Kit from Northern Brewer. Not only was the price fairly competitive they also have a great shipping deal; $7.99 Flat Rate! They even have a YouTube video overviewing each piece of the kit. I found this particularly helpful when selecting which kit I wanted. Northern Brewer also throws in a nice little How to Brew DVD with brewing instruction geared towards the select kit... perfection. I haven't watched it yet, but I anticipate being thrilled by watching somebody brew with the same equipment I now have myself.

There are two pieces of equipment that did not come with the starter kit that I had to obtain elsewhere: a brew pot and bottles. I found a great deal on a 4 gallon brew pot from homebrewing.org. Obtaining bottles has been a bit more laborious. Instead of purchasing bottles I have elected to create my own empties. The toughest part of this task is that you have to buy beers that aren't twist offs. So, unfortunately I, with a little help from the wife, have been consuming some great microbrews... for the sole purpose of rounding out my equipment gathering. Sam Adams, Dogfish Head, Flying Dog, and Allagash have all been kind enough to market and sell brewing supplies pre-filled! One last note, the how to brew book recommended brown bottles to reduce the light pollution hitting your beer as it conditions in the bottles.