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It depends on what you are really looking for. Is this for someone (you?) that already knows how to brew beer? There is a pretty cheap ($45) kit out there called Mr. Beer that can be found at a few places around the triangle. It is a beginner kit and anyone who already brews their beer will laugh at it. However, it makes beer and is a good intro into the hobby. If you are looking for a "real kit" for the full 5g brews, there are a few homebrew stores around the triangle. I am in Durham and got my first kit from http://www.brewmasterstore.com/, which is in the north part of town. I think there is a petty good place in Raleigh, but the name escapes me at the moment.
ETA: the place in Raleigh is http://www.americanbrewmaster.com/catalog/ (broken link)
Last edited by 9/9; 12-16-2007 at 09:01 AM..
Reason: remembered info
Thanks so much 9/9! It is a present for my husband who knows NOTHING about brewing beer but wanted to try. I KNEW someone here would be able to help me out!
If you think it is something that he is going to like, I would suggest just going with the full "real kit", since they really aren't that much more expensive (around $65 - $80), versus the $45 for the Mr. Beer. If he likes it he is going to upgrade pretty quickly anyway.
I love homebrewing and am always happy to help out anyone getting into the hobby!
This sounds like a thread right up Newuser's alley. He seems to be the resident "beermeister" on this forum. Hopefully he will chime in with some recommendations!
This sounds like a thread right up Newuser's alley. He seems to be the resident "beermeister" on this forum. Hopefully he will chime in with some recommendations!
I bought my husband a full "newbie" kit at American Brewmaster in Raleigh a few years ago. I think I paid about $90. He dabbles in it, and has a friend that is really into it... so he has fun with it. I'm glad I skipped over the little kit and went for the better one. My husband still continues to get all of his supplies at American Brewmaster, the guys in there are great too. They love to check out other peoples brews, give suggestions, etc.
My DH gets his stuff at American Brewmaster too. I wonder if they have Gift Certificates. Cause I think half the fun is going in there and talking to the guys and deciding what kind of beer to make, etc. Of course, if you go there and get the basic kit, he will still have to go back and get the hops and stuff.
Man. I'm a little slow today. A beer question is posted this morning and it takes me 10 hours to respond.
In my defense, I was actually at American Brewmaster this afternoon purchasing the ingredients for my next 2 beers. I'll be making a light lager (German Helles) next weekend, and then a spiced Belgian ale on the following weekend.
I would also recommend against a Mr Beer type kit, unless your husband is the type who jumps from hobby to hobby without really sticking to anything. I've known people who buy a Mr Beer and are happy with it for years. But most of the time, people try homebrewing, really enjoy it, and end up outgrowing the Mr Beer kits after 3 or 4 batches.
If you do get your husband the kit, tell him about the 2 homebrewing clubs in the area: CARBOY (Cary-Apex-Raleigh) and TRUB (Durham-Chapel Hill). The Durham club is a little more rowdy than the Raleigh club, but both are a great bunch of friendly guys. I belong to the Raleigh club, and we just had our annual Christmas party last night. We're also having a Super Bowl party next month. We also have a monthly meeting at a restaurant in north Raleigh. You can find both clubs on the web.
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