Hello!
I've had several people ask me "My <son, husband, friend> wants to start homebrewing. What should I get them for Christmas?"
There are a couple of ways to look at it.
First, how serious are they? Homebrewing, though rewarding and worth every ounce of effort, is a relatively big commitment in time and resources. Do they REALLY want to do it, or are they just interested in beer? You could buy some REALLY nice beer for what it costs to homebrew.
Just a thought.
Second- are they people who jump in head first, or someone who tests the water?
If they are experimental, there are One Gallon homebrew kits which are lower priced and in my opinion, a great way to learn the methods and practices.
If they are FULLY IN, BRAH! then you want to go with a 5 gallon kit.
Education cannot be stressed enough. SURE you can buy them kit, but PLEASE also purchase a book for them.
One gallon brewing book, it is absolutely my number one recommendation for anyone wanting to start brewing: Beer Craft
For the person who wants a bit more to chew on: The Complete Joy of Homebrewing
I suggest that you visit your local homebrew store to pick up a kit, some ingredients, and perhaps a gift certificate. To find one, google "Homebrew Supplies" and your town. There are bound to be stores near you.
If you don't have time or need to send a kit to someone far away, I suggest Austin Homebrew. There are a lot of retailers, but Austin Homebrew sell one gallon kits which is why they win the mention!
They also sell larger kits for 5 gallon batches
Keep in mind that kits do not include a pot. A pot is necessary. For one gallon brewing, a 2 gallon pot is fine (spaghetti pot.) For 5 gallon brewing, a 7 gallon pot will do the trick (tamale pot.)
DO NOT run out and buy a stainless steel pot, unless you want to really make a super WOW impression. They are unnecessary at this time. An aluminum pot from a big box store is just fine.
A note on heating:
For one gallon batches, your stovetop is fine. For 5 gallon batches, I suggest you get a turkey fryer propane burner from the get-go. An additional advantage is that they usually come with a pot!
I hope this helps with your homebrew "newbie" gift giving! Happy Holidays!
Additional Retailers of Equipment and Ingredients:
Midwest Supplies
Northern Brewer
More Beer
Williams Brewing
Adventures in Homebrewing
Want to learn in a fun way? Direct your friends to The Brewing Network. And don't blame me!
