Brooklyn Brew Shop Everyday IPA Glass Beer Making Kit, 1 Count (Pack of 1)

Girlfriend got this for me on Christmas, I've since brewed several batches using the equipment in this kit. Thermometer and carboy arrived intact thankfully. Instructions on the box aren't specific enough of course, you need to go on brooklyn brew shop's website and print their highly detailed instructions. (which should have been included with the kit but hey) Also, you need to go get a large mesh strainer and a stockpot large enough to hold over a gallon of liquid. And a funnel. It's also extremely handy to have a regular sized pot for your "mash" so you don't have to keep transferring and re-sanitizing stuff. It's extremely important that you READ THE DIRECTIONS. Be meticulous about your sanitizing, because heartbreak is finding your batch contaminated after a month's worth of anticipation.Helpful hints:1. After you've heated up your strike water and "mashed in", you can likely turn the heat down on your stove to a 1-2. Just remember to come back about every 10 minutes to take temperature readings, stir and add water if needed. Do not cut the mashing process short, it is VITALLY important to the strength of your beer. ALSO SET A TIMER FOR 60 MINUTES AS SOON AS YOU START.2. During the last 20 minutes of your mash, begin heating up the additional water. Make sure to read ahead in your steps to save time.3. When straining the water over the grain, I found that the grain was really sticky (likely due to the age of the grain) and you had to add water SLOWLY. My first time trying to lob all the water in at once resulted in hot grainy water overflowing onto my stove...so take it cup by cup if you have to.4. Follow your hop schedule to a T. (meaning, if it says add all the columbus hops at the start of the boil, do that)5. SET A TIMER FOR 60 MINUTES AS SOON AS IT BEGINS TO BOIL. The boil itself doesn't require excessive attention after the "hot break" where it initially begins foaming. I found that after the boil happened, you could crank the heat down a tad to like a 4-5 on my stove. This is also where your whole house may start to smell like beer so crack a window if it's nice out.6. The "force chill" portion takes FOREVER. Have patience, and do not add yeast if the temperature is above 70 degrees fahrenheit. The instructions should actually tell you to get either a bunch of ice packs or to crank up your ice machine if you can.7. After you've added the yeast and set up your blowoff tube, nothing might happen for awhile. "Primary" fermentation where everything starts going crazy may happen during the first 1-2 days so again, be patient.8. Do not open or smell your fermentor unnecessarily.9. Fermentation takes 2 weeks. Do not rush this process.10. Bottling day, if it's your first time with the gravity siphon will be a messy nightmare. I highly recommend starting off just siphoning water for practice. Or get an auto-siphon, it's really not that difficult once you get the hang of it. And DO NOT SUCK UP THE YEAST AT THE BOTTOM.11. Do not use excess priming sugar. You do not want your bottles exploding and your precious beer to be ruined.12. Allow your bottles to condition for 2 weeks. Seriously, I know it's difficult to wait but the carbonation between 1 week and 2 week is literally night and day.13. Refrigerate the night before you want to drink, don't pour the last few drops since some residual yeast will likely be there, and enjoy!This hobby is addictive, and once you get used to the process it all starts to flow together. There's a charming, almost blue collar satisfaction in drinking a beer YOU brewed or having someone else try it and go "wow, you made this?". There are also a lot of nuances that you get into later, but the fact that as a first-timer you're brewing all-grain is intense enough. Brooklyn brew shop makes an amazing kit, their marketing is extremely user friendly and I was BEYOND stoked to make this beer.EDIT: 8/2016Additional helpful hints after about 8 months and many batches of beer later:-Get a ton of ice packs and have them cold before you start. The cooldown process is important, and the quicker you get your beer to 70, the better.-If I were to do the everyday IPA kit again, I'd change the hop schedule so all of the columbus goes in at 60 and all of the chinook hops go in at 10.-Use store bought spring water. DO NOT USE TAP WATER!!!!!!!!!-Light can oxidize the beer, so cover your carboy up with a black shirt or something like that. Also try to keep it in a cupboard, closet or somewhere dark. Don't open it up to smell it.-Red Baron Bottle Capper <- Get a bottle capper with some caps. Do not use corona bottles for bottling, make sure you use amber bottles to keep light out.-The siphoning process is made easier by having a friend prevent the siphon from touching the yeast cake. Plan accordingly.-Want to make your process easier? Get an auto-siphon.-

The kit is great! It is not too difficult, but is not oversimplified. I would note that while the directions say you only need one pot, you really need two--or some other container which can hold around 1 1/2 gallons of hot liquid. I would also recommend purchasing a large bin (like the kind used for dishes) to keep the kit in while it is brewing--particularly in the first few days as the blowoff tube can make a mess in your closet.Also, remember when you take the temperature NOT to let the thermometer touch the sides or bottom of the pot. This will give you an inaccurate temperature as you will essentially be taking the temperature of the sides of the pot instead of the contents. You will need to hold it in the middle of the mash/wort (don't just drop it into the pot).The kit works well in a small apartment (I am in college, and was able to make the kit in my galley-style kitchen).I'm drinking my first batch today. If you like an IPA, it is great! Just note that India Pale Ales have elevated hop contents, as they were originally developed to be brewed in England and then shipped to occupied India, so the flavors were boosted so they wouldn't be lost on the long journey at sea. If you don't like a lot of bitterness, I would recommend you choose a different kit by Brooklyn Brew Shop. If you are expecting a generic 'Beer' like one of the mass-produced varieties, this kit is not what you are looking for. No judgment if that's what you prefer, but that's not what this kit gives you. In fact, if that is what you are looking for, I probably wouldn't recommend any of Brooklyn Brew's products. These folks create kits for brewing specific varieties of beer based on specific historic and current brewing styles, as well as some of their own inspiration. If you are just looking to get drunk on something generic, you will save yourself a lot of time and effort by just going to the store and buying your favorite brand. If you are looking to enjoy a flavorful beer with a specific character (that you yourself brewed), then this kit is for you.Overall, the folks at Brooklyn Brew Shop have put together a kit with all of the somewhat obscure supplies you need for brewing beer. The rest of the items are either common kitchen items or are available fairly easily. They have put together a kit which not only gets you started, but also sets you up to continue brewing for a while.