Complete newbie but looking to change that

[BarbarianBrewer]

First, research and decide on what method you will be using (extract, standard all-grain (batch sparge/fly sparge/no sparge), BIAB, partial mash, etc.). Next decide how hands-on or off you want to be. A lot of equipment makes brewing more convenient but won't help you make better beer. Those two decisions will help you with the must-have and the want-to-have decisions. Then comes the fun part: Researching, planning and dreaming. And of course throw questions on the forums.

 

[Nosybear]

Thank you so much for the input. Yes. I have a spare fridge and deep freeze in the garage. Fridge is my beer fridge so I can clear a space for whatever I need to. I’m still equipment shopping and ordered the first book posted. Thanks. There is so much out there I really have no idea what is a OMG must have vs. wow is this convenient vs. didn’t need that thing for $100 bucks. Guess it’s like any other hobby. Between my Fishing, scuba, reef tanks, and now this I could probably end world hunger. /sigh

There's no end to this rabbit hole.... But the good news is you can make good beer for a small investment. You won't have the latest bells and whistles but hey, beer can be made in clay pots! My advice stands: Brew a few batches using extract to learn where to go with the hobby, then try a simple brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) setup (basically adding a bag to mash in). You can make good beer on the simplest of equipment and bad beer on the most complex. One bit of advice: Get a big enough kettle for the batch size you're brewing (min 5 gal for 3 gallon batches 10 gallon for 5, etc.). That'll save you money down the road. You can mash in a 10-gallon kettle (BIAB). And good luck with it!