Before you begin, you will need to gather some hardware and
ingredients. If you don't have any pots, strainers, bottles or the
like, you might have to shell out between 80 and 150 dollars on the
hardware alone, but this is a one-time expense that will begin to pay
off as you brew future batches of beer. The ingredients themselves
should amount to no more than about 25 dollars for 5 gallons (or about
55 12 ounce bottles) of homebrew. It may be tempting to spend a little
less on a "beer in a bag" kit, but even though its price may be lower,
the equipment can rarely be reused and the product is usually sub par
due to the limited shelf-life of the ingredients. You'll be better off
in the long run to invest in a few key pieces of equipment that will
last you for many batches to come.
A quick search in the phone book or on the Internet is all it should
take to find a nearby brew shop. Pick one and stop by to chat with the
staff. If the shop is clean and the staff is enthusiastic about the
prospect of a new homebrewer, chances are you've found a good shop.
It's always better to have local access to your supplies for
last-minute acquisitions and friendly advice, so avoid buying your
supplies online or by mail order unless you absolutely have to and you
are certain you know what you are getting.