When I first started, brewing was all I could think about.  It is all I wanted to talk about.  I would spend hours thinking of what next to brew, researching equipment upgrades, learning, reading - just trying to soak it all in.  As my wife would attest, I tend to jump into things with both feet. The problem I ran into was there wasn't anyone available, reliable, and knowledgeable I could interact with and actually hear their input on brewing beer.  Sure, I had books on beer, but those can only take you so far.  My brewing buddy was just as much of a newbie as I was, so that wasn't going to help me progress (though, we did talk a lot about brewing anyway).  The homebrew club only met monthly.  And internet forums, well, you know how the internet is.  There is lots of good info and there is lots of craptacular info.  Wading through all of it, finding stuff that was reliable and applicable, that was a chore and it took a long time t...

In the progression to all grain equipment, it is important to do some research.  Your fellow homebrewers are excellent resources when you are making any transitions or have any questions.  Another place to do some investigative research is online (in the comfort of your own pajamas with a beer in your hand is a fabulous way to do this). There are many, many websites out there that have to deal with homebrewing.  I guess I am just adding another to the mix with this blog... But I digress.  With homebrewing these days, you can buy everything from pre-made to do-it-yourself .  There are websites that deal with that whole spectrum.   On the pre-made side, you have some of the bigger homebrew sites:   Northern Brewer , More Beer , Williams Brewing , just to name a few.  A simple Google search will bring up hundreds more.  These sites are great for those who just want their equipment.  As with any typical online retailer, there are...