Is there a good,easy and reasonable beer making kit? thanks?!
There is a lot of variation in price. I think that your first 5-gal, (2 case) batch will set you back close to $100 if you buy a new kit and do an all extract beer. Future batches might be more in the $20-30 range. You will also find yourself haunting craigslist.com and flea markets looking for more equipment, like carboys and copper tubing (for a wort chiller).
Answers: First, read a good brewing book, like Papazian's "New Complete Joy of Homebrewing". That will explain what you want to do. Do not get a Mr Beer or similar kit. You will want to replace it immediately if you want to continue making beer. I started with a Brewer's Best kit but there are other good brands that will handle a five-gallon batch. You can buy a kit online or through a local homebrew shop. I see them all the time on eBay, both new and used. When it comes to buying the ingredients, the homebrew shop is your best bet. Prices are usually competitive and the proprietor will bend over backwards to be helpful. If your first batch turns out well, you will be back.
There is a lot of variation in price. I think that your first 5-gal, (2 case) batch will set you back close to $100 if you buy a new kit and do an all extract beer. Future batches might be more in the $20-30 range. You will also find yourself haunting craigslist.com and flea markets looking for more equipment, like carboys and copper tubing (for a wort chiller).
Try the Beer making made easy kit by Rick Trembly
There's a kit called "Mr. Beer" which should be available at stores like K-Mart and Target. They also have a web-site at mrbeer.com. It's a brown plastic barrel that you pour mix into.
I bought some kits as X-mas presents for friends, haven't tried the end result though. It claims to be "easy" but there is still some work involved.
You can then order refill packs for the beer mix, they have several different flavors/styles.
The best way to go here is to either pop in your nearest homebrew shop, or order a basic kit from an online retailer, like Northern Brewer, Midwest Brewing Supply, Austin Homebrew, Grape and Granary, Williams, etc. These have everything you'll need to not only try a batch, but keep making them, and keep advancing to better, bigger and more complicated recipes.
You're looking at about $60-$80.
These places also sell recipe kits, which give you all that you'll need for some tried-and-true styles that really let you get your feet wet fast.
Those run $20 to $30 or so for 5 gallons, which works out to about a $2 pitcher of good beer.
For your first, chose something that is ready to drink in a month like a wheat beer or pale ale, that way you'll hit the ground running, sipping the spoils of your labor, while you figure out what to brew next.