My boyfriend and I have dabbled in home wine and beer making; it's something to do and we get booze. Win win. So, for the beer, we were using the other syrup-y base kinds out there. Super easy and pretty good taste wise. So, I thought we could step it up and give this a whirl. Well, starting this at 8 pm without the correct supplies was not a great idea. At all. It took longer than we thought though, I will admit that i did drop the strainer of mash into the beer at one point.

So, kids, don't be like us. Have a nice sized strainer and two big pots ready to go. Also, this doesn't nearly give you as much beer as we thought. Should have read first.

So far the beer does smell delicious and i think it will be worth our not-well-planned-efforts when we are sipping on a frosty beer in the summer.

I brewed according to instructions, and it turned out to be one of the best beers I've ever made. Because the jalapeno is added toward the end of the boil, you get pepper aroma and not much pepper heat. Think of it like an aroma hops addition.

For you beer geeks, here are the stats for my batch:
OG: 1.058 FG: 1.014. Per the standard calculation, that's an ABV of 5.8%

There are two different versions of this kit. In the instructions, the manufacturer indicates that you might get a mix of Pacific Jade and Sorachi Ace hops. Mine included only Pacific Jade hops.

I used a chopped and seeded jalapeno and 1/3 c of Domino Organic Amber Agave Nectar toward the end of the boil. (You'll know what this means if you get the kit and download the instructions at the Brooklyn Brew Shop website.)

I threw in 1/5 tsp of Irish moss at 10 minutes, and the beer was very clear.

The color was very light, and the beer was medium-bodied. There was quite a bit of sweetness which was nicely offset by the jalapeno aroma. Brooklyn says this is the ultimate nacho accompaniment, and it's hard to argue with that.

Overall, this is a very nice beer, and I'm currently researching a 5-gallon partial extract clone for summer kegging.

This review may change, based on the outcome of my brewing!

I've previously bought a beer making kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop, they do simplify the brewing process and I believe really set you up for success. I like their instructional videos, and their written instructions are well worded and easy to follow. If you have a question and email them they respond very quickly (within a couple of hours for me).

The only complaint I have with this refill kit is that it does not come with sanitizer. The original kit had all the ingredients plus a little packet of sanitizer. I had to order some from Star San separately. I do wish it came with the sanitizer, since it's something you don't just pick up at the store, and other than that if you have bought a kit previously you will have everything you need to brew. It's a small nit-pick, and now I think I have enough sanitizer to last forever, but I really wish they included it.

Unless you already have brewing equipment, you may want to start with a kit, since it has almost everything you need, as well as advice on the couple of things (a pot, a funnel, some honey and a spoon) that is not in the kit. The gear in the kit is well made and pretty durable, I think it's a great value for starting out compared to buying things piece-meal, which is what I was originally considering. The kit is completely re-usable and can be used to make hard cider with a hard cider refill from Brooklyn Brew Shop as well. The kit makes you feel very competent when you're brewing, their statement that if you can make oatmeal you can make beer seems very true.

I'm on day three of my brew, we'll see how the beer comes out and I'll update after bottling!

Have tried a few of the Brooklyn Brew shop home kits and this one has been a favorite. The spice is a nice surprise. Paired with tacos and was delicious. Also shared with friends who all gave positive reviews and had fun trying different food pairings. Not sure it's something I'd drink a ton of on it's own, but this one goes really well with food. Gave 4 stars for gift-ability since it also requires the purchase of the larger brew kit but if you are buying main kit with the brewing equipment, this is a great idea to go with it.

This was the first beer kit I have ordered from these guys, they made brewing beer at home real easy, the kit is simple to use if you have some home brewing knowledge, it is an all grain brewing kit so there are a few more steps involved. I would give it 5 stars if it came with directions instead you have to go to thier web page and find the directions for the beer you're brewing. and they don't tell you that you need three pots bigger than 4 Qts to brew it. other then that it's a great kit and I recommed it.