"Relax... Don't Worry... Have a Homebrew!"

-Charlie Papazian

My First Equipment Purchase (1994)

It all started innocently enough. Once I came to the realization that all beer didn't have to taste like Budweiser, I was trying out all the unique and hoppy beers I could get my hands on. I was drinking something along the lines of Anchor Steam or Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale one day back in 1993 when a thought came to me: I should be brewing this stuff! Alas, I was still in college and could barely afford a six pack of the better beer monthly, much less brewing equipment. I did, however, purchase a copy of Zymurgy at the local bookstore. Zymurgy is an excellent magazing dedicated to just about every aspect of homebrewing. I read all the articles with interest, but what I spent most of the time reading and re-reading were the classified ads. Various mail-order companies advertised extensive listings of supplies. I began scheming for my dream system.

Once I graduated and went on to work for Intel, New Mexico, in '94, I vowed to invest in homebrewing. I figured with all the money I was making now, I could afford the best equipment! Unfortunately, reality set in. When I moved to my new apartment, I had no furniture. No bed. All the basics had to be bought, and on top of that, I went out like a fool and bought a new car. I had little money left for homebrew supplies. So I figured I'd brew on a shoestring for awhile. I also discovered that Albuquerque had a pretty good homebrew store, called Victor's Grape Arbor. I believe they're on the internet now. I went there and got my starter kit to jump into the fun hobby of making your own beer. I had no idea what I really needed though, and relied on the help of the staff at the store. They steered me to the beginners kit, which consisted of 2 six gallon buckets, some tubing, a hydrometer, a cheap bottle capper and enough caps for a batch of beer. I also got a can of some malt and a bag of hop pellets and was on my way.

Looking back, I realized I made grave errors with my purchase. The only item I still have to this day is the capper. It's holding up pretty well. But, my lack of knowledge doomed the first batch of beer I was to make. You'll see, if you care to read on.

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