My wife got me a home brew kit (from our local home brew store) for my birthday! It has: One 6.8 gallon plastic bucket with lid and bottling spigot, #2 drilled rubber stopper, airlock, bottling hose, 2-lever capper, 50 crown caps. For Christmas I got a gift card to Northern Brewer! Lucky, I know! Being new to the whole thing, what should I consider getting next? We’ve already brewed a less than stellar batch (the first)… Any thoughts?
If you mean which kit to get I say the black IPA.
The next kit you buy is whatever you like. As you can see there are so many styles and choices. I’m like a kid in a candy store every time I go to purchase a kit. I love checking out our host’s kits. I did make a Dead guy ale clone from Apex that turned out just right. Maybe try an Irish Red or cream ale. Good luck with your decision. 
What beer did you make and what do you feel was wrong with it? Maybe we can trouble shoot some things with it to help you on your next beer.
For the next beer, like mentioned it’s what you like. I’m not a fan of Brown Ales, so I can’t recommend the Caribou Slobber. But many people enjoy that beer. Wheat beers are easy. IPA’s have a good hop presence to cover up some errors.
One of the things that instruction do a poor job with is fermentation temps. Ales usually taste best when fermented in the low to mid 60’s. See my signature line for photo’s to help with this.
For parts to buy, a separate bucket to ferment in. You could get another one with a spigot. But understand bacteria can harbor in there. a good cleaning/sanitizing regime is needed. Other wise a regular bucket and racking can. This way you get the beer away from the yeast when you bottle.
A thermometer. A scale. A hydrometer. Enough pots and pans to heat strike water, steep grains, etc. Some Oxi-clean or PBW. Some Star-San (no rinse sanitizer). A couple of utility buckets. A length of hose to set up a blow-off. A couple more carboys or ferm buckets for multiple batches. An Erlenmeyer flask for making starters. A burner, if you don’t have one.
Go through your brew day in your mind, and or read about others doing the same and make a list.
Thanks for your input! I was thinking about tools to add to our current brew setup. We were inspired by (another) tour of the Franconia Brewing Co. today in McKinney (TX). As far as our beer preferences, we like more lighter than dark. Wheat beers are my favorite!
It’s hard to tell what really happened with out maiden voyage. It was Muntons brand kit of wheat. It has a VERY strong after taste (yeasty or wine-y). I am already excited to try again!
Most important, like Nighthawk says, get a dedicated fermentation bucket, without the bottling spigot. Use the one you have for bottling only or like I do, use it for keeping mixed up Star San.
Buy a Northern Brewer recipe kit for your next batch. They are very rock solid and you will make good beer if you follow most of the directions
