I've been making hard ciders and other variants for the last 8 months or so (wife and I can't stand hops, go figure).

Just curious, My neighbors and I get together every few weeks and hang out. We all drink and they brew beer.

So far I've made a german PomApfelwein at about 8.6% and a spiced cider at about 9.8%

The raspberry cyser is going to be a bit less stiff at around 7.2%

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Vallo, the Second Coming still thinks SARS jokes are topical, as evidenced by:
Where would one procure the items to start such a venture, and how much should one expect the initial cost to be?

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You can buy a basic (but complete) starter kit for about $100-$120. Bottles enough to cover a 5 gallon batch are about $25(and reusable, so don't throw them out!). An actual recipe kit is anywhere from $15 to $50, depending on the style of beer.

You should look for homebrew stores in your area. Most have package deal for noobs, allowing them to get everything they'll need to brew and bottle a 5 gallon batch for a single price. If there are no homebrew stores nearby, you can peruse Northern Brewer or Midwest Supplies. I buy recipe kits from both, but they have a full line of equipment, including beginners' kits.

The kits include everything you need and are generally considered great practice at the beginning of your homebrewing experience. Eventually you'll use recipes and even come up with your own, if you really get into it.

BTW, the brew bottles look awesome, but for beer I'd stick with a bucket. Just my preference. I have bottles and it's hard to add anything to a bottle (ie, wood chips, fruit, etc) because it's hard to fit the nylon drawstring bags through the opening when they're full.

Also, here's a wealth of knowledge on all things Homebrew: http://www.homebrewtalk.com