go to www.northernbrewer.com and order kits... they are great! www.midwestsupplies.com is good too

autsinhomebrew.com is also great. they have fast shipping and great customer service.

beware though--homebrewing can become a lifestyle! ;-)

seconding www.midwestsupplies.com. I got my boyfriend's kit from there and we love it (the brewing starter kit with better bottle, only $90). Then you just need a >5 gallon non-aluminum pot, recipe kit--I recommend midwest's nut brown--a thermometer, and bottles (don't buy empty bottles! buy bottles full of beer, drink the beer, then sanitize the bottles :)

If you're in the Chicago area, head to Brew Camp. The staff is wonderful and the "crash course" class is fantastic. (I ended up purchasing the smaller Brooklyn Brew Shop kit for myself and a full-on 5-gallon kit for a friend.)

Midwest Supplies almost ALWAYS has a groupon goin somewhere for their beer brewing essentials kit AND your choice of one of 3 receipe kits

On a side note I have the privilege of living half a mile from their store/warehouse in MN and those guys are all GREAT!

I just bought my brother a kit from the Brooklyn Brew Shop after seeing it on AT. I can't vouch for anything other than their customer service since I haven't given it to him yet, but I ordered my kit on Thursday morning and chose standard shipping. Imagine my surprise when it showed up at home on Friday! Their kit was also about $100 cheaper than if I had bought the kit locally.

The Wine and Hop Shop in Madison, WI has some great starter kits as well. http://www.wineandhop.com/CatalogBeer/beerKits.shtml

While we're on the subject, I got my boyfriend a kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop (a good friend and my brother both had used them before with rave reviews). I'm really excited for us to make beer but I have no idea where to buy the glass bottles. Any ideas?

Here is the kit we started with: http://baderbrewing.com/store/product.php?productid=22001&cat=0&page=1

Make sure he reads "The Joy of Homebrewing"

We are now moving onto all grain brewing and very excited about it. Been collecting all of the necessary parts and pieces.

Good luck and Happy Brewing!!

Do not buy him a homebrew kit. You will only be starting him on the road to ruin.....:-)

If you're not sure what STYLE he'd like, why not get him the starter EQUIPMENT kit and let him pick his own recipe kit?

Any of the online places (Northern Brewer etc) have great kits - and have a vested interest in having them come out well, because they want you to come back......:-D

I second the recommendation for The Joy Of Homebrewing.

Bitter & Esters (www.bitterandesters.com) in brooklyn NY has great starter kits and amazing support.

Also check out www.howtobrew.com. It's as informative as The joy of Homebrewing, but free.

My boyfriend read a couple brewing books, after making beer at a place nearby, and after understanding what he'd REALLY need for his kit, went to a local homebrew shop to buy all the parts. As easy as a kit sounds, if he is really interested it would be more worthwhile to get quality pieces, I think. Maybe you could get him a book and a gift certificate to a local store instead?

How much storage space do you have? Full size homebrewing requires at least two 5 gallon carboys (and it DOES become a lifestyle, so you'll likely end up with more), plus all the bottles when it's done. If you only have a small apartment, I'd recommend the small batch (brooklyn brewshop has 1 gallon kits).

I have been brewing beer for a few years and I would recommend to skip the kits altogether. Brewing beer from scratch (mashing real malt) is much more rewarding, the beer is so much better and its not as complicated as it sounds. Like cooking with a recipe really. It's a bit more time-consuming but you don't need much more equipment than you need for kit brewing anyway. You can buy ground malt mixes with suitable hops and yeast online for all varieties of beer.

Order something from Midwest Supplies. They are great (my husband worked there for a long time). They have a variety of good kits, books, & ingredients. The kits all come with a dvd instructional I believe. They are really good about quickly handling customer service/shipping issues too should a problem arise.

Thank you for all the suggestions The Kitchn family! I knew I could count on you.

My husband has brewed an Ale type beer about 13 years ago when he was in high school, so he does have some experience and a few home beermaking books. I heard it wasn't very good, but his beer palate has matured since then.

I like the idea @legovierf suggested and might purchase the malt mixes and yeasts.

I can't wait to be sipping on our own brew this summer!

www.northernbrewer.com is where I bought my husband the deluxe kit.

what kind of beer does your husband prefer? if he likes an ipa or a high ABV, you'd want to get him a kit with a secondary fermentor. in our experience with brewing beer at home, a second fermentation definitely makes a better beer. however, you can always begin with the starter kit and branch out. carboys can be bought separately.

also, if you don't know what kind of beer he likes or it may be awhile before he brews his first batch, i'd suggest letting him pick the brew kit. the grains should be used within a few weeks if they've been crushed.

best of luck! its a long but fun process!

Totally agree- midwest supplies rocks and good prices for a kit too. You can sub out for better supplies as well (we prefer a glass carboy, and most kits come with plastic. personal preference, but they were great for working with you) Get a good homebrew book. The one in the picture is a great one to start with. I found most new brewers, a book of clone brews is a great start for recipes. Since he probably will know a few brand name beers in there he likes, he can pick a good starting off point.

For the pot though, skip purchasing online and go to your local restaurant supply store. Way cheaper and easier.