Got any first time home brew tips

[Dev71]

Ok, I hope I am not repeating another post on here (I did a search and didn't see anything like it). I am about to home brew for the very first and I'd like to know if any of you experienced home brewers have any info for a first timer.

I have ordered a basic kit containing the following: 6.5-gallon Plastic Fermenter and Lid, 6.5-gallon Bottling Bucket, Airlock, #2 drilled Rubber Stopper, Racking Tube, Bottle Filler, Five feet of Flexible Tubing, Hydrometer, Floating Thermometer, Two-handle Bottle Capper, 144 Bottle Caps, Sanitizer, Auto Siphon, bottles, a 5 gallon stainless steel brew kettle, and an ingredient kit (containg "dry malt extract specialty grains, hops, yeast, clarifier, and priming sugar").

Is there anything else I should get? Anything I should watch out for? I've heard sanitation can be a big gotcha if not done properly. Thanks for any tips or experiences you can pass along!

[Matt Wears]

I'd recommend after having brewed a few batches, investing in an outdoor cooker. If you decide to invest in one, purchase one from Northern Brewer or another such brewing supply company. These outdoor cookers are great, as I'm sure you'll learn from your first few batches that the stove top takes forever to heat water or wort to a rolling boil.

[Homebrew_Rob]

Fortunately for me my local homebrew supplier is MoreBeer in Concord, CA. I try to go there but have had success with ordering on-line from them. Wait till you try your beer, then you will be even more hooked! So far my first beer I ever did is still one of my best(MoreBeer American Wheat extract kit). Cheers!

[gisbrewmaster]

I don't have a LHBS within a 100 miles so I almost always order online. I usaully order from Midwest Supplies. They have better prices but you pay for shipping. Morebeer has flat rate shipping but there stuff costs more normally. So you just have to do some shopping around.

[Leigh @ The Good Stuff]

Two things that have helped me massively - one, belonging to an excellent homebrew forum where help is on hand (i've even logged on midway through a brew and got some help live) and secondly, if possible, hook up with someone to show you the ropes.
I wasnt too clear on Sparging techniques, so through the forum hooked up with a local guy....helped me out no end.
and I also did a kit beer first, then two extracts, then onto all-grain. by the time i was ready for AG i had the grounding in the basics to know what to do.
Enjoy - it's a great pasttime and the results you can get are amazing, really.