"john doe" <mfaust@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message
news:TUjch.5316$%u3.4820@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...[color=blue]
> With home brew kits in general, can you use your own ingredients, say if I
> wanted to grow my own hops and grains, or do you have to buy them for the
> kit you have?[/color]

Growing hops is very easy, lots of information is available on the internet
and in past Brew Your Own magazine issues. However, hops take at least a
year if not two years to really get established before they produce a large
enough crop to brew a couple of batches or more.

Grains are probably not feasible, you'd have to have a large crop, and then
go through the business of germinating, kilning, etc. More trouble than
it's worth, malt is so cheap.

Hops aren't as cheap, and they're easy to grow, so you could look into that.
For a start on buying hop rhizomes and growing them, look here and here:

[url]http://www.beer-wine.com/product.asp?sectionID=1&CategoryID=188&productID=1158[/url]

[url]http://pw1.netcom.com/~dluzanp/backyard.htm[/url]

Hope this helps.

--
Dave
"Fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinking." -- Brad Paisley