Hi,

When people ask me for advice on their first beer I usually recomend
buying two of the cheapest kits (cans) of malt extract (for the
weight). Throw away the yeast that came with it and buy a liquid
yeast. Probably something that is neutral, that is, like american
lager. Use both kits to make 1 - 5 gal batch, no sugar, no nothing,
you don't even have to boil it. Just make sure is thoroughly
dissolved.

Helpful tips
1 - SANITIZE EVERYTHING, pretend you are doing open heart surgery so
anything that touches, or gets near your beer has been sanitized. I
use 'diversol' which I buy at a place that sells eqip/supplies for
dairys. But it has fairly universal applications. I suspect 'sani-
clean' is the same. Even cheaper is some bleach in water, it just
doesn't have the detergent part. This is the MOST IMPORTANT RULE and
is why your girlfriend prob. made swill (unless you're Belgian, they
like that taste lol)
2 - Use a glass carboy for both primary and secondary.
3 - If you like what you made and are interested in the hobby (there's
some kind of primal satisfaction in making booze) I would start
shopping around for a corneleus keg system. You can buy these new, but
lordy, there must be a zillion pop systems that are used and unused
out there. For the bottling part is the part that makes a lot of
people quit, and the sediment in the bottles turn their friends off.
4 - The lower the temp. it fermants at, the cleaner the taste. If you
are really blessed and can keep it from 45 - 50*F a lager yeast is
your choice (45*F=lager 50-55*F=Steam or common beer) 55*F and above
use ale yeast, preferred for ale is 60*F

hope this helps

also welcome from moi

cheers