I did not have a bio chem background when I started, so I became a quick study of the need to sanitize. Funny you should mention that you want to purchase your equipment separately. I saw a father and his son in the brew supply store yesterday and they got overwhelmed with what they needed to start the hobby. They left the store without buying anything. Midwest Supplies have excellent equipment starter kits that are reasonably priced. Tom's recommendation to buy the John Palmer "How to Brew" book is a good one. I think the best way to determine what you need to begin the hobby is to think about the sequential process of brewing... yeast starter, mash/sparge, wort extraction/boiling/hop additions, wort cooling, yeast addition/fermentation, bottling/kegging. As for ingredients, I started by ripping off recipe ideas from listings of ingredients described in kits. I have since purchased BeerSmith software (well worth the expense). I would also recommend that you have your water tested. Crappy water = lousy beer. There are ways to filter and chemically enhance tap water to assure an economical, yet essential foundation for your time and effort. Best wishes!
