I used to home-brew quite a bit, but now I live quite a distance from the nearest brew supply shop, so I only do it for special occasions. One thing I got in the habit of doing is adding
Irish moss (which is neither Irish, nor moss) to aid in clarification of the wort. It doesn't affect taste, and helps quite a bit of the suspended proteins settle out of the wort before transferring to the primary fermenter.
I brew almost exclusively ales, as I don't have a refrigerator large enough for a carboy, and my favorite by far is a nice chocolate porter with a hint of coffee. I also make a porter on occasion with a tiny bit of
mole poblano.
I think it is worth the cost to use glass carboys, and also worth the hassle to use two, one for primary fermentation (for about a week), then transfer to the second for finishing and to allow more settling (for about another week) prior to bottling. Another thing to consider is to make sure the pot you use to boil the wort in is non-reactive (not aluminum). Large stainless steel pots can be two or three times more expensive than aluminum, but I think there is a difference in flavor. And
NEVER use your expensive 6.5 gallon pot for anything other than making beer. I found out the hard way after a crawfish boil. The next few batches of beer had a distinct seafood hint to them.
