I wrote a post about how to get started with brewing beer. While I advocate using a kit, the process of making beer is the same whether you use a kit or not. Without the kit, you would need to gather all the ingredients yourself.

Of course, when you have control over the ingredients, you have more control of the process. But if you are new to making beer, will you know what ingredients to buy and the correct quantities?

This is why I advocate the kit when first starting out.

The kits usually make pretty decent beer. As long as you follow the directions and sterilize everything, you should have no problem getting a good yield from your kit brew.

The post includes a great video on how to use a kit to make your beer. So if you have never gone through the process before, take a look at the video.

Here is the link to the post:
http://homebrewbeer101.com/beginners-guide-brewing-beer/