Mr. Beer to Mr. RibbonThe brewing community is well known as an accepting and receptive group of people, especially when it comes to new brewers. Unfortunately, some brewers feel stigmatized by the community based on how they get started with the hobby. If someone tells me that they just started brewing, I am very forthcoming with my beginnings, hoping that my lessons-learned will provide them with successful experiences.Like many others, when I started brewing, I began with Mr. Beer. I found the brewing community around me to be very accepting and encouraging, but their willingness to help was sometimes overwhelming. However, the same feelings of encouragement can't be said for everyone's journey. I have heard stories of Local Home Brew Stores (LHBS) losing business before they could try to gain it. The clerks and owners seemed to have a bad attitude toward these kits, as if these kits were taking money away from them. My LHBS accepted my novice brewing abilities and encouraged my new found obsession. They knew, that eventually I would continue to grow and continue to purchase more items from them. They nurtured my new passion and helped me learn a solid process, because that is exactly what brewing is... a process.Picture a kid learning how to ride a bike; I needed training wheels. Mr. Beer was exactly that. Eventually, I took them off and moved from using hopped malt extracts (HMEs) to liquid malt extracts (LMEs) and dried malt extracts (DMEs), from extract brewing to partial mash brewing, and eventually to all grain brewing (AG). My evolution was fast, going from HMEs to AG within 6 months. In that time, I continued to use Mr. Beer fermenters and some kits. I lived in an apartment and did not have a lot of space or equipment, so the size of the Little Brown Kegs (LBKs) were very enticing to me.My first batch as an AG brewer was amazing. Fortunately, I did not have many issues while learning to do a Brew In A Bag (BIAB) mash and boil, which was a victory in and of itself. I was eager for feedback and entered the beer into a competition. Luck would have it that I placed 3rd out of 37 beers (my first ribbon). Since this ribbon, I have received several more for various styles. I am not saying all of this to brag, or exclaim how awesome my beers are, but to open your mind. Whether it was a 5 gallon starter kit, Mr. Beer kit, or Brew Demon , everyone has to start somewhere and where they start should not matter.National Home Brew Day, 2015, was a testament for me. Our Big Brew Day was hosted by Old Bust Head Brewery in Warrenton, VA. Brewers of all abilities showed up for some great camaraderie and to share their experiences. We had set-ups ranging from Mr. Beer brewing on a camp top stove to BIABs hanging from ladders to a HERMs set up. I was able to talk with brewers of all types and levels. I was even able to give some advice, and receive a little in return from those more advanced than I. I loved sharing my experiences with the Mr. Beer set up, as I reflected on when I first started. It was a great day for everyone involved and I tip my hat to Old Bust Head for making it such a great experience.To me, this is what the brewing community is about. I have spent many hours chatting on the Beerborg.com with many guys who started out just like me. Some of them still use Mr. Beer and that works for them! My suggestion: help, encourage, and embrace these new, smaller, start-up kits instead of passing by or frowning upon them. The brewing community is growing at an unprecedented rate and a big part of that is due to those Christmas and Father's Day start up kits.