Free: Contests & Raffles.
Forget the bear spray, use wasp killer. Concentrated delivery stream, 10X the product, and only $3.00 on sale.
I've brewed over 600 gallons. Been brewing for close to 20 years now. If you're anywhere near South King County, Larry's brewing supply in Kent is where to get supplies. Used to grow my own hops also, until they started to take over the world.
Yes, keeping everything sterile is MANDATORY. You can buy sterilizer at the brewing supply places or just use a bleach solution. To get started, pick up some simple ale recipes, they should have them at the supply store. Lagers are a little trickier as the temperatures for fermentation have to be lower and more controlled. I would suggest something with not too many ingredients. You can get more sophisticated later on with different types of yeasts, grain steeping, multiple hop stages, etc. You can make beer with as few as 4 ingredients. I would also suggest liquid malts. They are a little more forgiving to boil-overs versus powdered malt. PM me if you have any specific questions. Good luck, once you start brewing you will be hooked.