BlakeL

Recipes 

I saw this kit online and thought it would be a good fit for me since i have a very small house and this will me my first time brewing. I went to Williams and Sonoma to see if they had it and it was on sale for $20. The kit expires soon so I'll probably be brewing it tomorrow or next week. Does anyone have any tips for me before I start?

frazier

Recipes 

A link would be helpful.

Do you have equipment? That kit is just the ingredients.

Most kits come with questionable instructions. Do you have a book to help you? Like, How To Brew (available online) or something similar?

Good luck, but my main tip is, don't rush in. Get all your ducks in a row. Cheers!

__________________
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"Anything worth doing, is worth doing slowly." ~~ Mae West

BlakeL

Recipes 

Sorry, the kit I bought was their starter 1g kit. I'll check out the instructions and see if I have any questions to fill in the gaps. I'll also check out that book. Is that one the best?

http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-kits/everyday-ipa-1-gal-kit

Calichusetts

Recipes 

Use at least a 10 quart pot...3 pots really helps with sparging and lautering. Finally, find a colander that matches the diameter of your pots.

I did about 6 of the kits and this was the wish I knew then tips.

Gunnarubex

Recipes 

I love my Brooklyn Beer kit. The biggest thing is to make sure you have all your pots ready to go. They say that two 6.5 quart pots are enough, but I found I prefer 10 qt. pots and I end up using 3. The instructions aren't bad. Just be familiar with them before you start. I usually read through them 3 times before I begin sanitizing. Most of all, put on a good movie, crack open a beer, and have fun.

Dotmo

Recipes 

I started with the Chestnut Brown from Brooklyn Brew Shop. Other than making sure you have all the equipment you are going to need, I suggest...
...read the instructions, read them again, re-read them, then write down the steps for easier reference rather than having to sift through the PDF file for each step. Writing the steps down for batch 2+ saved me a lot of "omgwtf" trying to find the pertinent information in the provided directions.

Best tip of all for a first brew...its fun to watch the airlock burps, but if it stops/isnt doing anything, it doesnt really mean fermentation isnt happening! Save yourself from the razzing of senior members and use a hydrometer

Good luck with the first brew, and welcome to the addiction!

Brew on!

Calichusetts

Recipes 

One more thing...wait far longer than two weeks before you crack your bottles, they will probably not be carbonated and my best batches from those kits were the one I gave 3+ weeks.

BlakeL

Recipes 

When I put the wort into the carboy to ferment, should I start off using the tubing and bowl of water for the airlock or go straight to using the airlock that came with the kit? I noticed in some videos, specifically the basic brew ones, that they just use the airlock in the beginning.

Dotmo

Recipes 

Two weeks ago I brewed a porter and started with the airlock in place. After I saw the fermentation kick up, the krausen started to form like crazy and I got worried about a blowout so I put the blow-off tube in place. Good thing I did as a TON of gunk ended up in the blow-off bowl. Both the blow-off tube and airlock serve the same purpose - let CO2 out and not let O2 and the baddies in - but the blow-off tube reduces the risk of a PITA (pain in the ....you know) clean up if your airlock get clogged with gunk and stuff starts spewing out the top of the fermenter. Typically I use the blow-off tube until the krausen starts to fall, at which point I'll put the airlock back in.

Brew on!

BlakeL

Recipes 

Thanks for the info Dotmo. I'll use the tube for a few days and then switch over to the airlock. I just finished my first batch! Hopefully it turns out good.

Mash:


Wort:


Fermenting: