Trying to get everything make first brew

**dataz722** · 10-11-2007, 03:53 PM

A friend of mine and I are looking to get into brewing. We are trying to do everything on as small of a budget as neccisary. I was to use this thread as both trying to get advice from everyone here and also to track our first brew. So first I would like to get everyones opinion on the equipment we are planning on getting.

We will most likely be getting the "Midwest Brewing Intermediate Equipment Kit" it comes with:
DVD
Instrction Book
6.5 Gallon Plastic Fermentor
Bottle Filler
5 Gallon Glass Carboy
6.5 Gallon Glass Carboy
8 Inch Funnel
Bottle Brush
Bottle Caps
8 Oz no rinse cleaner
6.5 Gallon Bottling bucket with spigot
2 airlocks
Drilled Universal Carboy Bung
Hydrometer
2 Thermometers
6.5 and 7 rubber stoppers
Carboy Brush
Capper
Auto Siphon
Shutoff Clamp
Siphon Tubing

This is 109.95 and from what I can find that seems like a really good price. I have a couple questions about this though. I can exchange the 5 and 6.5 gallong glass carboys for a 5 and 6 gallon undrilled better bottles for the same price. Should I keep the glass or get the better bottles? Also if it comes with a 5 and a 6.5 gallon glass carboy why would I need the plastic fermenter? Granted, I am new but it would seem to me that all the fermenting would be done in the carboys. In addition to this kit is there anything else other than a kettle that I would need?

Also we have about 20' of coiled 3/8" galvanized steel tubing that we could easily use as an immersion chiller but would the galvinized steel cause any problems such as off flavors or anything else? Does a chiller have to be copper or is that just always used because of its heat transfer properties?

Finaly we are trying to figure out which beer we should start with. We are not able to lager yet because of the temperature problems. There are a couple of kits from Midwest that we are looking at but we dont know which one we should go with. We are thinking about Apple Ale or a wheat like this one or this one. I dont know which one of them (if any) is suited for a beginer. If none of them are reccomended is there an ale that you could recomend to a couple of guys that are used to drinking lagers like Heinekin, Yeungling, and Amstel? Thank you very much for everyones help in advance.

Cheesefood · 10-11-2007, 04:04 PM

It's a bit overkill, but good stuff nonetheless. You could trim down your budget by reducing your purchase to:

3 Ale Pails with spigot
2 drilled lids
2 air locks
1 5-6 gallon pot
A copy of "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing"
1 bottle capper
1 autosiphon
1 3' length of hose
1 nylon hops bag
1 digital thermometer ($10 from menards)
1 small electronic scale (or a postal scale if you have one)
1 bottling wand
1 bag of caps
2-5 cases empty beer bottles from a craftbrew (no screw-offs)
1 subscription to HomeBrewTalk
1 bottle iodaphor
1 tub of Oxyclean

Check Craigslist and see if you can find someone selling their gear.

its02003 · 10-11-2007, 04:09 PM

Just note that the brewing kit you buy will most likely come with bottle caps as well. I remember after i bought my starter kit from my local HBS, i was a little pissed to say the least at the price of the starter kit offered by midwest that you have found. I will say however, that since you just started out, maybe one carboy is enough and you can save yourself the 30 bucks and buy the kit with that money. Also, factor in shipping with the purchase.

If you are serious about brewing a lot of brews one after another and you need the extra space for the second carboy, then i would suggest getting it, otherwise, i would go with the single carboy kit. As for the better bottle vs glass carboy argument, you dont have to look far on this forum to find an argument or two.

**TheJadedDog** · 10-11-2007, 04:21 PM

If I were starting all over again I would get the following equipment:

1 6.5 gallon ale pale
1 bottling bucket
1 5 gallon carboy
2 air locks
1 carboy bung
1 5-6 gallon pot
A copy of "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing"
1 bottle capper
1 autosiphon
1 6' length of hose
1 digital thermometer ($10 from menards)
1 small electronic scale (or a postal scale if you have one)
1 bottling wand
1 bag of caps
2-5 cases empty beer bottles from a craftbrew (no screw-offs)
1 subscription to HomeBrewTalk
1 bottle iodaphor
1 tub of Oxyclean

Cheesefood · 10-11-2007, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheJadedDog

If I were starting all over again I would get the following equipment:

1 6.5 gallon ale pale
1 bottling bucket
1 5 gallon carboy

3 ale-pails with spigots will allow him to ferment 2 batches at a time. The biggest mistake you'll make is thinking that one batch at a time is sufficient.

its02003 · 10-11-2007, 05:00 PM

Before i continue with my opinion, i need to know, do you want the ability to ferment multiple batches at once?

Do you absolutely want a carboy?

Or is this a weekend hobby that you are just giving a test run?

these answers are VERY relevant in the equipment you are planning to purchase.

malkore · 10-11-2007, 05:05 PM

I don't think you can use the galvanized tubing for a chiller. that's like a plated metal, with zinc and nickel I think, and you don't really want either of those in contact with your brew.

**TheJadedDog** · 10-11-2007, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheesefood

3 ale-pails with spigots will allow him to ferment 2 batches at a time. The biggest mistake you'll make is thinking that one batch at a time is sufficient.

True, but so will an ale pale and a glass carboy.

**dataz722** · 10-11-2007, 07:00 PM

First off I want to thank everyone for their really quick responses and I am absorbing everything in about the equipment. But I do want to respond to its02003

Quote:

Before i continue with my opinion, i need to know, do you want the ability to ferment multiple batches at once?

Do you absolutely want a carboy?

Or is this a weekend hobby that you are just giving a test run?

these answers are VERY relevant in the equipment you are planning to purchase.

I want to start off doing one batch at a time probably just for the first 2 or 3 just trying to get the hang of things. So I can learn if I screwed something up before I start another batch and make the same mistake again. Once I get everything down I will definatly be doing multiple batches because I cant imagine waiting atleast 6 weeks for some beer.

I dont absolutly want a carboy but from what ive read i think I may prefer one but that is not something that I am set in stone about.

This will be a weekend hobby in the way that thats about the only time that I will be able to devote a few hours to brewing, but i dont think that it is going to be something that I will just do once or twice a year. It is something that I really want to get involved in and on a very regular basis.

Again thanks for everyones help.

**dataz722** · 10-11-2007, 07:01 PM

also if the galvinized steel wont work for a chiller does anyone know where I can get some cheap copper tubing?