bsay
Well-Known Member
Hi, I'm new! Never brewed before in my life. That will all change tomorrow (hopefully) when I get to sit in on (or maybe help with) a batch that a soon to be fellow brewer is going to be making.
I have been researching for the past week, mostly reading these forums, and have a proposed initial setup that I'd like critiqued. Research I have done suggests ordering from Austin Homebrew Supplies, so all of these parts are from that website: ( [?] indicates a question to follow about specific item(s) )
Deluxe Beer Making Kit:
7 gallon plastic fermenter
5 Gallon Better Bottle secondary w/no.10 stopper
3-piece airlock
3/8" standard auto-siphon
6 feet of 3/8" siphon hose
Spring-loaded bottle filler
Nylon grain bag
Triple scale hydrometer
Floating thermometer
Bottle capper
Bottle caps
21" stainless steel spoon
Cleaner/Sanitizer
Beginner's Homebrew book (I am also buying "the complete joy..." as soon as I can get my hands on a copy)
To that kit, I am adding:
1 x 3-piece Airlock (so I can airlock the bucket and the BB at the same time)
1 x Carboy Brush (Since no brush included in kit)
1 x Bottle Brush (Since no brush included in kit)
1 x Plastic Hydrometer Test Cylinder (Not included with hydrometer in kit)
Maybe some extra Beer Bottles, though I will eventually be kegging.
Getting locally/already have:
21 qt. graniteware stock pot (partial boils)
Probe thermometer with alarm
Turkey baster to extract hydrometer samples
Empty non-screw-top beer bottles
Some brews I want to try for sure:
1 x AHS American Amber Ale (Extract)
1 x AHS Cherry Stout Ale (Extract)
Some "maybe later when I keg" brews to try:
AHS Blue Moon Clone
Any Mini-Mash kit
I'd like to make a Guinness clone, but would I need a nitrogen setup for kegging that?
I don't know if I will do secondary or not, give me your thoughts, if you'd like, about using a secondary with the kits I would like to try. I want to make the Amber Ale first, then try the Cherry Stout. If the Amber turns out good, some future in-laws (by then they'll be in-laws) who really like beer (especially Fat Tire) might find some bottles of homebrew under the tree.
Extra Credit Question:
SWMBO (my fiancee) really likes cherry soda. When I get into kegging, I'd like to try to make some cherry soda. I hear once a keg is used for beer or soda, not to change it to the other, but what about brew buckets? Can I mix up soda in my bottling bucket (since from what I understand, it gets bottled right away) and just clean it really well and sanitize it afterwards?
I have been researching for the past week, mostly reading these forums, and have a proposed initial setup that I'd like critiqued. Research I have done suggests ordering from Austin Homebrew Supplies, so all of these parts are from that website: ( [?] indicates a question to follow about specific item(s) )
Deluxe Beer Making Kit:
7 gallon plastic fermenter
5 Gallon Better Bottle secondary w/no.10 stopper
3-piece airlock
3/8" standard auto-siphon
6 feet of 3/8" siphon hose
Spring-loaded bottle filler
Nylon grain bag
Triple scale hydrometer
Floating thermometer
Bottle capper
Bottle caps
21" stainless steel spoon
Cleaner/Sanitizer
Beginner's Homebrew book (I am also buying "the complete joy..." as soon as I can get my hands on a copy)
To that kit, I am adding:
1 x 3-piece Airlock (so I can airlock the bucket and the BB at the same time)
1 x Carboy Brush (Since no brush included in kit)
1 x Bottle Brush (Since no brush included in kit)
1 x Plastic Hydrometer Test Cylinder (Not included with hydrometer in kit)
Maybe some extra Beer Bottles, though I will eventually be kegging.
Getting locally/already have:
21 qt. graniteware stock pot (partial boils)
Probe thermometer with alarm
Turkey baster to extract hydrometer samples
Empty non-screw-top beer bottles
Some brews I want to try for sure:
1 x AHS American Amber Ale (Extract)
1 x AHS Cherry Stout Ale (Extract)
Some "maybe later when I keg" brews to try:
AHS Blue Moon Clone
Any Mini-Mash kit
I'd like to make a Guinness clone, but would I need a nitrogen setup for kegging that?
I don't know if I will do secondary or not, give me your thoughts, if you'd like, about using a secondary with the kits I would like to try. I want to make the Amber Ale first, then try the Cherry Stout. If the Amber turns out good, some future in-laws (by then they'll be in-laws) who really like beer (especially Fat Tire) might find some bottles of homebrew under the tree.
Extra Credit Question:
SWMBO (my fiancee) really likes cherry soda. When I get into kegging, I'd like to try to make some cherry soda. I hear once a keg is used for beer or soda, not to change it to the other, but what about brew buckets? Can I mix up soda in my bottling bucket (since from what I understand, it gets bottled right away) and just clean it really well and sanitize it afterwards?