Very new...

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Pickettj

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
158
Reaction score
6
Location
West Central Indiana
I can't find anything in here, and maybe I'm in the wrong spot, but I'm looking for information on what I need to get started. I've been looking at homebrew starter kits and found a few that look like they could be good for me to start and even take me in to the next level (a fermenting bucket, bottling bucket and two glass carboys in one...) I just don't know what's necessary and what isn't. I've been watching some videos on youtube and doing some reading. It seems like most of the videos show the beer in the fermenter, then to the bottling bucket with no secondary container. I don't know if and when i would need a second pail/carboy. I'd thought about just getting a mr beer kit to try brewing but I figure go big or go home, right? Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.
 
My advice is to go with a starter kit from your local home brew shop. You'll get everything you need to brew a simple beer. The starter kit at my local has this in it:

1. 30 litre barrel & lid
2. Tap & stick-on thermometer
3. Bubbler airlock and grommet
4. Hydrometer
5. Brewer's spoon 39cm
6. Cleaner / Detergent
7. No rinse steriliser
8. Black Rock Lager kit (1.7kg)
9. Lager enhancer pack
10. Beer finings 5gm sachet
11. Carbonation drops (60)

The only think missing for a beginners batch is the bottles.
 
Most homebrewers do not use a secondary, we leave the brew in the fermenter for 3-4 weeks until it clears.

Most of the kits are good to go. A fermenter and a bottling bucket are enough to start.

There are thousands of posts on buckets vs carboys vs better bottles (plastic carboys). I've always used buckets.
 
Actually, a fermenter is all you really need to START along with an airlock. Then you get your recipe and brew it. I dont have a bottling bucket (yet), but will have one before it is time to bottle this brew I have in the fermenter...oh yeah, and a hydrometer (which I also dont have yet).
 
Unfortunately the closest brew shop to me is an hour drive. I may visit later on but they are pretty steep on starting kit prices. For now and probably mostly in the future, it'll be mail order for me.
 
You mentioned mr beer. If you have nothing at all yet and you find a mr beer for cheap(which they always are --sales , clearance, etx) you could get started making beer for around 20 bucks and as you progress up grade piece by piece. Craigslist is packed with people offloading old brew equipment. I don't like to waste money and as I learn I develop a preference for gear that I want. Besides, even after you move up to bigger batches and develop your own system and tastes for making your style if beer, you can still use that mr beer fermenter for small test batches and things like that. I like the little fermenter even though typically I use a bucket for five gallon batches. Occasionally I use a secondary in the form of a carboy. But if I had to narrow things down to essentials, I would make sure I have my bucket fermenter and a bottle bucket with the spigot and wand. And I'm thinking of getting a few more soon. I see them daily on craigslist for a steal of a deal. But I started simple, and as I move thru batches I find little tricks that work for me and aqquire gear accordingly. Best bet, get SOMETHING to start . And you will get hooked. You develop your kit over time as you refine your need and desire. Part of the fun is exploring options. I wouldn't spend more than a hundred dollars if I didn't know what I was doing. Get your feet wet and have fun with it. But again...search craigslist ! More than likely you can find some gear tomorrow from a guy in town for a fraction of the cost of new equipment
 
I'm a step ahead of you. I have been on Craigslist. Unfortunately everyone in my area thinks they are a flea market and they sell their gear for market price (new). Ill probably hit the smaller kit with that info. The price is a little higher than $100 but that's because I have to get a stockpot (brew kettle) in my kit. I had also thought about using a turkey fryer instead. For $50, I can get a 7.5 gallon kettle with burner.
 
The guys from craigslist won't haggle? That sucks. If they are gonna charge store prices then forget it. I'm sure something will break your way tho
 
And it's cool you're looking at mr beer for another option. I'm actually about to get a second mr beer. I've been using one of those, a carboy and a bucket fermenter at the same time. I'd like to actually have another batch in rotation for a total of 4 at any given time. I just recently started making cider also so that burns up one fermenter, so one additional fermenter would get me more beer. And it's nice to be bottling one batch, starting one batch, and have one batch finishing all around the same time. That way I'm not just brewing and then waiting for weeks before I touch my equipment again. I'm just running low on storage space now
 
That's my concern. I'd like a fermenter, a secondary so it can clarify (not sure that's the right term) while I start another batch in the fermenter. The big kit I was looking at could theoretically have two finishing simultaneously with another two on the way and two fermenting with one extra fermenting bucket but I think that's putting the cart way before the horse. I'd like to eventually do kegs and bottles but only when I get to a point that I can start adding my own touches to recipes and make the brew something I actually created. I'm guessing that if I stick with this and really enjoy it like I think I will, I'll be brewing a steady stream of beer by the end of next year. I even see a kegerator or something of the sort in my future!
 
That's my concern. I'd like a fermenter, a secondary so it can clarify (not sure that's the right term) while I start another batch in the fermenter. The big kit I was looking at could theoretically have two finishing simultaneously with another two on the way and two fermenting with one extra fermenting bucket but I think that's putting the cart way before the horse. I'd like to eventually do kegs and bottles but only when I get to a point that I can start adding my own touches to recipes and make the brew something I actually created. I'm guessing that if I stick with this and really enjoy it like I think I will, I'll be brewing a steady stream of beer by the end of next year. I even see a kegerator or something of the sort in my future!

A better option in my mind to the two carboys and one fermenter is 3 fermenters. You don't have to put your beer in a carboy to clear, it does just fine in the fermenter given the same amount of time and by doing so it lessens the chance of infections or oxidation from transferring. The other plus is that plastic bucket fermenter are quite a bit cheaper than carboys and are lighter so if you have to order the shipping is less too. One more plus to the plastic buckets is if you drop one it won't explode into sharp fragments like a carboy.
 
My advice is to go with a starter kit from your local home brew shop. You'll get everything you need to brew a simple beer. The starter kit at my local has this in it:

1. 30 litre barrel & lid
2. Tap & stick-on thermometer
3. Bubbler airlock and grommet
4. Hydrometer
5. Brewer's spoon 39cm
6. Cleaner / Detergent
7. No rinse steriliser
8. Black Rock Lager kit (1.7kg)
9. Lager enhancer pack
10. Beer finings 5gm sachet
11. Carbonation drops (60)

The only think missing for a beginners batch is the bottles.

My advice is that since lagers require better attention to fermentation temperatures, as they need to be lower and dont hide off flavors as much is to start with some sort of ale. Thus I would omit 8 and 9.

All in all, bare minimum equipment you need is:

fermentation bucket with lid and airlock
Thermometer
Brew pot that is a couple gallons larger than what you are boiling
Something to stir it with
Sanitizer
some tubing (though a bottling wand and a bucket with spigot is a nice addition)
Hydrometer

Then you can get a kit to brew which contains all the extracts, specialty grains, yeast, priming sugar, directions you need to make your first batch.

Collect your empty pry cap bottles/soak in oxyclean or warm water to remove labels. A lot of kits come with caps, though you will need a capper. You can use screwcap PET bottles though if you want to go that route.
 
DrunkleJon said:
My advice is that since lagers require better attention to fermentation temperatures, as they need to be lower and dont hide off flavors as much is to start with some sort of ale. Thus I would omit 8 and 9.

All in all, bare minimum equipment you need is:

fermentation bucket with lid and airlock
Thermometer
Brew pot that is a couple gallons larger than what you are boiling
Something to stir it with
Sanitizer
some tubing (though a bottling wand and a bucket with spigot is a nice addition)
Hydrometer

Then you can get a kit to brew which contains all the extracts, specialty grains, yeast, priming sugar, directions you need to make your first batch.

Collect your empty pry cap bottles/soak in oxyclean or warm water to remove labels. A lot of kits come with caps, though you will need a capper. You can use screwcap PET bottles though if you want to go that route.

I had already considered the ale vs lager and settled on an Amber ale for my first batch. Its one of three that I can choose from in the kits I'm looking at. There's the Amber ale, an Irish red and an Irish stout. I'm looking at the kits on midwestsupplies.com because it seems like I'm getting the most bang for my buck. It comes with bottles, a brew kettle (5 gallon so the size of it worries me) and various other things for $130+ shipping. They have a cheaper kit for. $65 but by the time I add a brew kettle, recipe kit and bottles I'm well over $130.

Another question, you say a brew kettle that's a couple of gallons bigger than my brew. I'm assuming then that you mean a 7 gallon brew kettle since I'm looking at a 5 gallon kit. My question is in the videos I always see them brew with about three gallons and then pour two gallons of water in the pail when they transfer it. I've also seen one add 7# of ice to the fermenter to cool the wort quickly. This seems like a bad idea to me but if its something worth doing I'd like to know.
 
And I still didn't ask a question but I think you can see where I'm going with it. Do I need a 7 gallon brew kettle? Can I get by with a 5 gallon? And I think I asked earlier with no response, but can I use the turkey fryer setups that you can buy? You get an LP burner and a7.5 gallon pot for a fraction of the price of a brew kettle alone.
 
Define need. Can you do great beer with a 5 gallon setup? Sure. Can you do great beer with a 7 gallon setup? Sure. Can you do a full volume boil 5 gallon batch in a 5 gallon kettle? No. Can you brew in a turkey fryer? Sure, that's what I've been using and I can do a 5 gallon extract kit or BIAB all grain (with a limit to how much grain I can mash). I think the bigger pot gives you more options for brewing but I brewed extract kits for 3 years with the 5 gallon pot because I had it on hand when I started brewing, not as a separate purchase.
 
Well considering I can get a 5 gallon for $40 and a 7 gallon for $80, need is defined as absolutely necessary to fork over twice the dough to get the job done. If I don't absolutely HAVE to buy it, I don't really want to. I am seriously considering the turkey fryer option because it will allow me to brew outside in warm weather or in the garage in cooler weather. That way if I make a mess, cleanup is a LOT easier than trying to clean up an overflow in the kitchen. Plus, as I said, the fryer is 7 gallons WITH burner for the price of a 5 gallon brew kettle. If the brew kettle is a non-negotiable thing then I'll just go that route but it seems that since the "kettle" is nothing more than a stock pot, surely it wouldn't be a problem...
 
Another question, you say a brew kettle that's a couple of gallons bigger than my brew. I'm assuming then that you mean a 7 gallon brew kettle since I'm looking at a 5 gallon kit. My question is in the videos I always see them brew with about three gallons and then pour two gallons of water in the pail when they transfer it. I've also seen one add 7# of ice to the fermenter to cool the wort quickly. This seems like a bad idea to me but if its something worth doing I'd like to know.

What I mean is that you want a couple more gallons capacity over the amount you are boiling. Most kits are partial boil where you boil 2-3 gallons of wort and there a 5 Gal pot is sufficient. I only suggest on pot size because boilovers are a huge PITA.

Yeah I got the Midwest kit as well. I still use all of the equipment from it. Well, to be honest I dont really bottle much anymore, but I have yet to break my hydrometer and it has been serving me well for the past couple years.

As for adding ice to the fermenter, I will admit I have done it. There is the possibility of infection, but it never happened to me. If you have a large enough sink, some ice and cold enough tap water, you can cool it quickly enough in an ice bath.
 
What I mean is that you want a couple more gallons capacity over the amount you are boiling. Most kits are partial boil where you boil 2-3 gallons of wort and there a 5 Gal pot is sufficient. I only suggest on pot size because boilovers are a huge PITA.

Yeah I got the Midwest kit as well. I still use all of the equipment from it. Well, to be honest I dont really bottle much anymore, but I have yet to break my hydrometer and it has been serving me well for the past couple years.

As for adding ice to the fermenter, I will admit I have done it. There is the possibility of infection, but it never happened to me. If you have a large enough sink, some ice and cold enough tap water, you can cool it quickly enough in an ice bath.

That's probably the route I will take. And I think the Midwest kit is the one I'm getting. I just wish I could go pick it up in their store! And I was going to go with the ice bath since I don't trust the bagged ice or the stuff in my ice maker.
 
Make your own ice. sanitize a 2 liter fill with boiled\cooled water, squeeze out some space for expansion then cut out of the bottle and drop in your wort. Tupperware works too, but it always seems to not stay square. Lots cheaper. Maybe ziplocks? Otherwise, you will not regret a chiller such as a homemade/purchased immersion chiller
 
DrunkleJon said:
Make your own ice. sanitize a 2 liter fill with boiled\cooled water, squeeze out some space for expansion then cut out of the bottle and drop in your wort. Tupperware works too, but it always seems to not stay square. Lots cheaper. Maybe ziplocks? Otherwise, you will not regret a chiller such as a homemade/purchased immersion chiller

I had looked in to an immersion chiller but those things area bit pricy for a guy that hasn't brewed his first batch. I may go that route in the future. For now, it's ice baths in the sink.

And I may try the homemade ice as well but again, with contamination concerns, I'd rather take the surer route and just stick it in the sink. Less to clean that way anyways.
 
Gotcha. Ice baths work well if you keep stirring and change the water/add fresh ice as it warms.
Put some ice packs or something else below the pot so that the cold water can bathe that part as well. really speeds things up.
If you make your own ice, just make sure it has been boiled prior to freezing and frozen in a sealed sanitary container. It will save you some top off water as well.

Happy brewing and keep reading. lots of good advice and information on here.
 
Starter kit for sure and also buy the book Joy of home brewing by Charlie P. Best investment you'll make.
 
Make your own ice. sanitize a 2 liter fill with boiled\cooled water, squeeze out some space for expansion then cut out of the bottle and drop in your wort. Tupperware works too, but it always seems to not stay square. Lots cheaper. Maybe ziplocks? Otherwise, you will not regret a chiller such as a homemade/purchased immersion chiller

I use zip locks filled with filtered & boiled water, about 6 of the large sandwich sized ones, stuck in the freezer 2 days before brew day. Those and an ice bath get me from a 3 gallon boil to ~65° in about 10 minutes. Plus it's less top off water I have to put in.

One other 'trick' to pass along: If going with a bucket for primary fermentation, get one of the large reusable grain bags with an elastic top. They are *great* for straining from your brew kettle to the bucket. Just make sure to get one that will go down to the bottom of your bucket.
 
I appreciate all of the info. I hope to be brewing before I go back to work this week but if i am that means I either went to the local (1 hour drive) brew shop or settled for a mr beer for now. In the meantime I guess I just read as much as I can.
 
I would call Midwest brewing and ask if you can get the Groupon starter deal. It's the perfect intro duction to brewing. $75 gets you everything you need to get started including a recipe kit. you also get $25 towards your next kit.
 
ryanmx48 said:
I would call Midwest brewing and ask if you can get the Groupon starter deal. It's the perfect intro duction to brewing. $75 gets you everything you need to get started including a recipe kit. you also get $25 towards your next kit.

That looks like a decent deal but I need a brew kettle.
 
Oh yeah, sorry man. I was in the same boat as you a couple months ago. I wanted to get into this cheaply. I did quite a bit of research on the brew kettle. I ended up deciding that I wanted to get the "best bang for the buck", stainless not aluminum, and just get one large enough now, so I wouldn't end up buying bigger one down the road.

I ended up buying this one and after 4 brews, I'm satisified that I made the right choice and it will be big enough to do full boils when I go to AG. It shipped free with Prime. Good luck, Cheers!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009JXYUA/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Once you decide to expand get the immersion chiller ASAP. It will save you a massive PIA and yield you warm clean up water as you chill. This is the most overlooked item there is for small start up. You can make one easily enough but for the price of chasing a pre-built is about the same money.
 
ryanmx48 said:
Oh yeah, sorry man. I was in the same boat as you a couple months ago. I wanted to get into this cheaply. I did quite a bit of research on the brew kettle. I ended up deciding that I wanted to get the "best bang for the buck", stainless not aluminum, and just get one large enough now, so I wouldn't end up buying bigger one down the road.

I ended up buying this one and after 4 brews, I'm satisified that I made the right choice and it will be big enough to do full boils when I go to AG. It shipped free with Prime. Good luck, Cheers!

http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-1036-Stainless-Steamer/dp/B0009JXYUA/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1355523231&sr=8-11&keywords=brew+kettle

I got a 5 gallon (20 qt) with my kit. I realize I will only be able to do partial boils. I may pick this one up as well. You can't beat that price!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
krackin said:
Once you decide to expand get the immersion chiller ASAP. It will save you a massive PIA and yield you warm clean up water as you chill. This is the most overlooked item there is for small start up. You can make one easily enough but for the price of chasing a pre-built is about the same money.

If you're talking about a wort chiller, I've looked at those and I know they save time but my god they are expensive. I realize its copper but its something else to clean and store. Ill see how big of a PIA sink chilling is and go from there.
 
Back
Top