With What You Know Now, What would you do? Spread some wisdom..

With the knowledge you have now what system would you go with, if any? After you've learned to brew would you still buy a kit?

Lets say your max expenditure is $500.00.


So far my top pick is (with an extra 5 gal keg): http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6877

I want to make a purchase that I won't have to upgrade in the future. Every time I buy something I end up upgraded and upgrading... AND upgrading. I'm sure this hobby won't be any different. Still I want to make a wise first investment. The plastic bucket systems don't seem like the best, but apparently they work.


I'm a serious beer drinker. Favorites beer is Guinness extra stout. I spend a lot of money on beer and am ready to start brewing my own.

Please let me know of any recommendations, or just wisdom you could pass on. Thanks so much. -Matt

With this hobby you are going to upgrade and upgrade no matter what My sugestion is spend less, get a kit, and add to it as you learn more and find what you like.

I would have;

Started doing All Grain 10 Gallons, gone straight for the plate chiller (therminator) and pump, bypassed the bottles altoghether and kegged.

I'd still do an extract or two now and again, and I still plan to.

Had I done that I could have enough money to buy that new and amazing thingamawhutzit that'll change every aspect of my brewing in an astounding way.

I bought a kit and I'm not tempted by the fancier equipment. I've only spent about $25 so far beyond the kit. I did however have a few leftover parts from when I did it years ago, in particular a second carboy and a bottle washer. Neither of these are big$$$ anyway.

My first batch came out really good, my second and third are coming along nicely. I just don't think it'll be necessary to upgrade. I don't have anyplace to put any big equipment anyhow.

Looking back, I should have said screw it went AG from the get-go.

I would do a full-boil sooner -- it was the change that yielded the biggest improvements in my beer.

Plus, you'll need that if you want to go AG eventually. I think you may want to do a few extract batches first, just to get the basics of sanitation, brewing, cooling, etc. down before proceeding to bigger things.

The number one thing I would do differently is to buy a minimum of a 10 gallon kettle. I have gone through 3 different pots, each time thinking, this one will do it. I first got a 5 gallon, then a 7.5 gallon (which is barely big enough for a full boil for a 5 gallon batch.)

That kit seems to have the fermentation and serving part covered, but you'll need a kettle, burner and relatively soon a mash tun.

My best advice: bigger really is better. A 40 quart kettle is fine for 5 gallon extract batches, marginal for 5 gallons AG and useless for ten gallon batches. I have 30, 40 and 60 quart kettles. and I don't do ten gallon batches.

10 gallon pot, Immersion chiller, 10 gallon cooler based mash tun, two 6g better bottles and two 5g better bottles. If you want to bottle, you'll need the capper. If you want to keg, get a two-keg starter kit with picnic faucets and a 5lb tank.

I'd suggest finding someone local that is brewing all grain and go check out what they're using.

zacster said:

I bought a kit and I'm not tempted by the fancier equipment. I've only spent about $25 so far beyond the kit. I did however have a few leftover parts from when I did it years ago, in particular a second carboy and a bottle washer. Neither of these are big$$$ anyway.

My first batch came out really good, my second and third are coming along nicely. I just don't think it'll be necessary to upgrade. I don't have anyplace to put any big equipment anyhow.

Click to expand...

"I just don't think it'll be necessary to upgrade"
So said I

Bigger kettle. 30-qt turkey fryer will work for 5-gal, but you need to be attentive. A keggle for 10-gal batches would be a nice plus.

Other than that, I'm happy with my set-up. I started out going all-grain with a 10-gal MLT, immersion chiller, better bottle carboys, etc.

I would totally go for the master kegging kit from MidWest. I got their intermediate kit, and proceeded to spend another $400 before I ever got to kegging. I should have just went big from the beginning because I knew this hobby already had me in it's jaws. Definitely go with the better bottle option, and DO NOT scrub them out with a brush! ALSO, when buying a chest freezer, get the biggest one you can find/possibly afford. You will want to store more than 4 cornies eventually, and you will be constrained if you don't get something around 15 cu ft. AND, instead of buying a $250 SS morebeer kettle, I would have probably bought a huge aluminum one from instawares for half the price.

niquejim said:

"I just don't think it'll be necessary to upgrade"
So said I

Click to expand...

I just bottled my amber lager, and maybe, just maybe, it could be better, but I'm very pleased with the way it came out. It was crisp, clear, no off notes, no diacetyl. I did it with a basic kit and a partial boil, and used two brand new garbage cans to keep it cold. The cans were needed for the house anyway, and my wife suggested them.

If I were to upgrade one thing it would be to a larger pot, maybe a turkey fryer. (And the thought of deep frying a turkey just seems to be funny in my house, we'd never heard of such a thing.) I know, it's a slippery slope. I've been there with cycling and audio.

I would definitely start kegging early on, and even if you decide to start with partial boils get a pot that's big enough for full boils.

deathweed said:

With this hobby you are going to upgrade and upgrade no matter what My sugestion is spend less, get a kit, and add to it as you learn more and find what you like.

Click to expand...

Me too,
Get some ingredients Run some batches...Share your beer.
Add to the equipment as you go...Don't Piss off SWMBO.
Make sure that you try different styles. If you're brewing and IPA because it's your Favorite, and Drinking a Cream to see if you like it...Get planning on a steam that you've never tried. GET A BATCH OF APFELWEIN GOING
TRUTH SUCKS but you may not always have the Cash to have a batch on, so come here and read about the different styles and methods.
Don't sweat the little things. This is one of very few things in life where your best effort is almost Always good enough. There is a better chance that your batch will be fine than ruined...So Relax....Don't worry....Have A Home Beer.
Get into the ZEN of Brewing....truly find out what it means to RDWHAHB

zacster said:

I just bottled my amber lager, and maybe, just maybe, it could be better, but I'm very pleased with the way it came out. It was crisp, clear, no off notes, no diacetyl. I did it with a basic kit and a partial boil, and used two brand new garbage cans to keep it cold. The cans were needed for the house anyway, and my wife suggested them.

If I were to upgrade one thing it would be to a larger pot, maybe a turkey fryer. (And the thought of deep frying a turkey just seems to be funny in my house, we'd never heard of such a thing.) I know, it's a slippery slope. I've been there with cycling and audio.

Click to expand...

It's a very slippery slope. I know have 2 dedicated chest freezers for fermenting and I just bought an 80qt pot( and I want more )