New here, please help with my list of stuff

So, I've been wanting to get into brewing. I've done lots of reading and taking notes. It's now time to pull the trigger and get the equipment and try to brew a batch. I'd like to get feedback on the list of things I am going to get, in case I have forgotten anything or just need to change something.

- Intermediate Kit from Midwest with Better Bottles
- Beer thief (kit doesn't have one. Can I just the syphoning tube or something?)
- Ingredient kit, looking to do a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone. Trying the whitelabs yeast
- 25' wort chiller w/hose fittings - A cheaper cooling method would be a pain for me, trying to brew outdoors
- Bottles
- Starsan
- Turkey fryer from Wallyworld, 30qt (good for full boils if I'm not doing all grain)
- Propane tank
- whirlfloc
- packet of dry yeast for insurance
- Cheap spray bottle, small bucket for a blowoff tube
- Blowoff tube - What size would I need?

I'm thinking of doing this outside with the turkey fryer, which is why the wort chiller will work the best for me.

I'm looking forward to trying this out, as I can thing of several styles I'd like to try and I don't know which I would choose for a second attempt. I just wanted to first get the equipment list correct, so I didn't forget something and then have to wait for that one little thing before I can brew. The kind of thing where you learn from your mistaktes.

Thanks for any help with the list.

See if your Costco still has the 44 qt fryers in stock. Mine was like $79+ tax.

Thief: Not necessary. Use a turkey baster if you want to save money.
Iodaphor is cheaper than Starsan and many prefer it because it's not so foamy.
Whirlfloc - most of us use Irish Moss, but there's probably no big difference.

What you need:

Big, long spoon or paddle.

beer4breakfast said:

If you are fermenting in a pail, you could use a turkey baster. Where do you find one long enough to reach below the surface of the beer from the top of a 6 or 6.5 gallon Better Bottle (what he is buying) or a glass carboy? The longest turkey baster I've ever seen is 1/3rd the length of my plastic thief.

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Mine reaches. I guess my "turkey baster" is longer than yours. I have no problems "putting it in" and "touching the surface".

It's fun to turn a normal sentence dirty with quote marks.

Pick up an Auto Siphon as well. They save you lots of time and problems transferring from primary to secondary fermenters.



I use mine all the time and NEVER have had a problem.

Thanks for the info so far. I'll check for a larger pot, as $79 really isn't that much more and will be better for future needs. I looked again and the kit says it comes with 8oz. of Easy Clean no rinse cleaner. Will that be as good as Starsan/Iodaphor? (Their site says the Iodaphor is no longer available) What about OneStep?
Spoon has been added to my list, I'll see if I can find a turkey baster type of thing that will be long enough for my needs.
I'm trying to collect bottles, and have asked my brother also, but I will need to buy some at first because I won't have enough in time. A few extra will be good for brewing a second batch, I figure.
I hadn't thought about the groundwater temp question. I'm in VA, so right now the water temp should be cold enough. I'll check it now and as it gets closer to summer. I'm on a well, so hopefully that will be cooler in the summer.
I also am not stuck on the whirlfloc over Irish Moss, so I can just change that item.

I'm feeling better after not hearing anybody mention several things that I completely missed, so will probably order tonight and be brewing soon.

Thanks again.

I think you've got a pretty complete kit going there, I use one-step and haven't had any problems yet.

You know what I would get... another primary and another carboy... because once your first batch is in bottles you're going to think of all kinds of things that you want to do next... and it just won't be fast enough! lol.

Have fun!

Lets confirm; are you getting this kit (glass carboys)

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6876

Or this kit (better bottles):

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6875

FYI - both have the auto-siphon so x that off our recommend list. Pretty good deal personally.

Kind of odd that both kits include two primary fermenters - 1 glass (or better bottle), 1 bucket. Fine to have em though.

My plan is on getting the kit with the Better Bottles. I figure that once I go through the process once or twice there will be plenty of recipes I want to try. Maybe one that needs to sit for a much longer period of time, so I could get another secondary.
I also liked that they offered the choice of glass or better bottles. I think I will very possibly get a second better bottle to use for a secondary when I get a second kit.
I guess the next step after that would be to use recipes that aren't in kits, getting what I need based on a recipe I want to try.
I don't know, but it should be fun. I just need to find some people to help drink what I make.

I don't know, it may be just me but I like the class carboy's better. It's like the soda in a plastic bottle vs, glass or beer for that matter, it just tastes better in glass. May be all in my head, but I just like glass... seems like higher quality.

BTW, I got the $79 kit from midwest, came with everything you need. I highly recommend.

How will a glass carboy shatter unless you drop it? It's not like there's much pressure there.

I had looked at some of the Austin kits, but I soon became overwhelmed with my choices out there. I decided that for my first one I would get one from Midwest, then after that I can shop around some to see who has what styles. I will try Austin once I get past the first one, though.

Speaking of the kits, how accurate are some of the places with their clone types kits. Both Austin and Midwest have some, although Austin seemed to have more, and I was wondering if they were worth it. Again, for my first time I just want to get through it and have something drinkable, but I would like to know that I can make a clone with reasonable accuracy for some of the styles of beer out there.

Deniro said:

...I looked again and the kit says it comes with 8oz. of Easy Clean no rinse cleaner. Will that be as good as Starsan/Iodaphor?...

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Easy Clean / One Step are simple percarbonate cleaners. No rinse, easy to use, just add to warm water and you have a nice no rinse cleaner to use on brew day.

Iodophor is an iodine based cleaner/sanitizer/germicide. This is used to truly sanitize equipment. Since it is iodine based, it will stain your clothes and skin, and will effect anyone with iodine allergies. Also no rinse.

Star San / Sani Clean are both acid based sanitizer which work the same, except Sani Clean doesnt foam up. Also no rinse.

When purchasing these products, remember that they are not all the same. The percarbonate cleaners are good for actual physical cleaning of equipment. They remove particles, hops crud, etc... where the others are actual sanitizers, which help sterilize your equipment. These cleaners / sanitizers can work hand in hand together, as you main goal is to have clean and sterile equipment to deter any unwanted bacteria and such on you equipment.

Myself, I always have a 5lb tub of Easy Clean, and a bottle of Star San on hand. Remember...keep everything as clean and sterile as possible. That is one of the keys to success.

Deniro said:

I had looked at some of the Austin kits, but I soon became overwhelmed with my choices out there...


Speaking of the kits, how accurate are some of the places with their clone types kits...

Click to expand...

To me, the best thing is to pick up a couple simple kits to get your feet wet. Pick up a cream ale, blonde ale, or pale ale kit and try to just focus on making a good, drinkable batch. Believe me, as with most of us, it doesnt take to long to find out how easy the process is, and what steps you need to take each time.

As for the kits and their accuracy, two people can take the same kit, and both will taste different. Why? Because of their individual brewing processes. One may boil too long, too short, add too much water, not enough water etc... so things can change with each batch.

In my opinion, Midwest, Northern Brewer, More Beer, and Austin all have quality kits. To me, they are a little better than most others, so you cant go wrong with them.

One last word on the carboys - if you think you will ever want to make a wine, get glass carboys. Supposedly plastic can carry the beer flavors into the wine, or vice versa...

I hadn't thought about the cleaner vs. sanitizer part, thanks for the heads up. I will then use the stuff they put in the kit and add a sanitizer to my list of things to get.
I'm just going to get a pale ale kit from Midwest for my first one, possibly the Sierra Nevada clone, to get one done. Even if I just made a single kit or recipe only once, there are so many to try I would never run out.
I need to stay focused on getting one done, so thanks again for the help.

Just to be up to date, I ended up ordering a kit from Midwest last night and a turkey fryer, so I'll be brewing soon. Probably not this weekend due to shipping, etc. but that will give me time to get the remaining items locally.
I went with the Midwest kit for $80, as I figured I can start of with the bucket for the primary fermenting and possibly get a carboy for that in the future.
Thanks for the help, and I'll post back in another thread I guess on how things go.

Which beer kit did you get? Midwest has a few extract-with-grains kits that caught my eye.
Yeah, you can get a carboy or better bottle down the road, no need to blow a wad right off when just getting started. Enjoy your first brewing session and post if you need help - folks around here are just awesome with assistance and have been super nice to me as I'm getting back into brewing.