Beginner Start up

Looking forward to learning from everyone.

I'm starting with literally nothing and looking to make this a good hobby. I'm going to go to our local Brew Store and talk to the guy in person but are there any "musts" or "must not" as far as purchases go? Since I have nothing and am starting from scratch, what advice can you throw out there.


Cheers!

welcome to homebrewing! My only advice would be to buy stuff you'll grow into. When I first started buying stuff I did it on the cheap and bought things that were almost good enough to get things done, but not quite... and I eventually had to scrap them and buy the real deal. A good example was buying a cheap kitchen scale from walmart, which wasn't accurate enough to truly measure hops. Another was trying to get away with using a relatively small brew kettle for too long, just buy a decent one to start with. As far as must-haves, you'll probably end up getting a beginner's kit which will have most of what you need. I think that an autosiphon is a must-have for starting out, as siphoning was a total mess for me when I first got going. If you plan to bottle, you might want to look into two products that will avoid you hating the process: a bottling tree and a vinator. Good luck!

Depends on your budget and your ambition. Don't go overboard on all equipment for all-grain if you can't afford it, when you can save a lot of money and have just as much fun brewing extract.

Take your time, start small, there is a learning curve to this hobby.

_DZ

^ what they said .
Get at least a 9.5-10 gallon pot to start.
Outside burner.
Hydrometer for gravity readings.
Might want to see if Midwest supplies is doing their groupon kit.
Plastic carboys are safer and a bit lighter.
Use a blow off tube.
My rambling thoughts
Welcome!!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/


This

darrenbrews said:

Take your time, start small, there is a learning curve to this hobby.

_DZ

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Hobby?!?! More like addiction.

Kits!

Get a 10+ gallon brew kettle for 5 gallon batches. I bought an 8 gallon to start me off and I have to REALLY babysit it to prevent boil overs during the first 20 minutes. 6.5 gallons in an 8 gallon kettle is flirting with danger.

thanks guys!!! I haven't even started yet and already feel like its an addiction!!!!

Welcome to your new addiction. Im very new to brewing myself. I have done 3 brews now, and i have already had to buy more stuff because i didnt get the right setup to begin with. I would say get as big a pot as you can afford.

Hydrometer is a must have! Autosiphon is definite bonus. I agree with getting stuff you an grow into but if you really don't have the funds to do so then you can get by. Bottling tree and vinator will make things easier but they are not must have if you have a good dishwasher with heat drying. I sanitize my bottles that way and it is pretty easy. Of course having the bottle tree and vinator makes it a bit easier. You will need a fermenter obviously. A kit to brew, Starsan.

Man, I know you are excited and it is awesome you are getting into the hobby. Make sure you keep us posted on your first brew day with some beer porn to go with it. Welcome to the club and good luck.

First, familiarize yourself with homebrewing and it's processes. John Palmer's book, "How To Brew" is a great help - free limited copy here: www.howtobrew.com

Second, plan on where and how you are going to brew. Indoors or outdoors? On a gas range, electric range, or with a propane tank? What size batches are you shooting for? Stuff like that.

Third, buy equipment appropriate for your setup. Some essential items include an 8-15 gallon kettle, a couple carboys, a food-grade bottling bucket with a spigot, and a long mashing spoon. Northern Brewer's Deluxe starter system includes a lot of neat stuff.

Lastly, buy your ingredients and cleaners/sanitizers. I wouldn't bother with kits. Learn how to design your own recipes by posting here and reading John's book. Do full volume boils with no top off water whenever possible. Learn about the importance of yeast starters for 1.060+ OG beers.

Thanks! I'll make sure I post some beer porn!!!

retief said:

Welcome to your new addiction. Im very new to brewing myself. I have done 3 brews now, and i have already had to buy more stuff because i didnt get the right setup to begin with. I would say get as big a pot as you can afford.

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Right stuff? But there's always more cool and shiny things to buy.

Read these forums (stickies) and the home brew books until you think you've got everything figured out. Then read A WHOLE LOT more. Then go buy your stuff. The equipment selections were pretty daunting (10, 8, 6.5 gal, 6 gal, 5 gal, plastic, glass, aluminum, stainless). You'll probably want to make a decision you can live with the first time so you won't have to constantly buy more stuff. Which you will want to do anyways

don't be afraid to do some partial boil stovetop boils with minimal equipment like a sub-$100 plastic bucket kit.

kapbrew13 said:

Hobby?!?! More like addiction.

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No kidding!!!

USMCBrewer said:

No kidding!!!

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I'm currently making up reasons to buy a pump. Need it? Nope.
Sorry for hijack / off topic.

Welcome to the best addiction you'll ever have! Im only 6 batches in and I'm already obsessed. I started with the mid-level kit from Austin Homebrew, and added a 5gal ss pot off amazon. The hobby is as expensive as you wanna make it. However comma... Things like an immersion chiller, bottling tree, heater belt, etc ain't necessary, you'll wonder what you ever did without em. Take advice from this forum, read books, make mistakes, and drive on! Happy brewing!

and above all else, RDWHAHB

?????

SleepyCreekBrews said:

and above all else, RDWHAHB

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Relax don't worry have a home brew
Translation = don't worry be happy

Relax, don't worry have a homebrew. In The Complete Joy of Homebrewing it is mentioned probably more times than it needs to be, but dammit, it's the truth. You can get the book cheap on the internet... that is the first tool I'd recommend then get a starter kit with bottling and fermentor bucket, a carboy, lab thermometer, hydrometer and autosiphon.. and get a big brew kettle... then you'll be RDWHAHB ing on your next batch

hoopdogg315 said:

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RDWHAHB = Relax, Don't Worry, and have a Homebrew.

pb

Think about regular household stuff you already have that you can use and you will surprised at what people you know have that you can borrow. Brew belt not needed if you have a heating pad, I use an electric blanket in my basement to keep my just bottled beer at the right temp. I've borrowed two carboys that family members had in their basements. If you have a gas stove you don't need a burner right away. It's all about trial and error and you would be surprised what you can male instead of buy pre-made

Oh yeah start saving pop tops yesterday and have every one else save them for you too

Get in touch with a local club or home brew supply shop that has classes. This way you can run through the process and try the finished product. Then you'll have an idea of how serious you are about the hobby and can make informed choices about equipment to buy. Then, if you think you'll be in it for the long haul you can make good purchases on equipment that you can use forever.

The starter kits are great. Good price points and you get pretty much everything that you need (and can use for a while) besides a pot. The pot, in my opinion, is an important purchase. If you can afford it, a good 10-15 gallon stainless steel pot will last you a lifetime and is usable when you jump up to all grain brewing. Hunt craigslist before buying new, sometimes you can score huge deals on equipment from people that are getting out of the hobby.

+1 on the Big Pot, and Auto-siphon, Vinator and bottle tree.

I'd also throw in my suggestion is for a fermentation setup. It cost me $20 for the temp control, and a $50 chest freezer on Craigslist, the difference has been amazing, and with you being in East Tx (Dallas here,) YOU'RE GOING TO NEED IT...

Sure, it's not a MUST, but if you have somewhere to put it, it's worth it.

If you are on a budget, be sure to read about all the DIY stuff you can make on the cheap. Also, just about every step in the brew process can be viewed on YouTube. Several home brewers have uploaded instructional videos. Make sure you do some reading too to make sure you don't get bad advice.

Thanks guys!

Hoop,
I came through the Mr Beer door and have accumulated all the needed gear to do alll grain from beggining to end. Use you head and buy the biggest vessesl you can afford in the beggining. I went small on brew pots and sure enough I had to go out and buy bigger much too soon. I also went too small on my original mash tun and had to go buy a bigger cooler almost immediately. So bigger is better and you can still keep it reasonable by using a corona mill instaed of a Barley Crusher, and you can use Better Bottles instead of stainless fermenting tanks to save a few coins. Eventually you may decide to upgrade, but if your pots and fermentors are large enough you will have a few years to make the decision and shop around for a good price. Craigs and Ebay do yeild good deals, ya just gotta watch and wait till they come up.

Wheelchair Bob