beginner brewer needs list

Forget the 10 gallon igloo cooler mashtun with stainless steel flase bottom dome or the pH meter (for now) let's start a list of the most important items that a beginner kit doesn't provide that can significantly affect brewing.

#1 on the list should be a stir plate with a 2L flask (2L because it accomadates most all of your brews and is only a few dollars more than a 1L flask) search how to make your own stir plate or buy a cheapo (cost not quality) one that uses a potentiometer, a DC fan and some magnants. I got mine for less than 40 bucks with shipping and making your own is even cheaper (Google it)

Far more important than the stir plate is sanitizer.

Every beginner that buys a kit gets no rinse cleaner and thinks they have what it takes to sanitize. I've never heard of an online retailer or a brew store explaining that they need to also have sanitizer.
You will have better luck brewing without a stir plate than without sanitation.
99 percent of beers that actually turn out poorly are from infection.

Far more important than the stir plate is sanitizer.

Click to expand...

+1 to this! A quart of StarSan FTW!

If it could be packaged and sold I reckon the thing that would be of most benefit to, NEARLY, ALL beginners is........................


















PATIENCE

And, regarding the batch after pitching, a sizable dose of "leave it the fcuk alone":fro:

45_70sharps said:

Far more important than the stir plate is sanitizer.

Every beginner that buys a kit gets no rinse cleaner and thinks they have what it takes to sanitize. I've never heard of an online retailer or a brew store explaining that they need to also have sanitizer.
You will have better luck brewing without a stir plate than without sanitation.
99 percent of beers that actually turn out poorly are from infection.

Click to expand...

So true. The kit I bought actually told me to sanitize with the cleaner included, so I had no idea there was a difference with my first batch (bottled it Friday and it did not seem to have any off flavors so I have my fingers crossed). Now I know, and I have sanitized like crazy.

1. star san, star san, star san and star san.
2. a nicely sized boil pot
3. hyrdometer and flask, or refractometer
4. if you want to do BIAB you need bags. if you want to use hops socks, you need them too.
5. tubing for the inevitable boil off tube (don't wait until you need the tubing to buy it, or you will also be buying cleaner for the walls, floor, ceiling, and whatever is nearby your fermenter).

and don't forget the star san.

One item I didn't have on my first few batches but soon realized I needed was a long SS spoon. Since I have an 8 gallon pot I like to boil my full 5 gallons of wort and reaching the bottom of the pot to make sure all the extract has dissolved is impossible with a conventional kitchen spoon.

Rick

whats the flask used for?

It holds the liquid for your hydrometer. You have to buy both pieces.

I didn't know that when I bought mine.

Flask has a flat bottom so your stirbar doesnt get thrown at high speeds into the glass, which would happen with a convex bottomed container

I would say that you need some way to control ferment temps. A tub for a swamp cooler, a ferm chamber, a cold room that maintains a steady temp.

Ogri said:

If it could be packaged and sold I reckon the thing that would be of most benefit to, NEARLY, ALL beginners is........................

PATIENCE

And, regarding the batch after pitching, a sizable dose of "leave it the fcuk alone":fro:

Click to expand...

+20 on patience...

IMO/IME, a 3L flask is a better starting size. Also learn to use the pitching calc sites, like yeastcalc.com, and learn to make stepped starters. If you can't remember the 100g:1L ratio (DME to water) then get it tattooed onto your arm.

Looong handled tongs are also something you should get. Something in the ~18" range. Stainless of course.

Spray bottle to put some Star San solution in. It helps stretch the Star San that way. Also helps to have a bucket you can dedicate to having Star San mixed in. I almost always have some in the bucket. IF I've gone a longer time between batches, or used almost all of the previous batch up and it's more than a few days (a week or more) before my next brew-day, I'll leave the bucket empty. Otherwise, I'll mix up more to have it ready.

HBT membership. :rockin:

+1 on the Patience post!

A couple items that did not come with my first kit that I really think are useful are an auto siphon and a bottling bucket.