Double check my kit shopping list

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ongreystreet

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I made a shopping list of items to buy from my B&M, based on the Brewer's Best Deluxe Kit(my kit has the larger Better Bottle Carboy, the one I prefer to try)

6 Gallon Better Bottle Carboy $28.50
5/16" Bottle Spigot $2.85
Two Food Grade Buckets(from grocery) $0.00
Lid with Grommet $2.80
Book(already own Joy of Homebrew) $0.00
Alklaine Wash 16 oz $7.25
Red Barron Capper $18.25
Triple Scale Hydrometer $6.50
Drilled Stopper $2.50
Hydrometer Test Jar 14" $3.75
Floating Thermometer $6.50
Liquid Crystal Thermometer $2.45
Siphon Hose $1.35
Hose Clamp $0.40
21" Plastic Spoon $3.95
Airlock $0.95
Auto-siphon $10.95
Bottle Filler $2.45
Bottle Brush $2.95

Total Standard $104.35

Extras
Whirlfloc Tablets $1.95
8" Funnel with strainer $7.25
San Star 8 oz $10.95
Carboy Cap $2.75
Carboy Handle $7.15

Total with Extras $134.40

Brewer's Best Kit $140.00

So it appears I can get everything I need, plus more for much cheaper then buying a kit (since I'll get the buckets cheap and got the book already).

Anything I'm missing?
 
Bottle caps?

Also, I don't see the need for a floating thermometer and another LCD type. You'll get temps with the digital one, and you can avoid sanitizing the second one. Doing extract, you don't really need to know temps that often unless you're doing steeping grains or waiting to know when it's OK to pitch yeast after the boil is done.
 
nebben said:
Bottle caps?

Also, I don't see the need for a floating thermometer and another LCD type. You'll get temps with the digital one, and you can avoid sanitizing the second one. Doing extract, you don't really need to know temps that often unless you're doing steeping grains or waiting to know when it's OK to pitch yeast after the boil is done.
Click to expand...

I am getting a Brewer's Best ingredient kit, and that will come with caps.

I think they have a lot more thermometers in stock then what their website shows, I'll probably go over my choice with the people there.

Any suggestion on the type of thermometer if I get just one?
 
I don't see the need for the better bottle anymore. A lot of us just keep the wort in the primary for 1 month or so and completely skip the secondary. That could save you almost 30 bucks right there.
 
When I add up the items in your list that do come in a kit it comes to $50.00 (excluding buckets). Where I work we sell a kit for $58.00. So that means the bottling bucket and the fermenting bucket would cost $8.00 combined. I am not sure how much the kits cost where you buy them, but the kit seems like the best place to start. Based on the price we sell them for anyway...
 
I agree with jackers. the notion that you need to secondary is a bit antiquated. If you leave it in the primary for 3-4 weeks you get the same result. The only reason I ever secondary these days is for additional flavorings. Ex. I have a porter in a secondary on top of some vanilla beans. and honestly if you really want to do a secondary and save money another food grade bucket with an air lock will work fine.
 
jackers252 said:
I don't see the need for the better bottle anymore. A lot of us just keep the wort in the primary for 1 month or so and completely skip the secondary. That could save you almost 30 bucks right there.
Click to expand...

Chris1272 said:
I agree with jackers. the notion that you need to secondary is a bit antiquated. If you leave it in the primary for 3-4 weeks you get the same result. The only reason I ever secondary these days is for additional flavorings. Ex. I have a porter in a secondary on top of some vanilla beans. and honestly if you really want to do a secondary and save money another food grade bucket with an air lock will work fine.
Click to expand...

I am actually planning on using the better bottle for primary and not doing a secondary to start with, the extras buckets are sanitation and such.

The main thing I am looking for is am I missing anything and is this a better deal the brewer's best kit, those are my main options from my B&M (Maryland Homebrew, which appears to have a great rep, and I've already been in there a few times). I would really prefer to shop local and I'll probably go over my list item for item with the staff there anyway.
 
1. My hydrometer came in its own test jar, plastic so it doesn't break if I happen to drop it and a lid on each end so I can thoroughly clean it if I want to. When I finish with a reading, I clean it and put the hydrometer back in it for storage.

2. I like a long stem thermometer to put into my boil kettle so I can keep track of the temperature of the water for steeping the grain and to let me know when it approaches the boiling point so I don't boil it over. I modified the holder for mine to make the end of the thermometer stay in the middle of the kettle.

3. I have stick-on thermometers for my fermenting buckets but I always have them in such a dark area that I've never been able to read them.

4. In our kitchen utensils we have a stainless steel spoon. I use that for stirring the wort as I mix in the malt extract. Sometimes I use a slotted spoon when I aerate the wort just before pitching the yeast.

5. I bought a basic Brewers Best kit (fermentation bucket, bottling bucket, etc) for about $60 and a Brewers Best red ale kit and kept it under $100 and had everything I needed except for the bottles. I already had a kitchen meat thermometer that I used for the first few batches before I bought my long stem thermometer.
 
RM-MN said:
1. My hydrometer came in its own test jar, plastic so it doesn't break if I happen to drop it and a lid on each end so I can thoroughly clean it if I want to. When I finish with a reading, I clean it and put the hydrometer back in it for storage.

2. I like a long stem thermometer to put into my boil kettle so I can keep track of the temperature of the water for steeping the grain and to let me know when it approaches the boiling point so I don't boil it over. I modified the holder for mine to make the end of the thermometer stay in the middle of the kettle.

3. I have stick-on thermometers for my fermenting buckets but I always have them in such a dark area that I've never been able to read them.

4. In our kitchen utensils we have a stainless steel spoon. I use that for stirring the wort as I mix in the malt extract. Sometimes I use a slotted spoon when I aerate the wort just before pitching the yeast.

5. I bought a basic Brewers Best kit (fermentation bucket, bottling bucket, etc) for about $60 and a Brewers Best red ale kit and kept it under $100 and had everything I needed except for the bottles. I already had a kitchen meat thermometer that I used for the first few batches before I bought my long stem thermometer.
Click to expand...

I am going to look at the long stem thermometers at my local, I've seen them there and it's one of the reason i am going around the kit. I don't want to pay for something, only to find out I am going to want something better. Since I am only doing partial boils, I can probably get away with the spoon in our kitchen as well, will probably realize that once I'm picking the stuff out in person.
 
SquirrelMaster said:
bottling bucket?
Click to expand...

I can put a spigot on any food grade bucket.

mixedbrewer said:
You will pay more buying everything in a kit, individually.
Click to expand...

I've actually ran thru it all a couple of times and really won't. I won't have to pay for a book when I already have the one every seems to recommend. I can Upgrade to the fermentation container of my choice (clear, plastic, 6+ gallon), a lot of the kits either have glass which I don't want or give you a thousand other things such as bottles or extra buckets just to get a larger container.
 
+1 on the autosiphon. I like the idea of doing primary in a see-through bottle, but cleaning those things can be a PITA and the krud that sticks to the sides after full kreusen can be... problematic to remove. The plastic can scratch and then you have to buy a new and expensive better bottle. I like the 6.5 gallon acid carboy instead, but personal choice, eh?

You didn't mention a brew pot there... really good upgrade.
 

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