Thoughts on this kit?

So I was wondering what your thoughts were on this kit. I've just recently started looking into starting the hobby of brewing beer, and I'm a bit uneducated when it comes to the equipment. So I was curious as to whether this is a good price for the setup from a shop that is close to me?
http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/4,9467.html

That's fine. There's really not a lot of difference between starter kits these days. And most of them are addressed in the this vs that thread somewhere in here.

Yeah I knew there was a thread that dealt with kits, but there are so many threads in this beginner section I was being lazy and didn't want to search for it. Anyway thanks for the input. I'll probably just throw back and forth which kit I really want to get, and how much I want to spend.

hoss,

Something to think about. I bought a start up kit over a year ago. I chose a kit that eliminated needing a siphon. All transfers are gravity fed. I've been very happy and would recommend this kit highly.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/HOME_BREWERY_WITHOUT_KIT_P680C73.cfm

You can also get these kits with a beer kit included. Check them out. I just bottled their Brown Ale two weeks ago.

NRS

I just want to point out that the carboy is five gallons, so it wouldn't be ideal to use as a primary fermenter due to krausen build up and lack of head space, assuming you are making the standard 5 gallon batch. It does have the bucket which is perfectly fine to ferment in, it is just more prone to getting scratched and thus harboring harmful bugs. Plus you can't see the beer when it is fermenting in a bucket, which is no big deal, but it's still cool to look at.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/starter-kits/better-basic-starter-kit.html

This is what I started out with and it worked perfect. Just my two cents.

So thinking bout going with this all glass kit. http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/4,9468.html

I've brewed several batches with only the plastic buckets, a 6.5 gallon fermenter and a bottling bucket. They work very well, they have handles to carry them, they don't break if they slip and bump something. It's a cheap way to get started and as you become more proficient and want to add things, you won't have a lot of money into extra things you won't need.

The buckets are plastic and can become scratched, but they are inexpensive to replace if that should happen to yours. I added a plastic carboy so I could have a secondary to add fruit or to free up a primary for more time to clarify a light colored ale. Then I added a second fermenter bucket so I could have 2 brews going at the same time.

I dislike the idea of a glass carboy. They are heavy, brittle, and slippery to handle. On the plus side, you can see through them to indicate what is going on during the ferment. I never have worried about the ferment though.

One more item about the plastic buckets, they stack well. Try that with your glass carboys.

Lots of us ferment in the buckets. They work just fine. They also block out the light.

I see. Thanks for the input guys. This will be the last post in this thread. Again thanks for the info and I'll keep your advice in mind when I make my purchase.

i got the coopers kit.. makebeer.net. i just started brewing this month. but very nice for a starting kit. if i stick with it i will probably buy another kit to get a bucket and also to get two going at once. bottled one batch, brewing 2nd right now and 3rd on deck. so if all three or at least 2 turn out good will stick with and get another kit.

coopers pros:
you get it all to make first batch:bottles,caps, carb drops, hydrometer, a beer kit, stick on thermometer, big spoon, bottle filler etc. craigtube on youtube does a nice review of it.

cons:
wish it get came with a bucket for either transfer or for primary. this has handles on side so require both hands to move and having to bend all the way down can be tough lifting when its full.
no secondary bucket
no siphon or any funnels

overall i think if you are completely new as i was i think its good but i would not get it again (due to my cons) so for the same price you can get a more robust kit. but nice about this is that you do you get it all to start right away and it will allow you to see how much you like this hobby. with out committing more money to you.