Brewing on the cheap...

Hi all! I am planning on buying my hubby equipment to get started on home brewing. However, we have a limited income and want to get the most bang for my buck, so to speak! I have looked at a lot of the starter kits at different sites, and wonder if it might be cheaper (if not up front, in the long run) to buy the equipment seperately.

What basics can't you do without? I've read that the hydrometer is not necessary, and that bleach can work as well as sanitizer. Obviously, I am looking at buying fermentation bucket, carboy, airlock, capper, bottles, and some materials to brew with. What else is a necessity? What will make brewing easier (and less likely to explode, which is what happened to my dad's only attempt at homebrewing!) I have most basic cooking tools already. Please let me know of any equipment substitutions you've had luck with!

Thanks for your advice!

-Lori

IMO...
If you are planning on saving money in the short term...
Go cheap on your fixed cost items but do not compromise on you ingredients or your consumables. Once you have few batches under your belt and you are sure that this hobby is for you, it will become clearer which items to upgrade.

By using the best ingredients and honing your methods, you will be able to make quality beer. If you can resist the gadget bug for a year or two and resist the urge to buy, you will come out ahead. If you cannot commit to that, I'm afraid that you will end up rebuying better quality stuff thereby losing your short term savings. A dilemma, I'm sure you understand.


Carboy is a nice to have and not required.
Using bleach (a consumable) really doesn't save you a great deal of money.

Finally, what kind of brew pot do you have (basic cooking tools?)

I would recomend getting a hydrometer. It tells you the alcohol content of your beer and tells you when it is ready to be bottled...

You might be able to get a bottling bucket that you could use as a fermenter.

look here at these kits.. http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html

I, on the other hand, would recommend buying the deluxe kit as they usually give you more items for your money.

REASON: You'll probably buy that extra stuff anyway and pay more for it.

olllllo said:

Using bleach (a consumable) really doesn't save you a great deal of money.

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I'd disagree with that in terms of how much she'll have to lay out to get started. She's trying to get her hubby started with a minimum cost. Not buying a new bottle of a consumable product and using something you already own is definately going to lower one's initial bill. Seeing as you're talking about a couple tablespoons of bleach eveyr few weeks you're really not going to miss it from your normal clothes washing.

If you already buy plain, unscented bleach then there's no need to buy a no rinse sanitizer because you already have one (given that he uses the bleach properly).

The hydrometer you can probably live without. It will help you make sure that fermentation is complete, but I think you would be better off spending that $20 on a carboy as a secondary. Knowing the alcohol content it nice, but you'll be able to see the beer ferment by watching the airlock. If you can't take a gravity reading, the risk is that you might bottle before fermentation is complete (and that's when you risk "bottle bombs"). If you use a secondary, the risk of fermentation being incomplete is minimal, since it will be conditioning for two weeks before you bottle. Makes better beer, too.

If you are careful, though, you can get by without a hydrometer even if you DON'T use a secondary. Just make sure you leave the beer long enough in the primary, don't be in a rush to bottle after four days.

Since it sounds like you will be using your regular kitchen utensils, I would just caution to make sure you sanitize really, REALLY well. Ideal is to have a dedicated set of utensils for brewing, but understand that's tough to do at first.

But, this doesn't have to be a terribly expensive hobby. Since you're going to drink beer anyway, it'll pay for itself before long!

homebrewer_99 said:

I, on the other hand, would recommend buying the deluxe kit as they usually give you more items for your money.

REASON: You'll probably buy that extra stuff anyway and pay more for it.

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I'm with you on this point. These kits are not a million bucks and it's a good idea to start off on the right foot. The experience will be more enjoyable with the right tools. You do love him don't you?


On the "easier" front, I'd like to have you make sure you have a pot, preferably stainless steel, that is capable of boiling 2-3 gallons of wort (read: liquid sugar) with enough headroom to avoid boilovers. I wish I had my current pot when first starting out. It would have removed many tense moments and not just some of the enjoyment factor.


My .02

kornkob said:

(given that he uses the bleach properly).

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Point taken, provided that your assumption holds true.

I, for one, have been banned from the laundry room. Guys tend to over do bleach (sometimes on purpose.)

Brewing saitizers are designed for the job and are more difficult to screw up.

I can see this is going to turn into another bleach vs. no rinse sanitizer thread so I'll go ahead and fan the fire:
IF you dilute the bleach the right amount it shouldn't create an off flavor but, being paranoid as I am, I don't want to risk ruining a batch with a chlorine off taste so I'd rinse.. ah but now I just undid whatever sanitizing I accomplished... back to the "how sanitary is the tap water?" question. I say if you use bleach you'll be unable to resist the urge to rinse and if you rinse then you ought to do it with boiled and cooled water.. what a pain. Just spend the $8 on some star san and be done with it. Besides, star san won't lend off flavors to your brew if you use it at higher than recommended concentrations (unlike bleach).

Now, as for your items:
You absolutely need a bottling bucket, bottling wand, capper, racking cane, hose, primary (you'll want glass soon but if you just can't afford it then go with a plastic bucket for the time being), stoppers and airlocks. You'll need about 50 pop top bottles (not twist off) you can buy these empty but they're expensive or you can buy the bottles with beer in them but they're even more expensive this way There are a bunch of threads discussing what bottles cap easily with a butterfly capper and what bottles have that narrow neck..

It'd be nice to have a secondary (this must be glass) and hydrometer. For many the secondary is a must have item.. it does greatly improve the beer by letting it age in bulk and you have clearer beer as a lot of the yeast will fall out of suspension during aging. Remember, the better the beer the greater the incentive to continue with the hobby. BTW, if you get a glass carboy for either primary or secondary use then you'll need a carboy brush.

You also must have some sort of large pot big enough for 4 or 5 gallons (assuming he'll start with partial boils). A larger pot is very desirable as the wort (beer) will easily boil out of the pot during the hot break. Until you move outside with a turkey fryer setup a boilover can be quite a hot and sticky mess all over your stove. Aluminum, stainless, or ceramic are all fine materials for the boil pot. If you use ceramic do make certain the coating is intact, any cracks or chips will allow the wort to contact the steel and you'll have a metallic off flavor as a result.

The real way to save money is, I think, by skimping on the ingredients and not the equipment. Start with lower gravity beers (less of that expensive extract is needed) and use dry yeast.. there's no need for liquid unless your making some exotic style and need a particular strain to keep the brew true to form.. this just isn't something a beginner even needs to start thinking about. And don't bother with yeast starters either.

Now, the best way to make beer cheaper is to go all grain since grain is considerably cheaper than extract but.. well.. we won't go there

On the bleach / no rinse issue....

The compromise that I've come to is to use bleach for my carboys and buckets, but no-rinse cleaner for the other things (hoses, racking canes, etc.). The glass carboys are easy to rinse, and I like to let them soak for a while. I'm not paranoid about rinsing with tap water, I'll take my chances. The other stuff, I just mix up a gallon or two of sanitizer and have it in a big rubbermaid container where I soak everything. Works fine for me.

As to the ingredients, I wouldn't skimp there. You don't have to make a barleywine right off, but don't buy the cheapest kit, either. If you like something a little bit lighter, great, you won't need as much extract, but the decision to buy mediocre ingredients will have more of an impact on the quality of the final product than anything else being discussed here. I do agree with the dry yeast, that's all I've used so far and things have been fine.

See if you can score a couple glass carboys from a local water company or coop grocery($10 deposit). Use them as fermenters. You'll need air-locks. You need a pot but may have a large enough one for now. My first pot was an enamel canning pot (as big as you can afford 20-30 quarts). If you want to go cheap start with a recipe that one of us puts together for you and not a "kit". Maybe some DME, Hops pellets and yeast.

You only need two cases of bottles and probably can find those around, check a local bar.

Good luck.

Well, there you have it.
Use Bleach.
Don't use bleach.
Get a hydrometer.
Don't get a hydrometer.
Skimp on equipment spend on ingredients.
Spend on equipment skimp on ingredients.
Save more by spending more now.
Save more by spending less now.

Hopefully you already have a thermometer or we'll give you a pro and con on that.

Your husband will love whatever you get him BTW.

I used bleach (and still do in a pinch) for years with no problems. It is simply a matter of measuring. If you can't use a measuring cup then you probably don't need to be brewing beer, unless that whole "Bottled beer taste in a can" thing has your redneck butt confused.

Keep the advice coming! I've been enjoying the comments so far...

We live in a rural area, so I probably will have to buy equipment and supplies on-line, but I did locate two home brew stores to visit on our upcoming vacation to get a better idea of what is involved.

Since my hobby is canning, we definitely have kettles big enough in the house to deal with the wort...I think whether or not I get sanitizer will depend on if I can put together a better setup piece by piece for the same amount of $ as a kit...

I am leaning towards spending a little more up front on equipment. My father is a compulsive upgrader, and well, since they've always been a two income family, they can afford it...

If hubby hates brewing, I can always give it a shot anyway! (I'm sure that he would be really sad to have to drink beer made by me!)

About the hydrometer...my father's one attempt at homebrewing (when several of the bottles blew up in the basement, and I get to clean it up...) was with just one bucket. I know that he HAD a hydrometer with it...not so sure that he used it properly! Now, would spending the money on the hydrometer (and using it correctly) help to avoid similar messes of glass and beer in my home? Or should using a secondary give it enough time to make sure not to have similar problems?

As for ingredient kits vs. recipes...I would really appreciate some simple recipes to start with to avoid kits (at least at first). Hubby is a big fan of wheat beers, but even a basic Coors/Bud/Miller type recipe would be great (assuming those are easy!)

-Lori

Check out Homebrewheaven.com Their delux kit is put together really well. Only thing you need to supply is a pot, something to stir with, and empty bottles. They even suppy a product for stripping lables from bottles. They ship out a book on brewing with the kits too.
You can add the first beer kit with it too.
I don't remember if the glass carboy was an option or not, but go with it if it is.

You don't reall yhwar about big explosions with beermaking too much. I'm not the expert around here by far, but I think it could well have been an infection (when some wild yeasts and bacteria get to working, more of the sugars are eaten and extra CO2 is released). It could have been adding too much priming sugar, DME. or whatever he was using to carbonate. It could have been that he screwed up and bottled before the beer was ready, which is what the hydrometer will help prevent.

I'm of the opinion that if you use a secondary, you'll do two things:

1. Get a better quality brew, since you are giving it time to condition and giving time for anything you don't want in there (hops, etc.) to fall out.

2. You're giving the beer plenty of time, in a sterile environment, to finish fermenting.

A hydrometer's fairly easy to use, and I'm not saying not to get one if you CAN afford it; given a limited budget, I'd go for a carboy to act as your secondary before spending the cash on one. You can always buy one later (and you probably will).

In any case, if you had $100 to allocate to the project, you should be able to get a decent kit and some good ingredients. A good HBS is nice to have, but you won't save money buying your stuff there; a lot of the online places have free shipping (not on carboys) if you spend a modest amount. You also might try and find a copy of Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing, a great resource when you're starting out. That's a real good investment, although this site and www.howtobrew.com will both also give you real good, free information.

If your getting the stuff via the Internet and buying a starter kit, I would get your stuff from Austins. Your going to spend more the $60 and there shipping is free after $60. They also have great ingrediant kits so all you have to know is what beer he is buying and loves from the store now (they are also inexpensive).

Here is thier web site:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/

You did not say what your definition of "on the cheap" is... but here is a nice kit there that is pretty all inclusive:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_358_52&products_id=400

Here is the index to their kits. Now all you need is know what beer he loves:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_21_46_43


As far as the bleach thing.... I'm not going there. What I will say though is that a good kit will have sanitizer included in it (and for some reason it never seems to include bleach incidently).

I do agree with homebrew_99. Spend as much as you can afford. They put these kits together so that you save money.

Hydrometers... eh.... many live without them. However, most kits that have any quality at all come with them. Again they are trying to save you money here and eventually... maybe he wont care with the first.... .or perhaps second, but if he does get hooked it will not be long at all before he buys one.

There is one thing that nobody mentioned yet. I think that it is just as important as everything here. That is a good book. For the beginner who wants the simpliest explaination there is on how to make great beer and stay saine there is no other book better then, "The complete joy of homebrewing" by Charles Papazian (generally known as "The Bible"). There certainly are other books out there, but in my opinion his book is still the simpliest and has enough meat in it to grow with. The recipes are also just about unfailable as you can get. The books you typically find in kits are more of a booklet. I have one.... even read it... once. It's collecting dust. You will easily find this at Borders or Barnes and Knobles, but here is the book at Amazon (of course you can get it when you order your kit too):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060531053/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Beer Snob said:

There is one thing that nobody mentioned yet. I think that it is just as important as everything here. That is a good book. For the beginner who wants the simpliest explaination there is on how to make great beer and stay saine there is no other book better then, "The complete joy of homebrewing" by Charles Papazian (generally known as "The Bible"). There certainly are other books out there, but in my opinion his book is still the simpliest and has enough meat in it to grow with. The recipes are also just about unfailable as you can get. The books you typically find in kits are more of a booklet. I have one.... even read it... once. It's collecting dust. You will easily find this at Borders or Barnes and Knobles, but here is the book at Amazon (of course you can get it when you order your kit too):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060531053/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

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COUGH, COUGH.... ahem....

C'mon, BeerSnob, am I really such a tool that you don't bother reading my posts?

Let me throw in my two cents...

I got a hydrometer with my kit...I've used it once. Just never felt the need to add a step. I do 1 week primary, 2 secondary, and thats seemed to work to make sure fermentation is done.

Make sure you get a bottling bucket, it makes bottling so much easier. There's no reason that bottling bucket can't also be your primary fermenter.

I have used One-Step, bleach, and Iodophor to sanitize, and they all work just fine, some are just simpler to use than others. I would recommend Iodophor, but there's nothing wrong with bleach.

Don't buy bottles! They are just too easy to get for free. You've got about three weeks from the time you brew to collect bottles, so go to bars, sports arenas, etc and ask if they'll save you non screw top bottles. You can use some screw top bottles too, but they are harder to cap and don't always cap right, use non screw top if you can. Also if your area has a freecycle group online post on there that you want bottles, specify dark and non screw top. And then if it looks like you won't have enough you can order some of the PET plastic bottles just to save money and tide you over until you can replace them. I haven't used them myself, but others have said they work fine and I believe they would be the cheapest option.

Just visited freecycle and posted about beer bottles. Great idea!!! I don't know when I would have thought of that!

Going to check at the library this afternoon for books on homebrewing, and if they don't have any I'll probably order "the bible" from Amazon used (it looks like they're available for about $5 there...)

-Lori

My somewhat-belated $.02...

Basic hydrometers cost less than 10 bucks. I'd get one. I'd have felt pretty anxious without one to tell me I was doing everything right on the first couple batches. Plus, every now and then you get a puzzling ferment and it does help to be able to take a reading.

I agree with those who say buy a basic kit of gear from a place like Austin Homebrew or morebeer.com. If he continues brewing at all, he's going to buy all that stuff soon anyway. If he doesn't enjoy the hobby (I'm sure he will), you could probably always recoup most of the expense selling the gear on e-bay or in a classified ad.

I'd also buy 2 different ingredient kits of beer styles that he likes. After 2 kits, he'll probably be ready to follow a recipe without a kit.

the_bird said:

COUGH, COUGH.... ahem....

C'mon, BeerSnob, am I really such a tool that you don't bother reading my posts?

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Oh no.... I actually did read it, just missed the part of book suggestion. My humble appologies Nice to know we both are reading the same books

This is my first post, since I am very new to beer brewing, and more of a reader than a poster, but I just had to chime in...

somekramers, you might just be the coolest wife EVER! Buying your husband the equipment to make beer without him even asking brings a tear to my eye. Assuming he is a beer drinker (of course!) you might just be one of the most thoughtful wives on the planet!

Somehow, reading this thread has very much brightened my day.

Thank you very much!

And if you have time, please phone my fiancee, she's a little upset about the mess in the kitchen. (First time bottling beer. If I had wrung out the mop, I might of had another six pack.!)

Cheers.

Rhino

somekramers said:

Hi all! I am planning on buying my hubby equipment to get started on home brewing. However, we have a limited income and want to get the most bang for my buck, so to speak! I have looked at a lot of the starter kits at different sites, and wonder if it might be cheaper (if not up front, in the long run) to buy the equipment seperately.

What basics can't you do without? I've read that the hydrometer is not neces....
-Lori

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OK Lori, as has been pointed out there are differences of opinion as to what is cheapest, best and easiest. The reason for this is that home brewing encompasses a wide range of activities. From extract to all grain and a jillion different styles to run with. To get the best advise from this crowd, you should refine your goals. What do you want?
1) Good beer? you can probably buy that and it's a whole lot easier
2) Cheap beer? you can buy that too but it's not necessarily that good
3) The fun of doing it? I can easily think of a few thing that are more fun

All three? that's a balance. Just remember KISS (Keep It Simple S.....) so you don't burn out before the fermentation stops.

I would start out slow with limited new equipment. If you are like my family, money is not the only limitation, time and space are finite here too.
- Get a simple "can kit" (John Bull or Muntons). Minimal expense, lots of variety (relative to the novice brewer) and very simple.
- Sounds like a 5 gallon pot is already at hand as are your normal kitchen utensils which will suffice for cooking it up.
- Sanitation is easy with soap first of course and then bleach. Just rinse off the bleach until you dont smell it, simple.
- For fermenter, one carboy will do nicely (glass is the way - sanitation and viewing pleasure) with a good air lock (also viewing pleasure) to make sure it's done before you bottle it (no hydrometer or refractometer or gas chromatograph needed either!).
- A racking cane and siphon tube are cheap but if you have some 3/8 copper tubing lying around, even cheaper.
- A bottling pail - you do wash clothes - buy the 5-gal bucket of detergent at Sam's next time and pour it up into a box(es). That is if you don't have 9 children to wash clothes for and won't use it up in a couple of months.
- Bottles - Mexican resturaunts go thru a lot of Corona. Ask them top save the bottles for you in return for a couple refilled with your first batch. You'll have more than you need in a few weekends. (Too bad you missed Cinco de Mayo.) I like clear bottles for the viewing pleasure (again) but they are stored in the dark to prevent skunking.
- A capper - required equipment and get a bench style not a two hander.

A good overview for beginners can be found at Greg Lemis's web site www.lemis.com/grog/brewing/cheapbeer.html. He has personally gone way past the simple though www.lemis.com/grog/brewing/.

In summation of my own 2¢...keep it simple, to keep it fun or it won't be worth it in the end

johnoswald said:

you should refine your goals. What do you want?
1) Good beer? you can probably buy that and it's a whole lot easier
2) Cheap beer? you can buy that too but it's not necessarily that good
3) The fun of doing it? I can easily think of a few thing that are more fun

- Get a simple "can kit" (John Bull or Muntons). Minimal expense, lots of variety (relative to the novice brewer) and very simple.
- A bottling pail - you do wash clothes - buy the 5-gal bucket of detergent at Sam's next time and pour it up into a box(es). That is if you don't have 9 children to wash clothes for and won't use it up in a couple of months.
- A capper - required equipment and get a bench style not a two hander.


In summation of my own 2¢...keep it simple, to keep it fun or it won't be worth it in the end

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Okay, really good points!

As for goals...all of the above!!! Mostly, I have been trying to find a good (preferably productive) hobby for my hubby for a while (he didn't like the idea of crocheting or knitting...but for some reason, making and drinking beer did appeal to him!) We like good beer...my family likes good beer (his family likes cheap beer...oh well! Can't please everyone!) I hate spending $8 a six pack, and it is harder to get good beer in a rural area.

As for the can kit idea...I was able to find Muntons no boil kits...is that what you mean? Or would any kit work (assuming I went with something easy, like extract brewing)? Definately want simple to start...

Bottling pail...I have about 3 of the Sam's club detergent buckets (cloth diapers mean lots of laundry!) already empty (some currently storing dog food and the like) Basically, would I just need to get a bottling spigot and drill a hole to install it?

Why in particular a bench style capper? Most of the equipment kits seem to come with the two hander...is that something that would probably end up getting upgraded pretty quickly if I bought an equipment kit?

Thanks for the great ideas!

I don't mind the two-handed capper. If you give him a hand while bottling, even better. Haven't used a bench-top capper, but I imagine it makes much more of a difference if you're doing the bottling by yourself. I also use mostly 22oz bottles (as well as some 16oz swing-tops) to limit the number of bottles I need to use.

It's a $15 or $20 difference between a two-handed and a benchtop capper, and in my opinion there are much better things to spend that money on. Again, I'll argue for a secondary fermenter (about $20), or spend that extra money on better ingredients. Better to spend that $20 on something that will make the beer taste better, rather than something that might make the process marginally easier.

Oh, and I want to change my answer on something else. Since my hydrometer came with my kit, I never paid any attention to how much they cost (always thought they were $15 - $20). I see on northernbrewer.com that you can buy a basic one for $6. For that cost - and I know Walker will probably be shooting steam out of his ears - I would get one, if it will make you more confident that you are doing everything right.

the_bird said:

I don't mind the two-handed capper.

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Ditto, it's what I have and I don't mind it. Will I upgrade in the future? Yeah, probably, but as of right now it's all I've used and it doesn't really bother me.

the_bird said:

Oh, and I want to change my answer on something else. Since my hydrometer came with my kit, I never paid any attention to how much they cost (always thought they were $15 - $20). I see on northernbrewer.com that you can buy a basic one for $6. For that cost - and I know Walker will probably be shooting steam out of his ears - I would get one, if it will make you more confident that you are doing everything right.

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Feel free to use whatever devices you want while brewing, but if you spend enough time on this forum, I think you will find that hydrometers generate more paranoia than they do peace of mind.

Now... that said....

I am going to switch to AG soon, and I'll probably start using a hydrometer to check my mash efficiency. After a number of AG brews are under my belt and my comfort level with a new way of brewing has risen, I'll probably re-retire the thing and start bad-mouthing it on the forums again.

I guess basically I'd say that there's nothing at all wrong with a kit like this...
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6873

You can pretty much build on these kits in the future without having too much extra stuff, or making your startup equipment obsolete.
Remember you'll also need to get a couple ingredient kits.

If you care to upgrade at all, start with adding a carboy, either glass or the plastic Better Bottle. Glass is the 'old reliable', while Better Bottles are lighter and safer.

somekramers said:

I hate spending $8 a six pack, and it is harder to get good beer in a rural area.

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aint it the truth

somekramers said:

As for the can kit idea...I was able to find Muntons no boil kits...is that what you mean? Or would any kit work (assuming I went with something easy, like extract brewing)? Definately want simple to start...

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the no boil is the simplest (but I boiled them just to make sure they and the utensils were complete aseptic).
I started with their Stout - still have the can label in my brew book!
You can then make a "True Brew" type kit. A little more to do and with OK instructions. After a few of these you'll know if this is what you want to continue with.

somekramers said:

Bottling pail...I ... Basically, would I just need to get a bottling spigot and drill a hole to install it?

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skip the spigot and use your cane and siphon tube to bottle

somekramers said:

Why in particular a bench style capper? Most of the equipment kits seem to come with the two hander...is that something that would probably end up getting upgraded pretty quickly if I bought an equipment kit?
.

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truth is the 2 handle capper is in the starter kit because it's cheaper. People learne to make do and not scale up. But, I know of no one who has gone to a 2 hander from a bench style. I personally don't like buying something and then setting it on the shelf. Sure it costs more but it won't be obsolete until you start kegging or invest in a lot of European beer (or the empty bottles).

Hydrometers are real cheap but also cheaply made - they don't last - CRACK!

A bottle brush? - you don't need it. A high strength bleach solution can soak off any residue easily over night (even the hop/yeast residue in the top of the carboy - just invert it carefully). If you rinse your bottles upon emptying, there is nothing to feed stray yeasts, ants and bugs. And, any bleach solutions can be re-used in the washer on a load of cloth diapers! (Experience knows)

Another word of advice. Those 5 gallon detergent buckets are great, but if they've actually had detergent in them, don't use them for for fermenting or otherwise directly touching the wort. I have one I thought I'd use, and even though I rinsed and rinsed and soaked with baking soda and bleach, the detergent smell and taste has never come out. So either buy new buckets, or ones that have had food product stored in them, like ketchup or pickles.

eviltwinofjoni said:

Another word of advice. Those 5 gallon detergent buckets are great, but if they've actually had detergent in them, don't use them for for fermenting or otherwise directly touching the wort. I have one I thought I'd use, and even though I rinsed and rinsed and soaked with baking soda and bleach, the detergent smell and taste has never come out. So either buy new buckets, or ones that have had food product stored in them, like ketchup or pickles.

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5 gallons of Ketchup or pickles? What kind of hot dog eatin' ARMY of a family they have over there?

the_bird said:

I don't mind the two-handed capper. If you give him a hand while bottling, even better. Haven't used a bench-top capper, but I imagine it makes much more of a difference if you're doing the bottling by yourself. I also use mostly 22oz bottles (as well as some 16oz swing-tops) to limit the number of bottles I need to use.

It's a $15 or $20 difference between a two-handed and a benchtop capper, and in my opinion there are much better things to spend that money on. Again, I'll argue for a secondary fermenter (about $20), or spend that extra money on better ingredients. Better to spend that $20 on something that will make the beer taste better, rather than something that might make the process marginally easier.

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When I got my pacemaker some months back, some of you might recall I had two carboys of beer, but was not able to bottle it. I had the two handed capper. Man... got the bench capper (think it was 20) and it was so incredible. Well at any rate it gave me the ability to bottle the beer when I couldn't otherwise. Never would have goten it had I not medically need it... now... wow... dont think I'll use the two handed one again

I got a couple of buckets (with lids) from the grocery store's bakery department. They are great because they are food grade buckets (had frosting in them!) and they were clean and free. You just have to drill a small hole in the top for the airlock or blow off tube. I ferment in them for a week, then rack to a 5 gal. carboy ($20).
However, we've talked quite a bit about kits. A good kit will run $80 and might be a good investment IF you actually going to purchase all those items separately anyway. I would invest in a glass carboy, a plastic bucket (either a free one or purchase a bottling bucket), the racking tube/cane, a long handled spoon, sanitizer, a capper and crown caps, a hydrometer, airlocks, and of course bottles (which I got for free).

So for the equipment I'd buy it would break down to something like this: Glass carboy (not necessary at all but I LOVE mine), $20; plastic bucket with lid, free or $14; racking cane, tubing, bottle filler, $10; spoon (already might have) $5; Sanitizer, $5 for a lot; capper and caps, $15; hydrometer, $6.50; airlocks, $1. So, for under $80 I got all I needed including a glass carboy. I bought food grade tubing at the hardware store for my blow off tubing for .39 cents a foot.

If you have a LHBS, it'd be worth it to stop in and talk to them and figure out what you'd like to get. Maybe your "must-haves" are different from other people's, so it's good to know what you want. A "kit" of the type of beer you like would be great to start. It would have everything in it, including a grain bag and caps and priming sugar. These are about $25 and make 5 gallons of beer.

Welcome to the most addicting hobby in the world- I'm new and I'm already obsessed.

Lorena

lorenae said:

Welcome to the most addicting hobby in the world- I'm new and I'm already obsessed.

Lorena

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What the hell is it about homebrewing that makes it such an obsessive hobby? I mean, I love working on the house, but I'm not at thisoldhouse.org eight times a day.

It's nice, I need something to think about besides work, but man...