Newbie buying equipment!

hey guys!
just a few questions, im going to be buying this kit "http://www.nthomebrew.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=56_19&products_id=1397"

come with:
fermenter with lid,
airlock,
siphon hose,
racking tube,
bottle filler,
sanitizer,
bottle brush,
double lever capper,
144 caps,
hydrometer,
'True Brew Handbook',
bottling bucket w/ spigot,
liquid crystal thermometer,
and all-malt ingredients for first batch. Batch size is 5-6 gallons (52-60 12 oz bottles.)


just wondering what else i would have to get, besides beer bottles of course.

thanks guys!!

the big thing you would need is a brewpot, the bigger the better, you might be able to get away with something as 3 gallons for extract brewing, I did that on my first batch and it was a total pain, but if you can get one 5 gallons or larger to prevent boilovers and so you have room to work... if your going to move on to all grain, you probably want 10 gallons or larger, somebody else would know better for that

bottles, dont forget bottles...

already got a brew pot

mother is all about making large batches of salsa and tomato sauce. she uses a 20 gallon pot and a nice propane burner, so im set for those two items.

also wondering...would it be bad to brew in my garage? im thinking to much bacteria/dust in the air. ill obviously bring the fermenters inside for them to ferment in room temperature.

Outside under a covered porch is better if you're using a propane burner - you want good, fresh air. During the boil, you don't want to cover your pot, but it's OK to put a towel over it after the boil is complete and you're cooling the wort down before pouring it into your fermenter. The towel lets out heat, and keeps things from falling into the brew.

Actually, this brings up one other thing you'll want to look into: a wort chiller. Many new homebrewers will put the pot into an ice bath in a deep sink to chill it down (you want to bring the temp down from 212*F -boiling- to ~70*F as fast as possible). When you're ready, you can switch to an Immersion Chiller, which is 25 or 50 feet of coiled copper tubing that you run cold hose water through to chill the wort. There are other, more advanced options for wort chillers, as well, but the Immersion Chiller is fairly easy to build yourself - check around the sticky threads on the DIY sub-forum here on the board.

Not essential but to make life easier, I would also suggest an Auto-Siphon for transferring and a Beer/Wine Thief for pulling samples easily. Both of these products are made by Fermtech and work really well...definitely worth the price on both items. I would also recommend a bottle tree. I assume you're bottling and this will make your life a lot easier through this process.

To answer your question about the garage, I always set my propane burner right at the edge of the bay door and typically leave the back door open for ventilation. I haven't had any problems with contaminants.

thanks for the info guys.

i think im going to invest in this kit:

http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/Deluxe-Equipment-Kit.html#

sucks that they dont deliver to canada, going to have to pick it up.
anyone know of any good companies in canada that ship?

You might also want to buy some real sanitizer. It took me three batches to realize that the sanitizer that came in my kit was really a cleanser.

Bigban said:

sucks that they dont deliver to canada, going to have to pick it up.
anyone know of any good companies in canada that ship?

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Locally, try http://www.homebrew-supplies.ca. All Canadian company.

From the US, I have bought from MoreBeer.com and Homebrew.com with great customer service. Lots of people also swear by AustinHomebrew.com. All three will ship by US Postal Service, if asked, which is a NECESSITY to avoid getting dinged by inflated brokerage fees ($40 - $80) by the major courier companies (e.g., UPS, FedEx).

yea i was looking for homebrew-supplies.ca but there starter kit just sucks in my opinion. all the ones from the states come with so much more equipment!

Bigban said:

yea i was looking for homebrew-supplies.ca but there starter kit just sucks in my opinion. all the ones from the states come with so much more equipment!

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I am not sure where you are, but most wine shops would sell almost everything you need for brewing. It would be much cheaper to go to a local store, if there is one near you.

Also, a lot of those 'big' beginner kits sell you stuff you don't need or they sell you a lower-grade version of a piece of equipment you are likely to just replace down the road (e.g., a cheap capper). Sometimes it is better to start with the essentials from a kit, and then add to it the specific things you want.