Home made kit for home made brew

In researching kits on various websites i realized that they are all basically the same and that all the components seem pretty easy to gather from your local walmart. for instance you could use a 6 gallon water jug (similar to better bottle but very much cheaper) then it seems like all you need is a hose to siphon between pot to fermenter to bottling bucket. Am i completely wrong in this reasoning? Do the kits come with certain parts I couldn't get from a local hardware store? And has anyone done this? Thanks in advance.

Hmmmm

better bottles are NOT water bottles. Do a search on this website. You will see long threads on the subject.
Don't think you can get:

bottles
capper
hydrometer
airlocks
bottle filler
racking tube
carboy brush
sanitizer

You could get a good:
kettle
bottle brush


I don't mean to rain on your parade at all, but the price of getting into this hobby is about as cheap as it comes. Do yourself a favor and make a cheap kit from a HBS with free shipping if you don't have one close. Good Luck!!

I wouldn't use a regular garden hose to siphon beer. I guess they're not I just read the previous post Being that they're not clear you would never know for sure if you have them clean, plus bottling would be almost impossible. Besides siphon hose intended for beer isn't that expensive.

I think there are some things you can cheap out on or buy something similar that works at a hardware store or Wal-Mart, but still think you're best bet is to start out with a kit. This way you know you have everything you need and can always add on to it.

yeah i think im going to go with the kit their not expensive at all i was just wondering, lol and i wasnt going to use a garden hose.

I am sure everyone has had different experiences with building their setups.

Some swear by glass, some swear by better bottles, I myself have had no problem with 5 gallon water bottles.

You can pretty much find everything you need at walmart, lowes, or here and there.

There are somethings that will be specific to an LHBS:
hydrometer
capper
caps

As you start to get into it more you can always upgrade to bigger and better, or not.

I purchased a
hydrometer
The Thief
airlock
racking tube
carboy brush
sanitizer
Large Pot
bottle brush
From local Stores such as Save on foods cheaper than I could have at other locations.

The most basic set up for Extract I would say is.

2 x 5gallon plastic pails ( you could get away with 1)
1 x lid for above (but they normally come with a lid each.
1 x bung
1 x air lock
2 x metres of food standard vinyl tube 10mm
1 x thermometer

Then you'd need your ingredients.
Bottles (swing top) or caps and capper
A cleaning/sanitising agent (bleach can do)

And the most important thing, knowledge and patience.

Next step,
Hydrometer. Large boiling vessel and a method of chilling. Good cleaner/sanitiser (Oxy Clean, Idophor)

From there the sky is the limit.

I think I have a good compromise.

http://www.orfyblog.com/brew/index.htm

Ah yes, one thing i have failed to find anywhere but HBS are bungs.

jbreiding said:

Ah yes, one thing i have failed to find anywhere but HBS are bungs.

Click to expand...

which is weird cuz I run into bungholes everywhere I go!

Mr Nick said:

I purchased a
hydrometer
The Thief
airlock
racking tube
carboy brush
sanitizer
Large Pot
bottle brush
From local Stores such as Save on foods cheaper than I could have at other locations.

Click to expand...

Just curious, but what kind of local store sells airlocks?

Tubing can be had at Farm stores, but are they food grade?

homebrewer_99 said:

Just curious, but what kind of local store sells airlocks?

Tubing can be had at Farm stores, but are they food grade?

Click to expand...

Save on Foods..... has a brewing section I have seen glass carboys there as well.

I've made a ton of homebrew equipment. Some things you can get at the hardware store (plumbing fittings, food grade tubing, stainless hardware, etc). Other things are very homebrew specific (most have already been mentioned). There are plenty of reasonable substitutions out there, just be careful what you use (make sure it's food grade and won't leech chemicals/compounds into your beer).

well i ordered the kit off morebeer.com with the glass carboy. Im lazy and figured it'd be better for it all to arrive at my door one day than me running around town gathering up supplies. I didn't get a boiling pot, but im from louisiana home of the boiled crawfish and im sure one of my smaller rigs is more tahn enough to do the job. What should i use to clean my pot (i believe its aluminum if that matters)? Is bleach a good idea?

LouisianaKid said:

What should i use to clean my pot (i believe its aluminum if that matters)? Is bleach a good idea?

Click to expand...

Aluminum is fine. (Enough on that subject!) Keep bleach away from it though. I'd suggest a good long soak in hot oxyclean solution, followed by some barkeepers friend liquid cleanser on the tough spots.

Before brewing, make sure there is no residual smell from your crawfish boils.