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justvisiting

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Figure that title ought to get a few responses... :)

Hey all. As part of my family Christmas, I have drawn the name of one of my cousins, who is into homebrewing. I would like to get him a gift centered around homebrewing/beer, naturally, but my budget is limited. Are there any good ideas ingredient-wise (yeast, hops, etc.), or equipment ideas, that would work?

For reference, I know that in the past he has brewed Belgian dubbel, chocolate milk stout, kolsch, hoegaarden, sweet stout, pumpkin ale, pale ale, Scottish ale, Patersbier... to name several.

So, I humbly request any advice you may have.

Thanks!
 
Well, I'd like to keep it in the area of $25-35 (owing to the somewhat arbitrary 'guidelines' of my family for gift swaps).
 
I would go one of two routes, ask him what he needs (as he likely has tons of equipment and knows exactly what he wants as his next piece) or get him a gift card to More Beer, Midwest, or some other big online homebrew store.

If you are thinking about ingredients...

Yeast only if he uses dry yeast
A bag of 2 row is always welcomed
Hops...check out hops direct, (figure out if your cousin prefers whole hops or pellets) and get him a few pounds of the major ones like Cascade for his pale ale, Hallertau for his German beers, Fuggles for his stouts...make sure to keep in freezer until gift giving time.
 
A spare keg (if he kegs) might be handy and fits in the higher end of the price range you've listed.
 
I like the gift card Idea but rather then a big online store if there is a local store near you that he could drive to. I just know 25-35 gift certificate then he'll have to pay 7 or more for shipping.
 
I would dodge the recipe kit unless he uses kits on a regular basis. I know I wouldn't want a kit. Go with the gift card to his favorite homebrew shop.
 
The only reason I suggested a recipe kit was because he knows what he has brewed in the past and could pick one based on those. I for one wouldn't mind getting a random kit as a gift. Especially if it was a kit I might not normally pick up my self, but that's just me.
 
An exra fermentation bucket would be on the low end of the range and expand his capacity by a whole batch. If he's not absolutely loaded down with equipment this could be a good option.
 
I would vote for a recipe kit. gift cards are nice, but some people think they take less thought and are less fun when it comes to xmas shopping. my inlaws and wife have banned them from gift options at our annula xmas with them
 
On the off chance that your homebrewing cousin doesn't already have one, a digital kitchen scale is a great thing. They are in your price range, and are widely available. Homebrewers weigh hops, grain, priming sugar, malt extract, and I can't think of what else. A max capacity of about ten pounds would be adequate. Make sure it can weigh small amounts also, like quarter ounces.

Beyond that, a trip to the homebrew store might be in order. A glass hydrometer jar is a nice step up from the junky plastic ones that most of us have. For a few dollars more, stick an annealed glass hydrometer in it. Sure, he already has a hydrometer, but they break easily, speaking from experience. See if he has an auto-siphon; if not, that would earn you at least a hug if not eternal gratitude. And a 1000 ml Erlenmeyer flask is great for making yeast starters, whether he has a stirplate or not.

Gift certificate? C'mon. You're not a gift certificate person, otherwise you wouldn't have gone to the trouble of consulting this forum.
 
My wife banned gift cards too but I always loved them. Who knows better what I want then me.:) The reason I said not the kit is because some people, like me, think that formulating and perfecting the recipe is fun. Being handed a kit just takes half the fun out of the brewing for me. I only brewed 2 kits before moving on to making my own recipes. Maybe I am in the minority though, a lot of people do like kits.
 
Get him a 6 gallon Better Bottle. I'm sure he will put it to good use.

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I vote for a kit. Not just any kit though. Get one for a brew YOU like and then he might want to modify it to make it HIS recipe. All you are giving is a set of ingredients and I bet he will share a few bottles, if they turn out nice.

I told SWMBO if the kids ask, that a kit would be good, .
 
I vote for a kit. Not just any kit though. Get one for a brew YOU like and then he might want to modify it to make it HIS recipe. All you are giving is a set of ingredients and I bet he will share a few bottles, if they turn out nice.

I told SWMBO if the kids ask, that a kit would be good, .

Your signature implies a different response...


I personally would not be crazy about a kit, I enjoy the creation aspect of brewing as much as the brewing itself. And judging by the list of beers he's already brewed, he's far from a beginner.

I'm sure gift cards are not the #1 option, as a physical gift is always more welcome. Personally I would think the best option would be a custom gift basket. Go to a local homebrew supply store, and put together a collection of different malts, hops, yeasts etc. Much like a food basket with different jams and cheeses. Every brewer can use a selection of specialty malts and hops and would welcome the creativity of putting them to use.

Equipment is tough, because every brewer does things differently and you don't know what they need or want. Ingredients would be the best option, especially since this guy seems to enjoy brewing a diverse selection of beers.

Good luck.
 
if your cousin has brewed that much beer, it is hard for us to guess what equipment he does and doesn't have. there is plenty of stuff that falls in that price range, but he might already have an extra ____________.

it's hops season right now. you could order one or two different types of whole hops from hopsdirect.com, but you don't know what kind he would need, and he might not like whole hops. plus, that's enough hops to make 15 to 75 gallons of beer, maybe more.

the "beer kit" is a good idea, because you always use up the ingredients you buy. but if he brews all grain, he might not want an extract kit.
 
Extract or all-grain is the big question. I wold have to agree though, getting a variety of hops and specialty grains would probably be a good gift. Just make sure you store them properly until you give them away.
 
Gift cards are very impersonal. If he is already brewing beer he will have all the equipment he needs. You need to get something that you know he will use. ie a bag of 2-row malt or Maris Otter. Or a selection of speciality malts, thats what I would appreciate.
 
don't get him grain unless you are sure that he brews all grain (as opposed to extract), and be sure that he owns a mill. if he doesn't own a mill, you can not buy him grain.
 
You can buy him a small selection of specialty grains and spices that have long durability and wide use. If he doesn't do all-grain, I'm sure he does partial mash or specialty grains at the absolute minimum (there are no all-extract versions of Hoegaarden, for example, AFAIK).

A spare hydrometer could be nice.

I think a kit would be fine, but if you get a kit you should offer to be his "brew assistant" for that day. If you two are close enough that you like to spend time together, that could be an enjoyable afternoon -- it's more of an "experience" gift than a gift-gift. It has potential, for the right cousin. :)

A selection of premium import beers from a hoity-toity liquor store would also be keen.

(If my SWMBO reads this, the second and fourth are the best for me. ;))
 
+1 to the reply from Justibone, especially the part about the premium import beers. From the description you originally gave, your cousin is into all different kinds of beers, and tries to recreate them at home. So you can help expand his horizons.

And in case you haven't figured out what SWMBO means, it is an acronym for "She Who Must Be Obeyed," that is, the wife or significant other.
 
If he is into kegging, you can get some cool tapper handles in that price range. Many homebrewers are into vintage beer paraphernalia which can readily be found on eBay. You should be able to get some personalized mugs in that price range too. A stein might work too. I would go beer related over beer ingredients/equipment. A much easier decision to make not knowing what he needs.
 
ok, i partially retract my last statement. you could get him several small bags of specialty grains regardless of whether he does extract beer or all grain beer, and he won't need to mill that much for a 5 gallon batch, so he could use a rolling pin to do a pound at a time, or so.

just don't get him a one big sack of 2 row pale malt or marris otter.
 
I know I always like getting gift cards to the local home brew shop. I would say that typically gift cards are impersonal, but - to me at least - getting me a home brew gift card is way more personal than getting me one to Lowe's or Home Depot or something like that. It at least shows that you know my interests, and I can get something I like - unlike getting $25 worth of mulch.

You know you've used a gift card to buy mulch....I'm not alone here am I?
 
I don't understand why everyone is against a gift card. Me personally I'd love a gift card I don't give two sh!ts about thought. I don't expect my gift givers to research I don't need them to buy me stuff I have I would love a gift card I'd be a kid in the candy store
 
Mdwmonster, no your not. I used gift cards from getting married for groceries for like 6 months
 
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