Birthday Gift: Would you like it?

Hello, and thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

My husband has expressed interest in starting to brew beer at home, so I ordered some brewing supplies to give him as his 30th birthday gifts. I am looking for any feedback anyone is willing to provide about my purchases to tell me how i "did" as well as if there is anything else you think I should buy so that he can start brewing right away. Here is what I just bought:

1) A kit that includes:

6.5 Gallon Cylindro Conical Fermentation Tank
11.5” Food Grade, Alcohol Filled Thermometer
1 Large Nylon Mesh Grain Bag
6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket with Lid and Spigot
1 Drilled Rubber Stopper
Cleanser
Three-Piece Plastic Airlock
Food Grade Vinyl Transfer Tubing
Triple Scale Hydrometer with Instructions and Plastic Case
Durable, Double Lever Bottle Capper with Magnet
15” Spring Loaded Bottling Filler
15” Wire and Nylon Bottle Brush

($262.99)

Link: http://www.learntobrew.com/store/it...Conical_Fermentation_Beer_Kit_6_5_Gallon.html


2) An extract brewing kit of ingredients (he likes IPAs best)

"This India Pale Ale is big, bold and beautiful and has plenty of crystal and victory malt flavors, topped with tons of hops. This kit includes all the finest ingredients including malt, hops and yeast needed to make 5-Gallons of tasty brew. Also included in this kit are 50 crown-bottling caps and priming sugar. This kit comes with complete and detailed instructions that are easy to read and follow."

($36.25)

Link: http://www.learntobrew.com/store/it...act_Homebrew_Beer_Brewing_Ingredient_Kit.html


3. I also got a case of 12 oz standard brown bottles that take the crown caps (not included)

($19.99)

Link: http://www.learntobrew.com/store/item/1vtq4/-_Beer_Bottles/Bottles_-_12_oz_Standard_1_case.html



I just ordered these items and his birthday is next week, so I still have a little time to order anything I might have forgotten or maybe cancel anything that was a stupid purchase. Basically, I just want to know if I did a good job or if I wasted a lot of money! I also don't want him to get started and then realize I forgot to buy (whatever).


THANK YOU

Jackie

Looks awesome. The only thing I could think you're missing is a pot to boil it all in.

Prepare to share your husband with a new mistress -- beermaking.

I have no experience with conical fermenters, so I'll leave others to comment on that.

You'll need more bottles eventually. You also need some sort of sanitizing agent, most people seem to prefer Starsan.

After his b-day, you should tell him about this website...it's been absolutely invaluable to me as a new brewer.

will you marry me?

Yes you will need a large stock pot as well to get started. If you have one of 4 gallons or bigger that would be fine to start, but if your going to buying a new one you might consider getting a whole turkey fryer set up so that he can brew outside. I don't know what your budget is, but from the looks of it that is going to be a great gift.

A 5 gallon batch will take 48 bottles of the 12 oz. Size.

grace1760 said:

Prepare to share your husband with a new mistress -- beermaking.

I have no experience with conical fermenters, so I'll leave others to comment on that.

You'll need more bottles eventually. You also need some sort of sanitizing agent, most people seem to prefer Starsan.

After his b-day, you should tell him about this website...it's been absolutely invaluable to me as a new brewer.

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I wouldn't buy more bottles than that to start with. if you guys are regular customers of commercial craft beer than you will have no trouble accumulating pry top bottles. I think a case of empties would be good for a present, just so that its a great start on everything he needs, but the best way to get more bottles is just to drink the beer inside of them and save them.

One other thing you might consider getting him is a how-to book. There is tons of information online about the whole process, and its not hard to find, but some people would rather just have the hard copy in front of them.

Great job! Looks good, just a few things....

You do need a brew pot (stainless steel or aluminum), preferably something that can brew an entire 5-5.5 gallon amount if you don't have something already. Turkey Fryer pots work great.

A 5 gallon brew, which is what the kit is that you got, will need about 50-60 12oz bottles. The case you bought only has 24. Get two more, and another package of bottling caps just in case.

Also, get a 12 pack of his favorite beer so he can drink it while he brews his first batch, a pizza, and a naked time coupon. The coupon basically says that you walk around the house naked for an hour. My wife did it for me and I just want to help another homebrewer out... If he's smart, he'll cash that coupon in on brew day. So he has his basic man-like needs met:

1) He's brewing his first beer.
2) He has food.
3) He has beer to drink.
4) He has eyecandy (I'm not out of line, right? )

turtle said:

will you marry me?

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This

Definitely get some starsan and a regular old 5 gallon plastic bucket from the hardware store for sanitizing. And yes he needs a kettle. 10 gallons is best for 5 gallon batches. If you can afford one with a ball valve, that is ideal. An outdoor burner is also very nice to have and can be used for camping/picnicking/outdoor cooking as well. Brewing is a bit steamy and smelly (most of us think it smells good) so you might be doing yourself a favor by having him brew outdoors. To top it all off he needs a good brewing book. How to Brew by John Palmer is highly recommended. Great gift!!!!

If he gets into it, he will also want a kegerator.

WOW thanks so much to all of you! Great ideas, very funny and nice yet highly informed, I love it. I guess the good news for me about this gift is that I get to help drink the beer to accumulate bottles, but the bad news is I need to work out (thanks, GREGGERS! lol)

I will absolutely order the cleaning agent you suggested. The kit comes with "cleanser," but I don't know the brand or how much. We do have a turkey fryer, so I wonder if I could scrub it out and use that as the kettle pot and burner for now? We also have an old fridge in the garage that is currently the "beer fridge," so maybe one day that could be used for kegerating? I will get a washing bucket and how-to book, and I can't wait to tell him about this site! -J

I didn't see bottle caps in there. Make sure the kit includes at least 50 as that will probably cover the first batch. I think you'll need something called a racking cane as well, though that might be included in the "transfer tubing"

after looking at that I don't think you'll need the racking cane. But you will definitely still need bottle caps.

You are a wonderful wife, and you did a GREAT JOB! That's a very nice setup you bought. Those plastic conical fermentors work great.

The turkey fryer will be perfect. Since he'll be making extract batches at first, he'll really only needs to be able to boil about 3 gallons at a time. For cleaning old bottles (and maybe the turkey fryer) Sun Oxyclean, sold at Walmart, works really well. No need to spend more at a brew shop for that. But, I would buy the Star San as previously mentioned.

No, you shouldn't need a racking cane with the conical fermentor.

I also don't see any mention of a bottle capper. He wont need it till the end, but will need it to bottle the beer.

Just the usual "be very careful not to scratch the plastic" warning.

I boil in a turkey fryer and it works great.

FrewBrew said:

I also don't see any mention of a bottle capper. He wont need it till the end, but will need it to bottle the beer.

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A wing capper is included in the kit.

NWEagle said:

Just the usual "be very careful not to scratch the plastic" warning.

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This really isn't the problem so many people make it out to be. I've been fermenting in plastic since before some of these guys were born!

An auto siphon would be be great. Someone else also mentioned Starsan.

Another fermenting bucket would be god too, so he can let his brews sit in the fermenter for longer and still be able to brew again.

My wife bought me the stuff to start brewing for Christmas, so you are doing a good thing. I hope you like beer because there is going to be a lot of it around before you know it.

beergolf said:

An auto siphon would be be great. Someone else also mentioned Starsan.

Both are a must.

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Come on guys, pay attention and look at the kit in the link she provided. There is a bucket with a spigot and a conical fermentor with a transfer spout. There's no need for an auto-siphon.