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Newbrew12

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Hey everyone. Name's Adam. I'm brand new to the hobby and am trying to find information on where to begin. I have an entire basement and crawl space, (that's a good amount colder) that I can use for my hobby. I have been trying to look around for info on how to do a beginner's set-up but I haven't really found anything other than those all in one home brewing kits. I don't really think I wanna go that route so I thought I'd ask and see if anyone had any advice or just had the info on how to build a home set-up. If I'm going about it wrong also let me know haha! I haven't started anything so any advice is much appreciated! Thanks in advance everyone :D
 
I bought a kit just like this one and it seemed to have everything I really needed to get started except for bottles, ingredients, and a brewing kettle. I've used it for more than a dozen batches and I really didn't need to buy more equipment. If you plan to do lots of beer, there are things to add to make it easier but this will do it.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-basics-equipment-kit.html

This kit is available from a number of different suppliers but I knew how to find it fastest on the Midwest site. This is not a recommendation for you to buy from any one supplier.
 
Get a basic kit to start with. Then get copper tubing and some plumbing fittings to make a wort chiller. Chillers are very expensive and you can make one for a third the cost. I was fortunate that I had a turkey fryer and a burner. My wife cans and I use her canners too.

You can't go wrong with the a kit. Welcome to the fun! :rockin:
 
I'd also suggest that you go out and buy yourself a book like John Palmer's How to Brew and do some reading if you haven't already. The knowledge you'll gain from doing so will also make your equipment purchasing make a lot more sense.
 
Good advice on kits and stuff and especially the chiller, soooo much easier with the chiller!

Howtobrew.com (basically the book online) is a great resource, other than here of course:D

Get the kit, get a 5 gallon pot (unless you are doing all-grain) and brew a batch. If it works then you have learned a lot and made beer, if it doesn't then you have learned a lot and will make better beer the next time:ban:

Just do it and keep asking questions here!

Good luck and welcome to the obsession, in case anyone hasn't told you yet you will most likely become obsessed with the first batch!
 
I suggest reading The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Lots of great info to help get you going.

Any of the major online HBS stores will have great starter kits to get you going. You may see if you have a local homebrew supply store and they can help you out too.

One thing most kits don't have is a wort chiller. Either get one or make one. Seriously. Do it. I mean it. NOW!!!
 
Welcome! Whatever you decide to buy, you can never have enough equipment, gadgets, or upgrades. I started out with a Mr. Beer kit as kind of a joke but before the beer was even ready I decided I wanted to make a decent beer and went to the LHBS (Local Homebrew Store) and talked to them to get me set-up for making my first extract batch. Am an all-grain brewer now. It is just a matter of doing what you can until you want to challenge yourself more by moving upward. To get started you only need some basic equipment to make beer on your stove and there is tons of info in here to help you identify that. Start with the basics you need and procure as needed. I also recommend John Palmer's book "how to brew" which was a wealth of information. Good luck, if you need any help or have any other questions feel free to ask, there are a ton of knowledgeable people here that are willing to help someone new, as we all started somewhere.
 
Stole my wife's stew pot::: bought a bottling bucket to use as a primary::: (brew)... Bought a plastic carboy, tubing and airlock (brew)... Bought another carboy (bottle, brew)...bought an autosiphon.

My point is... You can buy a whole kit or you can hustle up a boil pot and a bucket to get started...either way is fine :)
 
Stole my wife's stew pot::: bought a bottling bucket to use as a primary::: (brew)... Bought a plastic carboy, tubing and airlock (brew)... Bought another carboy (bottle, brew)...bought an autosiphon.

My point is... You can buy a whole kit or you can hustle up a boil pot and a bucket to get started...either way is fine :)

Agreed, start out with what you have, get what you need, and then dream for what you want (then eventually get it).
 
I bought a kit online to start but then realized I didn't have everything I needed and filled it in with stuff bought at my LHBS. They have a kit for sale that if I knew more I would have bought. It turned out to be cheaper than what I ended up spending. I have recently had to repalce the bottling wand that came in the the first kit (it did not stop when I pulled it out of the bottle.

Check out you LHBS and go from there. Mine has prices that rival many of the online deals. The starter kit there looks to be more expensive but as I said it wasn't.
 
Hey everyone. Sorry I thought it would email me when there was a response. it sounds like the way to start actually is a kit. Is anyone from the Denver area and have a lhbs they'd recommend checking out? I'm excited to get starter and will definately check out the book. I think reading is gonna be the best way to start out.that's what I did for my aquariums. Makes the most sense for this hobby too!
 
I borrowed "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" from the library and read through that pretty quickly. It gives enough info to get you started and quite a ways farther on your brewing. Then I bought "How to Brew" by John Palmer and I keep that handy to refer back to occasionally as it is more in depth.

Brewing can be as easy as it is described in "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" or you can spend the rest of your life exploring the nuances of temperature of the mash when doing all grain, the effects of different yeasts, hop selection and the changes from one season to the next, etc. Best of all, you can enjoy what you brew throughout the whole process.
 
Hello Adam, your best bet is to go with a kit verus piecing it all together (you will save a few bucks this way). I would recommend visiting your local supply shop or using one of these sites to buy the basic starter kit:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/starter-kits
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_33_52
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/equipment-kits.html

Compare all three (with shipping) to get the best deal, I think Midwest had the best. I would highly recommend sticking with the buckets versus buying a better bottle or a glass carboy kit....the reason being that they are easier to clean and as you are learning how to brew sometimes sanitation can ruin your beer.
I would recommend reading every book you can get your hands on, along with these two reference sites:
http://www.howtobrew.com/sitemap.html
http://www.mrmalty.com/

From here you will have to decide how you are going to cook your beer...on your stove or with propane...and since you are in a basement, if you decide to go propane make sure you can adequately ventilate your basement. If you decide to go propane, I would look for a turkey fryer, it comes with a huge cooking pot and with a propane tank you have a perfect cooker...Lowes has great deals on these.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_48651-58355...er&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=turkey+fryer

Now you will need to think about how to cool your beer...if you will only brew once in a while then creating an ice bath in a sink will work...if you plan to brew a couple times a month or more then I would strongly suggest buying or making a wort chiller...I personally went with a purchased stainless steel wort chiller for around $40 bucks from this guy:
http://nybrewsupply.com/products/wort-chiller-stainless-steel-immersion.php

With all of this, you should be ready to rock and roll for around $150!
 
Is anyone from the Denver area and have a lhbs they'd recommend checking out?

I'd be surprised if there is more than 1 or 2 within a reasonable driving distance from wherever you live. So, the question may well be, "where is the LHBS".
 
Well, I'm going to disagree with most of the posters in this thread. I would not recommend buying a kit. Most are either missing something you need, or have stuff you don't need.

So, here are my thoughts:
1. The most expensive item you'll need, which doesn't come in the kits is a brewpot. If you already have one skip to #2. If not, there are lots of options available depending on your wallet. But, IMHO, you should buy at least an 8 gallon pot, for the incremental difference of the larger pot, it will be much more versatile. If you have the ability to buy and convert a keggle, that's my favorite. I also think a spout on your pot is invaluable. Many people have used the aluminum turkey fryer setup from home depot with great success.

2. Instant read thermometer - you may already have one in your kitchen, but no real need to buy anything special at this point.

3. Hydrometer and test jar (I prefer a wine thief to the test jar because it will allow you to pull your sample and test in the same vessel and then release the wort back where it came from or into a glass to drink. The kits only come with a jar if at all)

4. You'll need 2 buckets, a 6 gallon fermentor bucket and a five gallon bucket for bottling. For the bottling bucket, I'd use a HD homer bucket and add a spigot to it. Buy the spigots at the LHBS and drill the holes yourself. The fermentor bucket just needs to be a larger bucket to allow for fermentation. Any 6 gallon plastic bucket with a lid will do. It doesn't need a spigot (although I still like one) but will need a hole in the lid for your airlock or blow-off tube. You don't need a secondary fermentor at this point.

5. Airlock or blow-off tube. On some really active ferments an airlock can get blown out, so I like the blow-off tubes better. A Blow off tube is simply a piece of tubing attached where the airlock would go with the other end in a bucket of water or sanitizer.

6. About 6' of vinyl tubing

7. A bottle filler wand. (the spring loaded type)

8. A Bottle capper - whichever type floats your boat, they both work.

9. Bottles and caps - ask friends, family, and local bars for the bottles. Don't buy them. I usually buy the cheap misprint caps.

10. Starsan or Iodophor Sanitizer (I prefer Starsan)

11. I make my own PBW cleaner by mixing 60% Sun Oxy Cleaner and 40% TSP 90. This will soak labels and any other gunk off nicely.

12. Immersion or other chiller, not absolutely necessary, but it speeds up the brewing day and will help you make better beer. Immersion chillers are pretty easy and cheaper to make yourself.

13. Another "nice-to-have" is a bottling sanitizer injector. It really makes bottling more enjoyable.

14. Read either Palmer or Papazian's book or both. Palmer's book can also be found online, but I understand it is not as up-to-date.

I think if you price these items separately, (especially if you buy the buckets and tubing at Home Depot or elsewhere cheap) you'll come out cheaper and better than buying a kit.
 
I'd also want to know what type of brewing you hope to do... What are your goals?

- Do you want to only brew extract or move on to partial mash or all grain at some point?
- Do you want to brew inside on you stove-top or are you interested in brewing on the deck/garage on a burner? Do you have a turkey burner?
- Do you want to bottle? Keg? Both? Have a kegerator?

BierHerr has some valid points... So do many of the others.
- I knew I 'wanted' to brew outside so I could easily boil the entire volume of wort. I chose to convert a keg into a boil kettle and boil on a propane burner.
- I knew that I 'wanted' to chill my wort as quickly as possible to avoid off flavors like DMS, so I bought a good immersion chiller.
- I needed to know temps, so I bought a floating thermometer.
- I needed to take OG/FG readings, so I bought a GOOD hydrometer. I like the wine theif as well, but it was a want, not a need, that I added later on.
- I needed a fermenter... I bought the True Brew buckets. I've subsequently moved on to 6.5gal, glass carboys as primaries and 5gal, glass carboys for secondaries (which I rarely use unless doing something special). If I had it to do over, I'd do the same thing becasue I now use my old fermenter to measure water volumes, and I still use the bottling bucket to bottle.
- I needed airlocks/blow-off tube. I've been lucky, I've only used the 3-part airlocks... Most would recommend the blow-off tube. If I had to pick one, go with the blow-off tube, it'll work for ALL situations.
- I needed transfer tubing. I eventually bought an autosiphon and love it. Totally a want, not a need...
- I needed cleaner/sanitizer... I use EZ Clean/PBW to clean and StarSan to sanitize.
- I bottle and keg. To bottle, see BierHerrs coments on bottles/caps/bottle capper. To keg, add Cornelius kegs, CO2 tank, Regulator, Picnic tap etc.
 
I recommend a kit. Having priced kits and separate items I have found that kits almost always end up cheaper than buying everything separate. Especially if you go get it from an online store with flat rate shipping.

Yes, there will likely be a couple of things that you will want to get soon, but most kits come with everything you need to get started, and there are so many kit combos that you should surely find one with nearly everything.

First, find what you have on hand at home, then look at kits online. It really depends on how much you can afford to spend to start. I highly recommend a chiller if you have extra $$ to buy one, but it won't stop you from brewing, and that's the case for many items.

The big thing is to buy a good sanitizer like Star San or Iodophor (I like starsan) and choose the fermenter type you wish to use. I like buckets better than carboys for beer, but we could start an argument by discussing it now. Do a search. There is a spot with a this vs that sticky that has all of the discussion on the hot topics. Very useful to browse that thread.

Get a kit, pick an ingredient kit and brew something! It's not that hard and you will have lots of time to tweak your methods and your equipment as you go along.
 
Hey everyone. Sorry I thought it would email me when there was a response. it sounds like the way to start actually is a kit. Is anyone from the Denver area and have a lhbs they'd recommend checking out? I'm excited to get starter and will definately check out the book. I think reading is gonna be the best way to start out.that's what I did for my aquariums. Makes the most sense for this hobby too!

If you go to your "Subscribed Threads" you can change the notification to "Instant email notification" instead of "Daily email notification".

There are actually several shops along the front range, and one is probably close to you.

I frequent www.brewhut.com on the South West corner of Chambers and Hampden. They also have a brewpub associated with them called Dry Dock. You can shop for supplies with a glass of their brew in hand. :rockin:

There is also Beer & Wine At Home Inc
4393 South Broadway, Englewood, CO 80110 (303) 789-3676 ‎ beerathome.com

They also have a location further north.
Beer At Home Inc
1325 West 121st Avenue, Denver, CO 80234-2078 (720) 872-9463 ‎ beerathome.com

There are others, but I have not been to any of them. "Homebrew Denver" turned up a few in Google.

PM me if you want to come over sometime when I am brewing. I am near Tower and Quincy.
 
Hey there again everyone. Thanks for even more info. My internet wasjust installed so I will be able to respond more in depth not having to use my phone. As far as budget I didn't have a set number. I figure if it gets pricey I can buy in pieces but it sounds like I'm going to hit the lhbs this weekend and see what's out there. Ill also pick up the books and get to reading. I would eventually like to brew a few times a month but I really news to get the knowledge first. I'd love to come by and see you brew dahoov. I'm in highlands ranch. I'm going to do some research tonight after work and sew what I can find. I'm super excited though!
 
Welcome to the fray NewBrew! I too am a new brewer having just bottled my first batch on Sunday. I'm also right down the road in Littleton, Roxborough actually. If that is an open invitation Dahoov, maybe we could set up an impromptu brew day at your place!!
 
Hey there! I actually lived in Roxborough for the past 10 years. I was just there tonight helping my parents rebuild their fence from that last wind storm out there. They are out off of village circle west. I think it would be awesome to get a New Brewers group together so we can try what each other make and see the progress. Not sure if there's any clubs or what not out here.
 
Yeah, you can't really go wrong with a starter kit. Even if you do go on to all grain, nothing in the kit is really "wasted". You'll just keep buying more and more things lol. You will eventually want a wort chiller, but when I did extract I just used frozen water bottles. I got my wort chiller here: http://www.nybrewsupply.com I was pretty happy with the price- 50 foot 1/2 inch chiller shipped for under $100. I looked into making my own but the one I bought had the hose nozzles already braized on, it looks good, and doesn't leak.
Start collecting pop top bottles, you can never have enough.
 
Newbrew12 said:
Hey there! I actually lived in Roxborough for the past 10 years. I was just there tonight helping my parents rebuild their fence from that last wind storm out there. They are out off of village circle west. I think it would be awesome to get a New Brewers group together so we can try what each other make and see the progress. Not sure if there's any clubs or what not out here.

Thats great! We live off of Village Circle too, the one that the Intermediate school is on. That would be cool to get a club going of people in Roxborough, Highlands Ranch, and Littleton.
 
Another good resource, which takes patience is craigslist, you'll often see someone selling their kits there. You might not see something right away but if you are patient and look daily/weekly you can usually find something. I once got a killer deal one 4 6.5 gallon carboys (which go fast if they're priced right).
 
I would step down to a kit that doesn't include a secondary...you will here apposing views on this, but many of us make great beer without a secondary...and because you are new to the process, it will be one more chance for you to expose your beer to bacteria and foreign yeast that can effect your beer...summary, I would get there cheapest kit and add on a second primary fermenter.
 

That is the kit I bought when I started. I use everything in the kit and have been happy with it.

It doesn't come with a thermometer so you will need to pick one up. They don't include a real test jar for the hydrometor either, just the plastic holder that it comes in...so I added a Wine Thief: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/fermtech-wine-thief.html

I also added a Carboy Handle, not necessary, but it makes moving the glass carboy around a bit easier: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/carboy-handle-5-and-6-gallon-carboys.html

And this funnel w/strainer: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/8-funnel-with-strainer.html

Although, like the reviews say it clogs up pretty quick. I would recommend either a metal strainer or nylon straining bag or paint strainer.

Order or pickup some Star San (or sanitizer of your choice) and cleanser right away as well. It only comes with enough Easy Clean for one batch.

As others have said, I too compared the cost of buying a kit vs. buying everything individually. Each time, buying the kit online came out as a better value.

Like I said, I use everything that came with my kit. I have added a few things along the way and want to add more, but the kit above with the additions I listed are all you 'need' to make good beer (not counting the kettle of course).
 
So I went around to some of the LHBS today and I got a couple opinions so I thought I'd check here before ordering my kit. I have seen kits with two Carboy's and a Bottling bucket; and I've seen one Carboy, a fermenter and a bottling bucket. I've also seen glass vs plastic carboys. I kind of like the idea of two glass carboy's but I'm new so that could just be a beginner's eye picking out something that just looks nicer over something that would actually work better without knowing it.
 
As far as the primary goes personal taste prevails. There is no reason not to ferment in a bucket. I like to watch the action so I primary in glass. Over the years I have acquired a few (SWMBO says overabundance) glass carboys. A couple drawbacks for glass. They are heavy, and must be handled with care. A mix of broken glass and beer is a tedious cleanup.

A lot of people will only use a primary. This helps to lessen the possibility of contamination. When you transfer to a new vessel you run the risk of introducing bacteria that may affect your final product.

I personally will rack to my bright tank (commonly mis-labeled as "secondary") after the bulk of the fermentation is complete and when I am within a few points of where I believe my final gravity will be.

By the way your PM box is full.
 
Ya I keep getting the PM box full text to my phone. Any way to not save them? It only allows me to have 5 between received and sent. I honestly like the idea of the glass to watch the fermentation as well instead of the bucket
 
Ya I keep getting the PM box full text to my phone. Any way to not save them? It only allows me to have 5 between received and sent. I honestly like the idea of the glass to watch the fermentation as well instead of the bucket

Only way to save more than 5 in HBT is to buy a premium membership.

I like to sit in the closet with my fermenter, a flashlight and a beer. SWMBO thinks I am off my rocker. She is probably right.....
 

Congrats! One thing you should know though, both of those better bottles are 5 gallons, so they are a bit small for primary fermentation. You will lose a lot beer from blow-off. The 6.5 gallon bucket is meant for primary. I only mention this since you wrote that you like the idea of watching the fermentation in action. Just thought you should know ahead of time.
 
I was thinking I'd use the bucket for primary and then the better for secondary and then I'd have a spare in case I felt like doing a second batch, or ruined one bottle, or whatever happened. I need to go get a kettle still Dahoov. The place out off chambers had a big one for $44 they say transfers the heat better because of how it's made or something. Not sure if that's true so if I can get one for $33 I'm all in
 
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