Know of any brew kits with wort chiller under $200?

I am new to HBT and this is my first post! I am wondering if there any brew kits with a wort chiller for around $200.

So far my favorite kit is the Northern Brewer Deluxe Starter Kit w/ glass carboys for $166.99. I think this is a good kit because it comes with 2 glass carboys. Are there any better kits out there for the price? I am interested in 2stage fermentation.

Any info would be great for a new home brewer.

This ones over the budget but it also includes an 8 gallon kettle with valve so you can do full volume boils.

http://morebeer.com/view_product/15912/102142/Personal_Home_Brewery_%234_-_Bottling_Super_Deluxe

Or you could order a kit like this:
http://morebeer.com/view_product/15910/102142/Personal_Home_Brewery_%232_-_Deluxe

and add a wort chiller for $60-$70.. ( you could always make your own for cheaper if wanted, search for the build threads on this forum )

I think those kits are just average with the plastic carboys. But thanks for the feedback.

I feel glass carboys are overrated. Buckets work just as well and are cheaper, easier to use, and easy to clean.

At the very least, if you get glass carboys make sure you get a carboy carrier that fits them, or else you are likely to hurt either yourself or your beer.


To be honest if I had to start brewing all over again, I wouldn't buy a kit. I also wouldn't start with a 5 gallon kettle...that's a mistake IMO.

You can pick up a basic starter kit for around $100 and get a wort chiller for around $75. You could also make one for less than that.

+1 to just using plastic buckets. I have a better bottle and really don't use it all that often. Mostly just to secondary a beer if I'm brewing a second batch right behind the 1st one.

I'm new to brewing also and I bought this for about 90 bucks and made a decent wort chiller for about $18. Actually the kit was cheaper since I live near the store and went there in person.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-starter-kit.html

If you want to do a bit more "DIY" you could rig you set up yourself. Thanks to a lot of the guys and their wealth of knowledge on the forum, you can do more for less.

Personally, I only ordered what I needed (hydro, sanitizer, airlocks etc), Made my own wort chiller Bottling bucket, and mash tun w/ spigot. I used HDPE 5 gal buckets (for 4 gal batches), and built a ferm chamber all for under $200. I had alot of stuff around the house.

But in the end its do what you want. Good Luck!

weirdboy said:

I feel glass carboys are overrated. Buckets work just as well and are cheaper, easier to use, and easy to clean.

At the very least, if you get glass carboys make sure you get a carboy carrier that fits them, or else you are likely to hurt either yourself or your beer.


To be honest if I had to start brewing all over again, I wouldn't buy a kit. I also wouldn't start with a 5 gallon kettle...that's a mistake IMO.

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Well if i should not buy a kit then how should i get started???

I really like the buckets too. I just got to the stage where I replaced them with new ones. The old ones will come in handy for sanitizing, storing grain/ equipment etc.

wolfgre said:

Well if i should not buy a kit then how should i get started???

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Well, we can help you with that. Need to know if you're doing full or partial boils. Need to know if you're doing extract w/ steeping grains, partial mash, or jumping right into all-grain. Sounds like you're doing 5gal batches and you want to secondary. Give us some more info and we can help you design your own customized badass kit :rockin:

Also, would be good to know if you are much of a DIYer

moosetav said:

Well, we can help you with that. Need to know if you're doing full or partial boils. Need to know if you're doing extract w/ steeping grains, partial mash, or jumping right into all-grain. Sounds like you're doing 5gal batches and you want to secondary. Give us some more info and we can help you design your own customized badass kit :rockin:

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Well im doing whole 5g extract batches with specialty grains with secondary fermentation. A custom kit sound cool.

I learned two things while hanging out on these boards for (now) a year.

First: Glass carboys are over-estimated. They can be very dangerous and they are expensive. Still, they get the job done. But, even if we know buckets are more permeable to oxygen, I think nobody has ever seen a hard evidence of oxidation due to using plastic buckets.

Second: Doing secondaries are useless (well, useless if you are not dry-hopping, doing a fruit beer, or plan on fermenting for an extended period of time). People, here, are now doing only primaries with great results. Some even go as far as to say that the results are way better (clearer beers) with primaries only! Ask Revvy about it!

Erythro73 said:

I learned two things while hanging out on these boards for (now) a year.

First: Glass carboys are over-estimated. They can be very dangerous and they are expensive. Still, they get the job done. But, even if we know buckets are more permeable to oxygen, I think nobody has ever seen a hard evidence of oxidation due to using plastic buckets.

Second: Doing secondaries are useless (well, useless if you are not dry-hopping, doing a fruit beer, or plan on fermenting for an extended period of time). People, here, are now doing only primaries with great results. Some even go as far as to say that the results are way better (clearer beers) with primaries only! Ask Revvy about it!

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So, i should go the cheaper route and just use buckets? I do think i looks cool to see the fermentation in action. If i buy a recipe that tells me to do secondary fermentation for a week or more should i skip that step since it it only for clarity? All i am looking for is a great tasting product! Not too worried about how it looks. My main concern if i buy a IPA recipe that calls for secondary fermentation should i do it or not?

wolfgre said:

So, i should go the cheaper route and just use buckets? I do think i looks cool to see the fermentation in action?...

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I think Lowes and or HD sell the LeakTite (or similair buckets) which are almost clear. i know lowes has them in 5 and 3.5 gallons. You should be able to see some of the fermenetation, but not as clear as a glass carboy or Better Btl.

As for the recipe instructions, from what I read and I'm sure others will chime in just add the secondary time on to you primary time. It's what plan on doing in a few weeks when my first two batches are ready for secondary.

To me its the end product more than the process. If you get good beer, you get good beer, doesnt matter what you use.

WCrane said:

I think Lowes and or HD sell the LeakTite (or similair buckets) which are almost clear. i know lowes has them in 5 and 3.5 gallons. You should be able to see some of the fermenetation, but not as clear as a glass carboy or Better Btl.

As for the recipe instructions, from what I read and I'm sure others will chime in just add the secondary time on to you primary time. It's what plan on doing in a few weeks when my first two batches are ready for secondary.

To me its the end product more than the process. If you get good beer, you get good beer, doesnt matter what you use.

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Well if i can just add the time for secondary fementation to the primary then that will save me some money. Is this what everyone does???

wolfgre said:

So, i should go the cheaper route and just use buckets? I do think i looks cool to see the fermentation in action. If i buy a recipe that tells me to do secondary fermentation for a week or more should i skip that step since it it only for clarity? All i am looking for is a great tasting product! Not too worried about how it looks. My main concern if i buy a IPA recipe that calls for secondary fermentation should i do it or not?

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Buckets versus carboys is entirely a matter of preference. If you enjoy watching the yeast show then spring for the carboys and handle them with care. If you'd rather save some money buckets or will get the job done. Another alternative is better bottles which are clear so that you can check out what's happening inside, but they're plastic and less dangerous.

For my money I think carboys also have a unique, harder to quantify charm that says artisinal/DIY, but then again you won't be spending my money - it's all about what you prefer.

As far as secondary fermentation... you'll find a variety of opinions. I only bother with them if I'm making some kind of addition after the beer has attenuated (dry hopping, fruit additions, etc.). I've done it both ways and I just don't see the need to bother. Other people swear that they can get their beer clearer if they have a transfer to secondary. So your mileage may vary. Whether you're going to transfer or not just maker sure that the beer has ample time to clean/clear up and you'll be in good shape.

What is the benefit of dry hopping? That is when you add dry hopps to the top of the carboy right?

WCrane said:

I think Lowes and or HD sell the LeakTite (or similair buckets) which are almost clear. i know lowes has them in 5 and 3.5 gallons. You should be able to see some of the fermenetation, but not as clear as a glass carboy or Better Btl.

As for the recipe instructions, from what I read and I'm sure others will chime in just add the secondary time on to you primary time. It's what plan on doing in a few weeks when my first two batches are ready for secondary.

To me its the end product more than the process. If you get good beer, you get good beer, doesnt matter what you use.

Click to expand...

SMARTEST RESPONSE THUS FAR IN THIS THREAD... ^^^^^^^^^^

I was going to say check out Home Depot but he beat me to it... If I had done more research in DIY projects for brewing I would have totally bought one of their 5 gallon jugs (currently on sale for 18.95) these ARE FOOD RATED a.k.a BEER RATED and are perfect for a primary. Sure saves some serious coin with a 200.00 budget... use that towards recipies and a worth chiller/ stockpot for making your wort...

also keep in mind sanitation! sanitize all your equipment THAT IS KEY... I suggest picking up some oxi clean (non scented) and some star-san. Good luck with brewing its very addictive

wolfgre said:

What is the benefit of dry hopping? That is when you add dry hopps to the top of the carboy right?

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Basically its to get more hop aroma without adding more ibu's or bitterness to the beer. I started with the morebeer kit and it was a very nice way to start. The pot that comes with the kit is great its 8 gallons has a stainless ball valve and thermo port all ready to go. Also it comes with 24 bottles all the stuff to do it right cleaners and whatnot and also ingredients for thier light ale. If you compare it to other kits you will see that between the chiller pot new clean bottles starsan PBW etc. etc. that it's not that expensive in the long run.
As far as secondaries go I don't use them either unless I'm adding oak chips of something special. I use better bottles and glass but the glass is usually used for stuff thats goin to sit for a couple of months. Glass is good but dangerous I never put my glass carboys on anything hard(wood floor cement asphalt etc..) they always have a carpet tile or milk crate between them. With that ramble done I think one of the most important things is getting the biggest pot you can cause once the bug bites you you're going to be spending every spare dollar on new brew toys

now i am looking at this kit http://www.midwestsupplies.com/everything-a-carboy-complete-brewing-package-equipment-kit-2.html

i think it is the best deal and it comes with a stainless brew pot.

What do yall think?

That's what I bought and I am very happy with it.

awesome with this i can even make 2 batches at once which will be great i just need more bottles!

You usually don't want to ferment in the bottling bucket (but you could ferment a smaller batch in the carboy if you decided not to secondary).

Wolf is your head spinning yet with all the options?? lol....

wolfgre said:

now i am looking at this kit http://www.midwestsupplies.com/everything-a-carboy-complete-brewing-package-equipment-kit-2.html

i think it is the best deal and it comes with a stainless brew pot.

What do yall think?

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I think it's a pretty good deal. You can pick the pieces seperately and save a few bucks but it's probably not going to be too terribly much. Plus, with that package you get a kit to brew.

You mentioned a wort chiller before which isn't in that kit. I would suggest building your own. There are tons of threads on the site that would help you do so.

One thing, and it really doesn't matter, is that if you decide to step up to full boils, you'll need a bigger pot than that. It's not a big deal because you can find them online for cheap (Aluminum pots especially. Don't worry, Al won't kill you).

Lastly, make sure to get a better book than what they're showing in the picture. Palmer's "How to Brew" and Papazian's "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing" are both great choices. I have that book in the pic and it's crap.

My opinion is pull the trigger and place the order. Happy brewing

edit forgot you're also going to need SANITIZER, not just that cleanser stuff, and a bigass spoon.

wolfgre said:

now i am looking at this kit http://www.midwestsupplies.com/everything-a-carboy-complete-brewing-package-equipment-kit-2.html

i think it is the best deal and it comes with a stainless brew pot.

What do yall think?

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It's a good choice. I'd definitely opt for the plastic carboy, mainly because of the weight and things like this: http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/brokencarboys.html (and in almost all those cases, they lost their beer too!)

If you decide to use glass, be careful and never pick up a full carboy directly (milk crates or brew haulers are your friends).

802VermontHomebrew said:

SMARTEST RESPONSE THUS FAR IN THIS THREAD... ^^^^^^^^^^

I was going to say check out Home Depot but he beat me to it... If I had done more research in DIY projects for brewing I would have totally bought one of their 5 gallon jugs (currently on sale for 18.95) these ARE FOOD RATED a.k.a BEER RATED and are perfect for a primary. Sure saves some serious coin with a 200.00 budget... use that towards recipies and a worth chiller/ stockpot for making your wort...

Click to expand...

Yeah they are great, but not if you want to use them as primary fermenters for 5 gallon batches. They're just too small.

SumnerH said:

It's a good choice. I'd definitely opt for the plastic carboy, mainly because of the weight and things like this: http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/brokencarboys.html (and in almost all those cases, they lost their beer too!)

If you decide to use glass, be careful and never pick up a full carboy directly (milk crates or brew haulers are your friends).

Click to expand...

dang after reading that forum about broken carboys it makes me nervous working with them. I guess i will have to buy some carrying straps or something...

weirdboy said:

Yeah they are great, but not if you want to use them as primary fermenters for 5 gallon batches. They're just too small.

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They work well for sub-4 gallon batches, My stove wont push a full 5 gal batches, So I improvised (split boils/ smaller batches) and I had a great first couple brews I paid like 8 bucks for two buckets, two lids and a pack of grommets at Lowe's.

So many things factor in when deciding what to do. It gave me headaches. For me I do/plan to do smaller batches more often. That way I can have more variety more frequently for a bit less $$. I also wanted a small foot print for storage and for brewing to appease the SWMBO. It's just me drinking them and my FIL and a a few friends on rare occasion. SWMBO doesn't drink beer but once in a while.

What ever floats you boats or finds your lost remote...

wolfgre said:

dang after reading that forum about broken carboys it makes me nervous working with them. I guess i will have to buy some carrying straps or something...

Click to expand...

Plastic carboys are lighter, too. Even without the safety issues I'd prefer them.

They can scratch more easily; I find that's not a big deal in real life, since I never scrub them with anything (rinse well, soak in oxiclean for an hour, rinse well again). Others disagree and prefer glass.

moosetav said:

One thing, and it really doesn't matter, is that if you decide to step up to full boils, you'll need a bigger pot than that. It's not a big deal because you can find them online for cheap (Aluminum pots especially. Don't worry, Al won't kill you).

Click to expand...

+1 on the bigger kettle if you plan on doing full 5 gal boils, wolfe. you won't regret going bigger to start. the classified section here, and occasionally craigslist if you are patient, can be gold mines for good deals on kettles and extraneous brew gear.

and welcome to the hobby/obsession wolfe

I never primary beer in a carboy. too messy, pain to clean, yada yada. bucket primary, and if I secondary, it goes in glass.

you definitely don't need one, let alone two glass carboys to make outstanding beer. its cool to see your beer ferment, sure, but that's not the point of this endeavor

While looking for a kit myself I stumbled accross this kit for $189.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/COMPLETE_BREWERY_WITHOUT_A_KIT_P2355C257.cfm

It has everything, including a 8 gal pot with valve and an immersion cooler. It doesn't have any glass carboys, but looks like a great starter kit.

802VermontHomebrew said:

SMARTEST RESPONSE THUS FAR IN THIS THREAD... ^^^^^^^^^^

I was going to say check out Home Depot but he beat me to it... If I had done more research in DIY projects for brewing I would have totally bought one of their 5 gallon jugs (currently on sale for 18.95) these ARE FOOD RATED a.k.a BEER RATED and are perfect for a primary. Sure saves some serious coin with a 200.00 budget... use that towards recipies and a worth chiller/ stockpot for making your wort...

Click to expand...

I can get 6.5 gallon buckets for $13 from my LHBS. Sounds like a better deal to me.

also, http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_464&products_id=261

a few more bucks, but a 7.9 gal bucket gives a good amount of headspace for wheats, etc....