Beginner Kit + What equipment

[cmarshall1087]

Picking up the Brew Share Enjoy Starter kit next week. List of equipment seems pretty comprehensive.

6.5 gallon fermentor w/ lid & Bubbler airlock
Bottling Bucket w/Spigot assembly
Fermenter's Favorites® Bottle filler
5 Gallon Stainless Brew Kettle
21” Stainless Spoon
Siphon, 5 ft. Siphon Tubing & Siphon Tube Holder
Cleaner/Sanitizer - Fermenter's Favorites® Oxygen Wash
Bottle Brush
Royal® Crown Bottle Capper & Caps (60ct.)

Is there any equipment I should absolutely get?
Is there any benefit to fermenting in buckets vs carboys?

Any info you can give is greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

 

[Rob2010SS]

The kits are enough for you to make beer. You can successfully brew with that. However, as you go, there are things you'll want to pick up.

1. Highly recommend getting a hydrometer. Some people start out without them. I don't think that's a good idea. I'd say it's a necessity.

2. Buckets vs. Carboy - Everyone has their own preference. I hated the bucket because I wanted to see what it was doing, so I bought glass ones. As I'm not the most careful person in the world and I see myself breaking the glass ones, any more I buy will be this: https://www.morebeer.com/products/plastic-carboy-6-gal.html It's really just personal preference. Lots of people here use buckets and are happy with them.

Other than that, I think you're covered. There's definitely more equipment you can get, but as you learn and go through the process, you'll figure out what those things are.

 

[RM-MN]

The kits are enough for you to make beer. You can successfully brew with that. However, as you go, there are things you'll want to pick up.

1. Highly recommend getting a hydrometer. Some people start out without them. I don't think that's a good idea. I'd say it's a necessity.

2. Buckets vs. Carboy - Everyone has their own preference. I hated the bucket because I wanted to see what it was doing, so I bought glass ones. As I'm not the most careful person in the world and I see myself breaking the glass ones, any more I buy will be this: https://www.morebeer.com/products/plastic-carboy-6-gal.html It's really just personal preference. Lots of people here use buckets and are happy with them.

Other than that, I think you're covered. There's definitely more equipment you can get, but as you learn and go through the process, you'll figure out what those things are.

I agree with a slight change. Buy 2 hydrometers. If you only have one you'll break it for sure. If you have two the second one can reside in a safe place forever.

I can give you several reasons that a bucket is better than a carboy. I pour the wort into the bucket from 3 feet in the air. That aerates the wort and with the big opening I can hit it every time. I then use the handle to carry it to where I want to ferment the beer. If I bump it, the bucket just bounces off. Need more?

 

[Rob2010SS]

Actually, RM-MN is dead on. Mine just became defective and started reading 8 points off so I'm stuck with a defective hydrometer until my new one shows up. Buy 2, they're fairly cheap.

 

[PhoenixCoyote]

I bought the same kit. But also got a hydrometer and floating glass thermometer. Need that for steeping the grains.

 

[Konadog]

Are you going extract or some version of all grain?

I ask because if you can find a kit that has a bigger pot (like 8 gallons or more) it will be much better. A 5 gallon pot is OK for 5 gallon extract beers, but if your going to do all grain it will be a pain as you will usually want about 5.5 into the fermenter.......... see a problem

 

[cmarshall1087]

Are you going extract or some version of all grain?

I ask because if you can find a kit that has a bigger pot (like 8 gallons or more) it will be much better. A 5 gallon pot is OK for 5 gallon extract beers, but if your going to do all grain it will be a pain as you will usually want about 5.5 into the fermenter.......... see a problem

I'm initially starting out with extract until i find a way to make money grow on ttrees, but ultimately want to move into AG. I just found a guy selling his kit for 150, and it includes a 6 gal carboy, copper immersion chiller and 10 gal pot, plus all the above mentioned stuff. too good a deal to pass up!

 

[PADave]

My recommendation is to do your first brews with as little equipment as possible. Figure out what YOU want/need after you have a few brews under your belt. Things will become obvious real quick. I have a whole bin of stuff that I now don't use, but others said I needed. Most of it was used once or twice before I figured out MY system and what I needed.

 

[estricklin]

My recommendation is to do your first brews with as little equipment as possible. Figure out what YOU want/need after you have a few brews under your belt. Things will become obvious real quick. I have a whole bin of stuff that I now don't use, but others said I needed. Most of it was used once or twice before I figured out MY system and what I needed.

I agree with this.

Seriously, your next purchase should be some time of temp control and/or a thermometer, otherwise brew on! Don't make things too complicated starting out, you have everything you NEED to make great beer, especially with an extract kit. Focus on your sanitation for now and your going to do fine as you pick up on things. Stick around this forum, and find some others who brew in your area.

What type of beer are you going to brew first?

 

[d3track]

I'm initially starting out with extract until i find a way to make money grow on ttrees, but ultimately want to move into AG. I just found a guy selling his kit for 150, and it includes a 6 gal carboy, copper immersion chiller and 10 gal pot, plus all the above mentioned stuff. too good a deal to pass up!

That is solid deal, and sets you up to move into all grain pretty easily

 

[Konadog]

I'm initially starting out with extract until i find a way to make money grow on ttrees, but ultimately want to move into AG. I just found a guy selling his kit for 150, and it includes a 6 gal carboy, copper immersion chiller and 10 gal pot, plus all the above mentioned stuff. too good a deal to pass up!

A 10 gallon pot is way better! I agree with everyone else now, get a few brews under your belt and see what "you" want or need next.

What do you have to brew "ON" is the next question. Stove or propane burner?

 

[cmarshall1087]

I agree with this.

Seriously, your next purchase should be some time of temp control and/or a thermometer, otherwise brew on! Don't make things too complicated starting out, you have everything you NEED to make great beer, especially with an extract kit. Focus on your sanitation for now and your going to do fine as you pick up on things. Stick around this forum, and find some others who brew in your area.

What type of beer are you going to brew first?

Thinking about going with a holiday ale, or caribou slobber first. I'm dabbling with a 1 gallon cider and 1 gallon IPA right now, to bottle up and try out.

I have 2 thermometers, picking up a gravity testing kit, with extra hydrometer.

This may be a stupid question, but how do I find brewers in my area??

 

[estricklin]

Thinking about going with a holiday ale, or caribou slobber first. I'm dabbling with a 1 gallon cider and 1 gallon IPA right now, to bottle up and try out.

I have 2 thermometers, picking up a gravity testing kit, with extra hydrometer.

This may be a stupid question, but how do I find brewers in my area??

Caribou Slobber was one of my first brews! I had never tasted it at that time, and in fact didn't until years later, as it's not available in my area.

As for finding other brewers, you can do a Google search for home brew clubs, or you can do what I did and find some other people on this forum. I actually started a thread for brewers in my area, and over the coarse of a few years I found quite a few, and started a homebrew club. Who would have thought? If you live in a pretty urban area, there is probably already some others. There is a specific section in the forum for it, I think it's under "Brewing Community".

 

[InTheBasement]

As far as finding other brewers in your area, you may already know them. After I started brewing, people I work with would say "That's cool, you know who else brews?", and suddenly I started finding out that people i worked with are brewers. Usually people I didn't know well, but who I just knew as "That guy who works in mechanical engineering". Suddenly you will just start falling into people who brew. I was at my local brew shop a couple times, and while there, people I knew just walked in. Then we start talking and I find out that they have been brewing for years.

 

[cmarshall1087]

A 10 gallon pot is way better! I agree with everyone else now, get a few brews under your belt and see what "you" want or need next.

What do you have to brew "ON" is the next question. Stove or propane burner?

Starting on my stove. I'm trying to pick up a nice propane burner as well. Then I can do my brews outside while I'm smoking a nice rack of ribs!

 

[Konadog]

Starting on my stove. I'm trying to pick up a nice propane burner as well. Then I can do my brews outside while I'm smoking a nice rack of ribs!

You may have an issue getting a 5 gallon batch (7 gallons or more) in the pot to boil on your stove. You should try it first with just water to see if your stove can do it.

If not, next on the list is a propane burner. With Turkey day coming up fast, watch for sales!

 

[cmarshall1087]

You may have an issue getting a 5 gallon batch (7 gallons or more) in the pot to boil on your stove. You should try it first with just water to see if your stove can do it.

If not, next on the list is a propane burner. With Turkey day coming up fast, watch for sales!

found two burner kits tonight. one is $110 and is a propane burner WITH a 50qt kettle, thermometer, lid and basket.

the other is $91 and is 29qts kettle, but comes with lid, basket, thermometer, burner as well as an 11 qt frying pan. Either way, i have enough store credit that they are free.

one question is this, they are Aluminum kettles. I have read mixed opinions on aluminum vs SS, but it leans towards aluminum being OK during the wort process. Thoughts?

 

[estricklin]

found two burner kits tonight. one is $110 and is a propane burner WITH a 50qt kettle, thermometer, lid and basket.

the other is $91 and is 29qts kettle, but comes with lid, basket, thermometer, burner as well as an 11 qt frying pan. Either way, i have enough store credit that they are free.

one question is this, they are Aluminum kettles. I have read mixed opinions on aluminum vs SS, but it leans towards aluminum being OK during the wort process. Thoughts?

Aluminum is fine, it heats up faster as well. I do highly recommend Concord Pots though, they are stainless and cheap as dirt on ebay.

 

[jbraaten]

I would jump on that.

I am in the Pacific Northwest and Craigslist is the place to be when you are looking to pick up any new equipment. People stop brewing all the time and you can get stuff at a steal for the future.

 

[mr_stout]

cmarshall1087, get a thermometer. You will never know the temperature without one. Not knowing the temperature could really mess you up. You have to add yeast at the right temperature. If the wort is too hot the yeast will die.

A wort chiller really helped me to get the temperature down fast after creating wort. Look for used equipment to save money.

 

[cmarshall1087]

cmarshall1087, get a thermometer. You will never know the temperature without one. Not knowing the temperature could really mess you up. You have to add yeast at the right temperature. If the wort is too hot the yeast will die.

A wort chiller really helped me to get the temperature down fast after creating wort. Look for used equipment to save money.

just picked up a 5+ gallon kettle, **used** wort chiller (unsure how usable it is, def needs new tubing), 5 gallon carboy with bung and airlock, 5 gallon bucket with drilled/grommeted lid, bung and airlock, brushes, bottle filler, racking cane and tubing, floating thermometer, and two hydrometers for $55. Most of the equipment is definitely older, and needs a good cleaning. Really unsure about the wort chiller as it looks 10-15 years old. that said, couldnt beat the price. Picking up a 50 qt kettle, and propane burner this weekend, with a auto siphon and spoon.

 

[Brownalemikie]

I didn't see anyone mention a scale. Pick up an accurate digital gram/ounce scale. It will come in handy when adjusting your hop additions and/or grains. I paid about $12 for my scale on Amazon Prime.

 

[cmarshall1087]

I didn't see anyone mention a scale. Pick up an accurate digital gram/ounce scale. It will come in handy when adjusting your hop additions and/or grains. I paid about $12 for my scale on Amazon Prime.

good call; any particular one you recommend?

 

[BigCrazyAl]

I picked up a cheap digital scale and thermometer at Wal-Mart for a rather cheap. Those are my favorite tools so far.

My recommendation would be to recruit a helper! Bottle cleaning, prep and filling is a bear of a task and many hands make light work. Get a buddy and bribe him/her with free beer.

Even better, if you get someone to help clean up when you're done brewing then you'll be golden. I'm still working on that lol.

Don't drink and brew... at least until the boil is underway. Hopefully that's self explanatory.

If you go all grain, a cheap way to do it is to convert your own cooler with fittings and stuff from the hardware store. All my AG stuff cost me maybe $50.

Develop a system that works for you and your equipment. Do things in the same order and the same way as much as possible for consistency.

Most importantly of all. If you start second guessing yourself or wondering if things are going the way they should then relax, don't worry and have a home brew.

In the end, there will be beer.

 

[cmarshall1087]

Ok, so here is what I've got now, through a variety of second hand things. Please give me your thoughts.

30 qt aluminum pot with burner and clip on thermometer (turkey fryer kit)
36 qt SS pot
20 qt SS pot
5 gallon glass carboy
6.5 gallon bucket with drilled lid for fermenting (x3)
6.5 gallon bottling bucket
rubber stoppers
6 (3 piece airlocks)
floating thermometer
hydrometer (x2)
test tube
racking cane
capper (x3)
bottle filler
carboy cleaner
wort chiller (unsure how I feel about this as its really old and seems homemade)
Beer Thief
Auto Siphon
SS Spoon (x2)
300 caps
48 bottles
1 gallon glass carboy (x2)
mini siphon (x2)

4 extract kits.


Ordering a scale this week.

Am i missing anything? Should I get a new immersion chiller? The one I have I fear will cause leaks and contamination of my wort.

Thanks again!

 

[BigCrazyAl]

More bottles if you're going to ferment more than a beer at once. 5 gallons uses almost 50 bottles so I'd get 50 per fermenter.

The rest looks great. I still don't have an immersion chiller and use an ice bath. It works okay but is cumbersome. Test you're chiller with water attached and inspect for leaks. I imagine a little tlc should get it working well but I don't know the condition.

 

[cmarshall1087]

More bottles if you're going to ferment more than a beer at once. 5 gallons uses almost 50 bottles so I'd get 50 per fermenter.

The rest looks great. I still don't have an immersion chiller and use an ice bath. It works okay but is cumbersome. Test you're chiller with water attached and inspect for leaks. I imagine a little tlc should get it working well but I don't know the condition.

I actually think i have closer to 60-70 bottles. I got 48 for free with my northern brewer kit, plus what I've purchased commercially, drank, and cleaned. I also plan on kegging, so I have 1 5gal Ball Lock corny and plan on getting a second.

I'll have to try this chiller out. I'll clean it up and try to get it working well in the next week or so before my kits arrive!