Good starting kit with decent future all-grain potential?

[tabernak]

I'm a complete newb to brewing, but want to start with something worthwhile, how would something like this work?
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=7587

I've been reading up on brewing online and this seems to meet my needs. I'd like to start a few batches in the next few months, 1 of which would be a lager to start while it's cool enough. I figure I can use the carboy to store the lager and make a couple ales in the meantime. I'd imagine all-grain potential is at least several months out for me, but I could see trying it eventually. I've seen several people recommend midwest in the forums and the prices seem decent. I'm just hoping for some feedback from experienced people before buying my xmas present to myself. Hopefully I'll enjoy it more than the watercooling for my pc I was considering.

Thanks in advance!

 

[McKBrew]

Not a bad kit, but I'd look for something without the bottles, since they are easy to come by (recycling centers, friends, and the beer you drink yourself) and it's not really worth it to buy them new.

Additionally, if you are seriously considering AG, I'd invest in a bigger (7.5gal or more), brew-pot. You'll need it eventually anyway, and there's no reason why you can't do full boils now.

The basic starter kit for 60 bucks is a good place to start and still leaves you with more than enough to buy a bigger pot from a different retailer. If you want carboys now for secondary fermentation, I'd go with this kit
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6875 or the one that only has one Better Bottle.

For stainless steel stockpots
http://www.divine-mercantile.com/Bayou-Classic-44-Qt-Stainless-Steel-Stockpot_p_9-775.html
http://www.kitchenfantasy.com/shopping_cart/stockpots.html

 

[9/9]

Additionally, if you are seriously considering AG, I'd invest in a bigger (7.5gal or more), brew-pot. You'll need it eventually anyway, and there's no reason why you can't do full boils now.

So, AG brews require full boil?

 

[TheJadedDog]

So, AG brews require full boil?

Yes, in order to brew AG you need to be able to boil at least 7.5 gallons. This is the ONLY reason I brew PM (since my stove just can't handle that much liquid and I have no place to brew outside).

As for the OP's questions:

Yes the kit you link to will work and many of the pieces will make the transition to AG; however I agree with McKBrew. Get the bottles from a recycling center or collect them yourself and you can get a bigger pot for the same money at a bargain home store (not sure where you live, we have lots of these kinds of places near me).

 

[Kevin Dean]

So, AG brews require full boil?

To be any type of efficient, yes.

 

[Yooper]

MckBrew beat me to it- but I was thinking the same thing. Bottles are cheap and easy to come by and if you're going to buy some, you might want swing tops (Grolsch style) or not. Also, if you think you MIGHT go AG in a couple of years, get the bigger pot right off the bat.

I've been doing mine piece meal and still only have a 30 quart pot. That is barely big enough for AG. I wish I had a 40 quart pot. Of course, then you need a burner that can handle it! So, I started with a canning pot I had and then got the bigger pot. But if I was advising anyone who was buying a pot- trust me on this- bigger is better in this case!

AG requires about a 6.5 -7 gallon boil for a 5 gallon batch. You get more "hot break" with AG, too, so you need more space for it to boil up. I used to boil in two pots, etc, so it can be done. But if you are planning ahead, you'll save money in the long run.

Otherwise, that kit looks good.

 

[Funkenjaeger]

So, AG brews require full boil?

Yes.

Realistically, pretty much everything you get in a basic starter kit is pretty useful - I brew all-grain now, but I still use pretty much everything that came with my starter kit, so your money won't be going to waste in the future.

Midwest's kit (MBEK2A) with the better bottle looks pretty decent.

I would recommend getting some starsan, I screwed around with using bleach and other sanitizers when I started and I wish I'd gone straight to starsan. The other ones work, but starsan makes sanitizing really painless - which helps take some of the stress off when you're new to brewing.

Other really handy items are an autosiphon and a faucet-mount jet bottle washer.

Beyond the basic items, I think you'll find in time the sorts of things you will want to add to your equipment arsenal by seeing what others are using on here.

 

[tabernak]

Thanks for all the tips. That 44 qt McKBrew links to for $75 looks like a good enough deal for me. If I switch to the kit with 1 carboy and that, the price is about the same and all I lost are the bottles and a ~$30 recipe kit, nice trade. There are plenty of bargain places where I live (Fayetteville, AR), but I'm a horrible brick and mortar price shopper. If I do AG, I have a propane cooker I can borrow to save on that cost. Is there anything obvious missing from this kit that I'll need (other than a big long plastic spoon and a recipe kit)?

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6874

Also, should I go with the Better Bottle version of the above kit?

I can probably come up with my own bottles with my first bottling at least 3 weeks out. Are there any particular types of bottles that work best, or are they all born equal? College was just a few years back, so I can drink just about anything. Should I try to choose my beverages to be in an amber bottle for a while? Is there anything special about the lip of the bottle?

Thanks again.

 

[McKBrew]

I'd reccommend the Better Bottle. It's lighter and less prone to breaking. As far as beer bottles, any non-twist off bottle will work. Brown are better, because they protect from light, but clear, or green will work as long as you keep them out of the light.

 

[strangebrewer]

As far as the pot goes isn't it a better deal to buy a turkey fryer? For about 40 or 50 dollars you get a 7.5 gallon pot with a burner.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07113259000P?keyword=turkey+fryer&sLevel=0

 

[malkore]

Technically you can do all grain on a smaller scale.

I've been thinking about scaling back to 3 gallon batches during the winter, since I could do all that in my kitchen, and it'd be cheaper to do some experimentation with recipes and ingredients.

the other option is partial mash. you only boil, say, 3 gallons, so your mash is limited to maybe 5 - 6 lbs of grain (or terrible efficiency), and you top off the fermentables with some light or extra light DME.

 

[tabernak]

I came across a free stainless steel pot (at least 5 gallons) to use from somebody while talking about this, so I'm good on that front for now. I'm putting together my shopping cart this evening and was wondering if I should throw a quality thermometer in it, along with the spoon and extra cleaning solution?

 

[Poindexter]

You kit looks like a fine start, way ahead of Mr. Beer. The folks who have Better Bottles (I don't have one) all love them. I am ditching my glass carboys as fast as I can, but my cash flow is letting me go straight to SS kegs.

I had a 5 gallon SS stock pot already when I started brewing, and I love it for this. For my next brew pot I will be going straight to 40 quarts/ 10 gallons, and sticking to Stainless Steel.

 

[Poindexter]

I came across a free stainless steel pot (at least 5 gallons) to use from somebody while talking about this, so I'm good on that front for now. I'm putting together my shopping cart this evening and was wondering if I should throw a quality thermometer in it, along with the spoon and extra cleaning solution?

Thermometer yes. "Quality thermometer" maybe.

Sort of like a cheap tire pressure gauge or a .22 caliber versus a 45. It is better to have a cheap tire pressure gauge and use it than it is to have...

Also a hit with a .22 is better than a miss...

You _must_ have a hydrometer and you must use it routinely and often if you want really good beer that would cost 8, 9, 10 dollars for a six pack at the store.

For cleaning and sanitizing solutions, everyone seems to love OxyClean for cleaning and everyone with a navel has a their own unique favorite sanitizer.

You can use any old wooden spoon on the boiling side of the fermenter.

 

[Poindexter]

thermometer

Instead of wasting money at Sur le table or William Sonoma,

http://www.surlatable.com/category/...shopby=&sortby=null&filterby=&page=1&asc=true

Go to Target and buy 3 or 4 "insta read" thermometers for ~ $3.99 each. they should read from ~80°F up to 212+. that way you covered on all your rest temps qwhen you jump to all grain.

My most accurate kitchen thermometer reads from 0°F to 220°F, cost $3.99 and requires no steenking batteries. If you want to spend money on tools go look at 30cm long hydrometers from Sweden. The Swedes can make some liquor.