Starting out and need advice on materials and supplies

[eddie200112]

Been reading forums and a couple books but having a hard time making a full list of what I need to brew and bottle. I want to be able to produce a dunkle weiss and want to be a able to produce perhaps 5 gallon batches. Would like recommendation on brands of materials (kettle, fermentor etc) that are preferred, and needed and "like to have" accessories.

side note my wife purchased me a Northern Homebrewing starter kit for american wheat.
https://www.northernbrewer.com/prod...ess-fermenter-1-gallon?variant=30302959534124
not sure if anything in that kit is usable but wanted to mention i have whats included in that kit

thanks!

 

[hottpeper13]

Maybe you can find a used system on Facebook Market Place

 

[Jag75]

Check out morebeer as well . Find a 5 gallon start up kit . If you want to do 5 gallons that is . This one you posted is a 1 gallon. Your going to need a pot as well .

Morebeer has a deluxe kit for 150.00 . You can find a used IC or make your own out of copper tubing.

 

[mac_1103]

That kit has everything you need to make one gallon of beer except a pot and a dozen 12 oz bottles. Brewing that beer with what you have might help you decide how fancy you want to get with equipment for larger batches.

 

[Leezer]

+1 to the above. I started with a 1G kit using a pot I already had in my kitchen. It was a good way to get my feet wet without investing too much.

 

[AlexKay]

Grain or extract?

You can get everything you need from online retailers, but if you’ve got a local homebrew shop you might decide it’s worth it to support them.

You will need a large pot: 10 gallons if you plan to brew with grain, less if you’re using extract. I like the MegaPot that Northern Brewer sells, but any all-stainless pot would do. A spigot is pretty nice at this batch size, but I’ve done without.

You need a way to heat the pot. Your kitchen stove might have enough oomph to get that much water to a vigorous boil, or it might not. If it doesn’t, you’re looking at electric heaters or taking a propane burner outside.

You probably need a bigger bag for steeping grains, or a much bigger bag if you are doing all-grain BIAB. Wilser (on these forums) sells great BIAB bags.

You’ll want a long, stainless-steel spoon.

For fermenters, the premium choice is stainless steel. I prefer a spigot so you can bottle directly from the fermenter. The SS Brewtech bucket is spendy but it’s a good product. Plastic is a perfectly good option, and the Big Mouth Bubbler and Fermonster are nice products (others on this forum like the FermZilla too.) Again, go for something with a spigot. You want at least a 6-gallon fermenter, though 7 might be nice. Avoid buckets unless you really are looking to save money (in which case they’ll make perfectly good beer.) Glass, in the long term, is simply not safe and you should stay away from it.

Your kit bottle capper is decent. You’ll need to stock up on bottles and bottle caps. A bottling wand (I prefer stainless steel, and have this one) is a necessity.

You need a supply of sanitizer. StarSan is the way to go. A powdered alkaline cleaner (PBW) is very good to have for your stainless. Pick up a 5-gallon bucket (any one will do) to hold sanitizer and clean things. A plastic spray bottle for sanitizer is also nice.

You need a decent-capacity scale (I have this one) for grain or extract. It’s awfully nice to have a high-resolution scale (I like this one) for hops and (if you go down this path) salts.

You need a good thermometer. (You need to periodically check its calibration, too.) Folks swear by the ThermaPen, but I use something cheap.

You need some way to measure gravity. Most folks here will tell you to get a hydrometer for this. I recommend a refractometer instead, which is easy to use and won’t break. (Refractometer measurements go wonky when you start fermenting and there’s alcohol present, so use an online calculator to correct your measurement.) If you’re a big spender and really like gadgets, get a Tilt too. It’s totally unnecessary, but you get insight into the fermentation process that’s nice to have, especially when you’re learning.

You don’t absolutely need an immersion chiller, but at some point you’re going to want one. Copper is good. I’d recommend the biggest one from Jaded that will fit your pot, but you can save a bit of money going with another brand.

You do not need a grain mill right now, even if you’re going to be brewing all-grain. Your local store or any online retailer will crush your grain for you.

A rack to hold bottles after cleaning is nice to have.

 

[hotbeer]

I started with 1 gallon kits too. So why don't you go ahead and make that kit and maybe a few others before you get too involved in picking out your other equipment. Different fermenters, all-in-one, and different BIAB methods can have you pigeon holed into brewing with a method you might not really care for but are somewhat stuck with for a time.

Smaller size batches let you concentrate on the beer making more so that the logistics of managing large heavy quantities of water and malts that even a 5 gallon batch will have. One gallon kits let you brew often so you can work on the things you need to get good at and also try out new ideas. And maybe get a better handle on what type of equipment you want to finally get.

If your extract kit doesn't interest you, then there are places that sell 1 gallon all-grain kits too. Regardless, the one piece of equipment I recommend you do get is a relatively inexpensive hydrometer that is calibrated for beer. Most any LHBS or online seller has them. A good instant read digital thermometer helps for monitoring your mash temps. Check the temp in different locations of your mash to make sure one part isn't getting too hot. For large 5 gallon brews you probably need one with a long probe.

 

[redrocker652002]

I still kick myself for not looking at Craigs list, I could have gotten a lot of stuff cheaper NB is where I got my starter kit. But, to me, used is just as good and cheaper. LOL.

I also started with Extract. I think I probably should have moved to All Grain, but smaller batches to get started, but my wife bought me a burner and pot for all grain so I went with it. It is fun to do it, but there is a learning curve for sure. Either way, the biggest piece of advice I got that I use is to be patient and enjoy the process. Rock on!!!!

 

[AlexKay]

I second the suggestion to make some one-gallon batches (if you're open to doing that.) The list of equipment gets pared down significantly: you probably already have a large enough pot, and you can heat it on your stove and cool it in your sink. The glass fermenter you've got already is OK for a few batches (though be careful; I had one literally fall apart in my hands). If you're going with kits then things will be remeasured and you can hold off on the scale. I still recommend sanitizer, bottling wand, thermometer, and refractometer ... but now you're talking less than $100 for everything.

 

[Jag75]

It comes down to preference of each brewer. Budget , size of batch , extract or all grain , brewing indoors / outdoors . It surly doesn't hurt to look at Craigslist or offer up . One may find a good deal . I personally wouldn't waste my time with a 1 gallon kit . 10 beers isn't worth it to me , but to each is own.

Having a LHBS makes a difference as well. You have the luxury of picking up your stuff , making 1 gallon batches more feasible. If you have to order online it would seem to be more expensive constantly ordering stuff . Unless you buy bulk . However is it likely someone will buy in bulk when brewing 1 gallon batches because their not sure how they'll like to brew .

Take the kit the op posted . It's a 1 gallon starter kit for 80$ . You have to have a kettle, and bottles . I definitely would get at least a 5 gallon kettle, because you can still do 1 gallon batches with it and have the ability to jump to 5 gallon batches .

As far as beer kits , I like Brewersbest . I've brewed a bunch of them when I first started and thought they were pretty decent quality kits.

 

[hotbeer]

Those starter kits can get quite costly since they contain a FV, capper and various other things. But most all the LHBS's and online suppliers also sells just the ingredient kits which are much less. This is where I got my 1 gallon all grain ingredient kits...

https://brooklynbrewshop.com/collections/beer-making-mixes
And even five gallon all grain ingredient kits can be broken down into smaller sizes if you desire to. And getting back to equipment, even 5 gallon extract or all grain kits can be made with just a large enough stock pot and a bucket to ferment in. The LHBS and online places sell a bucket that is almost six gallons and not the five gallons buckets you find elsewhere. A five gallon bucket won't ferment five gallons of beer as you need some headspace for the kraeusen.

 

[mac_1103]

It's a 1 gallon starter kit for 80$ . You have to have a kettle, and bottles .

First of all, he's already got it; why pay return shipping (and insult your wife by returning it)? Second, the capper, air lock, and siphonless little BMB are going to run you $50 unless you get them used (and probably not much less even if you do). Third, I can't imagine that anyone doesn't have a two gallon pot in their kitchen. Fourth, buy a couple of six packs to drink while your small batch is fermenting and save the bottles.

 

[Jag75]

First of all, he's already got it; why pay return shipping (and insult your wife by returning it)? Second, the capper, air lock, and siphonless little BMB are going to run you $50 unless you get them used (and probably not much less even if you do). Third, I can't imagine that anyone doesn't have a two gallon pot in their kitchen. Fourth, buy a coupe of six packs to drink while your small batch is fermenting and save the bottles.

Ahhh I didn't see the part where he already had that kit . As for any pot in the kitchen it's doable if you have said pot . Is it big enough? Should be 1.5 to 2 x bigger then wort size . Stainless is the preferred. What was the kitchen pots used for ? Could off flavors be transferred?

I definitely wouldn't return the kit .

 

[MaxStout]

Another vote for doing some 1 gallon batches until you decide where you want to go from there. A 3 gallon stainless kettle (which you can buy anywhere) would be perfect for 1 gal batches. You can easily brew that on a stove top. If you want to delve into all-grain, brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) is a good way to go. The only other things you would need are a bag and decent digital thermometer. Wilserbrewer makes nice bags, custom-fitted to your kettle dimensions. A good thermometer can be had for around $20 on Amazon.

While you can make very good beer with extract, all-grain provides more versatility. You can tailor your recipes more, adjust mash temps for body, etc. And the ingredients for an all-grain batch generally costs less than the equivalent using extract.

 

[hottpeper13]

So you live in Milw. When it's time to up grade your kettles you can't go wrong with Spike, they even have a discount cave.