Which kit is right for me?

[injendsm]

I'm going to apologize ahead of time as I'm sure this question has been asked before, but I wasn't able to come up with much when I searched (I probably put the wrong terms in). I'm planning to buy a kit very soon, I'm just not sure which one to get. Here are the ones that I'm looking at:

Brewing Basics Equipment Kit :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

Brewing Starter Kit :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

Beer Making Starter Plus Kit - Equipment Only

Which one would be best? I know I'd have to pick up a pot and bottles to round off whichever kit I end up with, I just need a good starting point. I plan on making the Big Ben Pale Ale with my first batch. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Pelikan]

The Ale Pail kits are very well equipped. I was surprised; they could have cut so many corners with a beer kit, but instead they give you a good capper, an auto siphon, a bottling wand, the works.

Now then, the choice really comes down to whether or not you could see yourself using a secondary. When I bought my original kit, I thought to myself "I'll never use a secondary." But within about a week I was already thinking about doing dry-hopped IPAs and fruit beers, both of which more or less require a secondary.

The short of it? Get the kit with the secondary. You won't regret it, and it will open up a lot of doors for you that would otherwise be closed.

The thing that strikes me about the kit from Homebrewer's Outpost is the metal spoon. Generally, you want to only use plastic on the plastic buckets, as if you scratch the inside of them, you're FUBAR.

While you're ordering, another few pieces of kit I've found indispensable have been a 1-liter Erynlmeyer flask (I'll never be able to spell that right), a stir plate, and compatible foam stoppers (all this can be had at Austin Homebrew Supply). This stuff is only required if you use liquid yeast. Dry yeast have the cell counts to not require a starter.

One final gizmo that I'd suggest you look into is an oxygenation system for your wort. The best one I've seen was at William's Brewing.

 

[SHvanBommel]

All of this stuff is a little overkill if you are making your first brew no? what if he doesn't like it... just go with the basic kit, then, when the craze hits you, start building/buying all the other stuff... .02

 

[Pelikan]

I wish I had those items when I first started. I just throw it out there in case he wants to get all the goods upfront.

 

[SHvanBommel]

fair enough, and I completely agree with you about the plate and flask etc. etc.. I also recommend the carboy for a secondary... it is worth it... When i made my first batch i had to transfer out of the ale pail to my bottling bucket and then back into the ale pale... pain in the ass...

 

[Lost Pirate]

I'd go with the $89.95 kit from Midwest. The one from Homebrewer's Outpost seems a little over priced for what your getting.

 

[SHvanBommel]

i've had the midwest one, it was awesome. all the good stuff. right price.

 

[Kilgore_Trout]

Go with a basic kit if you're unsure whether this hobby will really "click" with you.

If you're sure it's going to stick, just suck it up and spend the $ now. It's a lot less painful than nickle-and-diming yourself over the next few months.

I don't use a secondary, don't really need it for anything, fruit and dry hop can be done in only a primary. That said, two fermenters is nice .

 

[Section1]

I bought a Midwest Kit and have had no complaints. I bought the Everything Kit with Carboy only because I was sure I wanted to brew my own beer and I didn't already have a brew pot and it came with a recipe kit. I would say the Starter kit would be good especially if you already have access to a brew pot. They also include a DVD on how to brew which was good at explaining the steps involved and you can see it being done which I thought helped me get started. Once you get a good understanding pass the DVD on to your friends. I've been happy with items I purchased from Midwest.

 

[Kilgore_Trout]

I bought a Midwest Kit and have had no complaints. I bought the Everything Kit with Carboy only because I was sure I wanted to brew my own beer and I didn't already have a brew pot and it came with a recipe kit. I would say the Starter kit would be good especially if you already have access to a brew pot. They also include a DVD on how to brew which was good at explaining the steps involved and you can see it being done which I thought helped me get started. Once you get a good understanding pass the DVD on to your friends. I've been happy with items I purchased from Midwest.

Oh, yeah! Brewpot was something no one else mentioned.

Do yourself a favor and hit the department/hardware stores. Get a clearance turkey fryer!

 

[SHvanBommel]

or if you have a "job lot" nearby... you can pick up a 5 gal pot for less then 20$... good price considering...

 

[injendsm]

Oh, yeah! Brewpot was something no one else mentioned.

Do yourself a favor and hit the department/hardware stores. Get a clearance turkey fryer!

A turkey fryer will work as a brew pot?

 

[hexmonkey]

I'm going to apologize ahead of time as I'm sure this question has been asked before, but I wasn't able to come up with much when I searched (I probably put the wrong terms in). I'm planning to buy a kit very soon, I'm just not sure which one to get.

IMHO, you should always consider a local shop before ordering online. The beertown.org site only lists one shop in your part of the state, in Lake Worth, though it seems like a bit of a drive:

BX Beer Depot
2964 2nd Avenue North
Lake Worth, FL 33461
Web site: www.bxbeerdepot.com
"South Florida's Only Full Service Homebrew Supply and Ingredient Store. We also have kegs, craft beer, kegging equipment, on premise CO2 fills."Your One Stop Keg, Craft Beer and Homebrew Shop." Also offering same day shipping online."​

But you might still consider trying a phone call and ask the folks there. They might have better prices and shipping would be quicker. My LHBS is about an hour away but they have some awesome prices. Now that gas isn't $4.50/gal, everything I've bought there is cheaper than online after comparing shipping cost <-> gas to drive to the shop.

 

[SHvanBommel]

support your local brew shop...





unless they have ridiculous prices (some do)

 

[Pelikan]

support your local brew shop...





unless they have ridiculous prices (some do)

+1

I tend to grab a few gizmos online from time to time, particularly things my LHBS doesn't have. But at least half of the money I spend on brewing goes to my local shop. Their prices are really quite good, in fact.

 

[SHvanBommel]

lucky you! the three that i have called my own... were not... damn new england... although it was almost the same to order grain in bulk from midwest as it was to buy a sack from them... and not to h-jack... but can i tell you how much of a PITA it is to grind 15lbs of grain on a corona without a motor?

 

[Kilgore_Trout]

A turkey fryer will work as a brew pot?

Yes.

Usually the cheapest way to get a burner and a pot.

I got a 7.5gal and a burner for $40, not on sale either. When you boil 7gal you really need the burner, unless you've got a monster stove. Sooooo much faster.

 

[Gonefishing]

Turkey fryers will even hold a keggle so boil overs are a thing of the past unless you're doing some darn big batches.
WalMart had them for $38 last week.... I may have to go see if they have them on clearance now, my local one had a ton of them the day before Thanksgiving

 

[injendsm]

IMHO, you should always consider a local shop before ordering online. The beertown.org site only lists one shop in your part of the state, in Lake Worth, though it seems like a bit of a drive:

BX Beer Depot
2964 2nd Avenue North
Lake Worth, FL 33461
Web site: www.bxbeerdepot.com
"South Florida's Only Full Service Homebrew Supply and Ingredient Store. We also have kegs, craft beer, kegging equipment, on premise CO2 fills."Your One Stop Keg, Craft Beer and Homebrew Shop." Also offering same day shipping online."​

But you might still consider trying a phone call and ask the folks there. They might have better prices and shipping would be quicker. My LHBS is about an hour away but they have some awesome prices. Now that gas isn't $4.50/gal, everything I've bought there is cheaper than online after comparing shipping cost <-> gas to drive to the shop.

Not a short drive at all for me. I'll check out their website, though.