A collection of beginner questions on new kit equipment

[GammaPoint]

Hi all, I've been reading Palmer's book over the past week and am getting a feel for how home brewing works. Yesterday I also went to my local brewstore and checked that out. I'm now trying to decide on a initial starter kit. I found a useful thread on these forums which has been helpful (recommending Northern Brewing, Austin HomeBrew, and Midwest start-up kits), but I have a couple questions about equipment that I was hoping to get a handle on.

1). 6 gallon vs 5 gallon glass/plastic carboys?
Some kits offer 5 gallon carboys and some have 6 gallon carboys. Is the additional space in the 6 gallon carboy nice to have, or does it not really matter and I shouldn't factor it into my decision?

2). I've read here (on 'This vs That' and elsewhere) that glass carboys are difficult to handle. Exactly how difficult are we talking? If you're careful is it not really a problem, or regardless of what you do are you taking a significant risk each time you try to clean/move a full glass carboy? Seems like moving 5 gallons of liquid with a glass carboy that might be slippery might be scary, but I don't have a feel for what that would be like. I'd prefer to play it safe and get Better Bottles, but my fiancee likes the look of glass so I'm trying to see how difficult it would actually be.

3). In terms of a good brew kettle size, is 5 gallons the right size if one is expecting to do partial boils (i.e., making 3 gallons of wort and then adding more water in the fermenter?).

4). Wort chillers. I'm trying to decide if I want a kit which has one or not. Seems like it would be a huge pain to fill up a bathtub with ice each time (not to mention that I'd have to go buy ice so it's not free to do this). So wort chillers seem like a really good idea. Thoughts?

5). Bottling bucket. I see that many of the kits online have a bottling bucket. In 'How-to' videos I've seen other people use 'bottling wands' or whatever they're called. Is having a bottling bucket instead with a spigot much easier to use and should be what I'm looking for?

6). Okay, this question is super n00b, but I'd rather ask anyway. I've read that you can't use commerical bottles because you can't easily cap twist-offs? How do I know if a bottle is twist-off or not? Will it have threading? All of the commerical beer that I drink (Deschutes, Flying Dogs, etc.) I use a bottle opener anyway (and never try to twist off) and the bottles look the same (so I don't have two different types where I can say 'this' looks different than 'that').

 

[Dunerunner]

1). 6 gallon vs 5 gallon glass/plastic carboys?
Some kits offer 5 gallon carboys and some have 6 gallon carboys. Is the additional space in the 6 gallon carboy nice to have, or does it not really matter and I shouldn't factor it into my decision?

The 6 gallon carboy provided additional space for the krausen formed during fermentation. Although, I do like glass, I don't like carboys beccause they are glass and dangerously slipery when wet. If you use them get a good carboy carrier or old plastic milk crate to carry them in.

2). I've read here (on 'This vs That' and elsewhere) that glass carboys are difficult to handle. Exactly how difficult are we talking? If you're careful is it not really a problem, or regardless of what you do are you taking a significant risk each time you try to clean/move a full glass carboy? Seems like moving 5 gallons of liquid with a glass carboy that might be slippery might be scary, but I don't have a feel for what that would be like. I'd prefer to play it safe and get Better Bottles, but my fiancee likes the look of glass so I'm trying to see how difficult it would actually be.

See above!

3). In terms of a good brew kettle size, is 5 gallons the right size if one is expecting to do partial boils (i.e., making 3 gallons of wort and then adding more water in the fermenter?).

I bought a 10 gallon kettle at a restaurant supply house online. It was cheeper and I could do a full batch boil.

4). Wort chillers. I'm trying to decide if I want a kit which has one or not. Seems like it would be a huge pain to fill up a bathtub with ice each time (not to mention that I'd have to go buy ice so it's not free to do this). So wort chillers seem like a really good idea. Thoughts?

If you go with a 10 gallon pot to start with, you will need a good, big wert chiller. Get it now, you will be glad you did.

5). Bottling bucket. I see that many of the kits online have a bottling bucket. In 'How-to' videos I've seen other people use 'bottling wands' or whatever they're called. Is having a bottling bucket instead with a spigot much easier to use and should be what I'm looking for?

You can use a "Racking Cane" to transfer your beer to bottles, but you will need three hands or a clamp to secure it to the bucket. It also comes in handy for transfering chilled wert to the botteling bucket, leaving the trub behind.

6). Okay, this question is super n00b, but I'd rather ask anyway. I've read that you can't use commerical bottles because you can't easily cap twist-offs? How do I know if a bottle is twist-off or not? Will it have threading? All of the commerical beer that I drink (Deschutes, Flying Dogs, etc.) I use a bottle opener anyway (and never try to twist off) and the bottles look the same (so I don't have two different types where I can say 'this' looks different than 'that').

If you look at the cap and bottle. You can usually make out the threads on the bottle and sometimes the cap will be labled twist with an arrow for those who can't figure out how to open the beer.

Welcome to the world of having plenty of beer and absolutely no money!!

Cheers

 

[HH60gunner]

I bought a delux kit from brewyourownbrew.com which includes both a 6.5 gallon plastic fermenter, and a 5 gallon glass fermenter. I find the extra headspace in the 6.5 gallon is definately worth having. I know with one fruit beer I did when I added the extra fruit to the secondary in the 5 gallon it resulted in a strawberry volcanoe. As far as moving the glass carboy goes my kit came with a carboy handle and I don't have any problems what so ever moving it around when needed. Maybe if your a bit dainty you might run into problems though. The bottling wand for the bottling bucket is definitely worth it, not only does it help in not over oxygenating your beer when bottling, it also helps reduce the mess of bottling. One thing I wish I had was a wort chiller although I think I'm just going to build one since my local brew store sells them at 75 bucks which I think is over priced.

 

[Captain Damage]

1). 6 gallon vs 5 gallon glass/plastic carboys?

A 6 (or more) gallon carboy allows some space for the krausen, a 5 gallon does not. 5 gallon carboys are usually only used for secondary/clearing/dryhopping, rather than as primary fermenters.

2). I've read here (on 'This vs That' and elsewhere) that glass carboys are difficult to handle.

I've heard stories of very careful people still having glass carboys break on them, sometimes causing injury. I've also heard of people going decades without incident. BetterBottles have their own set of cautions (no scalding hot liquids) and are a little harder to clean. But as a BetterBottle fan I'll point out that no BB failure will send you to the emergency room.

3). In terms of a good brew kettle size, is 5 gallons the right size if one is expecting to do partial boils

Yes. Most of us partial-boilers use a pot of around that size.

4). Wort chillers. I'm trying to decide if I want a kit which has one or not.

I cool wort by putting my brew pot in a sink filled with ice, salt and water. It cools in about 10 minutes, but that's after the boil has brought the volume down to about 1.75 gallons. Wort chillers are essential for full-boils, but some do use them for partials.

5). Bottling bucket. I see that many of the kits online have a bottling bucket. In 'How-to' videos I've seen other people use 'bottling wands'

I use both; my bottling wand attaches to the spigot on my bottling bucket.

6). I've read that you can't use commerical bottles because you can't easily cap twist-offs? How do I know if a bottle is twist-off or not

Twist off bottles have a threaded top.

 

[davesrose]

The kits that have 6 gallon carboys are for your primary fermentation. Usually starter kits come with a 6.5 gallon bucket (for your primary fermentation), then either another bucket (for secondary or bottling) or a 5 gallon carboy. Glass vs plastic is a personal matter. I suppose there is a danger with glass, but I practice safety tips and haven't ever had an accident with them. If you are concerned about glass, I would get a kit that has a bucket for fermentation and either a second bucket or a better bottle.

Are you thinking of starting off by using your kitchen stove? If so, be careful about buying too big of a SS pot. I've seen people buy a 5 or 7 gallon SS and not be able to get a boil going with their kitchen stove. If you have a big pasta pot that you already use, start with that.

As for wort chillers, I think it's worth the investment....but I brew regularly. I generally encourage begining brewers to use items they already have laying around the house. First see if you like the hobby before investing hundreds of dollars in it.

 

[nebben]

Hi all, I've been reading Palmer's book over the past week and am getting a feel for how home brewing works. Yesterday I also went to my local brewstore and checked that out. I'm now trying to decide on a initial starter kit. I found a useful thread on these forums which has been helpful (recommending Northern Brewing, Austin HomeBrew, and Midwest start-up kits), but I have a couple questions about equipment that I was hoping to get a handle on.

1). 6 gallon vs 5 gallon glass/plastic carboys?
Some kits offer 5 gallon carboys and some have 6 gallon carboys. Is the additional space in the 6 gallon carboy nice to have, or does it not really matter and I shouldn't factor it into my decision?

For a primary fermenter, bigger is better. Unless you are aging something and want to have the headspace at a minimum (secondary or long term aging), a 5G will not work for a 5G batch in primary fermentation. The Krausen will multiply and exceed the shot-glass sized headspace as soon as fermentation begins.

2). I've read here (on 'This vs That' and elsewhere) that glass carboys are difficult to handle. Exactly how difficult are we talking? If you're careful is it not really a problem, or regardless of what you do are you taking a significant risk each time you try to clean/move a full glass carboy? Seems like moving 5 gallons of liquid with a glass carboy that might be slippery might be scary, but I don't have a feel for what that would be like. I'd prefer to play it safe and get Better Bottles, but my fiancee likes the look of glass so I'm trying to see how difficult it would actually be.

I think it really comes down to personal preference. Glass carboys are obviously more fragile, and can break due to heat/cold shock or improper handling, but they do offer benefits. I use glass because they are extremely easy to clean and retain absolutely no odor. A fully loaded carboy is someting that I always take extreme care to move. 5G of liquid in any container is heavy and awkward, so add in the fragile factor and sometime wet surfaces, and you can start to imagine what they are like to handle. No matter what, exercise extreme care when handling a full vessel no matter what material it is made of.

3). In terms of a good brew kettle size, is 5 gallons the right size if one is expecting to do partial boils (i.e., making 3 gallons of wort and then adding more water in the fermenter?).

Yep. Again, bigger is better if you can afford it and have the room to store it.

4). Wort chillers. I'm trying to decide if I want a kit which has one or not. Seems like it would be a huge pain to fill up a bathtub with ice each time (not to mention that I'd have to go buy ice so it's not free to do this). So wort chillers seem like a really good idea. Thoughts?

It is debatable if quick chilling of the wort is absolutely necessary. Personally, I do the "stirring of the hot wort while pot is immersed in a rubbermaid of cold trickling water" method. I can have wort at pitching temps within 30 minutes of flame-out with this approach. Other times, I've just put the pot out with a lid on it and let it sit for many hours. Both methods have worked out for me.

5). Bottling bucket. I see that many of the kits online have a bottling bucket. In 'How-to' videos I've seen other people use 'bottling wands' or whatever they're called. Is having a bottling bucket instead with a spigot much easier to use and should be what I'm looking for?

Personally, I've never had good luck with bottling bucket spigots. They leak, they get nasty, they're easily substituted with the same tubing/siphon setup and a generic food-safe 5G bucket without a spigot. I have a plain old bucket that I only use for bottling (no scratches!). The only difference from the spigot method is I start the same siphon I used to rack from primary into the bottling bucket and have the tubing connected to a $3.00 bottling wand that I use in my kitchen sink. No drip mess to clean up and it is all self contained. The tubing is going to be cleaned and sanitized anyway since it will be used to rack to the bottling bucket in either approach.

6). Okay, this question is super n00b, but I'd rather ask anyway. I've read that you can't use commerical bottles because you can't easily cap twist-offs? How do I know if a bottle is twist-off or not? Will it have threading? All of the commerical beer that I drink (Deschutes, Flying Dogs, etc.) I use a bottle opener anyway (and never try to twist off) and the bottles look the same (so I don't have two different types where I can say 'this' looks different than 'that').

You can use commercial bottles. Wing cappers need a lip to grab in order to press on the cap. Bench cappers can press a cap onto just about any bottle that has a smooth lip. I don't know from experience with twist-off type bottles, but I would assume as long as the lip is smooth and there is a collar that your wing capper can grab, they will work. A bench capper would make the collar issue moot. A good rule of thumb is to test new/unproven bottles first with water and test it out to make sure your capping system will work. If so, then clean and sanitize about 10% more than you need since some will break on occasion during capping, or some will get thrown off the counter accidentally

 

[GammaPoint]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Are you thinking of starting off by using your kitchen stove? If so, be careful about buying too big of a SS pot. I've seen people buy a 5 or 7 gallon SS and not be able to get a boil going with their kitchen stove. If you have a big pasta pot that you already use, start with that.

I was thinking about using my kitchen stove. Do many people have problems with boiling with a 5 gallon pot on standard stoves? Or do most people use a separate, external burner?

I do have a big pasta pot, but I poured water into it last night and it would probably overflow at around 2.25 gallons or so, so nowhere close to 5 gallons.

 

[Captain Damage]

I've had no problems boiling 2-3 gallons (again, I'm only doing partial boils) on my kitchen stove. Gas is a little faster than electric, but both have worked fine for me. I'd probably have some trouble if I was doing full boils, but I've never tested it. I currently use a 5 gallon stainless steel pot - a very thin inexpensive one from Walmart or some similar place. I've also used an enameled steel lobster pot.

 

[GammaPoint]

I've had no problems boiling 2-3 gallons (again, I'm only doing partial boils) on my kitchen stove. Gas is a little faster than electric, but both have worked fine for me. I'd probably have some trouble if I was doing full boils, but I've never tested it. I currently use a 5 gallon stainless steel pot - a very thin inexpensive one from Walmart or some similar place. I've also used an enameled steel lobster pot.

I see. Yeah I've got an electric stove. I think partial boils will be fine for me in order to get started and see if I enjoy the hobby. When I get a backyard or garage in a couple years I could have more space to store larger pots and extra burners.