About to pull the trigger.... Help me!

[NaplesVin]

Alright, so I have been looking into doing some home-brewing for about 2 weeks.. I have done a lot of reading on this forum and viewed numerous youtube videos. On top of that, I have been scouring website after website trying to find what would best fit me as a beginners kit.

So far my list, please feel free to add to it: that is why I am here posting

Northern Brewer Deluxe Starting Kit Glass Carboy (American Wheat):
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...-starter-kits/deluxe-brewing-starter-kit.html

12 oz Beer Bottles - Amber Glass - Case of 24x3 (Total 72):
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/12-oz-beer-bottles-amber-case-of-24.html

Gravity Testing Kit:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...wery-essentials-gravity-testing-assembly.html

KM14 Pocket Digital Themometer:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/km14-pocket-digital-themometer.html

8oz Star-San:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/star-san.html

Alright so this is my list so far, Please feel free to mention something I am missing! I am at $266.xx so far with a budget of $300.00. If you spot something that is cheaper that I may have overlooked or in your opinion a better kit to start off with, please let me know!

Some Questions I have if someone can be kind enough to answer:

1) I do have a kettle large enough to accommodate a 5 gallon brew. Should I pick up one just dedicated to brewing or just use the one I have now? EDIT: I have a Propane burner with an 80qt kettle. I will be doing this on a covered part of my lanai.

2) I live in Naples, Florida (Southwest Florida), where temperatures around summer time can reach 80-105° F. I plan on using a plastic bin filled with water/ice to keep it cool in a storage closet(My house stays at constant 73° F), do I need to take any other precautions to help regulate the temperature? (I do have a chest freezer out in the garage that I may use if I get into this hobby more).

3) Is there really any benefit to having a plastic Carboy over a Glass? I don't care about the cost so much as I want something reliable.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, I know it's a tall order! I really appreciate any help and look forward to being a member of this forum!


UPDATE: 7/28/14 @ 8:30

Alright, I finally pulled the trigger and I believe the bullet hit the target! I got my order... I slimmed down the amount and decided to do some DIY projects!

Purchase List:

Brewing Kit:
http://www.homebrewing.org/Brewers-Best-BeAst-Equipment-Kit-with-Better-Bottle-Carboy_p_3155.html

Hank's Hefeweizen Extract Beer Kit:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/hank-s-hefeweizen.html

8oz Star-San:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/star-san.html

That is what I have bought so far. I also ordered on Amazon a big tub of Oxiclean Free and will see how that works. I found a great tutorial of how to make a wort chiller from a guy that actually lives in Naples! [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6w4b0-5tvM[/ame] . The only thing now that I am going to do is go out to a Total Wine near me and buy at least 2x 24 packs of beer (I also bought 140 caps or so to go along with it). Next thing on my list is a Digital Temperature Controller for my chest freezer. You guys have been great so far, and have literally threw my plans for a 360 for the better! When I get everything in, I will try to take some pictures of my first attempt at brewing some Hefeweizen! Cheers!

 

[JBOGAN]

How many quarts does the kettle hold?

 

[Foosier]

That looks like about it. As far as the pot goes, stick with the equipment you have already if you can. Learn what you like and don't like before investing in a larger pot. You should note, however, that a 5 or 6 gallon pot will actually be a bit small for a 5 gallon batch. You will start out with around 6.5 gallons of wort and boil down to 5ish. You can risk boil overs which are very messy in a small pot.

 

[NaplesVin]

How many quarts does the kettle hold?

Should've mentioned that in my original post...

I am going to use a Propane burner (outside on a covered part of my lanai), with an 80qt Kettle. Is that too big or does it matter?

 

[JBOGAN]

Go over to Adventures in Homebrewing, cheaper kits with better options.

http://www.homebrewing.org/Brewers-Best-BeAst-Equipment-Kit-with-Better-Bottle-Carboy_p_3155.html

 

[JBOGAN]

80 quarts will allow you to do pretty much anything you want.

 

[stratslinger]

A couple things:
1) In reference to your questions - you say you have a kettle large enough for a 5 gallon brew: how large, exactly? Keep in mind you're going to boil for an hour, typically, which means you'll probably boil off 1.5-2 gallons, so you'll want to start with 6.5-7 gallons. And you want head space to help protect against boil-overs. I started out with a 7 or 7.5 gallon pot, and that was only barely large enough for full volume boils. If your pot isn't at least that large, invest in something bigger - 8-10 gallons at least, unless you want to top off (which is perfectly OK!).
2) The plastic bin/ice water combo will help, but not necessarily be ideal in those summer temps. Give it a shot, and try to brew with the seasons as much as you can - brew some saisons in the summer (saison yeast tend to like high temperatures) and get into more forgiving ale yeasts when it cools down a little... And, like you said, outfit that freezer with a love controller or similar when you decide you're ready for it.
3) The benefits I see to plastic (almost all my fermenters are plastic) are that plastic fermenters are a helluva lot lighter to carry around, and they don't shatter into a million tiny pieces when you leave them to dry in a less than secure spot and they tip over and fall on your basement floor. Not that I speak from experience...

On your shoppping list
- I'd suggest looking at a kit that skips the secondary fermenter - except sooner or later, even if you buy into the mantra that many of us chant (no more secondary, no more secondary, no more secondary...), you're going to decide to make a fruit beer, or age something long term on wood, or something like that, and that secondary fermenter will get busted out once in a blue moon... I bought a kit with a secondary fermenter, and I've used it maybe 3 times. Now it collects dust.
- For the beer bottles - Entirely up to you, but I'd much rather go out and pick up a couple cases of beer, enjoy them, then soak them in some oxyclean free to get rid of the labels and clean them, then (as if by magic) have a couple cases of bottles ready to go. Or ask friends for their empties. Or both. Just make sure the beers are pop-tops and not twist offs.
- I notice you have Star-San (a sanitizer), but no cleaner. Not sure if you intend to pick up some Oxiclean Free (or similar), or if you haven't come across anything yet on the importance of cleaning AND sanitizing. If you haven't, do a little more research on the topic and then make sure to add a good cleaning agent to your list.

 

[NaplesVin]

A couple things:
1) In reference to your questions - you say you have a kettle large enough for a 5 gallon brew: how large, exactly? Keep in mind you're going to boil for an hour, typically, which means you'll probably boil off 1.5-2 gallons, so you'll want to start with 6.5-7 gallons. And you want head space to help protect against boil-overs. I started out with a 7 or 7.5 gallon pot, and that was only barely large enough for full volume boils. If your pot isn't at least that large, invest in something bigger - 8-10 gallons at least, unless you want to top off (which is perfectly OK!).
2) The plastic bin/ice water combo will help, but not necessarily be ideal in those summer temps. Give it a shot, and try to brew with the seasons as much as you can - brew some saisons in the summer (saison yeast tend to like high temperatures) and get into more forgiving ale yeasts when it cools down a little... And, like you said, outfit that freezer with a love controller or similar when you decide you're ready for it.
3) The benefits I see to plastic (almost all my fermenters are plastic) are that plastic fermenters are a helluva lot lighter to carry around, and they don't shatter into a million tiny pieces when you leave them to dry in a less than secure spot and they tip over and fall on your basement floor. Not that I speak from experience...

On your shoppping list
- I'd suggest looking at a kit that skips the secondary fermenter - except sooner or later, even if you buy into the mantra that many of us chant (no more secondary, no more secondary, no more secondary...), you're going to decide to make a fruit beer, or age something long term on wood, or something like that, and that secondary fermenter will get busted out once in a blue moon... I bought a kit with a secondary fermenter, and I've used it maybe 3 times. Now it collects dust.
- For the beer bottles - Entirely up to you, but I'd much rather go out and pick up a couple cases of beer, enjoy them, then soak them in some oxyclean free to get rid of the labels and clean them, then (as if by magic) have a couple cases of bottles ready to go. Or ask friends for their empties. Or both. Just make sure the beers are pop-tops and not twist offs.
- I notice you have Star-San (a sanitizer), but no cleaner. Not sure if you intend to pick up some Oxiclean Free (or similar), or if you haven't come across anything yet on the importance of cleaning AND sanitizing. If you haven't, do a little more research on the topic and then make sure to add a good cleaning agent to your list.

Thanks for the indepth response! You actually cleared up some questions I was just about to ask.

1) I just edited my OP: 80qt Kettle on a propane burner.

In response to the 2nd fermenter, I was actually debating that but wasn't sure what to do. The only reason I was really going with the Northern Brewer kit was because of the 2nd fermenter... I am going to re-think this option and look at other kits. I will also add Oxiclean Free to the list, thank you for the addition and reponse!

 

[flars]

You will need a way to cool your wort. Previous posts from Floridians say the tap water is 70°F? It will be faster and less expensive to cool the wort if you begin with partial boils.
Later on make the jump to full boils with immersion chillers and pre-chillers.

 

[NaplesVin]

You will need a way to cool your wort. Previous posts from Floridians say the tap water is 70°F? It will be faster and less expensive to cool the wort if you begin with partial boils.
Later on make the jump to full boils with immersion chillers and pre-chillers.

I was thinking of getting the amount of water I need by using 1 gallon jugs of Nestle Pure life water. Will it make a difference if I use tap water instead of bottled?

 

[unionrdr]

Even up here, spring water does make the beer a bit better. This kit at Midwest has the primary fermenter & a bottling bucket. Best bang for the buck & has options to add on if you want.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-basics-equipment-kit.html

 

[Conman13]

As far as glass vs plastic - I would encourage you to go with plastic. Glass carboys are just too dangerous IMO, plus they weigh a ton. I have dropped one before and it was NOT FUN dealing with shattered glass and beer everywhere.

Also, there are "Big mouth bubblers" now available, which are FAR more convenient to use than the traditional carboy form factor. Having the narrow neck of a traditional carboy is a huge PITA. I would see if you can source the parts from the starter kit separately and get the plastic buckets or plastic big mouth bubbler carboys instead of traditional carboys.

 

[GHBWNY]

I'd go plastic over glass in the carboy --- much less weight/accident liability. The "plastic-scratches-leaving-micro-grooves-in-which-bacteria-can-hide" argument is problematic only if you tend not to properly clean and sanitize your equipment, in which case, micro-scratches should be the least of your concerns. If you end up with a glass carboy, you'll want a nylon web strap carrier or plastic milk crate, etc. to carry it in. DANG heavy!

Also, for bottles --- like someone else said --- start now asking friends. They'll be more than happy to contribute, esp. if a couple come back filled with homebrew! Trust me, you'll eventually have an endless supply. I also found a smokin' deal on Craigslist --- 7 cases of clean, used bottles for $30.

So, welcome to HBTF.

 

[jekeane]

The main issues with tap water are chlorine and chloramines that the water companies use these can be taken care of with a product called campden tablets. If you enjoy the flavor of your tap water you can use it if you take care of the chlorine (if present).

A cheaper alternative to Nestle water would be the RO water from the machines outside of store Publix, Winn Dixie, Family Dollar have them in Jacksonville I assume it is the same in Naples. RO water is good to brew with if you are doing extract which from your list looks to be the case. If you go all grain RO is still good but may require some adjustments down the road.

Go with plastic over glass imo lighter, easier to work with, and safer in the long run.

Having a secondary (5g) carboy is nice but not necessary right away.

The two things that will help you out in florida more than anything else is fermentation control. And a chiller setup. If you go the immersion chill route you will likely need to look at a recirculating ice water pump for the chiller. I built my 50 ft chiller with a recirculating pump for about $85 i believe.

 

[stratslinger]

I was thinking of getting the amount of water I need by using 1 gallon jugs of Nestle Pure life water. Will it make a difference if I use tap water instead of bottled?

The water they're talking about is you chilling water, not your brewing water. In general, when you're brewing with extract (I assume that's how you're starting out, based on your equipment list), if the water tastes good (no notable chemical tastes, etc), it'll make adequate brewing water. Try it out once or twice before resorting to bottled water.

As to chilling: Once you're done with your boil, it's typically best to chill your wort to pitching temperatures as quickly as possible in order to avoid chill haze (also, to a lesser extent, to minimize exposure time to wild yeasts and other infection agents). Using a 7 or 8 gallon pot, you can typically just fit that into a slop sink and pull off an ice water bath to chill down to pitching temps. Using an 80qt pot like you're talking about, that's going to be a challenge. Depending on the actual temperature of your ground water - especially in the summer - even with a good chiller, you may have trouble getting the wort down to pitching temperature quickly.

Maybe read up a little on no-chill brewing? I've never tried it, so I can't speak to the results you might expect - but a lot of people on the board use it to reportedly good effect. If you can pull it off in a sanitary fashion, and you're not concerned with a little chill haze, it might work for you until you can fit a chiller (and maybe a pre-chiller?) into your budget.

 

[mprossman]

I would start out with jugs of Natural Spring Water. I prefer keeping all the minerals in the water vs. adding all the minerals back in. You can deal with that later when you get more experience. It's pretty cheap and eliminates a variable.

How does your tap water taste? Keep in mind that if your tap water tastes like crap, so will your beer. If it's good and you decide to use it, you will want to get the chlorine/chloramines out of your water. I have found that Campden tablets work well. Quick, easy and cheap. Later you can buy a carbon water filter to take care of it.

I would highly recommend getting some type of chiller now. An ice bath just doesn't cut it and it's something you will always be able to use. Well worth the investment.

Good luck man. It's a great hobby. Let me know how long you keep with the $300 budget.

 

[GHBWNY]

Just a thought re: purchasing equip. If you have a local homebrew store, you may want to consider buying [some or all of] your start-up supplies from them. Will you pay a little more? Probably. But, depending on their level of expertise, etc., getting to know the folks there can be a huge asset to your efforts when starting out. And they may be a little more empathetic to your pursuit (helpful) if they are selling you their products. Although I buy stuff online, I try to make a visit to my LHBS once a month or so just to keep our investment in each other up to date.

 

[NaplesVin]

Wow guys, thanks for all the replies! The tap water down here is pretty crappy (at least in my opinion). I will probably just play it safe and buy bottled water like some of the users above posted. The current setup I am looking at is going to be extract brewing for now until I really get into and experiment with all grain and so forth.

Thank you again for all the help so far I am now looking into a wort chiller and possibly getting my chest freezer cleared out and looking into the magical temperature switch for it. Now that I am looking at what I need... would it be better just to buy this kit for the long run?: http://www.homebrewing.org/Beginning-Homebrew-Kit-Upgrade-3_p_1706.html
My only problem is that I wish there was an option for a plastic carboy. Other than that, I can maybe switch my plan of using my 80qt kettle to a 8 gallon one w/ a wort chiller.

Naples is a pretty dry area catering to old retired folk . I saw one home-brew good store here and it went out of business in a year or so... I gotta look around and see if there is any within 30min driving distance.

 

[Riot]

Ever soldered copper pipe? Failing that, can you borrow a blow torch and look it up? There a a number of chiller builds here, some with pretty small costs. Might be worth the couple hours if it means you get the chiller with the rest, waiting on a cooling sink takes forever, I did it for a long time. Also, picking that hot brew pot up and moving it will become your least favourite part of brewing in a hurry.

 

[NaplesVin]

Ever soldered copper pipe? Failing that, can you borrow a blow torch and look it up? There a a number of chiller builds here, some with pretty small costs. Might be worth the couple hours if it means you get the chiller with the rest, waiting on a cooling sink takes forever, I did it for a long time. Also, picking that hot brew pot up and moving it will become your least favourite part of brewing in a hurry.

I am going to look into this, by the look of some of the videos I just watched it looks like 25 foot of copper pipe and some basic knowledge to put together.. I got to check the material list and see how much cheaper it will be. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Riot]

Copper tube will be the worst part price wise unless you can get a deal, and spend the extra few on a rubber hose so it doesn't melt.

 

[NaplesVin]

UPDATE: 7/28/14 @ 8:30

Alright, I finally pulled the trigger and I believe the bullet hit the target! I got my order... I slimmed down the amount and decided to do some DIY projects!

Purchase List:

Brewing Kit:
http://www.homebrewing.org/Brewers-B...oy_p_3155.html

Hank's Hefeweizen Extract Beer Kit:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/hank-s-hefeweizen.html

8oz Star-San:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/star-san.html

That is what I have bought so far. I also ordered on Amazon a big tub of Oxiclean Free and will see how that works. I found a great tutorial of how to make a wort chiller from a guy that actually lives in Naples! The only thing now that I am going to do is go out to a Total Wine near me and buy at least 2x 24 packs of beer (I also bought 140 caps or so to go along with it). Next thing on my list is a Digital Temperature Controller for my chest freezer. You guys have been great so far, and have literally threw my plans for a 360 for the better! When I get everything in, I will try to take some pictures of my first attempt at brewing some Hefeweizen! Cheers!

 

[Bobb25]

I would suggest that you visit the Naples Beach Brewery. I spend the winter in Naples, and the two guys I met at the Brewery there were very friendly. You could get many of your questions answered. With your warm "cold" water; cooling your wort is going to be a big challenge. They have a huge tank in a cold room for a closed loop cooling system. You might consider a double cooling coil setup, with one coil in a tub of ice water feeding a coil in your kettle. PM me and next January we can swap some home brews.... Cheers
Bob

 

[NaplesVin]

I would suggest that you visit the Naples Beach Brewery. I spend the winter in Naples, and the two guys I met at the Brewery there were very friendly. You could get many of your questions answered. With your warm "cold" water; cooling your wort is going to be a big challenge. They have a huge tank in a cold room for a closed loop cooling system. You might consider a double cooling coil setup, with one coil in a tub of ice water feeding a coil in your kettle. PM me and next January we can swap some home brews.... Cheers
Bob

Very neat, I will definitely have to check that out on my day off.