Back at it after +10 years

[richm20]

Last time I was brewing beer, forums weren't as popular so this will be my first go at it with a support group. Looking forward to it.
I have some long term and short term goals (long term meaning within the next year or so)
Right away, I would like to get back to where I left off years ago (no equipment left, nothing) When I last brewed I was doing glass primary and secondary, using kits as well as making semi custom beers. One custom I remembered was taking a dark clone kit and adding coffee and lactose to make a coffee beer. I would bottle everything and would usually have 2 beers going at a time, about a week apart.
If im going to buy a new setup, I'm going to also switch to kegging in place of bottling. I believe besides being easier I also have the benefit of force carbonation.
Okay, lots of words. Looking for ideas for a good home brew setup. Ill need tools, carboys, air locks, racking canes.....You know the deal. I already have pots and burners. Any ideas of places to buy this type of stuff would be great.

Im also looking to set up a kegging setup. This is a bit new to me. I have a co2 tank but that's it. I also have no experience with the smaller kegs and associated taps. So, please offer any ideas, advice and setups I could buy. Im going to start with 1 keg but will expand to 3 or 4 with a refrigerator converted to hold kegs and taps.


Moving forward and considering I already have some beer fermenting. I have my long term goals. I have a 2nd kitchen that we use for nothing. My in-laws are also getting rid of a beautiful 6 burner commercial stove. My plan is to remove the old kitchen, install this large stove (great for boiling) and build a brewery. Would love to hear your ideas as well as tips you may have for making this a nice simple yet effective brewery.


Prost!

 

[unionrdr]

I listed this link in your intro post as well. The basic starter kit can have options added onto it; http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-basics-equipment-kit.html

 

[dnslater]

Sounds awesome.. Good luck. FYI, many folks here are skipping the secondary all together and doing a long 4-week primary. Yeast has come a long way now, and you are fine leaving beer on the yeast cake for months. You could save the initial investment in a carboy if you want and just go with plastic..... unless you plan to bulk age, etc...

 

[metanoia]

Like dnslater said, skip the secondary when possible, yeast are much healthier these days and can handle beer sitting on them for even months at a time. Pick up a 5 gallon Better Bottle for the rare times you will need a secondary (adding fruit or aging), they're cheaper and 1,000 times more safe than a glass carboy, plus you can always add a spigot.

If you have a local homebrew shop (LHBS) nearby, visit them for at least your ingredients and ask them for their advice on where to start recipe-wise. I'd advise staying away from the pre-made kits, as you'll get much better results from looking up recipes on the internet and building around extracts and specialty grains. There's even a good chance that the LHBS will have their own kits put together with liquid malt extract (best option for making a recipe), specialty grains, hops, special ingredients, hop/grain bags, and possibly more. Pick a yeast from there and you're all set to brew a tried-and-true recipe that's only going to cost you $30-40.