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Almost identical to the first kit I got myself last November. It has served me well so far for four batches. You can get by with just what is in the kit, but I would suggest you pick up a bottle of Star San sanitizer and toss that other stuff. Star San is much easier to use and a lot less work too. If you can spend a few extra dollars, an auto siphon would be nice too. Good LUck!
 
I didn't see a thermometer in the kit. Do you have one? I like a floating thermo myself.

How large is your cooking pot?

Have you checked the Partial Mash thread... it's got great pictures of the process and you can figure out what your process will be from there.

For me organization was key!

Cheers and happy brewing! I'm on my first batch and happily watching the bubbles form in the valve =):ban:
 
Every thing you need to start brewing beer at home except for the empty bottles and ingredients.

Each kit contains:
6.5 gallon food grade plastic fermenting bucket with lid
6.5 gallon bottling bucket with spigot
Auto-Siphon & Vinyl siphon tubing
8 ounce bag of One Step No-Rinse Cleanser
Bottle filler with stainless steel spring
S-curve air lock
Glass triple scale hydrometer
Copy of The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing
Bottle caps and priming sugar for your first batch

Ok...dump the Onestep and get a bottle of either iodophor or Starsan, onestep is really a joke...it's not technically a sanitizer and it really isn't worth the money for it. When I bought my kit my lhbs gave me a bottle of a real sanitizer instead (iodophor)

Get yourself either a winetheif or a hydrometer testing jar (like a big plastic testube) and get a turkey baster to draw your sample with. (I started with the winethief and realised it was a pita to use, so I went the test jar/baster route.)

Pick up a vinator bottle sanitizer and a jet bottle washer (you're going to realize you want them anyway after reading some of the bottling threads and kick yourself for not buying them BEFORE your bottle your first batch)

Since you will be starting in buckets, get one of those 5 gallon paint bucket strainers...most LHBS sell them, if not go to a hardware store...you will want to have something to strain out the hops when you dump into the primary...unless you are going to be chilling your wort then racking with the autosiphon, which will leave most of the trub behind.

Make sure you have a good and long thermeter...actually you might want a few thermometers, so you can calibrate them off each other...I've gone through over a dozen different types in a year, and I finally bought a cheap long glass scientific thermometer yesterday and it was the best thing I ever used...though I don't hold much hope of it not breaking at some point. I found the floating thermometer that came with my kit was too short for my 5 gallon stove pot, and broke after the first few uses anyway)

If you don't have one a kitchen timer will be a must. Keep track of your hops additions...at some point you will also want a cheap scale to measure out your hop quantities...Target has cheap digital ones for 20 bucks or so..

How will you be cooling your wort? Are you going to ice bath initially, or will it be worth the hassle/expense to get an immersion chiller right off the bat? I JUST bought one after brewing for a long time without...and wow, it changes the brew day dynamics immensely..It's an hour off my brew day. The 25 foot one fits both in my 5 gallon stove top brewpot as well as my turkey fryer kettle..and it can be used with my kitchen sink and a garden hose outside, you can also hook it up to a pond or drill pump and use a bucket of ice water instead of the sink.

If you are going to do stovetop brewing, Dollar General has 5 gallon stainless pots for 10 bucks (though they really can only hold 4-41/4 gallons comfortably.) I use fermcap foam control to prevent boilivers.

OH most importantly, if you get the Jet bottle washer and/or the the Immersion chiller, make sure you get an indoor faucet to garden hose threaded adapter...they usually have them next to the jet washers OR they are standard issue at any hardware store.

You will save money buy buying any "cooking" type gear at a big box, grocery or bed bath and beyond store, even dollar and hardware stores than at an lhbs...(not counting the paint strainer bag) the other strainers most brewshops sell for 15-20 bucks can be had for anyhwere from 1 to five dollars elsewhere, same with long spoons and things like scales and such...

I think that should get you started...
 
thanks rev, thats a lot to look over. i may have to skip some of that stuff to start due to limited funds until february, but i would really like to get my first good batch going this weekend so if i can make due with the kit plus a few minor things thats what im going to attempt.
 
Wow, Revvy, great list. I've got my eye on a kit from More Beer, they're local for me, and have added several additions that I knew I would need, but your list really gave me some good ideas for items to get early on. Until then, I trudge on with my Mr. Beer!
 
Since you are on a budget you can get this kit below for $52.95. Throw in a floating thermometer $4.95, a 4oz. bottle of iodophor sanitizer $3.95, a jet bottle washer $9.95, adapter for the washer $3.95. You get $10 off of shipping on your first order so all that with shipping for about the same price or less than the EJ Wren kit.

Just an option...

Equipment Kits
 
Since you are on a budget you can get this kit below for $52.95. Throw in a floating thermometer $4.95, a 4oz. bottle of iodophor sanitizer $3.95, a jet bottle washer $9.95, adapter for the washer $3.95. You get $10 off of shipping on your first order so all that with shipping for about the same price or less than the EJ Wren kit.

Just an option...

Equipment Kits

thanks for the link, i was looking at the ej wren kit because they are 2 miles from my house so i can pick it up when ever i want and start using it. may have to shop around a little more though.
 
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