Beginner Brewer Looking For a Nice Kit

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MichaelScime

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Ok guys I am considering 3 or 4 kits and if there are any other you think would be good let me know!

so here they are
kit 1
kit 2
kit 3
kit 4

Here are my questions

So I guess what kit would you recommend

Whats going to be the difference between keg and no keg

What else will I need

How to I choose an ingredient kit

All grain VS Recipe kits


Thanks a bunch guys!
 
MichaelScime said:
Ok guys I am considering 3 or 4 kits and if there are any other you think would be good let me know!

so here they are
kit 1
kit 2
kit 3
kit 4

Here are my questions

So I guess what kit would you recommend

Whats going to be the difference between keg and no keg

What else will I need

How to I choose an ingredient kit

All grain VS Recipe kits


Thanks a bunch guys!
Click to expand...

Well are you going to keg your beer or bottle it? I'm assuming bottle it being a first time brewer. Do you have a equipment? I would check this out before buying a kit:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/equipment-kits/beginner-s-guide.html

Choosing a kit depends on whether your're brewing extract or all grain. If you're brewing extract, all of what they talk about in the beginners guide in that link I posted should be all you need. In extract, you just take some extra steps out of the brewing process by using the malt extract in the kit. If you brew all grain, you extract from the grains yourself in a mash tun.

Also a thread in this forum to check out:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/beginner-extract-brewing-howto-99139/

Everyone here is pretty good about answering questions, but I would do yourself a favor and read up as much as you can! Lots of good books and stuff out there as well.
 
Thanks man and yeah I will probably bottle for a bit

So whats better extracts or grains?

is there anything other then whats in one of those kits i need other then a recipe kit?
 
Starting out I would go for extract until you get a hang of the process. Some people jump straight into all grain but not many. If you do extract you should be ok, but if you do all grain you will need a mash tun. Youtube has a lot of great videos as well!
 
ok so what kit should I look at like what companies have nice kits/are the kits I listed nice

and what other stuff do I need

and what recipe is nice and easier
 
I have had excellent results with kits from AIH
http://www.homebrewing.org/Beer-Recipe-Kits_c_135.html

I would say most kits put together by the shop its self are fresh and reliable.
Kits from Mr. beer and brewers best are assembles elsewhere and may be months or even years old.
I do both all grain and extract. I tend to do the extract when I may not have a half day to give towards brewing but am in need of filling the kegs.

Also after you have a kit or two under your belt I would start reading about the fermentation process and learn to make starters for your yeast. Others may disagree but for me %70 of the brewing process takes place during fermentation. That is were a beer becomes great or gross.
 
I'd say kit #2 if you're going to bottle. Best bang for the buck starting out. And you can buy a couple cases of pop top brown bottle beers to drink for the empties you'll need. A five gallon batch uses 48-55 12oz bottles.
 
I would say anything from Midwest. But as has been stated by others figure out what you want to do. If extract and bottling then the Master Brewer kit is not what you need although down the road you may want it. The progression is generally extract to partial mash to all grain but who knows, you may brew two batches and figure out you don't like doing it. Or like most of us here you'll end up going deeper than you ever thought.
DO you have a friend that brews? If so hang out with them on a few brew days and see what it takes to brew a batch. Read everything you can and then make your decision.
I will tell you what started out as a basic kit for me has turned into an entire basement remodel soon to start. If you enjoy the hobby you will soon be acquiring all sorts of items, building mash tuns, kegging, etc.
Also do not forget about your local Craigslist. Ours has tons of "Used Once" kits on it and other items. The sell for less than half cost and it is a great way to try out the hobby.
I will add Buy the Biggest brew pot you can afford. I started with a 5 1/2 gallon and have progressed to all grain from extract so am shopping for one almost twice the size now; or go the opposite direction and try a few one gallon batches to see how you like it. Seems to be a few One Gallon brewers here.
As far as starting out try a few kits. Midwest kits are fresh and always turn out decent. Then start trying some of the recipes here or in Brew Your Own every month. The best beer I brewed came out of a book, and of course I cannot remember it so Document Everything you do. LOL.
No matter what research, find a friend that brews, research more and then go for it! :mug:
 
No friends that brew unfortunately.
I think I might get a basic kits and recipe kit.
Buy bottles from locals on the local by and sell page
Buy a 20gt port for 40+tax(13%)

I will look on kijiji(canadian craigslist) and see if I can't find anything :D

I should start looking for a club but like I like this like I like my veg gardening; I can spend a day on it then its minor upkeep that will have good rewards :)

Ok guys any thing else will still help keep it coming :)
 
I started with your "kit 3". With glass carboys. It comes with your choice of three extract kits with steeping grains. I did the Irish Red. While I've added a lot to my brewery since then, I'm still using most all the equipment that came in that kit. I'd highly recommend it.



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How does this look?

beerkiyquote.jpg
 
Being in Canada you'll have to order from a Canadian company (or lhbs). I got my first kit from OntarioBeerKegs.com, and they have a good selection of equipment kits. I've also ordered through BeerGrains.com. Their 6 gallon starter kit should be enough to get you started, except it doesn't come with a kettle. Both companies have fantastic customer service.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
Whichever kit you end up ordering, I would recommend going with the plastic carboys. Carrying a 5 gallon glass carboy filled with wort can be pretty strenuous if you are brewing alone. They are cheaper and you can always use them for secondaries if you switch to glass. As other posters have pointed out you will adding a lot more equipment if you find you like brewing.
Also see if you can get 1/2" siphon tubing and 1/2" siphon with your order, it makes transferring the wort a lot faster.
 
As a beginner (like me), much of the fun is watching the fermentation process. Unfortunately you can't do that with buckets. You will only see the airlock bubbling away.
After reading many forum threads and viewing videos (Northern Brewer has a ton) you should make a list of all what the kits offer, decide what you need and price it out at your local home brewing shop. E.G. The last kit looked nice but if you are brewing indoors an aluminum stockpot would suffice at a fraction of the cost. They cool much faster in an ice bath too.
Also, bottling (besides cleaning) is the least fun part of the process so i would recommend larger bottles----22oz or liter.
 
If you will be brewing in your kitchen, that kit will probably be ideal. You can do their 3.5 gallon kits to start (since I think one or two come with the kit anyway), and then either keep doing smaller batches (some people love them) or simply get 5 gallon recipes and do partial boils, and when you do decide to upgrade, you'll probably be able to find a use for that 5 gallon kettle anyway.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
Too bad you missed the big mouth bubbler starter kit. That was a hell of a deal.

Anyway, I saw you were thinking of a 20qt pot. Definitely go bigger. 32qt minimum in my opinion. Preferably 40. You can find them on eBay cheap.

Partial boils suck.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=141106351809

Like i said, cheap. You can go even cheaper and do aluminum.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
Partial boils aren't that bad in the same 5 gallon (20qt) SS kettle I started with. I now am up to pb/pm biab & it's fine for my bad back. Wet grain bags are heavy. As is 5-6 gallons of wort. I keep a couple gallons of spring water in the fridge a day or two before brew day to top off with after chilling the wort down to 70F or so. This cold top off gets the wort down to 65F or less. Perfect for many ale yeasts. So it's all a matter of equipment available & personal preference. I also have the Super Agata bench capper now to make bottling easier & faster. A bottle tree & vinator will also speed things up.
 
I just tasted my batches from Morebeer's ESB & Irish red ale E/SG kits over the holiday weekend. The ESB had a caramel biscotti flavor with nice bittering balance. The Irish red had a bit of roastiness with that darker malt flavor they're known for. It was quite smooth too. Here's a couple pics;
ESB

Irish red

Prices are quite reasonable. I ordered in the afternoon & the ESB kit was on my doorstep bright & early the next morning! They have a warehouse in PA as well. Yeast options are great as well. I used the dry S-04 in both, rehydrated. I think I like it better than US-05 in UK styles.
 
You could have 2 fermenting at once, but you'll always want one empty bucket... Once fermentation is done, you'll want to transfer your beer to a bottling bucket (just a 5 or 6 gallon plastic fermenter, though you can get some with a spigot at the bottom).

The reason for this is, it lets you mix your beer with priming sugar (that you've dissolved in water and put in your bucket) and get it off the trub in the bottom of your fermenter, so you don't stuck a bunch of it into your bottles.

Edit: Also know that if you ask 10 people what exactly you need to start brewing, you'll likely get 10 different answers. If you can afford it, bigger is better for your kettle, and after that, see what we think here (like you've been doing), look around for a sale, and get going. Any preassembled equipment kit will probably have some good points and low points... All of them will let you make beer.
 
Kits are depending on what you want. I did well with several different brands at first. Once you have the process down and have run several batches. Branch out and try some extract recipes from the local homebrew clubs, BeerSmith or Northern Brewer. Add some fruit, play with the ABV (don't forget more hops to balance the extra body), add some oatmeal to a stout or get a recipe from Zymurgy or Brew Your Own and try it. Again kits are great for learning the process but very limiting after that. Expensive too. Usually you can get everything at the brewstore cheaper.
 
going into my local store tm to see if they have anything

What should I get could I get a couple lists?
 
Look at what the kits contain & make a list from that. Except you may want to sub a 2nd fermenter for the better bottle secondary atm. 2 fermenters is def better & I hardly ever use my BB secondary.
 

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