Best Beginner Starter Kit?

[AlexKay]

If you’re thinking saison, Lallemand Farmhouse is new in the scene. I’m doing my first batch with it now, so I don’t speak from experience, but I’ve heard good things.

Hoppy beers — specifically, with big dry hops — are prone to staling in ways that other beers aren’t. You can make a pretty hoppy pale ale with late and whirlpool additions and have the hops come through in the final bottled beer, but IPA and especially NEIPA are a level of difficulty up.

Mead and cider are pretty easy if you have a good fermenter and you remember to use yeast nutrient, but my limited experience is that fermentation is slower and less reliable than when you’re working with a malt-based wort. Patience is key.

 

[AlexKay]

Under no circumstances should you run a propane burner in your garage.

 

[boolean]

(B)rew (I)n (A) (B)ag
You’ll be able to accomplish the same thing in the all-n-one system you just posted… similar process, different equipment.

Interesting! That sounds more beginner friendly than anything but I do sort of like the thought process of adding hops at the appropriate time to create a signature flavor. LOL

If you’re thinking saison, Lallemand Farmhouse is new in the scene. I’m doing my first batch with it now, so I don’t speak from experience, but I’ve heard good things.

Hoppy beers — specifically, with big dry hops — are prone to staling in ways that other beers aren’t. You can make a pretty hoppy pale ale with late and whirlpool additions and have the hops come through in the final bottled beer, but IPA and especially NEIPA are a level of difficulty up.

Mead and cider are pretty easy if you have a good fermenter and you remember to use yeast nutrient, but my limited experience is that fermentation is slower and less reliable than when you’re working with a malt-based wort. Patience is key.

Do you have experience with meads and ciders? That was one of the questions I asked too. With my proposed electric all-in-one, would mead and cider (my wife loves that stuff) be possible too? What's different about the process vs good-ole beer?

Under no circumstances should you run a propane burner in your garage.

Yeah, definitely not. I slightly considered propane but I prefer no gas or open flames. Not as a noob. Maybe in the feature after some years of XP.

 

[camonick]

That sounds more beginner friendly than anything but I do sort of like the thought process of adding hops at the appropriate time to create a signature flavor. LOL

BIAB is a process of mashing all grain as opposed to the process of mashing with a more traditional 3 vessel system. Everything I make is with the BIAB method. I remove the grain from the wort instead of removing the wort from the grain like the 3 vessel guys… lots of different ways to skin a cat. I believe the all-n-one systems are just a fancy version of BIAB. Everything else after that is the same as a regular brew day, including hop additions in the boil.

Edit: some folks refer to it as Mash In A Bag/basket, which is actually a more accurate way of describing the process, now that I type it out.

 

[camonick]

I don’t remember it being recommended earlier so I’ll suggest buying a book to read while you decide on your new adventure.
The original first edition is available free online, but the most current updated edition is inexpensive on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Brew-Everything-Great-Every/dp/1938469356It will help you get a grasp of all the different ways to brew, as well as all the terminology so everyone is talking the same language.

 

[Rish]

With my proposed electric all-in-one, would mead and cider (my wife loves that stuff) be possible too?

You won't need to do a boil for mead or cider. For the basics, you just put honey, water and nutrients (for mead) or apple juice (for cider) and yeast in a fermenter and let it go. Much simpler process than brewing beer. You'll use your post- ferment equipment the same as making beer. Making alcohol is a fun hobby! Good luck!

 

[redrocker652002]

Under no circumstances should you run a propane burner in your garage.

Well, I do, but I usually leave the garage door slightly open and the door to the backyard all the way open. It get warm in there, but I have a pretty good airflow and I have nowhere else to do it for now.

 

[redrocker652002]

Do you have experience with meads and ciders? That was one of the questions I asked too. With my proposed electric all-in-one, would mead and cider (my wife loves that stuff) be possible too? What's different about the process vs good-ole beer?

I have not yet tried cider, but it is on my list. In the research I have done, store bought apple juice with no additives except Vitamin C (I cannot remember the chemical name for it) is needed. You simply either empty a small amount from the bottle if you want to try a one gallon batch first, add yeast and leave it on the counter to ferment. Make sure your airlock, the little bubble thingie that you put over the top of the bottle, and the stopper are sanitized and just let it do it's thing. You can get fancy later by adding different fruits, but for me, I am going to buy 5 gallons of apple juice, pasturized I believe, and dump it over my remains in my bucket from my beer batch. As I understand it, a quick shake to get the yeast riled up again is all that is needed to get the yeast to start eating the sugar in the juice and make cider. Again, not having done this yet, this is all based on the info I have gotten here and other beer related web sites.

 

[boolean]

BIAB is a process of mashing all grain as opposed to the process of mashing with a more traditional 3 vessel system. Everything I make is with the BIAB method. I remove the grain from the wort instead of removing the wort from the grain like the 3 vessel guys… lots of different ways to skin a cat. I believe the all-n-one systems are just a fancy version of BIAB. Everything else after that is the same as a regular brew day, including hop additions in the boil.

Edit: some folks refer to it as Mash In A Bag/basket, which is actually a more accurate way of describing the process, now that I type it out.

This seems interesting! With a brew in the bag, do you have to do any other additions? Or is it quite literally just steeping one bag? Also, thanks for the book. I'll grab it from Amazon. I'd love to introduce these new concepts and terminology. Thanks!

 

[boolean]

You won't need to do a boil for mead or cider. For the basics, you just put honey, water and nutrients (for mead) or apple juice (for cider) and yeast in a fermenter and let it go. Much simpler process than brewing beer. You'll use your post- ferment equipment the same as making beer. Making alcohol is a fun hobby! Good luck!I

That's definitely a future venture. I'd love to get into mead and cider and although they are easier, I'd love to dive into beer first. Mead would definitely be my next go-to once I felt like I've got a decent hang on beer mechanics!

 

[boolean]

Well, I do, but I usually leave the garage door slightly open and the door to the backyard all the way open. It get warm in there, but I have a pretty good airflow and I have nowhere else to do it for now.

You're a monster. But probably also working with propane before me. I don't like dealing with flames unless I'm searing a steak lol I do a lot of meat smoking too. I think I'll get into propane in the future like I said before though

I have not yet tried cider, but it is on my list. In the research I have done, store bought apple juice with no additives except Vitamin C (I cannot remember the chemical name for it) is needed. You simply either empty a small amount from the bottle if you want to try a one gallon batch first, add yeast and leave it on the counter to ferment. Make sure your airlock, the little bubble thingie that you put over the top of the bottle, and the stopper are sanitized and just let it do it's thing. You can get fancy later by adding different fruits, but for me, I am going to buy 5 gallons of apple juice, pasturized I believe, and dump it over my remains in my bucket from my beer batch. As I understand it, a quick shake to get the yeast riled up again is all that is needed to get the yeast to start eating the sugar in the juice and make cider. Again, not having done this yet, this is all based on the info I have gotten here and other beer related web sites.

Now, THAT sounds like some interesting cider. Let me know how it goes! I'd love to do the same in the future. Ya know... kill two birds with one brew? hah

 

[bwible]

(Mead too once I get good.... hopefully)

Mead requires less equipment than beer because you don’t boil mead. Other than honey, yeast, and nutrients you pretty much just need a fermenter and your bottling equipment.

 

[DollarStoreChili]

Hello all.

I'm sure many have passed thru the Home Brew Talk forums foraging for the best beginner kit - but I am here again doing the same thing As a beginner, I'd love to find the best beginner starter kit for brewing. I've been looking at Northern Brewers kits but have been wondering if you experienced folks have any suggestions on better kits!

Let me know down below.

THANKS! Have an awesome Monday.

As a fellow beginner I have some advice. Stay away from pre-configured kits. They always seem overpriced and of
lower quality. Keep in mind I am also a beginner so this could be a misconception.

If you're fortunate enough to have a home brew store near you piece together your own beginner kit. Start by
figuring out what you want to brew, do your research (both here, youtube, and r/homebrewing), make a list,
and go shopping. I find this to be the ideal situation because you can always make a run back if you forgot
something or realize you want to expand. I made trips to our brew store twice a week or more when I
was just starting out.

If you're ordering equipment online you can follow the same procedure, you just don't have the luxury of quick turnaround
time. You have to be doubly sure of what you want / need before ordering so you're not suffering extra shipping costs
and /or time.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I think I found the perfect electric all-in-one starter kit! What do you think? I think this is a good kit to upgrade down the road for bigger batches and eventually all-grain! What do you think @CascadesBrewer ?

I think one could purchase this kit and be very happy with it.

The biggest question would be: Is the DigiBoil the best all-in-one for you? I don't have an all-in-one system. To me the Anvil Foundry system looks very compelling, especially for those in the US where switching between 120V and 240V is a useful feature. The 10.5 gallon size of the Foundry also makes a lot of sense to me. There are also a few other very nice options.

I tend to lean toward recommending a ~$100 basic kit (or that $150 Deluxe kit from MoreBeer) with an extract-based ingredient kit. Brew a batch or two on your stove with a 4-5 gallon kettle. At that point, you will be in a better position to decide where to spend your money. You might be very happy with extract brewing, but decide that you need to invest in fermentation temperature control, or a kegging system. Or maybe small batch BIAB looks appealing, so you want a brew bag and a grain mill. Or maybe an Anvil Foundry, or Grainfather, or Clawhammer Supply system is the next upgrade.

 

[camonick]

This seems interesting! With a brew in the bag, do you have to do any other additions? Or is it quite literally just steeping one bag? Also, thanks for the book. I'll grab it from Amazon. I'd love to introduce these new concepts and terminology. Thanks!

I think there’s a little confusion about how the process works. With BIAB, the crushed grains are placed in a large mesh bag in your brew kettle after your brewing water is at the desired strike temperature to begin the mash. You allow the grains to mash for the appropriate time and temperature. Once the mash procedure is complete, you hoist out the bag and grain and let it drain into the kettle. While the bag is draining, you can be heating the wort to begin the boil process. All the hop additions are then done at the appropriate time during the boil. The bag is simply a large filter used to mash the grains and separate them from the wort.

 

[redrocker652002]

I think one could purchase this kit and be very happy with it.

The biggest question would be: Is the DigiBoil the best all-in-one for you? I don't have an all-in-one system. To me the Anvil Foundry system looks very compelling, especially for those in the US where switching between 120V and 240V is a useful feature. The 10.5 gallon size of the Foundry also makes a lot of sense to me. There are also a few other very nice options.

I tend to lean toward recommending a ~$100 basic kit (or that $150 Deluxe kit from MoreBeer) with an extract-based ingredient kit. Brew a batch or two on your stove with a 4-5 gallon kettle. At that point, you will be in a better position to decide where to spend your money. You might be very happy with extract brewing, but decide that you need to invest in fermentation temperature control, or a kegging system. Or maybe small batch BIAB looks appealing, so you want a brew bag and a grain mill. Or maybe an Anvil Foundry, or Grainfather, or Clawhammer Supply system is the next upgrade.

I like the Anvil as well. If and when I decide to pull the trigger on a all in one setup, I think that will be the one.

But I think your advice on the less expensive starter setup is the better way to go. Like I said before, other than the 5 gallon pot, I still use all the items in the starter kit as part of my brew day. So, to me, the price and the use I have gotten out of the items has well been worth it.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

But I think your advice on the less expensive starter setup is the better way to go. Like I said before, other than the 5 gallon pot, I still use all the items in the starter kit as part of my brew day. So, to me, the price and the use I have gotten out of the items has well been worth it.

Yeah, I figure that worst case is you have $25 invested into a 5-gallon pot that you can use for making large batches of pasta or for a shrimp boil (or repropose for heating sparge water, or use for small batches) and maybe a few buckets that you can use for storage, sanitizer, etc. If you only end up making two batches, that $190 for an equipment kit and a second recipe kit means you spent under $12 each for 16 six packs of beer (about the same price as Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada).

 

[boolean]

Mead requires less equipment than beer because you don’t boil mead. Other than honey, yeast, and nutrients you pretty much just need a fermenter and your bottling equipment.

This is true. That could be a solid entry point for me. Maybe I'll give mead a go first. But I do like some of the complexities of beer. It feels more... "science-y" to me lol. Quite honestly, when I get my home brew up and running - I plan on fermenting something new every few weeks. I know that sounds insane but when I get involved in a hobby - I no-life it for a bit to get good at it.

 

[boolean]

As a fellow beginner I have some advice. Stay away from pre-configured kits. They always seem overpriced and of
lower quality. Keep in mind I am also a beginner so this could be a misconception.

If you're fortunate enough to have a home brew store near you piece together your own beginner kit. Start by
figuring out what you want to brew, do your research (both here, youtube, and r/homebrewing), make a list,
and go shopping. I find this to be the ideal situation because you can always make a run back if you forgot
something or realize you want to expand. I made trips to our brew store twice a week or more when I
was just starting out.

If you're ordering equipment online you can follow the same procedure, you just don't have the luxury of quick turnaround
time. You have to be doubly sure of what you want / need before ordering so you're not suffering extra shipping costs
and /or time.

Wow, @DollarStoreChili - thats actually really solid advice and honestly, I never even thought of this. I won't lie I have been leaning on the kits to give me everything I need. I admit that. I need to do more research the find out what I actually need. This way I can put together my own custom kit. Instead of blindly buying a starter kit.

Unfortunately, there are no home brew stores near me. So the kit option might be my only path but at least I'll know what I want to upgrade my set up in the future. Plus, Knowledge = Power!

 

[boolean]

I think one could purchase this kit and be very happy with it.

The biggest question would be: Is the DigiBoil the best all-in-one for you? I don't have an all-in-one system. To me the Anvil Foundry system looks very compelling, especially for those in the US where switching between 120V and 240V is a useful feature. The 10.5 gallon size of the Foundry also makes a lot of sense to me. There are also a few other very nice options.

I tend to lean toward recommending a ~$100 basic kit (or that $150 Deluxe kit from MoreBeer) with an extract-based ingredient kit. Brew a batch or two on your stove with a 4-5 gallon kettle. At that point, you will be in a better position to decide where to spend your money. You might be very happy with extract brewing, but decide that you need to invest in fermentation temperature control, or a kegging system. Or maybe small batch BIAB looks appealing, so you want a brew bag and a grain mill. Or maybe an Anvil Foundry, or Grainfather, or Clawhammer Supply system is the next upgrade.

You make a fair point. I don't want to bite off more than I can swallow. Starting small, recognizing pain points and buying items to advance my brew setup. Baby steps right? But I think that first brew experience should steer what I grab next for my set up.

Let me also look into this Anvil Foundry you speak of, as well. I'll probably have a boatload of questions.

 

[boolean]

I think there’s a little confusion about how the process works. With BIAB, the crushed grains are placed in a large mesh bag in your brew kettle after your brewing water is at the desired strike temperature to begin the mash. You allow the grains to mash for the appropriate time and temperature. Once the mash procedure is complete, you hoist out the bag and grain and let it drain into the kettle. While the bag is draining, you can be heating the wort to begin the boil process. All the hop additions are then done at the appropriate time during the boil. The bag is simply a large filter used to mash the grains and separate them from the wort.

I'm gonna look this method up on YouTube. I'm pretty confused and I apologize for my naivety.

 

[boolean]

I like the Anvil as well. If and when I decide to pull the trigger on a all in one setup, I think that will be the one.

But I think your advice on the less expensive starter setup is the better way to go. Like I said before, other than the 5 gallon pot, I still use all the items in the starter kit as part of my brew day. So, to me, the price and the use I have gotten out of the items has well been worth it.

Yeah, I figure that worst case is you have $25 invested into a 5-gallon pot that you can use for making large batches of pasta or for a shrimp boil (or repropose for heating sparge water, or use for small batches) and maybe a few buckets that you can use for storage, sanitizer, etc. If you only end up making two batches, that $190 for an equipment kit and a second recipe kit means you spent under $12 each for 16 six packs of beer (about the same price as Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada).

I agree with both of you @redrocker652002 and @CascadesBrewer . The all-in-one may be something geared to folks who KNOW they like brewing and want a bit more streamlined set up. I do like the fact that with a good ole kettle I have to control the fire and all that stuff. It's an experience I don't necessarily want to miss out on. I could always go all-in-one in the future once I have a several batches under my belt.

 

[redrocker652002]

I agree with both of you @redrocker652002 and @CascadesBrewer . The all-in-one may be something geared to folks who KNOW they like brewing and want a bit more streamlined set up. I do like the fact that with a good ole kettle I have to control the fire and all that stuff. It's an experience I don't necessarily want to miss out on. I could always go all-in-one in the future once I have a several batches under my belt.

For me, the least amount of cash outlay at first was the way I thought. And while those systems are nice, there is something about the process of bringing the water to temp, monitoring it and getting involved in the total process that is a bit more rewarding to me than just pressing a button and going. Heck, I still drive a manual shift 5 speed pickup truck and would take it over an automatic any day. LOL. But, the ease of just pushing a button and walking away is nice too.

I do Brew In a Bag and have been for a while. I likened it to brewing tea. You bring your water up to a certain temp (usually between 148 and 154) and steep a bag full of grain (anywhere between 11 to 15 pounds for a 5 gallon batch) for a certain period of time (usually an hour). Pull the bag, drain the water and move on to the boiling and adding hops (ie sugar and honey I guess would be the closest I could liken it to). Cool it, pitch your yeast then I put it in the bucket from the starter kit and let it do it's thing. It isn't rocket science and if a less than brilliant (not very smart, LOL) guy like me can do it and achieve decent results (workmates and friends keep asking me when I am going to bring them more beer) I think anybody can do it. Takes patience, patience and a little more patience. LOL. Feel free to PM me and I will give you my contact info if you would like and you can I can tell you what I do. I am still very novice at all this, so take what I say as a guy who just is sharing my experience. Rock On!!!!!!!!

 

[redrocker652002]

I'm gonna look this method up on YouTube. I'm pretty confused and I apologize for my naivety.

No apology is needed, we were all there at one time. If you go back to my first few posts I can guarantee my questions were of the most idiotic of all. So, Rock On!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rish]

quick shake to get the yeast riled up again

Just pouring the juice from the top of the fermenter is enough to get the yeast suspended and get some aeration. I do this pretty often. Remember that you'll get some hop and malt character when doing this (as opposed to starting with fresh yeast in a clean fv) so you should think about what the beer was like and what you want in your finished cider. Good luck!

 

[redrocker652002]

This is true. That could be a solid entry point for me. Maybe I'll give mead a go first. But I do like some of the complexities of beer. It feels more... "science-y" to me lol. Quite honestly, when I get my home brew up and running - I plan on fermenting something new every few weeks. I know that sounds insane but when I get involved in a hobby - I no-life it for a bit to get good at it.

My usual routine is at least one beer fermenting a month. Once I get my temp control figured out, and retire so I can dedicate to this more, I can see two batches fermenting and two to three taps running. But, that is a bit away. Do what you do to enjoy it, it is still a hobby. Rock On!!!!!!!

 

[redrocker652002]

Just pouring the juice from the top of the fermenter is enough to get the yeast suspended and get some aeration. I do this pretty often. Remember that you'll get some hop and malt character when doing this (as opposed to starting with fresh yeast in a clean fv) so you should think about what the beer was like and what you want in your finished cider. Good luck!

Good advice. I thought about that too. I am trying to hit something the wife and kids would enjoy, but we will see.

 

[RynoRama]

I started with the deluxe Morebeer, moved up to all grain and still use everything from the deluxe kit. Even the cheap 5 gallon pot holds my BIAB in a strainer while I do things. Then I dump that in too. Plus I think brewing a few extracts was an easy way to make drinkable beers.

 

[BrianB]

WOW. That's a process. I'm trying to avoid having my wife help. If she helps, I have to help with her candle making hobby. That was our deal So thanks for the insight on this process! Definitely going extract first. At least until I get a hang of doing all this stuff by myself. I watched a really solid walkthrough of a basic brew from boil to bottle from More Beer. Basically, he did the boil process in the kitchen. I'd prefer to do this in my garage and I keep seeing folks mention propane burners. Is this the reason folks use propane burners? So they can sort of boil where ever they want?

The biggest thing you want to consider is brew size. If you're doing a 5-gallon batch, you start with six to seven gal of water, depending on the recipe (lower amount with extract). Heating that amount of water on a stove, especially electric is difficult. I live in Maryland and we steam crabs. I have a propane burner in a low stand which worked great. We brewed outside. Only issue with doing it outside or in your garage is that you have to watch out for contamination, especially after the boil ends. At the end of the boil, we brought it inside to our laudry room where we have a utility sink I was able to hook the wort chiller up to. So I wasn't too concerned about contamination. Just be careful, the pot will be heavy and hot. We used two people to carry it in.

 

[BrianB]

Ooof! I definitely want to start with a simpler recipe. What is more simple than an amber ale? Any suggestions? Yeah I noticed most of their recipes were out of stock but they do mention they'll be back in stock in September which is actually perfect timing for me. I close on our house on the 18th of August and we'll be moving a few days after. By September we'll be settling in and I'll be ready to start my brew.

I am concerned about my ferm chamber. I plan on moving the fridge out of the kitchen and into the garage (we're buying one of those uppity LG fridges to replace it) and use this as my ferm chamber so I can regulate temps better. I noticed in the video I watched earlier, they stuck it in the closet in a ice water bucket wrapped in a towel but I'm afraid the temp in my house won't always be 65-68. What are some other options if you don't have a fridge dedicated for your ferm chamber?

Another option is Anvil's Carboy Cooling System - $115.00 - if you're going to start with a beer / yeast that requires a lower fermentation temp. Just check the stopper size of your Fermenter. The Cooling System comes with a #7 stopper. Mine uses a #10. I've been thinking about getting this, so I bought some Bung Hole Cutters for a few bucks off Amazon so that I can continue to use my Fermenter