Best way to start brewing

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I started with small batch (1.5 gallons) BIAB. My very first beer went down the drain: tap water was way too hard, and the beer ended up undrinkably astringent. (That would have been an advantage to starting with extract.) Batches 2-5 were fine but nothing special. Batch 6 was the first beer I thought came out better than what I'd typically get commercially. It took another half a dozen batches before I was regularly making something very good.

So it might be a bit of pressure to come up with something you're proud to give away by Christmas.

(Edit: looking back at my notes, #6 wasn't all that hot. But #11-16 were all good.)
 
As much as all grain is great, sometimes I still brew extract. Just for a quick brew day to build up the pipeline extract works great and does what I need.
And after brewing a lot using both methods even if you were to tell me you had all the greatest equipment and everything ever needed to do any kind of recipes I would say to start with extract.
Once you get familiar with the brewing process you’ll be able to advance and understand what is happening with an all grain batch.
There’s just more variables to add in.
 
AlexKay said:
I started with small batch (1.5 gallons) BIAB. My very first beer went down the drain: tap water was way too hard, and the beer ended up undrinkably astringent. (That would have been an advantage to starting with extract.) Batches 2-5 were fine but nothing special. Batch 6 was the first beer I thought came out better than what I'd typically get commercially. It took another half a dozen batches before I was regularly making something very good.

So it might be a bit of pressure to come up with something you're proud to give away by Christmas.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insight. That's one thing that definitely makes me nervous which is why I'm looking for something simple to start with. Hopefully my first batch comes out somewhat ok or I'll be hitting up the stores before the party to buy something real quick.
 
Nokie said:
As much as all grain is great, sometimes I still brew extract. Just for a quick brew day to build up the pipeline extract works great and does what I need.
And after brewing a lot using both methods even if you were to tell me you had all the greatest equipment and everything ever needed to do any kind of recipes I would say to start with extract.
Once you get familiar with the brewing process you’ll be able to advance and understand what is happening with an all grain batch.
There’s just more variables to add in.
Click to expand...


That definitely makes sense and seems to coincide with all the advice I've gotten so far. I'm definitely going to start with extract and hope for the best before I move onto something more complex. Thank you!
 
Really do consider small batches, though. It's easy to do on the stovetop, it's faster to bottle (and easier to store all of the bottles), and you can try more things faster. And then you can gift beer assortments.
 
NGD said:
Surprised noone has mentioned this yet. Its considered essential reading by anyone I’ve met that brews and gives you a well laid out glossary of brewing terms. Its also a good place to start prior to brewing to get an idea of what’s involved and pieces of equipment needed.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1938469356/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile
Click to expand...

This is the best answer so far.

I wouldn't spend a nickel without first reading and studying John Palmer's newest book (Amazon). A few days reading this book will save you money and wasted time. Instead of spending money on a starter kit all of which you will replace in a few months, you will learn exactly what equipment you need that you can use long term. Instead of starting with the most basic brewing techniques to then learn by trial and error, you will understand the details of extract brewing, BIAB, all grain brewing, etc. etc. so you can make wise choices about what would work best for you. Read the book and then make your decisions.
 
Jtvann said:
I agree. I went to all grain after 2 batches as well. I might not have ever brewed more than 2 batches if I started with all grain. If you’re interested enough to brew more than 2 batches of beer, you’ve probably spent about a month or more reading and learning. In that short amount of time for the first 2 batches to ferment, there’s a base line of knowledge to know things.

I mean if on your first batch, you make 1.041 OG beer when the recipe said it should be 1.060, do you even know what that means? I saw just that last week. And that was with me helping with the brew.
Click to expand...


IMO, BIAB can be that simple to brew a good beer first time out. You brought up efficiency I presume to make a point that all grain is complex. I had 20+ years away from extract brewing, forgot most everything I knew about brewing and had to start from scratch as I had absolutely no equipment from the extract days.

A pot, a bag, a thermometer, a hydrometer, a bucket, a scale, cleaning supplies a syphon and bottling stuff and i was good to go. I followed the BIAB site starter recipe/instructions and used their spreadsheet. I asked my LHBS to double mill the grains for BIAB. 99% of it was the same as extract brewing.

So what if my efficiency was 62% and I plugged in the default 65%. ABV was 5.3% and not 5.7%. Close enough and it was good beer. Taking the measurements was more about learning about them and what they mean as I was following the recipe/instructions based on solid repetitive experiences by the BIAB community. I didn't matter if I didn't"t yet know what those numbers really meant. Malt is efficient and consistent these days that it's like baking bread. Follow the recipe and you'll make good bread, but you can spend a lifetime tweaking it chasing perfection.

In your example, starting out with a 1.060 OG beer for one's first brew was the brewers first mistake. I would never recommend to anyone they start out with an outlier recipe. BIAB is far more forgiving than traditional all grain so that unless your scale, thermometer or hydrometer is broken you aren't getting differences like this example.

and yes read the Palmer book. The earlier edition is online and perfect as a starter (I still use it to refresh my memory) The latest edition has updated, IMO, are for more complex experienced brewers. Here is the link


http://www.howtobrew.com/



To the OP. Nothing wrong with starting with extract. My first post suggested doing so with specialty grains. Just don't rule out BIAB as it can be simple since the all the complex steps in all grain are simplified vis a vis the bag.

good luck.
 
I have never said Biab isn’t simple. Some people think calculus is pretty simple. They understand what a variable is though. They gained that knowledge from algebra.

If you don’t know any of the following concepts

OG, FG, specific gravity, how to use a hydrometer, mash temp ranges and what they’re used for, mash times and what they’re used for, grain crush sizes and the benefits of each, maybe your water profile or pH, amounts of water to use from system losses, grain absorption, what tannins are, how to drain a bag, pre boil volumes, how temperature affects SG, stratification, dough balls ... ok I’m tired of doing this.

The point is all that can be learned from reading all the resources that have been posted here. To have zero equipment and having never brewed a batch ... to learn half of that stuff mentioned above and have a drinkable batch of beer by Christmas to gift to friends and be proud of ... it’s not happening.

Nobody is knocking biab or saying that it’s in any way a bad option in the long run. Just try to think back before you knew anything about brewing and how helpful it was to actually do something yourself. It’s different when you do it yourself vs reading a book. Were you happy with your first beer? Did you drink it and say, hey I can do this. I can make beer as good as I can buy from the store. Was that very first beer all grain or was it extract.

I’d love to find one single person out there that says biab or all grain anything is simpler than extract.
 
I agree with you, @Jtvann . If the situation is 1) one's first brew ever, coupled with 2) the pressure to supply beer for a large party, then I would do extract too.

If responding to the thread title "Best way to start brewing" with no further qualifiers, I'd say give BIAB all grain brewing a try.

I think we've beaten this one up a bit. :)
 
My 2 cents:
a) there's nothing wrong with starting with a Mr.Beer extract kit; I don't think it's that much money wasted, even if you only use it for one brew. You can even reuse the plastic bottles (if it still comes with those?).

b) definitely read the free version of 'How to Brew', and get a water profile for you local water supply (free from your municipality; probably not free but needed anyway if you use your own well), which taken together will tell you which beers will work well with your water,

c) in order not to spend too much money, I see two main paths after the Mr.Beer experience (which just tells you whether you like brewing or not, have the fridge space to store bottles, etc.):

I) buy a 6.5 gallon or larger fermenter, buy or find a thermometer, stopper, air lock, Oxiclean Free, and collect bottles, buy caps and a bottle capper, and brew 5 gallons from extract (dumped right into the fermenter) with some hop tea and yeast; we are approaching winter, and a 5 gallon batch has quite some thermal inertia, so I wouldn't worry too much about day-night temperature fluctuations as long as you have a space in the right average temperature range. You need to shield the fermenting beer from light anyways, and that shield might provide some thermal insulation as well.
(Most fridges actually have room for a carboy, if you throw most of the other unessential stuff out; largely depends on whether you are or want to become single.)

II) buy a cheap 5 gallon (or larger) pot, a brew bag, buy the fermenter and other stuff above under I), and follow the 'How to Brew' instructions for an all grain beer, cooling the pot with the wort in your sink.

I started with a Mr.Beer and then went all-grain (path II above, but with a home made slotted copper lautering manifold instead of a bag), but these days I'm thinking path I is a good intermediate step. I was just forced to brew a very tasty Weissbier using some free Briess liquid malt extract (ebay anniversary coupon), and I'm seriously considering brewing a few more extracts in the future; it's so darn easy, and saves a lot on mashing and cleanup time compared to all grain.

Most important advice: do not burn spilled wort into your stove top!
 
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Something I learned right away was that my darker beers turned out good almost every time compared to my lighter or even hoppy beers. Not that the light and hoppy were bad at all, but there is more room for error IMO. Some base 2-row, crystal and chocolate malt make some easy drinkable beers that will mask any off flavors better then a light or hoppy beer would. Oxidation, which you are likely going to encounter as a new brewer, will again be less noticeable in darker beers. This may be a stretch, but one more point on this is that most general beer drinkers will compare your blonde ale to a BMC beer, and may prefer the lighter taste they are used to. I could see the perception of a darker beer being more "crafty" and less prone to comparison to light lawn mower beers.
 
I fully second the "start with extract" approach. If you want to maximize your chances of success (and for you I'll define success as something the recipient of your gift is going to enjoy drinking. That is VERY different from you enjoying your first brew).

There are a good few variables in making all grain beer, and while there's a good chance your beer will turn out fine, there's a good chance you'll feel like you're not really in control of what's happening. You're likely not be hitting the numbers the recipe says you're suppose to hit, you won't really know how to adjust/improvise, you won't know what to care about and what not to care about. The beer may be fine but the process may be less than fun and may have you walk away with a "this is just too much hassle" feeling.

Extract will almost certainly turn out good, will be pretty fun and relatively easy and is more likely to leave you wanting to brew more.

Let us know how your first brew goes, whichever method you chose to go with.
 
@codingmike Welcome !
One thing you haven't shared with us if you have a budget. This hobby allows you to spend at your budget (and beyond) and still make great beer.
As others have said, do some reading. There is a lot of good books already mentioned. I would sugest extract as a starting point. Lots of things go into making drinkable beer and extract keeps some of those off the table until you gain knowledge and learn some of the basics.
My self, I would look into this kit. It has every thing you need to make your first batch of beer except bottles. The price is right to get started and you will learn a lot the first time using it.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/deluxe-home-brewing-kit.html
No doubt you will want "bigger and better" as you go but then again maybe not. (I'm quite happy using that very kit and extract brewing many quafable brews). I also belive in K.I.S.S, (Keep It Simple Stupid) ;)
Space and time need consideration on you methods also.
Best of luck on your choices and don't be afraid to ask questions. Good group of people here and eons of brewing experience on every level.
Cheers, :mug:
Joel B.
 
@NGD That's a good kit, bang for the buck. It's probably better than the cheaper one especially if you think AG/BIAB is in the future. That said, it depends on what you want to spend. If money was no object I would have a fancy brew rig worthy of sitting out for all to see. My beer might not taste any better but sure would look cool. (LOL) Knowledge is the key to making what you have work for you.
Cheers, :mug:
Joel B.
 
codingmike said:
Ok, I'm sure this has been asked before so feel free to point me to the proper thread. So Christmas is coming and this year I got signed up to make a gift for someone. I figured since I've always had an interest in homebrew it might be a great time to get some supplies and give it a shot. My question is what's the best way to go? Should I buy one of the Northern Brewery starter kits or should I just piece meal some decent equipment. I don't really want to spend a ton but at the same time I know I don't want one of those cheap one off Mr Beer kits. I really want to do a 5 gallon brew so I can give some away for Christmas and keep some for myself. It's also really important to me that my first brew comes out good as I really don't want to give someone terrible beer for a gift. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I started out brewing extract, with a kit similar to this:
https://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/brew-share-enjoy-homebrew-starter-kitNorthern Brewer has the same thing.
I've never brewed on the stove top, but I can't imagine it'd be easy with 5 gallons.
I did some research, bought a kit like that, an extra 6.5 gal bucket, already had a turkey fryer burner, and bought a 7.5 gallon kettle and a bottle of Starsan.
A turkey baster and an auto-siphon with tubing are solid investments too.
I use RO water from walmart for almost every batch, it's neutral and perfect as is for basic extract. 10 gallons costs a few dollars.
Just make sure everything is clean (I use oxi clean free), and sanitized with properly diluted starsan. Every surface the wort touches post boil must be clean and sanitized. I make 2 gallons of starsan in a dedicated 5 gallon bucket and put some in a spray bottle.
You'll also need bottles. You can buy them, or wash and save them, but clean and sanitized bottles, caps, and everything else on bottling day is super important.
Watch a few you tube videos, follow the directions, don't let it ferment too warm, and it'll turn out fine.
 
Gruel said:
My 2 cents:
a) there's nothing wrong with starting with a Mr.Beer extract kit; I don't think it's that much money wasted, even if you only use it for one brew. You can even reuse the plastic bottles (if it still comes with those?).

b) definitely read the free version of 'How to Brew', and get a water profile for you local water supply (free from your municipality; probably not free but needed anyway if you use your own well), which taken together will tell you which beers will work well with your water,

c) in order not to spend too much money, I see two main paths after the Mr.Beer experience (which just tells you whether you like brewing or not, have the fridge space to store bottles, etc.):

I) buy a 6.5 gallon or larger fermenter, buy or find a thermometer, stopper, air lock, Oxiclean Free, and collect bottles, buy caps and a bottle capper, and brew 5 gallons from extract (dumped right into the fermenter) with some hop tea and yeast; we are approaching winter, and a 5 gallon batch has quite some thermal inertia, so I wouldn't worry too much about day-night temperature fluctuations as long as you have a space in the right average temperature range. You need to shield the fermenting beer from light anyways, and that shield might provide some thermal insulation as well.
(Most fridges actually have room for a carboy, if you throw most of the other unessential stuff out; largely depends on whether you are or want to become single.)

II) buy a cheap 5 gallon (or larger) pot, a brew bag, buy the fermenter and other stuff above under I), and follow the 'How to Brew' instructions for an all grain beer, cooling the pot with the wort in your sink.

I started with a Mr.Beer and then went all-grain (path II above, but with a home made slotted copper lautering manifold instead of a bag), but these days I'm thinking path I is a good intermediate step. I was just forced to brew a very tasty Weissbier using some free Briess liquid malt extract (ebay anniversary coupon), and I'm seriously considering brewing a few more extracts in the future; it's so darn easy, and saves a lot on mashing and cleanup time compared to all grain.

Most important advice: do not burn spilled wort into your stove top!
Click to expand...

Thank you for your thoughtful response and multitude of options here! I def don't want to spend too much money but at the same time I know I'm going to reuse the equipment so I don't want the cheapest of the cheapest if you know what I mean. I like the selection of equipment you put together here and I'm going to see what I can come up with for a shopping list. Thanks again.
 
Mexibilly said:
I started out brewing extract, with a kit similar to this:
https://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/brew-share-enjoy-homebrew-starter-kitNorthern Brewer has the same thing.
I've never brewed on the stove top, but I can't imagine it'd be easy with 5 gallons.
I did some research, bought a kit like that, an extra 6.5 gal bucket, already had a turkey fryer burner, and bought a 7.5 gallon kettle and a bottle of Starsan.
A turkey baster and an auto-siphon with tubing are solid investments too.
I use RO water from walmart for almost every batch, it's neutral and perfect as is for basic extract. 10 gallons costs a few dollars.
Just make sure everything is clean (I use oxi clean free), and sanitized with properly diluted starsan. Every surface the wort touches post boil must be clean and sanitized. I make 2 gallons of starsan in a dedicated 5 gallon bucket and put some in a spray bottle.
You'll also need bottles. You can buy them, or wash and save them, but clean and sanitized bottles, caps, and everything else on bottling day is super important.
Watch a few you tube videos, follow the directions, don't let it ferment too warm, and it'll turn out fine.
Click to expand...

This was actually the exact kit I was looking at when I posted my original question. I read a few reviews and there was some complaints about the air lock not working and some leaking which is why I wondered if it would be better to just buy some basic stuff separately. Also, this kit is like 10$ more on the Northern Brewer website so thanks for link here!!!
 
kartracer2 said:
@codingmike Welcome !
One thing you haven't shared with us if you have a budget. This hobby allows you to spend at your budget (and beyond) and still make great beer.
As others have said, do some reading. There is a lot of good books already mentioned. I would sugest extract as a starting point. Lots of things go into making drinkable beer and extract keeps some of those off the table until you gain knowledge and learn some of the basics.
My self, I would look into this kit. It has every thing you need to make your first batch of beer except bottles. The price is right to get started and you will learn a lot the first time using it.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/deluxe-home-brewing-kit.html
No doubt you will want "bigger and better" as you go but then again maybe not. (I'm quite happy using that very kit and extract brewing many quafable brews). I also belive in K.I.S.S, (Keep It Simple Stupid) ;)
Space and time need consideration on you methods also.
Best of luck on your choices and don't be afraid to ask questions. Good group of people here and eons of brewing experience on every level.
Cheers, :mug:
Joel B.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion on the kit! That actually looks really nice and is about the price range I want to be in.

Edit: That's weird! When I first went there the kit was like 140 bucks or something and then I clicked again and it's $250. I must have gone to the wrong page the first time. Just wanted to throw that out there so everyone knows what my price range is. I'd like to be around $100-150 for my first brew.
 
DTrain24 said:
Something I learned right away was that my darker beers turned out good almost every time compared to my lighter or even hoppy beers. Not that the light and hoppy were bad at all, but there is more room for error IMO. Some base 2-row, crystal and chocolate malt make some easy drinkable beers that will mask any off flavors better then a light or hoppy beer would. Oxidation, which you are likely going to encounter as a new brewer, will again be less noticeable in darker beers. This may be a stretch, but one more point on this is that most general beer drinkers will compare your blonde ale to a BMC beer, and may prefer the lighter taste they are used to. I could see the perception of a darker beer being more "crafty" and less prone to comparison to light lawn mower beers.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up! I'm into darker beers anyway so that's great news!
 
Also can check Facebook Marketplace or craigslist for brewing supplies. I was seeing what was on Facebook the other day, tons of starter sets. Not everyone that tries sticks to it.

Here's me making my fourth batch of beer:
IMG_20201011_104525822.jpg

IMG_20201011_111526135.jpg


That is an extract beer. Basic process of those beers is warm water, steep grains for 20 minutes, bring to boil, add DME and/or LME, add hops, boil, add hops, boil, chill (I put pot in icewater filled sink), transfer to bucket for fermenting, top off with water, take OG reading, pitch yeast, stick in basement for a couple weeks.

I agree with the others, not sure by Christmas you'll have something your completely proud of, but my first two batches of beer were very drinkable for sure (3 & 4 were brewed back to back this weekend and are both fermenting now).

I just ordered the How To Brew book myself as I'm going to start looking at all grain shortly.
 
codingmike said:
Thanks for the suggestion on the kit! That actually looks really nice and is about the price range I want to be in.

Edit: That's weird! When I first went there the kit was like 140 bucks or something and then I clicked again and it's $250. I must have gone to the wrong page the first time. Just wanted to throw that out there so everyone knows what my price range is. I'd like to be around $100-150 for my first brew.
Click to expand...
I think you may have clicked on the link I provided after kartracer2. Its the same store (morebeer) but the next kit up. It comes with an immersion cooler as well as a larger kettle and a few other odds and ends. The larger kettle and cooler are important if you decide to go all grain.
The link kartracer provided is also a great setup and in your price range I would recommend it. The used route is good, but if you want beer ready by Christmas you won’t want to wait much longer

I started with a midwest kit. It works fine but the morebeer kit is a better deal that has more longevity.

This Kit Includes:

  • 6 Gallon Fermonster fermenter with spigot, stopper and airlock
  • 5 Gallon Stainless Steel Kettle *Great, but need at least 8 gallon if you decide to try all grain.
  • Food-Grade Bottling Bucket with spigot
  • Mesh Bags for steeping grain and hops on brew day
  • Thermometer for easy temperature management *very helpful
  • Hydrometer for making key sugar readings *a must have
  • Transfer Tubing
  • Bottling Wand with shut off valve
  • Sturdy Bottle Capper
  • Bottle Caps
  • Bottle Cleaning Brush
  • Star San Sanitizer for true sanitization *most brewers preferred sanitizer
  • Large Stainless Steel Spoon for mixing
  • Craftmeister Cleaning Tablets for easy cleaning
  • Classic American Pale Ale recipe kit with yeast
 
@codingmike Midwest supplies and Northern Brewer are pretty much the same outfit. Not 100% but I think they have a common warehouse/shipping location, as far as price difference, I got nothing for why that is. NB a good outfit and I get most of my stuff there and in 2-3 days (UPS) most of the time. I went with Morebeer on the equipment kit because it had just what I was looking for at my price point. One thing I don't like about Morebeer is they ship with FedEx and they (FedEx) have jacked me around a couple of times on timely delivery.:mad: Depending on where you live you may have different results.
There is lots of other places to get home brewing stuff too. Have you looked into some place you could call local? I wish I did.
Sorry to be so windy, I get that way sometimes. (LOL)
Oh, @NGD, that spoiler drop down is cute, How you do that?🤔
Cheers, :mug:
Joel B.
 
kartracer2 said:
There is lots of other places to get home brewing stuff too. Have you looked into some place you could call local? I wish I did.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, this too. I placed an order from NB for a kegging set, then realized that not only did I have a LHBS, but they sold dual handle 5 gallon kegs new for $80 that NB charged $120 for, and NB charged $80 for single handle kegs, plus shipping. No shipping from a LHBS obviously.

Turns out ALL the prices at the LHBS where cheaper than NB. That may not be the case everywhere, but it was for me, though NB seems to be the most expensive online site. While my LHBS doesn't have everything, he's got most of what I need, including lots of extract kits, tons of grain and hops, and a large selection of yeast.
 
jseyfert3 said:
NB seems to be the most expensive online site.
Click to expand...
Interesting, so I did a little sleuthing.
I shopped for 3 lbs. of Briess Amber LME at three places. Price does not always determine cost.
I used the same shipping method (standard ground) to "my" zip code
Morebeer $13.99/bag + shipping = $24.08
AIH $12.99/bag + shipping = $25.93
NB $14.99/bag + shipping = $23.13
So NB is actually cheaper in this instance.
Now before somebody jumps in and says "I never but just one 3lb. bag. I buy enough to get free shipping" I hear you, same here, so I'll add this.
Free shipping levels: (check for exemptions)
MB = $59.00
AIH = $55.00
NB = $40.00
OK, not picking on you in any way @jseryfert, just using your quote to make a point for the OP. Bottom line is --Shop where you feel comfortable, for what ever reason. Just do your home work if saving $$ is important.
As always YMMV
Cheers, :mug:
Joel B.
 
I used to do the same. I would shop all over and try different options with shipping. And it would drive me crazy.
So I got to the point where it was just personal preference and I just usually stick to one place and usually it boils down to customer service.
I find one that treats me good and stick with them. I’d rather have great service for the cost of a few $
 
kartracer2 said:
Interesting, so I did a little sleuthing.
I shopped for 3 lbs. of Briess Amber LME at three places. Price does not always determine cost.
I used the same shipping method (standard ground) to "my" zip code
Morebeer $13.99/bag + shipping = $24.08
AIH $12.99/bag + shipping = $25.93
NB $14.99/bag + shipping = $23.13
So NB is actually cheaper in this instance.
Now before somebody jumps in and says "I never but just one 3lb. bag. I buy enough to get free shipping" I hear you, same here, so I'll add this.
Free shipping levels: (check for exemptions)
MB = $59.00
AIH = $55.00
NB = $40.00
OK, not picking on you in any way @jseryfert, just using your quote to make a point for the OP. Bottom line is --Shop where you feel comfortable, for what ever reason. Just do your home work if saving $$ is important.
As always YMMV
Cheers, :mug:
Joel B.
Click to expand...
This is a really good point. Specifically I was looking at hardware, such as kegs. I did not compare a lot of items, mostly because it's more convent (and cheaper for the things I've checked) for me to go to my LHBS.

Now, my LHBS is Farmhouse Brewing Supply, which also has online shipping. For for giggles, I wanted to compare. I assume you mean DME, not LME, as you listed 3 lb not 3.3 and "bag" not can, so I will use DME to compare. I don't know your zip so I took a random zip in Des Moines, IA (50315) to compare Farmhouse for someone shopping online to your above numbers. 3 lbs of Briess Sparkling Amber DME is $12.49 + $10.55 shipping = $23.04, which is just a tiny bit cheaper than NB!

Now OTOH Farmhouse does not typically offer free shipping. This is part of why their prices are so low, I would guess. You'd need three bags at NB to get free shipping, at $44.97. At Farmhouse shipping now jumps to $18.08, so the three bags cost $55.55 and NB wins out. I suspect there's a cost/weight ratio here where if you had a really big order, Farmhouse would win out again, but I'm too lazy to do that math.

Now you got me hooked, so let's compare lightweight things, like yeast. A pack of US-05 is $3.29 at Farmhouse, shipping is $3.50, so $6.79 to "your" house (at 50315). NB is $4.99 a pack + $7.99 shipping for a grand total of $12.98! You'd need 9 packs at NB to get free shipping, at $44.91 total, whereas at Farmhouse those 9 packs would be a total cost of $34.11. Looks like Farmhouse wins hands down here.

Anyway, I think the moral of this story is:
Nokie said:
I used to do the same. I would shop all over and try different options with shipping. And it would drive me crazy.
So I got to the point where it was just personal preference and I just usually stick to one place and usually it boils down to customer service.
I find one that treats me good and stick with them. I’d rather have great service for the cost of a few $
Click to expand...
I do have to say NB has great customer service, I had some reg issues with the CO2 regs they sell (CO2PO), they replaced it free, new one had the same issues, they refunded it completely. Never was asked to send either one back. But since the guy at Farmhouse is really nice, it's my LHBS, AND they are cheaper than just about anyone from what I've seen on most things, it's a no-brainer for me. If they have it and I need/want it, that's where I get it. I do recommend the OP check their own LHBS, if they have one.
 
@jseyfert3 Oopps, yes I miss-typed, should have been DME, sorry for that confusion.:oops:
Great post! All good points. Got to laugh as I know that there is really no such thing as "free" shipping. Bigger outfits have ppl that get paid just to figure out all the numbers. Sales and such are generally not included on "Free Shipping" offers for that reason.
I'm going to look into Farmhouse, thanks for the link.
I'm not glued to NB or any other biz and my money clip is watched closely. That's not to say I won't spend more to get what I want , and when .
And yes customer service is very important, that ensures/promotes return sales.
I hope the OP isn't thinking this is a thread hijack because it does relate to getting started.
Again, good post and cheers,:mug:
Joel B.
 
Thank you everyone for all the awesome advice. For the sake of time I'm going to go ahead and pull the trigger on this.

https://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/brew-share-enjoy-homebrew-starter-kit
It's got a hydrometer, thermometer and everything else I seem to need at the moment and it's 20% off!! If I had more time to decide I would probably do a lot more research but I need to get this done before Christmas and at only 100$ it's worth a shot. If anyone can think of anything else that's a must have (besides bottles and sanitizer) I'd love to hear about it.

I really want to thank everyone for being so welcoming and giving an amazing amount of knowledge. I will let you all know how my first brew turns out!
 
codingmike said:
Thank you everyone for all the awesome advice. For the sake of time I'm going to go ahead and pull the trigger on this.

https://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/brew-share-enjoy-homebrew-starter-kit
It's got a hydrometer, thermometer and everything else I seem to need at the moment and it's 20% off!! If I had more time to decide I would probably do a lot more research but I need to get this done before Christmas and at only 100$ it's worth a shot. If anyone can think of anything else that's a must have (besides bottles and sanitizer) I'd love to hear about it.

I really want to thank everyone for being so welcoming and giving an amazing amount of knowledge. I will let you all know how my first brew turns out!
Click to expand...

the kit comes with sanitizer

pick up a spray bottle for things you can't soak in the sanitizer, like the spigot. the sanitizer cleaner is oxy based. personally, i think that it all you need. Oxy is a great sanitizer and hospitals use it, but it isn't commercially marketed as a sanitizer so some folks think it's not up to the job. It destroys cells, so IMO that's pretty powerful killer. Star San is the hobby go to sanitizer used after cleaning with the oxy based cleaners if you want to follow home brew best practices. I use oxy products and then spray with a food service contact sanitizer (nu-foam) since i have lots of it on hand, but never had an issue with using oxy as my sanitizer.

extract with specialty grains and a starter kit is a great way to start. you may want to get mesh bags for the hops, it cuts down on the sediment. not necessary but an inexpensive convenience. Before getting my hop spider i would weigh out and bag my hops in advance when i laid out my ingredients. (tip: lay out everything in advance and walk though your brew steps before turning on the stove burner)
 
Last edited:
@codingmike You should be good to go then.
When you get the kit make sure it has what it says it should. (both equipment and beer kit) Things can get forgotten or broke in shipping. Read the instructions a couple of times and get familiar with the equipment and it's part in the processes. Test the buckets after you install the spigots with water before you commit you wort to them.
Don't be afraid to ask questions if you have them, if you don't know the answer, it's not a dumb question. Take notes too, document timing's, temps, gravity's and quantity's, it makes it easier to trouble shoot "if" something does go wrong.
Good luck, enjoy and let us know how it goes.
Cheers, :mug:
Joel B.
 
as mentioned earlier wort chiller is a well appreciated accessory and a cheap DIY project. Adding a spigot to the boil kettle is another DIY project that makes the day easier (transferring the cooled wort to the fermentation bucket without stirring up the sediment.
 
kartracer2 said:
@codingmike You should be good to go then.
When you get the kit make sure it has what it says it should. (both equipment and beer kit) Things can get forgotten or broke in shipping. Read the instructions a couple of times and get familiar with the equipment and it's part in the processes. Test the buckets after you install the spigots with water before you commit you wort to them.
Don't be afraid to ask questions if you have them, if you don't know the answer, it's not a dumb question. Take notes too, document timing's, temps, gravity's and quantity's, it makes it easier to trouble shoot "if" something does go wrong.
Good luck, enjoy and let us know how it goes.
Cheers, :mug:
Joel B.
Click to expand...


^ this


PS. get a huge sponge to clean up the boil over and spills. keep the mop handy too- it happens to everyone sooner or later
 
NSMikeD said:
PS. get a huge sponge to clean up the boil over and spills. keep the mop handy too- it happens to everyone sooner or later
Click to expand...
LOL !!! that should be in every starter kit instructions !!!
I have a stack of old bath towels that I lay out on brew and bottling day for that very reason.
Cheers, :mug:
Joel B.
 

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