Anyone ever tried any of these?
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/store/1-gallon-beer-mixes
Just curious if it's worth the money.
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/store/1-gallon-beer-mixes
Just curious if it's worth the money.
Brooklyn Brew shop kits
- Thread starter lestershy
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The recipes are generally pretty good.
Worth the money? Depends on how you mean. You're paying for the convenience of how it's packaged, and you could certainly get the ingredients cheaper at a proper homebrew shop. Whether or not that's worth the money is a call only you can make!
Worth the money? Depends on how you mean. You're paying for the convenience of how it's packaged, and you could certainly get the ingredients cheaper at a proper homebrew shop. Whether or not that's worth the money is a call only you can make!
lestershy
Well-Known Member
Have you made any yourself? If so, which ones? I'm trying to decide if I should start carrying them at my store (not a LHBS, but a beer retailer). I have a sample kit coming my way, but I was curious to see if others had good/bad experiences with them already.
I've known people who have made them. The recipes are nothing particularly remarkable (for better or for worse), and they compare to any good quality kit. They're a good way to get people into brewing, and I like that they start people with all grain. But, anybody who has brewed a batch or two will likely move on to other options.
The whole one gallon situation is sort of a Brooklyn apartment-thing. People who aren't tight for space probably won't be very interested in making 1-gallon batches for long.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
ao125
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I was thinking about getting one of these for my boss. I've spoiled him on my homebrew and a few big retail beers and I think he'd like to make something for himself.
Calichusetts
Well-Known Member
Highly recommend them...I used about 6-8 when I started (4 different kinds) and was really pleased with all aspects of the kit. Decent recipies (they recently changed many of them when they released their book, I don't know if its for better or worse). Great starting materials (1-gallon carboy, tubing, racking cane, bon vino caps, etc). The directions are insanely easy, and kind of humorous...they also have videos for brewing too.
Fantastic way to start even if you are not in a city apartment. The everyday IPA is decent, the tripel is okay, needs at least two months aging, but their seasonals are spot on, though not always available
And starting AG is simply the way to go
Fantastic way to start even if you are not in a city apartment. The everyday IPA is decent, the tripel is okay, needs at least two months aging, but their seasonals are spot on, though not always available
And starting AG is simply the way to go
JaimeTheLimey
Well-Known Member
Buddy of mine got one for xmas and as far as a starter kit, I was pretty impressed.
Hell of a lot better than the ****ty Mr. Beer kit I got 8 years ago.
Hell of a lot better than the ****ty Mr. Beer kit I got 8 years ago.
mistercameron
Well-Known Member
I got started with brewing from one of these kits. So in that sense, yup - worth the money. This has been a great hobby. I received the Every Day IPA as a gift last Christmas. It was a very good beer (at least I was surprised that I could make something that good). I was a little bummed that they didn't provide the recipe (even upon request) and I'm not going to buy from them again now that I know where to find quality recipes.
I started brewing with their one gallon kit and I don't think they are worth the time or money. You get like 8 beers out of each batch and it takes almost as long as making a 5 gallon batch.
The instructions are pretty weak. Example: they have you do the mash on the stove top, constantly checking/adjusting the temperature when you could just put the darn thing inside the oven since you use such a small pot, which would insulate it for at least an hour mash. And all they give you to sanitize is a packet of c-brite.
The two owners are uber-hipsters who got into brewing because it looked like the cool new thing to do (see the New York Times article about them) and their kits sell well because they are good at PR and got them into NYC Whole Foods Markets. Their customer service is basically non-existant.
For all the time and effort the one gallon batches take, you might as well be making more beer and it really does not cost as much as you'd think to start brewing all grain right away.
The instructions are pretty weak. Example: they have you do the mash on the stove top, constantly checking/adjusting the temperature when you could just put the darn thing inside the oven since you use such a small pot, which would insulate it for at least an hour mash. And all they give you to sanitize is a packet of c-brite.
The two owners are uber-hipsters who got into brewing because it looked like the cool new thing to do (see the New York Times article about them) and their kits sell well because they are good at PR and got them into NYC Whole Foods Markets. Their customer service is basically non-existant.
For all the time and effort the one gallon batches take, you might as well be making more beer and it really does not cost as much as you'd think to start brewing all grain right away.
djfriesen
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That's what I started with. They are good for what they are meant to be. I value the equipment more than the recipe. This kit is a means to an end. The end is the ability to brew custom 1-gallon AG batches. The means is a decent recipe to drink while putting together another 1 gallon recipe of my own.
My LHBS owner, after she heard about how I had started brewing, put together her variation on the theme. She charges about the same, but you get way more equipment, and whatever recipe you want to do your first time around.
You can check them out here.
My LHBS owner, after she heard about how I had started brewing, put together her variation on the theme. She charges about the same, but you get way more equipment, and whatever recipe you want to do your first time around.
You can check them out here.
Lurker here. I got back into the hobby after 10 years out because of the Brooklyn kits. If space is tight, it's a perfect set up. My IPA didn't turn out too great, but I chalk that up to first time mistakes, dry yeast, and my unwillingness to let the bottles age properly before drinking them. I ended up just designing my own recipes after the kit brew with beer smith.
Pros: Cheap, easy to use equipment, good instructions, only all grain kit in that price range that I've ever found, allows me to brew every weekend, and easier to experiment on. Also, as I said, requires very little space, and demystifies the idea of all grain brewing, which I had always figured you needed crazy equipment to brew.
Cons: Will only get 10 beers if you're lucky. Ships with crappy sanitizer. Directions that don't actually ship with the box. (you have to print out your own, and there's no mention of things like OG and FG.) And finally, the price point is such that you will never brew cheaper per bottle of beer than just buying commercial products. Or at least I haven't, since I switched to liquid yeast after my first brew, which is initially rather expensive.
Pros: Cheap, easy to use equipment, good instructions, only all grain kit in that price range that I've ever found, allows me to brew every weekend, and easier to experiment on. Also, as I said, requires very little space, and demystifies the idea of all grain brewing, which I had always figured you needed crazy equipment to brew.
Cons: Will only get 10 beers if you're lucky. Ships with crappy sanitizer. Directions that don't actually ship with the box. (you have to print out your own, and there's no mention of things like OG and FG.) And finally, the price point is such that you will never brew cheaper per bottle of beer than just buying commercial products. Or at least I haven't, since I switched to liquid yeast after my first brew, which is initially rather expensive.
In a retail setting I don't see how you can do better than these right now. Experienced brewers won't need them, but that's not who it's for. For a first timer these blow Mr. Beer out of the water. Plus they look cool in a shop I think.
They got me into brewing so I have a lot of respect for them. I have 4 1 gal carboys so I'm brewing quite a bit. I like the process and yes I know the work to do a 1 gal is about equal to a 5 gal batch. Yes I get about 10 beers a pop but I'm ok with it. I did buy their book which has some really fun recipes. Since I have found this site and researching, learning, etc I have more confidence in brewing and I'm kicking myself for not getting into this hobby sooner. I think their recipe kits for $15 is a bit high so I have been using beer tools to scale various recipes I want to try to 1 gal then will build a grain bill or buy my malts in 1lb bags then measure out, etc.
Calichusetts
Well-Known Member
Started with them as well...fantastic for beginners and for small spaces...I don't know what that poster is talking about in going to larger batches...this is meant for people who CANT go to larger batches and don't have the money for the equipment! It was easy to make and I'd rather only mess up 10 beers than 50.
Decent price for the equipment you get, I was getting a 6-pack of 16oz with a half pint sample, and that was with a secondary and dry hopping, so it isn't that bad. I do my own recipies now but its still 1 gallon.
Still, if you are unsure if you want to take this up as a hobby or if it is going to be your first brew, BBS is the way to go. I will admit that their product has changed over the last year...and maybe not in a good way
Decent price for the equipment you get, I was getting a 6-pack of 16oz with a half pint sample, and that was with a secondary and dry hopping, so it isn't that bad. I do my own recipies now but its still 1 gallon.
Still, if you are unsure if you want to take this up as a hobby or if it is going to be your first brew, BBS is the way to go. I will admit that their product has changed over the last year...and maybe not in a good way
ao125
Well-Known Member
Was looking at this:
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-kits
They don't come with yeast or hops?
I don't really get what "mix" is.
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-kits
They don't come with yeast or hops?
I don't really get what "mix" is.
The link you are pointing to is the whole kit. So you get the carboy, siphoning quip, a dry yeast packet, hops packet, cleaning sanitizer and then the grains for whichever recipe. The grains are mixed up (i.e. grain bill) for whatever the recipe is.
I got the summer wheat kit back in October from williams/sonoma for $24. That was the first one I did then from there I found recipes online and used a calc to reduce to 1 gal and then made a grain bill at Austin homebrew.
They had the summer wheat kit marked down to $9.99 in the store but were all sold out. Online price was higher though.
I got the summer wheat kit back in October from williams/sonoma for $24. That was the first one I did then from there I found recipes online and used a calc to reduce to 1 gal and then made a grain bill at Austin homebrew.
They had the summer wheat kit marked down to $9.99 in the store but were all sold out. Online price was higher though.
I just received their book, (Brooklyn Brewshop's Beer Making Book, as a gift, and it is extremely simple, but it includes 52 recipes for some interesting sounding beers. I haven't been brewing long, and I haven't done any AG, but this book is still a little too simple for me. I'll probably try a few of their recipes in 5 gallon sizes.
I concur with some other posters here. I think the kits would do well in a LHBS, but the writers/owners do seem like hipsters. The book is written in a way to attract people who are completely ignorant to beer making, which is great. I also agree that it is much better than Mr. Beer, even if it does seem to be written by hipsters for hipsters.
I concur with some other posters here. I think the kits would do well in a LHBS, but the writers/owners do seem like hipsters. The book is written in a way to attract people who are completely ignorant to beer making, which is great. I also agree that it is much better than Mr. Beer, even if it does seem to be written by hipsters for hipsters.
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I'll be the dissenter here and say they are outrageously overpriced for what you get. You can buy a 5 gallon kit with ingredient kit for a little more sometimes, but usually for about 30 bucks more. Which will be much more beneficial in the long run. Their kits after you buy the initial kit, are 15 bucks, I can get all-grain 5 gallon kits for about the same. Some of their kits don't even include the stuff they are being touted for (I'm looking at you Coffee and Donut).
I just don't see the practicality in these. If you are thinking about getting into all-grain, you have probably brewed already and have SOME of the necessary stuff to get into all-grain. All you would need, at least, is a bag to do some BIAB. That would cost as much as a fine mesh nylon bag would cost. These are not future proof. The bigger kits are. And if you find out you don't like it, a bigger kit is a much nicer gift to give on to someone. At least in my mind.
If you are thinking of brewing and you have no idea what you are doing, these would probably end up not keeping you in the hobby. And that is what I think they are geared toward - the hipster crowd doing anything that seems fashionable, and not worry about how much money they are wasting. Or if they are helping the cause or not. Not much of a repeat business model it seems.
And did I mention that I THINK they are overpriced? All of this is just my opinion, which was asked for.
I just don't see the practicality in these. If you are thinking about getting into all-grain, you have probably brewed already and have SOME of the necessary stuff to get into all-grain. All you would need, at least, is a bag to do some BIAB. That would cost as much as a fine mesh nylon bag would cost. These are not future proof. The bigger kits are. And if you find out you don't like it, a bigger kit is a much nicer gift to give on to someone. At least in my mind.
If you are thinking of brewing and you have no idea what you are doing, these would probably end up not keeping you in the hobby. And that is what I think they are geared toward - the hipster crowd doing anything that seems fashionable, and not worry about how much money they are wasting. Or if they are helping the cause or not. Not much of a repeat business model it seems.
And did I mention that I THINK they are overpriced? All of this is just my opinion, which was asked for.
Brewskii
Well-Known Member
Got one on a groupon or deanews deall for $20... I was surprised to see that it was all grain. Had no idea the .5 oz of hop pellets and yeast was in the grain bag until I opened it after being int the hot garage for 3 months.
It it's the summer wheat. I chucked the hops ( if you've never smelled oxidized hops before think old used gymsocks) and used some willamette pellets I had in the freezer. I also added the zest of a half a dozen cuties.
It fermented up great.'OG was a little weak (1.045) the coopers yeast is crap but worked well and I wound up doing a party- gyle from an AG doppel bock I brewed a few weeks later using the yeast cake.
Your not going to become A-B Inbev using what's in the box but it's a cool 1'gal sys.
Ps... If you use beersmith, be sure your looking at the fermentor volume when you scale your recipes... It's a 1'gallon FERMENTOR - that is not the same as 1 gallon BATCHES.
It it's the summer wheat. I chucked the hops ( if you've never smelled oxidized hops before think old used gymsocks) and used some willamette pellets I had in the freezer. I also added the zest of a half a dozen cuties.
It fermented up great.'OG was a little weak (1.045) the coopers yeast is crap but worked well and I wound up doing a party- gyle from an AG doppel bock I brewed a few weeks later using the yeast cake.
Your not going to become A-B Inbev using what's in the box but it's a cool 1'gal sys.
Ps... If you use beersmith, be sure your looking at the fermentor volume when you scale your recipes... It's a 1'gallon FERMENTOR - that is not the same as 1 gallon BATCHES.
I saw them at Brooklyn Flea a few months back. They are a couple of hipsters as someone else had mentioned selling kits to get everyone to homebrew. In that sense they are getting people into this. But one gallon kits are tiny, even for a beginner. I bought a 5 gallon kit when I first started and still use most of the equipment that came with it, such as the carboy, the brushes, hydrometer etc... The buckets are long gone though as these tend to disintegrate. (I had one have the bottom fall out with 5 gallons of sanitizer in it. I had the cleanest kitchen floor in Brooklyn. You could brew off it!) I'll be using that same starter equipment until I break it all. I have added a lot of things as I go, but they add to what I have. I also even have a Mr. Beer and I use it to make yeast starters. The Mr Beer was a gift from someone that didn't realize it was for a total beginner. It made a decent batch of beer.
When I did my first kit years ago, my wife looked at the 5 gallons of beer and asked "What are we going to do with all that beer???" A month or so later she asked "When are you making another batch??" It really doesn't take long to go through 5 gallons or 2 cases of beer. Let's see, 2/night, 2 people = 12 days. Even if you stretch it out it'll be gone in a month. Even my bad batches don't last all that long.
When I did my first kit years ago, my wife looked at the 5 gallons of beer and asked "What are we going to do with all that beer???" A month or so later she asked "When are you making another batch??" It really doesn't take long to go through 5 gallons or 2 cases of beer. Let's see, 2/night, 2 people = 12 days. Even if you stretch it out it'll be gone in a month. Even my bad batches don't last all that long.
Calichusetts
Well-Known Member
Still don't understand the reasoning in the criticism of 1 gallon batches, its for apartments and small houses! I could maybe get 3 gallons to a boil on my stove, but the microwave it too close to the top and the condensation drips in. Its for small areas and hipsters or not, they got me in to it and I thank them for it. Its a great kit to test the waters when confind to a small place or lack of equipment.
As someone else pointed out, it's a little pricey for what you actually get. But the bigger issue is that you get so few bottles out of a batch, that it can get a bit frustrating after awhile. I'm still doing the small batches because space is so tight in my studio, but I end up buying store beer just to pad my supply so I don't end up drinking an entire batch of homebrew in a weekend. I thought once I got a supply chain running I would have plenty of beer, but it turns out that gallon batches just aren't enough to cover the ~3 weeks lag time between brewing to drinking, even if I brew every weekend.
your a typical hobbiest that because your well established in the hobby knows where to go to get everything you need at dirt cheap prices. My kit was a gift. a client heard me talking about trying my friends homebrew and knew i was a do it yourselfer having built my own bicycles and golf clubs. I really had no idea how to get started and this kit kickstarted me big time!. It's been 10 weeks, I've already got 3 5 gallon batches under my belt. They are a business, they are doing it to make money. Their price is reasonable for what you get. Craft beer isn't cheap so people who have a taste for craft beer typically are willing to spend a few more dollars on things. I bought the book via my kindle app on my tablet and it was only like 10 bucks. I'll try a few of the recipes and then start looking to other avenues for more specific info but put me in the camp that says these kits are a good way for a newbie to get started. oh yeah, I quickly realized that the work involved was the same whether i was making 1 gallon or 100 gallons which prompted me to go with a bigger setup right away.
A few people have brought up small apartments. I started brewing in a tiny apartment with almost zero space. It wasn't Brooklyn, but might as well have been. All I had was a regular-kitchen-sized stockpot and one free shelf for supplies and fermenting. I got a Mr. Beer kit. While I would definitely guess the Brooklyn Brew beers are better than Mr. Beer's, I value my Mr. Beer equipment more than what Brooklyn sells. After a few kit brews, I did some regular extract and AG batches in the little brown keg before upgrading my equipment. I wouldn't bother doing one gallon batches when you could do close to 2.5 gallons with minimal extra space needed. With the Mr. Beer fermentors, I could have 10 gallons running at once in a small closet.
Edit: But in terms of demystifying AG brewing and getting people into the hobby hitting the ground running, I think the effect of Brooklyn Brew Shop is great.
Edit: But in terms of demystifying AG brewing and getting people into the hobby hitting the ground running, I think the effect of Brooklyn Brew Shop is great.
In the last year or so, I've met a good dozen or so people who started brewing because they got a Brooklyn Brew Shop kit as a gift. Nobody is going to make one gallon batches for long, but they're nicely packaged and accessible. There's something beautiful about demystifying the things we buy in stores. We understand very little of what we consume. My TV may as well be magic. How many of us thought, before we started brewing, that beer was something that could only be made by multi-million dollar factories?
The purpose of Brooklyn Brew Shop kits is not to sustain home brewers throughout their career, but to allow girlfriends to have something interesting to give to their boyfriends on their birthdays. It's Mr. Beer, but with a slightly different aesthetic. These kinds of kits are great for the hobby, and for that reason I love them.
The purpose of Brooklyn Brew Shop kits is not to sustain home brewers throughout their career, but to allow girlfriends to have something interesting to give to their boyfriends on their birthdays. It's Mr. Beer, but with a slightly different aesthetic. These kinds of kits are great for the hobby, and for that reason I love them.
shoreman
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I think these kits are great and as a graphic designer I applaud he fact that someone has come up with some decent branding/packaging for homebrew kits.
Its a great way to introduce someone to the concept of making all grain beer and the process - if nothing they learn about what makes a beer from start to finish.
Homebrewers are in general WAY too concerned with saving $ - but the funny thing is that we sit on forums discussing saving $4 by a full sparge vs a batch sparge for hours upon hours - if you were working that entire time you'd probably have enough $$ to buy a B3 top tier setup
instead you saved $4
Its a great way to introduce someone to the concept of making all grain beer and the process - if nothing they learn about what makes a beer from start to finish.
Homebrewers are in general WAY too concerned with saving $ - but the funny thing is that we sit on forums discussing saving $4 by a full sparge vs a batch sparge for hours upon hours - if you were working that entire time you'd probably have enough $$ to buy a B3 top tier setup
instead you saved $4
Hi! I got one of these kits for Christmas, and after assembling the rest of my supplies, brewed and bottled the Everyday IPA in March. I probably made some rookie mistakes, but I am pretty confident that it will turn out decently. I've been doing a bunch of "research" online and getting myself real revved up to brew some more. I decided to do a quick apple cider because I had some yeast kicking around and couldn't stand to have that jug sitting around doing nothing. In the meanwhile I ordered the Grapefruit Honey Ale and Coffee & Donut Stout mixes. I also downloaded the Kindle version of the BBS book and I really like it! It does simplify things a bit, but I like that it's not intimidating.
Anyway, it might be a bit pricey for what you get at first and you do have to order additional supplies, but it's a nice step into all grain brewing. I am really excited to see how everything turns out. I hope to brew from recipes soon. I want to try the Edelweiss. Actually, I want to try a bunch of things. I could see myself getting frustrated with having just a 1 gallon "carboy," but I couldn't see myself brewing 5 gallon batches either.
Anyway, it might be a bit pricey for what you get at first and you do have to order additional supplies, but it's a nice step into all grain brewing. I am really excited to see how everything turns out. I hope to brew from recipes soon. I want to try the Edelweiss. Actually, I want to try a bunch of things. I could see myself getting frustrated with having just a 1 gallon "carboy," but I couldn't see myself brewing 5 gallon batches either.
My girlfriend bought me the kit for Christmas. She knows that I am DIY kind of guy and I like beer. We have also seen their booth at the Brooklyn Flea. I brewed my first batch (kit) in January. While brewing I immediately saw the limitations of the system. First they say all the equipment you need is a pot and a strainer, which isn't acurate since you have to strain, or lauter, your wort into something. In this case another pot. Also, they mention that the pot has to be at least 6 quarts, for their recipe and process a 6 quart pot is not sufficient in size. That being said, I also was impressed by the quality of beer that I was able to produce in my apartment. Since that first batch, I have brewed thrice more, using my own recipes. Currently one about 5 days into primary fermentation.
I would not buy the kit for myself. I also probably would not have started brewing at all without receiving the kit as a gift. All in all, I would say that the total value of the kit, if sourced on your own, would be around $20. I will probably soon move on to doing 3 gallon batches via the BIAB method.
I would not buy the kit for myself. I also probably would not have started brewing at all without receiving the kit as a gift. All in all, I would say that the total value of the kit, if sourced on your own, would be around $20. I will probably soon move on to doing 3 gallon batches via the BIAB method.
