Others may disagree, but I don't care much for some of the items in that kit:
- The ale pails are notorious for not sealing properly, since they have no lid gasket. I'd go with the white food-safe buckets from Home Depot instead (~$7). They're only 5 gal, but recipes are scalable (a chem major should have no problem with that).
- The bottling bucket is also a PITA. Mine has always leaked, no matter what I do. Instead, I just use another 5 gal bucket with my autosiphon.
- StarSan >> Iodophor. Get a 16-32oz bottle and you'll be good for a long time.
- 8 oz. of cleanser won't last long. Go buy some OxyClean Free.
- You don't need a book, you have HBT.
- Don't bother with a racking cane. You definitely want an autosiphon.
- You can get the tubing at your local Home Depot or hardware store. I've never needed clips or clamps.
- I'd never put a thermometer in my fermenter. How the heck would you read it inside a bucket anyway? Opening the bucket during fermentation is asking for infection.
In short, I think you can save money over that kit by buying only (and exactly) what you need.
That's just my two cents. Welcome to the addiction.
I have no problem making my own kit. I just don't want to start and then realize I don't have something I need. I want my first try to be successful. It might actually be better for me to buy things piecemeal anyway (as not to arouse the suspicions of the wife LOL!)
So I need:
-1x Brew pot 21qt tamale pot (~$23.00 @ My local target)
-2x food grade bucket ($3.97 @ Lowe's.com, on Home Depot I could only find 10 packs x.x)
-1x bucket lid ($1.97 @ Lowe's)
-grommet for lid ($0.50 @ Midwest supplies)
-3 piece airlock ($1.29 @ Midwest supplies)
-5/16 inch auto siphon ($9.99 @ Midwest supplies)
-5/16 inch tubing 6ft (~$3.00 @ Midwest supplies, probably cheaper at Lowes)
-Bottle capper ($12.99 @ Midwest supplies)
-Caps ($1.99 @ Midwest supplies)
-Bottle brush ($2.99 @ Midwest supplies)
-Large spoon (free, I have a large stainless steel spoon)
-Oxy clean (?$ but can't be that expensive)
This all comes to about $65 (plus the shipping from Midwest if I go that route)
This doesn't include a thermometer or hydrometer.
I'll be starting with extracts so I'm not sure if I really need these yet.
I don't think I really need a bottle filler. This breakdown is based off a list from John Palmer's website of a "college student" beginner setup.
http://www.howtobrew.com/equipment.html
This doesn't include any ingredients but I could order a recipe scaled to 3 gallons from Brew Master's Warehouse or somewhere like that where you can order specific quantities of ingredients.