Confused - LME vs Kits vs ??

[Monkey55]

Thanks for all the opinions and input. I have definitely read and thought about all of them. As much as it is enticing, I'm not going to jump to 5 gallon brews. It's hard to justify spending $70 to $150 on a kit when we have diapers and formula to buy.

You need more friends Then 5 gallons ain't enuff

LOL.... There's a reason I'm not telling too many people about my new hobbie..

Since one of your issues is that you're short on time, keep in mind that moving away from kits with hopped malt extract is going to add at least an hour to your brewing time.
With Mr. Beer all you have to do is bring your water to a boil, remove from heat, stir in the extract, pour it into the keg, top it up, add your yeast and stir. With unhopped extract you'll have to do all of that and boil for an hour. You can definitely make better and possibly cheaper beer this way, and if you usually can get an evening free where an extra hour won't be a problem you should go for it.

I didn't think about that. Last weekend would have been perfect. The wife and I stayed awake for a few hours after we got the kids to sleep. I'll keep that in mind because those weekends are few and far in between.

Hey monkey, since I have only brewed a handful of extract brews myself I feel I can give you some relevent advice.

You should buy Dry malt extract instead of LME. DME allows you to only use a portion of it, and you can save the rest for another brew date. The best way to do this is plan out the next 3-5 brews you want so you know the quantities of each ingredient needed, and just use them as you go. This will allow you to scale 5 gallon batches down to 2 or three and you can choose slightly more complicated recipes as you see fit so you can learn more.

I know you are busy and I completely understand, so if you ever need any help figuring out what style beer you want to brew and what ingredients you will need, just send me a private message. I have plenty of spare time since I am taking a semester off of school. You can send me a beer style you want to try and I can give you a handful of recipes to choose from

Thanks for the offer and understanding. I checked out that video and it helped my get familiar with the process. I also checked out some other YouTube videos that were related. I think I'll send you a pm.

"RDWHAHB"-Relax Dont Worry Have A Home Brew

That's the LONGESSSSSSSTTTTT acronym I have ever seen. :cross:


THANKS
E

 

[ChshreCat]

Pfft, you could upgrade to 5 gallon batches for 25 bucks.

But I completely understand the priorities. Diapers and formula? Sounds like you need to drop some hints about brewing gear making EXCELLENT father's day gifts!

 

[grasshopper1917]

I've been brewing for a few years - if you do decide to move up to 5 gallons the canned kits are a great way to start. I have been doing it since I started - I dont have much room (live in a smalll bachelor apartment) and dont have much time so it works for me. If you are strapped for cash sometimes you can pick up really cheap supplies on kijiji (craigslist i guess in the USA). I see alot of people selling stuff almost knew because they tried it once or twice and decided they didn't like the hobby.

I know some people like to denounce the canned kits but you can make some really good beer from the kits - and you can make it as simple as you like - or you can add in your own hops and specialty grains - its all up to you.

Anyway whatever you decide to do - happy brewing - cheers