First timer

[Jstickel]

Hey everyone, First timer brewer here. So my gf got me an ingredient pack for 5 gallons. So I have a two part question. Should I go with a 5 gal kit, and give it a go? If so, any recommendations which? Second, can I/should I brew back to back 2.5 gallons and go that route? She thought she was getting me a whole kit. While I greatly appreciate it, I do need more and would love to start trying my hand at brewing. Thanks all!!

 

[ReaperOnefour]

I would just go with the whole 5 gallons bro. I highly recommend northern Brewer. If you do two 2.5 gallons, your kind of doing double the work.

 

[MaryB]

It isn't any harder to brew 5 gallons than it is 2 1/2. Just need a bigger kettle. I am guessing it is an extract kit with either liquid or dried malt extract and maybe some steeping grains. Follow the instructions and if you have questions on those after reading just pop in here and ask!

Many of those suggest brewing 2 1/2 gallons then adding top up water and this is fine for a beginner. You are learning the process and not the recipe! The process applies to most brewing so learning from a kit is great for beginners!

And be ready to get hooked an turning ingredients into tasty beer!

 

[Jtk78]

It isn't any harder to brew 5 gallons than it is 2 1/2. Just need a bigger kettle. I am guessing it is an extract kit with either liquid or dried malt extract and maybe some steeping grains. Follow the instructions and if you have questions on those after reading just pop in here and ask!

Many of those suggest brewing 2 1/2 gallons then adding top up water and this is fine for a beginner. You are learning the process and not the recipe! The process applies to most brewing so learning from a kit is great for beginners!

And be ready to get hooked an turning ingredients into tasty beer!

The only part of the instructions to ignore is when it says to transfer to a secondary fermenter after a week. Just leave it in one fermenter until it's time to package.

Good luck to you. This forum is a great resource for information and help. Brewing is not hard. You should give it a shot.

 

[BassElement]

Welcome to the hobby. As noted by many it is a great one - very satisfying and not too challenging. This forum is an excellent resource, it is key to my on-going growth as a brewer.

One of the things I love about homebrewing is that you can keep it simple or get completely nuts. I personally enjoy keeping it simple, 2.5 gallons per batch on my stovetop. All I need are the ingredients (I split one 5-gallon all grain kit), a couple of large pots, a 3 gallon carboy, and some bottles (plus various accessories to support the process). Two brews a month = 2 cases a month, that's plenty for me and the occasional tasting session with friends.

Many / most on this forum prefer 5+ gallon batches and more advanced equipment, just a matter of finding what works best for you. Bottom line is we all love beer and that's what's really important.

Cheers, and good luck!

 

[Jstickel]

Thanks for all the feedback! I've heard that it's good to start with 2.5 gal, then work your way up after you have it down. Any thoughts here? For a first timer, is it better to go for the 5 gal or 2.5? I'm still researching which supplies I need and where to get them.

 

[Vedexent]

I've heard that it's good to start with 2.5 gal, then work your way up after you have it down. Any thoughts here? For a first timer, is it better to go for the 5 gal or 2.5? I'm still researching which supplies I need and where to get them.

Research, and get to know the process down pat - paying attention to water volumes, boil-off losses, and heating requirements.

That way you'll be able to tell what supplies work for your style, and your existing equipment.

Be wary of advice - even from me - lots of opinions and personal preference here get handed down as "carved in stone fact"; it ain't always so

Also factor in how much beer your household can drink

2.5 gallons works well if you're doing "kitchen brewing". 5 might work as well - depending on the type of stove you have. If you have a gas stove, or a really good electric, you might be able to heat/boil a 7.5 - 8 gallon kettle, which is what you'd need for a 5 gallon batch. Even a mediocre stove should be able to handle a 5 gallon kettle / stock pot - which would do a 2.5 gallon batch.

If your existing stove won't work for what you want to do - consider if you're willing to get a propane burner, or have the space for it.

Personally, I'm making 2.5 gallon, BIAB, all-grain, full-volume mash batches because I'm limited by my stove, equipment, and available space - but I might crank out 5 gallon batches if I had a good gas stove.

It really boils down (no pun intended) to what equipment you have, what equipment you're willing to acquire, the space you have, the process you want to follow, and how much beer you want to produce as a time.

Welcome aboard - and best of luck!

 

[MaryB]

Most extract kits do a partial boil and you top up with cold water anyway so it is a 2.5 gallon boil. Sure you can do a full volume boil too but it will change hop utilization slightly(I couldn't tell the difference when I did it both ways on an IPA). Makes it easier with just a 5 gallon pot to deal with and most stoves can bring 2 1/2 gallons to a rolling boil fairly fast.

 

[NSMikeD]

Don't let this kit drive you decision on what equipment it get. You'll need space to store your equipment Pots, utensils, fermenting buckets empty bottles etc. You'll need a cool dark space to ferment and condition the beer (fermentation bucket and bottled beer). If you decide to go all grain, a stove top will not be sufficient to boil 5 gallon batches (but you can cross that road when the time comes.

In addition to space, give some thought into how much beer you think you will drink and give away and how often do you want to brew and whether or not you would like to brew a variety of beers.

Check back in and let us know what direction you are thinking and we can help you match the equipment.