Getting into Brewing???

[TheDawg28]

Ive been watching this website for the past few months and have a real interest in brewing....Ok im for sure im going to do it. I have no equipment and like things that are simple to use. Im definetly wanting to do kegging....so my question is this......I was going through some of the website sponsors and noticed a brewing and kegging kit sold by Midwest Homebrewers called Master Brewers Kit w/kegging setup. Looked like it ran around $320. Would this be a good kit to start with or could someone point me in a better direction.......$500 or less is what I have to get started with.

Thanks.
TheDawg

 

[Germelli1]

This has pretty much everything you could ever hope for:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produ...11360&osCsid=26fd6f6199e09940b3659f89dff8b34e

You should probably pick up some more kegs locally or online, and possibly some more sanatizer...and a brewpot

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I wouldn't worry too much about kegging from the get go. I keg and love it but to be honest I would have rather spent that initial money on brewing equipment rather than serving equipment. Just something to consider.

 

[Surly]

I wouldn't too much about kegging from the get go. I keg and love it but to be honest I would have rather spent that initial money on brewing equipment rather than serving equipment. Just something to consider.

I agree with this. Take the time to build your brewery. You will soon be prioritizing your purchases based on the direction of your build. It's a hobby.

 

[TheDawg28]

First of all thank you for the replys.....I do seem kinda puzzled though. Kegging doesnt really seem that more expensive once you get the initial kegs and equipment bought. By the time you buy bottles, replace bottles that friends sometimes want to borrow, caps and all the other stuff it looks like in the long run that kegging would be the way to go. I already have the spare fridge, burner and boil pot. Come on guys Im wanting to WOW all of my cycling buddies!!! LOL.

 

[ArcaneXor]

First of all thank you for the replys.....I do seem kinda puzzled though. Kegging doesnt really seem that more expensive once you get the initial kegs and equipment bought. By the time you buy bottles, replace bottles that friends sometimes want to borrow, caps and all the other stuff it looks like in the long run that kegging would be the way to go. I already have the spare fridge, burner and boil pot. Come on guys Im wanting to WOW all of my cycling buddies!!! LOL.

Kegging is more expensive than bottling in the long run because of the CO2 refills and the electricity required for the extra fridge, but if you get a relatively new model and have a reasonably priced CO2 provider nearby, the extra cost isn't all that high. If you are thinking about buying bottles, I'd definitely go ahead and invest that money into kegging equipment, especially if you're sure that you'll stick with the hobby and like the convenience and flexibility kegs provide.

Most of us have collected bottles over time doing "research" on craft beers, or simply asked bars and restaurants for their empties. If you don't want to go all out right away, used bottles are the way to go.

 

[TheDawg28]

uhhhh nice....For some odd reason I never even thought about used bottles. I just dropped off around 4 cases of empty Fat Tire bottles at the recyclers!!! I may be starting to lean toward bottling to start out......the kegging just seems like it would be a bit better though.

 

[limulus]

you could check out the tap a draft mini kegs (actually plastic). I have used them since last year and had very good results.
Most of the major online suppliers sell them.

 

[KuntyBrew]

get the basics of brewing down before jumping to kegging, 1 or 2 batches in you might not like it enough to keep going

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Don't get me wrong, kegging is great. However, it is considerably more expensive and requires much more room. Kegs are not exactly cheap nor are the parts required to fix them if you do find "cheap" kegs. Additionally, the fittings for kegs are not cheap either. Having said that, if you are running 1-2 kegs and this is all you need the cost is not so bad. But if you want to have a variety of beers on hand bottling is much cheaper up front and requires much less equipment.

In the end if you feel like you want to keg and stay in the hobby for quite some time and the up front money dosen't bother you, go for kegging. If you are unsure, try bottling a few batches and get your feet wet and then decide.

I was able to find a ton of used bottles from a bottle shop near me that has weekly tastings. This worked great until I wanted to start kegging.

Just remember, it is a hobby and hobbies are suppose to be fun so have fun with it which ever way works for you.