Homebrewing Kit

[jsouth1]

Between these 3 kits, which would be the best for me to start out with? Does anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.homebrewit.com/beer-brewing-kit-equipment.php

http://www.breworganic.com/complete2stagebrewerywithorganicbeerkit.aspx

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-intermediate-kit-w-two-5-gallon-glass-carboys.html

Thank you everyone.

 

[rosier9]

I like the looks of the midwest kit, seems like more bang for the buck... I think its a pretty safe bet that most of us started with something similar to these kits...

Take the plunge, you won't regret it...

 

[Homercidal]

Lots of people choose Midwest for equipment kits, but I would not choose 2 glass carboys, personally. Better Bottles are cheaper and safer. Plus, I RARELY secondary, so I RARELY use a carboy to begin with. I use my only glass carboy for mead. I have even dry-hopped in the primary this last time.

 

[Beer_Maker]

This is a pretty good deal. You might even be able to get them to swap out the kit if you don't want the Irish red.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/everything-a-carboy-complete-brewing-package-equipment-kit-3.html

 

[stevo155]

Unless you are doing mead or a lot of fruit beers, 2-5 gallon glass carboys are a waste IMHO. I have 2-5 gallon Better Bottles that I never use because I fell into that whole secondary thing when I started out.

Have you thought of a kit with a 6 gallon Better Bottle instead of bucket?

 

[jsouth1]

Stevo155, is there a kit that has the 6 gallon better bottle instead that you can recommend?

 

[ongreystreet]

I just bought my gear and didn't like any of the kits. I would suggest finding a kit you like, then trying to add all the items up and see what the total price is, it isn't always as good of a deal is it might seem, plus after you do the price compare you can customize your gear some.

I would also suggest the better bottles, I am in the middle of my first batch and it's a pain moving the lighter and stronger better bottle around. I would suggest starting with the BB and then upgrading later if you feel comfortable.

 

[glenn514]

If you look further at Midwest's equipment kits, you can buy the SAME kit you were looking at except two Better Bottles rather than two glass carboys for $20.00 less. I'd recommend that, and also buy a single six-gallon Better Bottle for primary fermentation. I have found having two 5-gallon BB's as secondary/brite tanks is very helpful.

glenn514

 

[stevo155]

Stevo155, is there a kit that has the 6 gallon better bottle instead that you can recommend?

Northern Brewer has one with $7.99 flat rate shipping.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/starter-kits/better-basic-starter-kit.html

You'll need to compare to see what the differences are, but with the price difference you may be able to pick up the extra items cheaper. I think the biggest factor is going to be shipping.

A call to Midwest may be helpful. Maybe they will substitute some items out since a 6 gallon BB is cheaper than a 5 gallon carboy, and cheaper to ship I imagine.

 

[Homercidal]

If you look further at Midwest's equipment kits, you can buy the SAME kit you were looking at except two Better Bottles rather than two glass carboys for $20.00 less. I'd recommend that, and also buy a single six-gallon Better Bottle for primary fermentation. I have found having two 5-gallon BB's as secondary/brite tanks is very helpful.

glenn514

Perhaps. I, however, prefer to primary in a bucket. Without wanting to start an argument, I like buckets because they are easier to move around if necessary, and a LOT easier to clean the primary gunk out of.

And they do as good a job for MUCH less $$

 

[Primo]

I like the midwest kit just make sure you order an extra lid and air lock then you can run two batches at a time! The first thing better than 5 gallons of beer is 10 gallons of beer!

 

[TXBeowulf]

Better bottles are great for as long as they last. The only problem with them (and the only reason I don't use them) is that (like all plastic) they are impossible to reliably sanitize if they get scratched, and they are a bit more expensive to replace when this happens than an ale pail.

There's no reason to not ferment in a bucket, but if you are going to use a carboy, stick with glass. You will pay more, but as long as you don't drop it, it will last forever. Actually, even if you do drop it, your feet are in more danger than the carboy is.

 

[Homercidal]

Why would you put anything into a Better Bottle that could scratch it?

 

[mightynintendo]

Plastic buckets make great fermentation vessels if you like drinking plastic. Whether you taste it or not, it's there.

 

[TXBeowulf]

Editing because I came off snarkier than I inteded...

You have to clean all of your equipment after use. The brush (at least my brush) has metal parts. The potential is there for scratching. Even with plastic bristles, eventually the material gets scratched (you can tell when the plastic gets hazy). This happens with ale pails too, but they are cheaper to replace.

 

[stevo155]

Unless you have found a way to make beer that doesn't leave residue, you still have to scrub the inside of the bottle after use.

I have found this to be not true. A PBW or Oxiclean soak cleans it off nicely, no scrubbing needed. Have been using the same better bottle for 3 years and no infections or off flavors.

 

[Homercidal]

Ditto. I never use a brush on my carboy, even the glass one(Which can scratch too, BTW...) I use Oxiclean soak and a washcloth swirled around inside to clean them. Trust me, the BB is a lot easier to do this with than a glass carboy.

I still use my glass carboy, but only for extended aging, and simply because I already owned it.

I only use a soft sponge to clean my buckets. The worst part is the dried-on krausen. That's why I usually soak in hot water for a bit before washing, if necessary.

 

[jsouth1]

So, after talking to midwest, everything I need before shipping runs $260.00 then $40 for shipping.

Austinhomebrew Supply offers free shipping on orders over $100 and Northern offers 7.95 flat shipping.

Is Midwest best to go with? http://www.midwestsupplies.com/everything-a-carboy-complete-brewing-package-equipment-kit-2.html

Or, is Austin the way to go since free shipping? http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_52&products_id=12737

Or northern? http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/starter-kits/deluxe-beer-starter-kit.html

 

[D0ug]

I like the service I had from Austin Homebrew Supply, but I haven't tried the other two.

I placed a small order Sun Dec 19th this year, it was on my door step Fri Dec 24th, Texas to Maine! They know how to treat their customers!

 

[Homercidal]

I've only ordered from Northern, since they were closest, but honestly, I've never heard anything but good reviews on ANY of those places. And Austin hangs out here and has shown personal service to many members.