If you knew then what you know know

[Shiz-Nit]

I am new and what to get the best starter kit with out wishing I got the other kind of thing.
So if you new then what you no know what would you diffrent to start. what klit would you get? what upgrades would you get?

Thanks for any info

 

[two_one_seven]

bigger brew pot........

 

[H-ost]

Save money and effort by not bothering with glass carboys. If you really like to see the fermentation, I know I do, just get better bottles.

 

[Piratwolf]

Temp control for fermentation. Hands down.

 

[Creepersale]

Would have started kegging Instead of bottling.

 

[DoubleAught]

I'm going to resist the obvious and take the high road. I would have educated myself before making any purchases, I would be 3 secondary carboys lighter

 

[SkippyWilliams]

I would have gotten a 5 gallon kit with every thing I needed and a brew pot

 

[DarthMalt]

would have started kegging instead of bottling.

+1

 

[pernox]

I would have gotten a Barley Crusher right off the bat instead of messing around with a pasta roller. Other than that, I've been trying to keep an eye on the future.

 

[stbnj]

I would have gotten a 15 gallon pot right when I went to all grain. I also wish I had started using a swamp cooler and yeast starters sooner. And I should have sprung for a ball valve when I went all grain, can't believe how many batches I did holding that kettle and draining it through funnels and strainers.

 

[drhookmec]

Would have started kegging Instead of bottling.

+1

+2 Same here

 

[amd133mhz]

Temp control! I am on my second brew and i am using a rope tub to control my ferment temp because it gets really warm in here. Its filled with water around the bucket and keeps it at a constant 68F 100% of the time and I am super stoked. also I would have waited longer to transfer from primary to secondary and I wouldn't have accidentally gotten Germ-x hand sanitizer in my first brew didnt affect the taste much but I think its slightly there,maybe my imagination because I know a little got in there but still, My latest went alot smoother because I was 100x more careful. I got a brewers best equip kit with a 5 gallon ale pail 5 gallon better bottle carboy and 5 gallon bottling bucket amongst many other items. I brewed a Brewers Best Irish stout first and am working on a Brewers best Robust porter now. Without know how good or bad the others taste, I am glad I did these because they include hops and grains for you to steep and boil,and for me thats cool.gives you a little more "personality" without being all grain. I am new also,but so far so good. Oh and Star San! easy fast and so far effective

 

[CPFITNESS]

Knowing now, I wouldn't have started brewing at all. I just flat out don't have the room for the stuff i want in my tiny apartment unless i give up my other 2 hobbies (golf, cycling) and that aint happening!

 

[MKEbrew]

bigger brew pot........

+1

I'm still fairly new, but I'd start with a pot that can do full boils (something like a 10 gallon pot, maybe 8 but there's a good chance you'll want larger eventually anyway).

I just switched to all grain and I've reduced my batches to 3 - 3.25 gallons just so I can do a full boil in my 5 gallon pot I used for extract. I'll be upgrading as soon as I have enough BTU to handle a full boil.:rockin:

 

[LMGK]

Bigger is better for brew pots. You can always brew smaller batches in a bigger pot not vice versea Get as many fermenters as you can.

 

[Jdm5209]

Would've gone better bottle instead of glass and bought an IC much, much sooner.

 

[keesh]

Kept better logs, brewing notes, dates, etc.

 

[amd133mhz]

Kept better logs, brewing notes, dates, etc.

I started using a calender i got and never used(like a paper old cars calender) which I dont need ie phone,imac cable box ect. so I use it for brewing now,when it went into ferment and what the OG was,on the day of what time ect. then I mark what days I plan on doing a gravity check and temps per day and those type of things. I agree.a calender or log is a great idea.

 

[gypsyhead]

Hate to say it, but I wouldn't have changed much at all. I learned something at every step along the way, and yeah, it would have saved me some money and hassle to do things a little different, but anyone can hold the course in a calm sea...

But yeah, I'd go with Better Bottles over Carboys, hands down.

 

[nealizm]

Go for the 6-6.5 gallon carboys.Also fermentation temp.

 

[tbrink]

copper coil wort chiller: good god, why did i wait so long to get that?!? there is a reason this is on the top of the list.

a bigger pot, which also correlates to a propane burner: i could have saved sooo much grief from SWMBO, but the joke's on her: the kitchen will never again be as clean as when i finished with a brew day.

refractometer: test with a few drops of beer vs. a few ounces using a hydrometer. it's your call.

better bottles: i used to think i wanted a 6.5 gallon glass carboy until i actually got one.

DEDICATED SPACE FOR ALL OF YOUR BREW EQUIPMENT.

 

[Trokair]

My first brew was finished last weekend and the only thing I had an issue with was my stove not putting out enough heat to get to a real high boil.


And I love my glass carboys. I just ordered two more and will be brewing again soon.

 

[Fizzycist]

copper coil wort chiller: good god, why did i wait so long to get that?!? there is a reason this is on the top of the list.

a bigger pot, which also correlates to a propane burner: i could have saved sooo much grief from SWMBO, but the joke's on her: the kitchen will never again be as clean as when i finished with a brew day.

refractometer: test with a few drops of beer vs. a few ounces using a hydrometer. it's your call.

better bottles: i used to think i wanted a 6.5 gallon glass carboy until i actually got one.

DEDICATED SPACE FOR ALL OF YOUR BREW EQUIPMENT.

No freakin kidding on the copper coil wort chiller. Don't even listen to those guys who say you can cool 5 gallons of boiling water in a water bath; it is a PITA and takes forever. Make yourself a coil chiller before you ever do your first batch.

 

[Schumed]

Like everyone else wort chiller. I would also get a copy of How to Brew by John Palmer.. I'm about 25 brews in to this and just now reading... So much awesome info... I'm trying to get more technical with my brew and it's full of that info too

 

[RuffRider]

I would've had 2 hydrometers on hand instead of just one so I had a spare to replace the one(s) I broke.

Also, I never would've wasted my money on a 5 gallon brewpot because it was cheaper. I would've parted with the extra cash in the beginning on a 10 gallon pot and propane burner for full boils.

 

[wolfstar]

temp control for fermentation. Hands down.

+1

 

[Piratwolf]

No freakin kidding on the copper coil wort chiller. Don't even listen to those guys who say you can cool 5 gallons of boiling water in a water bath; it is a PITA and takes forever. Make yourself a coil chiller before you ever do your first batch.

SO TRUE!!!

I use a CFC rather than IC, but same difference. Just say no to ice baths, IMO.

 

[H-ost]

On the topic of chilling, I now no-chill so I wish I learned about that before I started brewing. If I knew about it sooner I would not have wasted time and money on building an IC only to give it away to a friend for 10$. Used it twice then upgraded to 10 gallons and didn't want to upgrade my chiller. Now when I do 5 gallon batches I just do the Ice bath because it really isn't that difficult and only takes 25-30 min.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

If you knew then what you know now

1. Reuse yeast.
2. Go straight to no-secondary.
3. Go straight to kegging.
4. Go straight to AG.
5. Buy hops online in bulk.

 

[VladOfTrub]

If I knew then, what I know now. I would have done everything now, by then.

 

[shawnbou]

The two best things I ever added to my brewing repertoire were the use of a swamp cooler for temp control, and proper water treatment for my AG mashes. There are no words to describe how much these two simple, cheap changes in my technique have improved my beer.

Other wonderful items I added to my arsenal (not all necessarily cheap) were my refractometer, starter stir plate, and of course my kegging setup.

If I have one regret, it would be buying a 1 liter flask for starters. My minimum starter size now is about 1.2 liters, so my small flask is just collecting dust. But I suppose I will use it if I ever decide to cultivate yeast from bottle dregs.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

If I knew then, what I know now. I would have done everything now, by then.

 

[AdamPag]

+1 to kegging, +1 to Ferm Control, +1 to 6.5gal better bottles, +1 to bigger kettle, +1 to extra hydrometer, +1 to more fermenters.

Also, dont use the floating glass thermometers, my very 1st batch I had it break in the wort while I was chilling it, I was so damn mad. At the supermarket they have a $10 stainless steel espresso thermometer with actually has a 20* red zone between 150* and 170* which is a serious clutch for steeping. And, It doesnt shatter glass in your wort.

Dont get the S-locks, get the 3-piece locks, I HATE my S-lock. The 3 piece is easier to fill, easier to clean.

If you're getting an auto-siphon (which you should) the 3' of tubing it comes with isnt enough, go to the hardware store and get about 6' of the 3/8" clear tubing, there's a bunch of us on the site who know exactly why.