Just bought kit from Brooklyn. What else do I need?

[JayD]

I am a complete newbie, and jumping in to all grain brewing. I got a kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop https://brooklynbrewshop.com/ (Specifically A Well Made Tripel and the Bel-Gin Strong), so I have whatever comes with that kit (which is as follows: 5 Gallon Glass Carboy, 6.5 Gallon Bucket w/ Spigot, Sparging Bag, Carboy Bung, Airlock, Auto-Siphon, 5/16” Tubing & 1” Blowoff Tube, Tube Clamp, Thermometer, Hydrometer, Starsan Sanitizer, Capper, Caps and Ingredient Mix for 5 Gallons of A Well Made Tripel.)

What else do I have to buy to make this reality? I know I need bottles (since the kit has caps but not bottles). That's not a problem, just drink some beer right? I can handle that.

I need something cook in. A 6gal stainless something. (anyone recommend a place to purchase?). Can I cook this on my stovetop? Seems like a LOT of water to get boiling with just a range...

Those are the only 2 other things I can think of that I'll need to get going.

Will I need to grind the grains? or will that be done (or do I boil the grain whole?)

Be easy on me, I'm a complete n00b.

 

[TipsyDragon]

1. bottles (obviously)
2. largest brew pot you can afford (aluminum is ok, 6 gallons is not enough)
3. possibly a turkey frier burner. (test the heating capacity of your stove)
4. a mash tun, plenty of DIY projects out there
5. a book on home brewing

the grains should already be crushed your just going to have to wait and see. if not get a rilling pin, or rolling pin like object, and crush them yourself.

 

[chrispykid]

JayD,

Before you go run out and buy stuff we need some more details. I'm not familiar with the Brooklyn Brew Shop recipe kits. Is it all grain? If on the other hand the ingredients they sold you are extract based then you won't need all the stuff Tipsy Dragon mentioned above.

Obviously you need bottles, start drinking or go to a local bar and ask for empties.

Brew Kettle - if your kit is extract based (with just a small amount of specialty grains) then you can get by with a smaller 4-5 gallon pot on your first brew. You'll boil a concentrated version (about 3 gallons or so) and then dilute later to bring it up to your full volume. It's how nearly everyone here got started and it still makes good beer.

If your recipe kit is all grain, it's a whole other ball of wax and you'll need a lot more equipment. I'm really hoping they didn't do that to you the first time out.

 

[CaptKiRkLeS]

Brooklyn-Homebrew, in Park Slope has got it all. I'd check it out, if you haven't already.
My first brew (extract w/ specialty grain) is underway, so as for AG supplies, I would agree with the above post but definitly do some reading!!! How to Brew was good, I am waiting on the Complete Joy of Homebrewing.

 

[chrispykid]

I should have read more closely - it's an all grain kit. Sounds like they're selling a brew-in-a-bag recipe. I'm guessing you do need a big pot on the order of 8-10 gallons since you'll be boiling 6-7 gallons and boiling down to 5 (plus you want lots of room to contain any potential boilovers, they're not fun to clean up). I'd recommend this pot if you're thinking of doing it on a stovetop:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/brew-kettles/megapots/10-gallon-megapot.html

It's 17" wide which is enough to straddle two burners on most stovetops and hopefully reach a boil if you're stove is putting out enough BTUs. This is how I do it in a Brooklyn apartment, but depending upon your stove your mileage may vary. The more popular option is to do it outside with a turkey burner or similar, but that's not an option for many of us in NYC. You could also go to the restaurant district and find yourself a big wide pot.

I don't brew in a bag though, I use the Papazian zap-pap style lauter tun with two interlocking buckets for a lauter-tun. I wrote my methodology up for Popular Mechanics about a year ago and the article is here:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/4324487

If they gave you a decent instruction sheet though it will probably easier to go with their method. You might also find this thread on brew-in-a-bag instructional: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-stovetop-all-grain-brewing-pics-90132/

For future reference I also would also second CaptKiRkLeS and recommend Brooklyn-Homebrew over Brooklyn Brewshop. They have more products and a more level headed approach than when it comes to getting beginning brewers started.

 

[JayD]

1. bottles (obviously)
2. largest brew pot you can afford (aluminum is ok, 6 gallons is not enough)
3. possibly a turkey frier burner. (test the heating capacity of your stove)
4. a mash tun, plenty of DIY projects out there
5. a book on home brewing

the grains should already be crushed your just going to have to wait and see. if not get a rilling pin, or rolling pin like object, and crush them yourself.

Thanks for the quick reply!

1) bottles, I can get. Is there a good reason not to get the hinge style bottles? Or will they work just fine?
2&3) I am thinking I can borrow a turkey fryer (friend homebrewer might use this). If not I might buy this one:
Bayou Classic 9195 32 Quart Stainless Steel. That's 8 gallons.
4) I think I saw a square cooler turned into an effective mash tun, which is what I'll go with. This is what I didn't know, and you answered it nicely. ... I wasn't sure what all I'll have to do, etc.

Thanks for the replies!

@CaptKiRkLeS I'm not actually IN Brooklyn, just ordered online. So while that shop you rec. does look nice I can't really drop by. Wish I'd seen their kits first though. Do they mail order and are they so much better that I should cancel my Brooklyn Brew Shop order and go with them? I'm marginally willing.

Thanks!!

 

[JayD]

I'm getting nervous that I have gotten into a very expensive (on the front end) hobby.. And that the jury-rigged setup I'll have won't get the job done (according to the nice setups on youtube etc).

 

[TipsyDragon]

I'm getting nervous that I have gotten into a very expensive (on the front end) hobby

yea homebrewing is expensive to start. and you have the added expense of starting with all grain. which includes a mash tun.

 

[chrispykid]

I'm getting nervous that I have gotten into a very expensive (on the front end) hobby.. And that the jury-rigged setup I'll have won't get the job done (according to the nice setups on youtube etc).

It can get expensive, but that doesn't mean it has to. Don't get intimidated by all the complex rigs that you see on the net. You can make great beer with simple setups. Most importantly have fun.

 

[Airborneguy]

You picked the wrong hobby if you are worried about money...

 

[JayD]

You picked the wrong hobby if you are worried about money...

Thanks....

 

[Airborneguy]

Sorry, but this is by no means a cheap hobby, even if you really skimp. At the lowest levels, you would still probably spend less buying the beer in most cases.

 

[fezzman]

I just thing you got the wrong type of ingredients for a beginner. I saw on their site that the kits are designed with apartment dwellers in mind. To me, that is extract brewing/specialty grains. The biggest cost with starting brewing is mostly an up front cost. Once you have your few basic pieces of equipment, you can brew relatively cheaply. For example, the $.50 per beer recipes at AHS http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_452_378&osCsid=9a2ebdb5339b33cc291e2f01ec6b810a

Curious, do you have an ingredient list for your recipe?

 

[JayD]

I just thing you got the wrong type of ingredients for a beginner. I saw on their site that the kits are designed with apartment dwellers in mind. To me, that is extract brewing/specialty grains. The biggest cost with starting brewing is mostly an up front cost. Once you have your few basic pieces of equipment, you can brew relatively cheaply. For example, the $.50 per beer recipes at AHS http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_452_378&osCsid=9a2ebdb5339b33cc291e2f01ec6b810a

Curious, do you have an ingredient list for your recipe?

Not sure what you mean by "wrong type of ingredients"... Can you explain a little more?

Not sure this is the ingredients list, but here is the instruction:
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn Brew Shop - Well Made Tripel Instructions 5 Gal.pdf

 

[fezzman]

Not sure what you mean by "wrong type of ingredients"... Can you explain a little more?

Not sure this is the ingredients list, but here is the instruction:
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn Brew Shop - Well Made Tripel Instructions 5 Gal.pdf

Wrong type...as in 'all grain' ingredients aren't typically a beginning step. Not that there is anything wrong with starting with all grain. I just don't think that is the norm, especially since it requires a bit more equipment and knowledge.

Okay having just read your directions, they are pretty easy to follow. It will still require a full boil. Meaning that you will need a 7.5+ gallon brew pot...probably a bit too much for a standard stove. A turkey fryer will make this much easier.

 

[JayD]

Wrong type...as in 'all grain' ingredients aren't typically a beginning step. Not that there is anything wrong with starting with all grain. I just don't think that is the norm, especially since it requires a bit more equipment and knowledge.

Okay having just read your directions, they are pretty easy to follow. It will still require a full boil. Meaning that you will need a 7.5+ gallon brew pot...probably a bit too much for a standard stove. A turkey fryer will make this much easier.

Agree on all points above. I know all-grain isn't typically "beginner" but I'm stubborn (stupid) in that way. I plan to either buy a fryer or borrow one (surprisingly living in the deep south I don't know of anyone who has one )

 

[fezzman]

Agree on all points above. I know all-grain isn't typically "beginner" but I'm stubborn (stupid) in that way. I plan to either buy a fryer or borrow one (surprisingly living in the deep south I don't know of anyone who has one )

Craigslist can be your bestest friend.

 

[JayD]

Craigslist can be your bestest friend.

Nearest turkey fryer to me on craigslist is 226 miles away. O_O (but I had already looked )

 

[fezzman]

Nearest turkey fryer to me on craigslist is 226 miles away. O_O (but I had already looked )

Wow...they are always for sale around me. Amazon with free shipping, yo?

 

[JayD]

Wow...they are always for sale around me. Amazon with free shipping, yo?

That is the plan. $160 isn't SO Bad I guess. I have a HB buddy here who _might_ use one, and I might borrow it for first run. Just to see... Got plenty of other stuff to buy.

 

[fezzman]

Yeah, if you can borrow one for at least your first batch, go for it. Take lots of pics.

And with a 6+ gallon boil, be prepared to work at preventing a boil over. There are plenty of tips throughout the forums. A common one is to keep a spray bottle handy and stir constantly after adding the first hop addition.

 

[fatmoose]

Not sure what you mean by "wrong type of ingredients"... Can you explain a little more?

Not sure this is the ingredients list, but here is the instruction:
http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn Brew Shop - Well Made Tripel Instructions 5 Gal.pdf

By wrong type of ingredients I think he's referring to your all grain recipe kit as opposed to an extract kit. Extract brewing generally has more expensive ingredients (malt extracts cost more than grain) but all grain brewing generally requires more equipment. Looking at the recipe and the equipment listed as part of the kit you really only need a stock pot. Bigger is better in this case, but you will be somewhat limited by your environment, if you're boiling on the stovetop then you gotta get something that fits. At minimum you'd want a 6 gallon pot, you're supposed to be collecting and boiling 6 gallons of wort so you wouldn't be able to put it all in at once in a 6 gallon pot. But you could probably get away with adding 3 gallons of wort to begin with and adding the rest at about 30 minutes. This would probably require some experimentation. If you were doing extract you could get away with a smaller pot yet.

Check out DeathBrewer's sticky at the beginning of the forum on Easy Partial Mash Brewing, seems he does all his brewing on a stovetop. You've got slightly different equipment to work with but I think there'll be some helpful tidbits there.

 

[japhroaig]

If you are planning on brewing on a weekday, I'll send you my IM info if you'd like. I work mostly from a computer, so I can answer questions as you are going along. If it is a weekend, I'm usually working in the yard or brewing myself

As long as you are patient and have time, there is almost nothing in AG brewing that *needs* to be rushed. In fact most operations benefit from extra time. So with that in mind, don't be rushed, figure out a gameplan (grainplan? ), and make sure your head is wrapped around the entire process.

Here is an example of something you should think about--after you are done boiling, how do you get the 212F liquid down to 70F? How do you get several gallons of sticky liquid from one container to another? How do you monitor your temperatures over time? Not trying to intimidate (quite the opposite actually), just want to make sure everything is planned. That's the difference between having fun, and living hell

Good luck, and let me know if you need my IM info!

 

[JayD]

Thanks japhroaig! I am not sure yet when I'll be brewing... probably on some Saturday (to give myself plenty of time for the first time).

The reality of having 5 whole gallons of beer has kind of just hit me! Ha! Obviously I know what to do with it, but I'm not sure where it'll be put in the meantime. O_O

I did find out that the grain is already milled (which is good for me). And I'm looking into "alternative" bottling... not just 12oz bottles, but maybe 16 or even 22 oz (but this should be kind of a big beer so 22 oz might be a little... er... heavy. )

Also looking at growlers. And mini-kegs, etc. I really don't know. Maybe one of those 5 Liter Party Keg w/tap (here here. Are those reusable?

Thanks everyone!

 

[japhroaig]

Well, you will have time to decide while it is fermenting

also, do you have an accurate thermometer? Has it been calibrated? AG without a trusty thermometer (or twelve) can drive a man to drink.

 

[JayD]

Well, you will have time to decide while it is fermenting

also, do you have an accurate thermometer? Has it been calibrated? AG without a trusty thermometer (or twelve) can drive a man to drink.

I did get one of these: thermometers. Just shipped yesterday.

 

[1234]

I would check out www.rebelbrewer.com. They should be able to fix you up for a pot and you are going to save some money. Look on craigslist to see if you can find a turkey fryer. Check out some yard sales to see if you can find a cheap cooler. A little DIY work on the cooler and you will need a chiller of some sort, but again you can make it for cheap.

The other thing you can do is look for some other folks that homebrew and you can get together with them and I am sure you might be able to use there equipment for a beer later on.

 

[JayD]

Well I'm still waiting on my brew kit from Brooklyn Brew Shop. There was a delay that was their fault (took 3-4 days for them to ship the pkg) but yesterday UPS must have just thrown the package (with glass carboy) on my doorstep. We weren't there, BUT he must have heard it break, and he just took it back with him. So now we basically start the process over, and I have to wait who knows how long. I was planning to brew this weekend.

 

[Justibone]

Awww, man. That sucks hardcore. Brewing takes enough waiting without the screwups from the HBS, UPS, etc.

 

[JayD]

And now I find out I can't see a phone number for Brooklyn Brew Shop, AND they aren't answering emails. Not saying they have jumped ship (obviously they haven't -- they seem more or less good) but they aren't prompt about emailing a quick reply!

Also I perused their shipping info on their page.

Our mixes are milled to order, so please allow up to 4 business days for orders in stock to ship. Brooklyn Brew Shop guarantees shipping completed within 6 weeks from the time of your order.

Ok, 4 business days for milling the grain seems a little long but I get it. But a guarantee of shipping within SIX WEEKS seems pretty obvious... ie, not much of a guarantee.

After the above complaints please note it's UPS who broke the glassware, and that's the cause of the biggest delay. But Brooklyn Brew Shop isn't quick with getting back with me.

 

[pjcampbell]

LOL I was hoping that my IPA will be as good as $11 6 pack IPA, in which case I am way ahead financially doing it myself... as long as my time is worthless

 

[mullenite]

And now I find out I can't see a phone number for Brooklyn Brew Shop, AND they aren't answering emails. Not saying they have jumped ship (obviously they haven't -- they seem more or less good) but they aren't prompt about emailing a quick reply!

Also I perused their shipping info on their page.



Ok, 4 business days for milling the grain seems a little long but I get it. But a guarantee of shipping within SIX WEEKS seems pretty obvious... ie, not much of a guarantee.

After the above complaints please note it's UPS who broke the glassware, and that's the cause of the biggest delay. But Brooklyn Brew Shop isn't quick with getting back with me.

I think they say 6-weeks in case they don't have what you order on hand. As I recall they are really small.

 

[Airborneguy]

6 weeks? You could order raw grain and malt and kiln it yourself in less time!

 

[JayD]

Haha exactly! Which is why I say "not much of a guarantee." Not saying I don't like them, or even passing "review" on them.

 

[Justibone]

There are much better brewshops out there. I think that Brooklyn has not earned your repeat business.

Six weeks is ludicrous. My IHBS ships next day, most days.

 

[JayD]

Well after not having responded for a little while I'll write that off to Brooklyn Brew Shop trying to squeeze info out of UPS (who broke the package in the first place).

So the broken box is on the way back to Brooklyn Brew Shop, but they decided to go ahead and replace my order, and it's been shipped.

And due to me having to reschedule brew day and all that (that is, FIRST brew day :-| ), they are going to send my next mix for free AND cover the shipping.

So while the replies were a little on the slow side (just a little, they were prompt when I first emailed them after the order), they followed up VERY nicely and "fixed" a problem they didn't even cause (free extra mix after they weren't even the ones that broke the first order).

SO I would definitely buy from Brooklyn Brew Shop again. In fact WILL definitely buy from them again.

 

[Justibone]

Yeah, that's a bit better. They did what they could to make it right.

(They might want to pack the glass carboys a little more carefully from here on out, just for the sake of their profit margin.)

 

[JayD]

Kit's here! Looks like brew day will be Saturday. The wife was even excited to see and touch all the new toys, which is great new.

 

[MOOREOKC]

i would stay away from an aluminum kettle. yes the come with that turkey fryer you purchased but will often give off flavors to your beer. i would recommend getting a stainless kettle

 

[JayD]

i would stay away from an aluminum kettle. yes the come with that turkey fryer you purchased but will often give off flavors to your beer. i would recommend getting a stainless kettle

False. The turkey fryer I purchased is in fact Stainless Steel Awesomeness.