Just starting out

[beerisuber]

Anyone have any tips for me? I'm about to buy a beer brewing kit to start brewing. Is a glass carboy better than plastic? Is a 7.5 gallon brew pot big enough to start out with?

I'm excited to start brewing. I just want to make sure I get the right equipment.

 

[VTBrewer]

Hi, welcome to the hobby/addiction and to HBT!

The questions you have are really common and answered here a lot. Below are a few stickies that might help you get up to speed. Enjoy the reading and good luck with your first brew!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/faq-please-read-before-asking-question-7909/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/

 

[bgrayson726]

Glass > Plastic in my opinion. Plastic is lighter which is an upside, but I don't feel comfortable putting warm wort into it. I know it probably won't cause off flavors, but I'll stick to glass to be safe.

7.5 gallon pot is a great size to start with. I bought a 5 gallon pot, so I do partial boils. You should be able to do full boils in that pot. Also, just relax. There are hundreds of videos available online if you want to learn more about all-grain brews vs. extracts, or anything like that. Also this is what the forums are for! If you have any questions, just ask. Some people say to use the search feature, which is fine if you don't like that person to person chat, but if you have any questions, just ask. People seem to be very friendly on these forums.

Good luck!

 

[McGarnigle]

Glass isn't necessarily better than plastic. It's a matter of preference.

 

[Cowbizzoy]

I will say 7.5 is enough..... For now but not for long...
I just bought a 32 qt pot and already wish it was larger.

 

[likwidbliss]

just relax and don't over think. You will make beer!

 

[slantedbolt]

Being new to hobby myself, only 5 brews under my belt, I would STRONGLY suggest buckets over carboys in most situations. They are easy to use, easy to clean and cheaper to replace.

I DO have a glass carboy, which has Apfelwein in it right now, but after my first batch I switched to buckets.

What you can do is do what I did:

Get a kit with a carboy, and then spend 12-15 bucks on a bucket (or two :-D) and have multiple fermenters.

The best thing about a carboy when you first start is that you can watch the whole process!

 

[iron_city_ap]

I have a better bottle that I like to use for a secondary. I've had bad luck with getting off flavors when I use it as a primary, PLUS, buckets are much easier to clean and move. Glass has definate advantages (non porus) and disadvantages (can cut you really bad if you drop it). I prefer the plastic, but to each their own.