Ok...
I want to start by saying Welcome, GL on your project
!! and I would want someone to point out some obvious things that are required for
beer and wine. you seem to be missing equipment, you may be able to come up with substitutes, however.
-You need to have an air lock or an orange carboy cap and some hose with a bucket with water in it (normally called a "blow off tube") or 2 depending on how many of these kegs you plan on using as fermenters. These are under $10.00 for 2. My family uses airlocks for wine.
- You will also need a "racking cane" and/or siphon to move beer/wine out of the 1/2 bbl when it is done fermenting.
- A hydrometer is optional but they are fairly cheap and worth picking up.
- A wine thief or a really giant "turkey baster" to get samples with.
- The correct yeast (It is super cheap at the home brew store)... the way I understand it is brewers yeast for brewing and bakers yeast for baking...but I am sure there is someone that has a recipe that calls for the opposite.
- A place to move/store the finished product (commonly requires a corker and bottles for wine, for beer see below.)
additional stuff for beer:
- a large boil kettle (I suggest a 4 gallon at a minimum or see below for keggle). I think if you have or can get an old turkey deep fryer that it would work in a pinch...or you are going to be doing ALOT of really small batches and "mixing them into the 1/2 bbls."(This would almost be futile...as each "batch will take a few hours).
-Brewers thermometer. about $5-15 depending on the store, I do not suggest a substitute that has glass and mercury.....its just a bad idea, not to mention a great way to burn/steam your hand.
- A food grade bottling bucket w/ spigot to fill your vessels (this is where you "rack" to for bottleing).
-
"insert what you have for priming sugar here"
- bottles and capper w/ caps or something to put your beer in because it will not be carbonated at this point, that is done either by "force carbonation" with a Co2 tank or naturally in the bottles. Trying to naturally carbonate 15.5 gallons in the keg could be VERY DANGEROUS + there is GOING to be "stuff" at the bottom
Additional comments:
- Sterilize and sanitize EVERYTHING there are cheap things to do this with.
- after fermentation there WILL BE "stuff" in the bottom of the fermenter that you more than likely do NOT want to ingest....FYI
What I would do if I were you and wanted beer:
I would look into making a "keggle" or at least a big boil pot out of 1 of the 1/2 bbls IF you had a way to boil 12 gallons of water (typically not going to happen on a stove top). then in theory you could boil your ingredients and move them to the other 1/2 bbl to use as a fermenter (You will NOT be able to use a racking cane for this as it will probably melt....)
OR you could "convert a cooler into a mash tun" and then move the wort from there to the fermenter.
There are TONS of great helpful articles all over this forum just use the search. Also, very few people love to spend money on supplies and equipment but the reality is, it is a small price to pay for becoming a homebrewer/beer god(dess) to your friends and family. Having the basic equipment is better than trying to skimp out especially while you are getting started.
( You could dig a ditch with a tablespoon but a shovel and pick axe will be MUCH better, then after you have a few ditches under your belt you may feel the urge to get the back hoe. Also, the equipment is a 1 time purchase until it breaks so it is not like you need to spend hundreds of dollars per batch AND the more you make the less the equipment casts in theory. Remember, no one wants to get super frustrated then wait 6 weeks to drink something that tastes like it was strained trough hot garbage.)
:rockin:
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