Man, This place is Hoppin'!!!

[KillJoy]

This place has floods of newbs on a daily basis! Oh well, I guess I will just roll in with the rest!

I enjoy a good brew, but I HATE paying $10+ for 72oz (OR LESS) of a tasty beverage! I have been thinking about starting to make my own suds for several years now, and a few of the Vids on YouTube might have FINALLY pushed me over the edge.

At this point, I am in the "what to purchase" stage. As of yet, I have NOTHING, well.... I do have a 20qt SS Pot, but that was not purchased "specifically" for this

My short term goal (<1-2 years) is to become comfortable with the process and possibly move up to whole grain. From what I have seen, and read, Mead looks to be a "relatively easy" place to begin, you just have to wait months on end . So, I think I might make a plain jane Mead to start, followed by yummy clone kit.

I tried Searching here, but I did not find the answer to my MAIN noob question: Which Starter Kit to purchase?

I have been eyeing Midwest Supplies Brewing Starter Kit and Northern Brewer's Better Basic Starter Kit. Now, without starting a Forum War, is one "better" then the other? The Midwest includes a 6.5g Fermenter, but the Norther's carboy is 1g larger. The Northern Kit is also $30 more.

For MY goals, which way should I go?

Thanks all, and Happy Brewing!

KillJoy

 

[Warped04]

Welcome to the forums.

There isn't necessarily one kit "better" than another, they usually just have different things to offer, that eventually you will want or need later on. The best thing to do is find yourself a starting point, get what you need and then begin to aquire other equipment.

Many of the equipment we use can be multi-tasked so that helps. Also, since you are doing mead they usually do those in smaller batches.

But you will be tying up your fermentors for a long time, I would suggest to do the beer first, then lock up your fermentor for the mead. Then you'll have something to drink and get obsessed over to get yourself a second fermentor .

 

[Kegcowboy]

You have come to the right place to ask that question and I am sure you will get a ton of opinions. Welcome.

 

[schweaty]

Hoppin', I see what you did there Welcome to the HBT family!

 

[rerobb]

Welcoe to HBT. I'm in Grove City.
We have a couple of local shops around here that would probably be pretty close on prices by the time you add shipping charges on your breww kit.

I've only been to Gentiles on king ave in Grandview, and The Winemaker Shop on N. High.
I would reccomend Gentiles of those two, as I Think their prices for equipment ar better.

There's also a place in Reynoldsburg called Neilhouse Brewery, but they have some goofy hours, and are never open evenings.

 

[broadbill]

Welcome....

Skip the carboy in the starter kit. I bought carboys when I started and almost never use them now. Buckets are much easier and cheaper. Oh yeah, and skip the mead....I'm not sure they are much easier than your basic extract kit, and you'll have drinkable beer sooner.

As for which pot to buy....buy the biggest you can afford. If you are going all grain at some point, buy a adequately sized pot for that now, instead of buying a larger pot at a later time...8-9 gallon minimum.

wait, did you actually think you were going to save money brewing your own beer????Muahahahahahahahahaha....

again, welcome!