Mr.beer guy here switching over to 5 gallon batches

[Jeepinctbrewer]

just got the beginner kit deal threw midwest supplies, it was on groupon


Homebrewing Groupon

wanted to know everything else i should buy to make some good batches of beer, i am going to get the 5 gallon better bottle


thanks in advance

 

[jaycount]

That kit will get you started. I wouldn't worry about a better bottle quite yet. A few things to look into buying eventually:

-A good boil kettle. 8ish gallons or bigger so you can eventually do full boils.
-A chiller, probably an immersion chiller to start.
-A turkey fryer or floor burner so you can do full boils.

Good luck!

 

[jkovac]

You will need a kettle. You might also want to consider an outdoor propane burner, which gets you out of the kitchen - a HUGE advantage in my opinion. An immersion wort chiller makes things easier too.

I would also recommend the book "How to Brew", by John Palmer.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

what these guys said.

congrats on making the jump!!

 

[WortMonger]

Awesome for you to make the jump, you will really like it! Heck, you could just jump right ahead and cut the top off of a 1/2 bbl keg and two better bottles and really get a lot of beer . Just wait, then you will get another Sanke keg and... oh wait, that was my addiction. LOL! Good luck on your going bigger. Great things to come for sure.

 

[Jeepinctbrewer]

thanks for all the great info, if i was to start on a budget.. what would be the best route ?


what web sites do you guys buy your stuff from?

 

[Transamguy77]

Congrats on the jump I started with Mr Beer also! Keep your eye out for things on CL and here in the classifieds Iv had good luck with both. Actually now I think about it the only things I bought new was my pot and some stuff for a stir plate I made, everything else is used.

 

[Calder]

if i was to start on a budget.. what would be the best route ?

You will want a carboy. For long-term storage + having 2 beers going at once. Glass or plastic; both have their advantages. Read about them.

Sanitizer (Starsan or Idophor, take your pick). It will take you a couple of years to go through a large bottle.

A large plastic tub ($5 from Walmart), that you can sit the fermenter in. Great for controlling fermentation temperatures. Plus a fish tank heater (not critical, but very useful).

A large pot for your stove. 20 quarts is a decent size. You can easily boil 3 gallons in it.

FermCap. It may seem like a luxury, but you use about 10 cents worth a batch and it pays for itself in saved beer and wort. No worry about boil overs; if you ever have one, you will not want a second one. Reduces potential for blow-off.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

what web sites do you guys buy your stuff from?

midwest supply, northern brewer, and austin homebrew supply are the main places folks order from. i've recently discovered freshhops.com for whole cone hops, they have a lot of hops the big guys tend to run out of. morebeer.com is also quite popular, tho i've never used them.

 

[airving]

If you're aiming for five gallon batches, you're probably going to want something larger than the five gallon better bottle. They do make a six gallon one that you might want to consider instead, but I still get blowoff even with that size.

 

[Jeepinctbrewer]

Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more


would this turkey fryer work? the pot needs to be stainless? not sure if it is

 

[Surly]

Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more


would this turkey fryer work? the pot needs to be stainless? not sure if it is

It will probably work just fine. The more power the better IMHO. Stainless vs Aluminum is very well debated on this and other forums. In fact, a debate begins every three days or so. I believe this is timely. LOL

You have gotten some good advice here already. The only thing I would add is to take a deep breath and begin planning your brewery build thoughtfully and in stages. That can be half the fun.

Also check out the DIY forum here and you will maybe begin to stretch your dollar. And remember, Craig's list is your sweetheart.

Lastly, try to plan your purchases so you do not purchase the same type of equipment twice. You indicated you would like to brew five gallon batches. That's fine, but if you wanted to jump to ten gallon batches it would not cost you all that much more in equipment outlay. Just do it in the beginning rather than go back and rebuild your capacity.

It is a great hobby and welcome to it.

 

[HopHeadGrady]

If you do partial mashes, you wont need a 8-10 gal kettle at the start.
I have a LHBS here that has been around for 35 years. They basically have it all. I support the local business first, however if I had to I would go with the companies above. Check your local resources first though.

 

[Bithead]

An aluminum pot will work fine. In fact, aluminum heats faster than SS. The only other debate is using Oxyclean on it. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/oxyclean-aluminum-kettle-58045/

 

[Jeepinctbrewer]

oh ok thanks