My proposed list of initial equipment

[NOVA Brewer]

Well, I'm planning on starting up my new hobby sometime in September, and to that end I've put together a list of stuff I think I'll need.

6.5gal glass carboy
6.5gal bottling bucket
Airlock
Carboy brush
Plastic spoon, 24"
Funnel with strainer
Gum stopper for carboy
Racking cane
Bottle capper
Bottle caps
Bottles
Bottle filler
Hydrometer
Adhesive thermometer for carboy
Lab thermometer
Carboy thief
Sanitizer
5/16" tubing for siphon, 4 ft.
3/8" tubing for bottling, 4 ft.
Brewer's Best English Brown Ale kit

So, am I missing anything? Any suggestions?

 

[Yooper]

If it were me, I'd get a 5 gallon carboy for secondary fermentation. I do the primary in a bucket with lid/airlock, then transfer to the carboy. A 6.5 gallon is too big for secondary because of head space. You could use your bottling bucket for primary, if you had a lid and airlock, and then transfer it to secondary. Then, transfer back to your bottling bucket to bottle.

An extra airlock or two- they are cheap and sometimes get gunked up or contaminated as well as an extra stopper for your carboy. They disappear somtimes. The English Brown Ale kit had priming sugar and bottle caps in the box when I purchased it. So, you might not need to purchase caps separately.

Lots of people on this board use an auto-siphon but I don't have one. I think it would make it easier, though.

Your list looks pretty good- should have beer soon!

Lorena

 

[G. Cretin]

your list looks pretty good but you can find all of that plus extras in a begginers kit just about any where.

 

[Noldar]

I second the 5gallon glass carboy, extra airlocks, and not quite as important the Auto Siphon.

Beginning kit that I used ...

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6876

With this Intermediate Kit you can choose between Glass and Better Bottles. I chose the glass carboys just from what I've read on the boards.


Product Description:
Brewing Intermediate Kit: We have revamped this equipment kit to incorporate Better Bottles. These are becoming more and more popular for their many advantages over glass. Check out page 41 for all the details on these revolutionary fermenters. In addition, we have upgraded this equipment kit to include a Fermtech AutoSiphon, the easiest method of starting a siphon. The components of this kit represent a considerable savings compared to being purchased separately. This equipment kit is sure to keep you brewing for years to come. Brewing Intermediate Equipment Kit List: Instructional Homebrewing Video or DVD • 71 page instructional book • 6.5 Gallon Glass Carboy • 5 Gallon Glass Carboy • 6.5 Gallon Plastic Fermenter • 6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket with Spigot • 8 Oz. of Easy Clean No-Rinse Cleanser • two #10 Rubber Stoppers • 2 Airlocks (Keeps air out of the fermenter) • 8 Inch Funnel • Hydrometer (Determines alcohol content) • Bottle Brush • Carboy Brush • Twin Lever Red Baron Bottle Capper • Bottle Caps • 2 Liquid Crystal Thermometers • Bottle Filler • Fermtech AutoSiphon • Siphon Tubing • shutoff clamp

All of that for 99.95 + shipping. From them to Nebraska, it cost me $118.90.

My next purchase is going to be an additional secondary or 3 so I can keep my 2 primaries that came with the kit full

I would also invest in some No-Rinse Sanitizer, Iodophor (which is what I use) or Star San

 

[david_42]

Quite a list. I was worried that you forgot the malt, but there it was at the end. Definitely an airlock for the bucket and one for the carboy. They are cheap, easy to break and the carboy cork never fits the bucket.

 

[disaffected]

My next purchase is going to be an additional secondary or 3 so I can keep my 2 primaries that came with the kit full

Hey, that's a great idea. How long do you typically leave your brew in the primary before transferring to secondary? How long in secondary, or does it depend on the beer?

If two weeks primary and four weeks secondary, just as an example, then if you made a batch every weekend, you'd be alternating between your two primaries. You'd need four secondaries to keep up with the primary production on my sample schedule. Starting in the sixth week, you'd be producing 53 new bottles of beer every week. That's easily enough for two beer drinkers drinking an average of 3.75 beers each per day. If you've got more than two beer drinkers in the family, though, your going to need another primary and two more secondaries. Then every other week you brew two batches instead of one. :rockin:

 

[pbowler]

depends on the gravity reading.

also you wanna get that sediment from the cold break out of the wort.

I think I used to move mine to secondary after about a week.

 

[gonzoflick]

Get the autosiphon. For the $7 it costs it has saved me a lot of trouble.

Cheers!

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Looks quite complete! Nice job. You might find a good price on a kit that includes most, if not all, of your listed equipment. What do you plan on using for a brew pot? A 16 quart stock pot will do nicely to get you started. A more versatile solution would be a bit bigger (30 quarts or more).

 

[gp125racer]

I just got my kit about a month ago and the only things Im going to add for my next brew are:

* 5 gallon glass carboy (for secondary...I wanna free up the primary sooner)
* airlock/blowoff (I had just an airlock and head rose up too high in the airlock for a day or so, the blowoff would of been nice)
* Nice temperature gauge (one that sticks on the fermenter and one for cooking)
* Nice hydromenter, not the cheap one that came with my kit that you can barely read

Hope that helps!
-=gp125racer=-

 

[NOVA Brewer]

I already have a brew kettle - a nice, aluminum 5 gallon stockpot from Tivoli.

I like the Glass Starter Kit from Northern Brewer, but the carboy and bottling bucket are only six gallons. I really, really don't want to mess around with blowoff and all that. So my question is: with a 6 gallon carboy, will I need a blowoff hose and all that?

 

[Yooper]

A 6 gallon carboy is probably the worst size, in my opinion. It's really not big enough for primary but too big for secondary. You'd want at least 6.5 gallon size for primary, and a 5 gallon for secondary. I'd get a 7.5 gallon bucket for primary just to be sure you'd have enough headspace. If you have to get a 6 gallon bucket and a 6 gallon carboy, I'd get a different kit. Even with a blow off tube, I don't think 6 gallons is big enough. Most batches seem to top out at 5.25 gallons or so, and you'd be guaranteed to lose some wort. If you had an extremely active fermentation, you could lose quite a bit of wort. Not worth it, in my opinion. I'd stick with something big enough to handle it.

I've done a few blow off set ups. It's no problem really. I got a hose from the hardware store (.79/foot in the plumbing dept.), put one end in the hole of the lid and the other end in a koolaid pitcher filled 1/2 way up with sanitizer. Just as easy as an airlock, really. And the reason I did the first blow off set up wasn't because of the fermentation- I stupidly pushed my one and only grommit into the wort while trying to fit the airlock. So, to get a seal I set up the blow off tube. You don't have to worry about setting them up, they are super easy.

 

[G. Cretin]

I would get a blow off set up just in case you get a super active fermentation.

 

[ajf]

I'm surprised that nobody else has mentioned this, but you are missing the most important piece of equipment of all.

Beer to drink while you are brewing.

-a.

 

[chillHayze]

If you will be boiling almost a full batch you will probably need some kind of chiller, of either immersion or counterflow design. It may be possible to cool such a large batch in an ice bath but that may be akward depending on your sink/tub size.
FWIW I have never used my carboy brush or bottle brush. Water is a great solvent given time.
Good luck and of course don't forget the store bought beer to start you off!

 

[disaffected]

I've got a 6 gallon carboy and a 5 gallon carboy in my kit that just arrived today. I too have been worried that a 6 gallon bottle won't be sufficient for primary fermentation, but I'm going to try it and see before I buy something else.

Someone at work told me today that a local hardware store had large glass bottles for sale. He didn't know what size they were and didn't note the cost. He just remembered seeing them. I'm going to stop by there tomorrow and check it out to see if they are big enough, and maybe buy a couple for additional primaries or secondaries if they are inexpensive.