I am a new brewer. My friends and I want to purchase enough equipment to brew about 10-15 gallons of home brew at one time with the secondary fermentation as an option We were looking at purchasing two full superior starter kits that each include two glass carboys and a bottling bucket with a variety of needed brewing equipment. This bill with the first two batches comes to about $390. Is their anyway to make this cheaper?
Necessary brewing equipment
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Brulosopher
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Hahahaha... If cheap is what you're looking for, this likely isn't the hobby for you 
I say this only half jokingly. Once you get going, you'll start realizing all of the others things you "need" to actually make good beer. It never ends... ever!
I say this only half jokingly. Once you get going, you'll start realizing all of the others things you "need" to actually make good beer. It never ends... ever!
Spinrathen
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You will get double of a lot of things you only need one of. Link to the kits you are planning on buying? I'm sure you can get by much cheaper by buying only the things you'll need. Are you set on glass? Plastic buckets and better bottles are much cheaper and less dangerous.
That is probably very true. I definitely don't want to sacrifice the flavor of my beer. I was thinking of purchasing one kit, 2 additional carboys, additional airlocks, stoppers and sanitizer. Do I really need two auto siphons, two bottling buckets and two bottle cappers?
http://www.learntobrew.com/store/item/yvpa/-_Equipment_Kits/Superior_Brewing_Kit.html
This the link for the kit. I was looking at purchasing two. I am open to the better bottles and that set up runs about $15 cheaper per kit.
This the link for the kit. I was looking at purchasing two. I am open to the better bottles and that set up runs about $15 cheaper per kit.
knightyknight
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Friends, and brewing..... lol.. make sure they are paying their part, and not drinking your share... !
LovesIPA
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There is a fine line between what you need to brew beer and what you need to brew good beer. Half the stuff I have are bare necessities, the other half is stuff that makes brewing easier or the beer taste better.
Spinrathen
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Yes probably a better idea, make sure you get extra drilled stoppers. Do you have a brew kettle? Doesn't seem to come with one. Buy some starsan and some oxiclean. I've heard of people having problems with the black wing capper, no personal experience with them though. Get a racking cane clip so you don't have to hold it when transferring. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff.
LandoLincoln
Well-Known Member
Looking over the contents of this kit, here are my recommendations.
Things that you'll need two of:
6 Gallon Glass Carboy for Primary Fermentation
5 Gallon Glass Carboy for Secondary Fermentation
Three-Piece Plastic Airlock
Universal bung (not included in kit, but you'll need it)
Things that you'll only need one of:
Food Grade, Alcohol Filled Thermometer
7.8 Gallon Bottling Bucket
Bottling Spigot
Auto-Siphon Pump
Bottling Filler
Durable, Double Lever Spring Loaded Bottle Capper with Magnet
15 Wire and Nylon Bottle Brush
1 Large Nylon Mesh Grain Bag
30 Wire and Nylon Carboy Brush
Triple Scale Hydrometer with Instructions and Plastic Case
Hydrometer testing tube (not listed in kit, but you'll need one)
Things that you might like to have more than one of, but it's not crucial:
Adhesive Fermentation Thermometer
Things that are going to be replaced frequently anyway:
3 Disposable Hop Socks
144 Bottle Caps
Equipment Cleanser
Things that you shouldn't use for various reasons:
1 Drilled Rubber Stopper (replace with a universal bung, they don't fall into fermentors like the rubber stoppers do)
5/16" Food Grade Vinyl Tubing (silicon hoses should be used instead)
Siphon Hose Shut Off Clamp (pretty useless)
True Brew Handbook (much better books about brewing are on the market)
Racking Cane with Solids Reduction Tip (if you have an auto siphon, you won't need this)
Drilled and Grometted Lid with Inner Seal (you really don't need a lid for a bottling bucket)
And of course, there's still the boil kettle and a method to heat that boil kettle to consider. For a 10 gallon batch, you'll need a 15 gallon kettle and for a 15 gallon batch, you'll need a 20-25 gallon kettle.
WoodlandBrew
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I would start with a partial boil and see how it goes. Also I would use plastic pails instead of glass. Glass doesn't make better beer. Get 3 five gallon pails at the hardware store and save some money. You should be able to get setup for less than $150 USD.
I'd agree with this list - mostly. Instead of 2 6 gallon glass carboy, you can go plastic buckets. there is a debate, and you should read the pros and cons on it, but basically everything is a trade off. and usually $$ are it.
While on carboys, you don't HAVE to do a secondary, so you could skip the 2 5 gallon ones. However you might want more.
I only make 5 gallons at a time, but have about 10 fermentation vessels (mix of buckets and carboys). I might have 2 or 3 or 5 of them filled wiht beer, wine or mead at any given time. If you make a 10 gallon batch and only have 2 carboys, you can't do anything else until those are bottled.
Anyhow 2 6 gallon and 2 5 gallon carboys is a good way to go (although a bit more $$ than 2 buckets and 2 carboys).
Also in the consumables, I'd add star san/idophor along with cleanser. You can use oxyclean or a generic for cleanser.
As for reduction of cost. Craigslist or Ebay. About 1 per month someone will be trying to unload their brew kit. That is how I got my kits - 2 beer, 1 wine, plus spare carboys. So I ended up with extra stuff, but I've been able to sell some of it, and other things break - like hydrometers.
If you are able to wait, Groupon and Living Social come out with great deals for full kits, including ingredients for your first batch and a gift card for another, for around $60. Still need the boil kettle, but shop amazon, CL or ebay for that.
Thanks for the good information. I will only be making 5 gallon batches, but wanted enough vessels to brew 3 or four kinds at a time. I will be
Putting the list of suggested equipment together tonight. Thanks again for the help, it looks like I don't need to purchase two full starter kits. Thank You All!
Putting the list of suggested equipment together tonight. Thanks again for the help, it looks like I don't need to purchase two full starter kits. Thank You All!
Some time ago I had started a similar thread, though from the opposite direction of, what would make for as complete a kit as possible from my LHBS? Needless to say, there were a number of competing opinions on the matter; you might find it helpful to take a look there as well. I came up with a rock-bottom price of around $250, including things like the brew kettle, with the recommendations going up as much as $1200 once you include things like wort chillers and so forth, though many objected that it was far too much as a starting brewer and that you could do well for a lot less. Since price wasn't the main object at the time, I stand by my statements (as most of the 'optional' equipment becomes necessary quite quickly). YMMV, but don't be surprised if you find yourself spending a lot more on this hobby than you'd anticipate.
Do what I did. Get searching for some old time brewer that just wants to have your company. I was lucky enough to find and old brewer that had lots of equipment. He had kegs and tanks and burners and measuring equipment. I hung around the old timer for a while and made some good beers with him. He eventually told me to take all his stuff and just come by when I had some beers made and shoot the stuff. So I ended up with 7 ball lock kegs, 2 - 20# co2 tanks, bunch of measuring equipment, 5 gallon carboy. 2 1/2 barrel Kegs which I use to boil my brews. Plus some other stuff. Some I use some I don't.
I would go with 1 brewing equipment kit, and then buy spare buckets/carboys/Better Bottles/Hollowed out cheese wheels or whatever you want to ferment in, as well as airlock assembly's (bungs for BB/carboys, or lids for buckets). You will need a far bigger brewpot and definitely require a wort chiller of some sort, as well as a turkey fryer type of burner because I pity the stove that has upwards to 10-17 gallons of wort attempting to be boiled on it depending on partial or full boils. That would be the bare minimum required.
It may be best if you all have no brewing experience yet to buy the starter kit brew a single 5 gallon batch and decide if it is for you all before buying spare fermenters, a burner and other accessories.
It may be best if you all have no brewing experience yet to buy the starter kit brew a single 5 gallon batch and decide if it is for you all before buying spare fermenters, a burner and other accessories.
Watch homebrewfinds.com, he has constant deals on there!
Start off simple. Learn to make good, enjoyable beer in 5-gallon extract batches (much more manageable) and then later expand to larger ones if you like.
Here's a good, inexpensive ($59.95) kit to start with and it includes your choice of a 5-gallon batch ingredient kit (chose an ale, not a lager). http://www.windriverbrew.com/apprentice.html
The only others things you'll really need right now (assuming you have a 12qt or larger stock pot for a partial boil) are some Star-San sanitizer and an auto-siphon. For most styles, you need not use a secondary. Primary 3 weeks, batch prime and bottle.
Next place to spend some dough is good fermentation temperature control (like a used freezer/fridge with a digital temp controller). It does no good to brew 10-15 gallons of wort and have it end up tasting like ca-ca because you let it ferment at too high of a temp. My current setup cost me a whopping $100 total and I can ferment at whatever temp I like plus easily cold crash before bottling/kegging with the touch of a few buttons.
Here's a good, inexpensive ($59.95) kit to start with and it includes your choice of a 5-gallon batch ingredient kit (chose an ale, not a lager). http://www.windriverbrew.com/apprentice.html
The only others things you'll really need right now (assuming you have a 12qt or larger stock pot for a partial boil) are some Star-San sanitizer and an auto-siphon. For most styles, you need not use a secondary. Primary 3 weeks, batch prime and bottle.
Next place to spend some dough is good fermentation temperature control (like a used freezer/fridge with a digital temp controller). It does no good to brew 10-15 gallons of wort and have it end up tasting like ca-ca because you let it ferment at too high of a temp. My current setup cost me a whopping $100 total and I can ferment at whatever temp I like plus easily cold crash before bottling/kegging with the touch of a few buttons.
Rodenlager
Active Member
^^^^THIS!!!
Watch that page for a month or so if you can wait that long, some things come around often others are rock bottom prices but only 12 are available, etc... gang up an amazon order all at once if you can and save on shipping.
As far as my two cents: Start with the boil kettle. Buy the biggest one you can reasonably afford, and try to swing for one with a thick bottom (Aluminum or stainless, it doesn't matter. But if you are a new brewer you WILL scorch some wort at some point and your first kettle should be as rugged as possible until you get the hang of using it.) You will need 2-3 Gal capacity in excess of your batch size. Next get a burner, size it to your kettle. Not all are created equally and not all work with every kettle well. I personally prefer buckets over carboys to ferment in but if you are looking to save $$ def go with buckets. One glass carboy cost as much as three buckets so the math makes that decision for you. Get 7gal size if you can and make sure they are LABELED FOOD SAFE. If you get them at a LHBS they are almost guaranteed to be food grade, but don't trust the HD employee who says " yeah those orange buckets are perfect!" Check out this site for buckets and lids: http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23470
If you are looking to save money, think about this: Yeast for each batch is anywhere from 10%-30% of the cost of the recipe. Read about and get equipment to begin yeast washing. If you are brewing more than 4 times a year, this will pay for itself quite quickly.
HAVE FUN!
Build your mash tun, which will run you $30 - $50. I bought a Coleman XTreme 50 quart cooler that I converted into a mash ton, total cost was under $50. So that can do about 12 gallons. If you want to do 15, then get the 70 quart Coleman XTreme cooler, and convert that into a mashtun. Either one should cost you under $60 when you are done. Then you will need to spend $100 - $300 on a Keggle or 15 - 20 quart pot, to boil with. Definitely use plastic pails to ferment with, that is much cheaper, then you can rack into carboy for secondary fermentation if you want.
You will also need a hydrometer, airlocks, etc. Are you guys planning on kegging or bottling as well?
You will also need a hydrometer, airlocks, etc. Are you guys planning on kegging or bottling as well?
If you are going to brew ales, which I recommend for at least awhile, I'd go with 3 6.5 gal plastic buckets and 1 5 gal glass carboy. The three buckets will let you brew one batch every week with a 3 week primary. The one carboy let's you secondary the occasional batch that needs it...RIS or barley wine maybe.
Get a bottling bucket too.
Get a bottling bucket too.
