New brewer new equipment what to get?

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

A few suggestions from what I do. I brew Partial Mashes in 5 gallon batches and 1 gallon all grain batches.

1. With a 6 gallon carboy better fill it up with fruit or dry hops. Don't want too much head space or you may risk oxidation. I prefer 5 gallons for my secondary cause my dry hopping barely takes up any space.

2. Make sure to have a cooling method. Lots of people recommend wort chillers. But if you're just doing extracts and doing the 2-3 gallons of wort and top off method (which I recommend) you can easily chill that in a sink or bathtub full of ice water (my brother and I use a keg tub)

3. StarSan. I didn't have it when I started brewing, it makes life so much easier though. Only needs about a minute of contact time to sanitize, has yeast nutrients, great stuff.

4. Have you read How to Brew by John Palmer? If not I would recommend reading it, it will give you a little more insight without getting too in depth and you can use just the basics and slowly digest all the information as the months and years go on.

5. Make sure you have all the proper cleaning equipment. So if you're using your carboy, make sure you have a way to clean it, also a bottle cleaning brush. And make sure you have a way to clean your fermenter with something non-abrasive. Don't want to scratch the plastic.

6. Having a few extra air locks lying around isn't bad. At a buck a pop they're not expensive and if you lose one or one is damaged (MOLD) you can swap out for another one without having to make a run or an order. I have 4 airlocks right now. I use at most 2 I will probably use 2-3 more so next LHBS trip I'm going to get another 2-3 since in the later parts of the summer I'll have some more stuff sitting in fermenters.

 

[kh54s10]

Not really a suggestion on what equipment to buy but a listing in order of importance - IMO
1) cleaning
2) sanitation
3) brewing temperature control - a good thermometer is a must.
4) chilling - this can be an ice bath with smaller/extract batches
5) fermentation temperature control
6) Yeast pitching make starters if using liquid yeast
7) expand your horizons. All grain? I have done extract, partial mash, and all grain both with a mash tun and BIAB. Personally, I do not like BIAB. I don't like the heavy, hot, wet, sticky, messy bag of spent grain you have to deal with.

I keep upgrading in all these areas while working on #7 Recently started kegging.

 

[MusicalBrewer]

I love my refractometer ... but you need both. A refractometer won't work well on liquids with ethanol (like your finished beer). Besides that hydrometer jar is your first taste of your finished beer!

Hey LBussy...I used to live in KC and love Boulevard Wheat beer--I really miss having it available on tap!

I just want to make sure I'm not totally missing something...but I use BeerSmith and it has a built in refractometer tool. I also know there are other similar tools on the internet. Don't they use a formula to compensate for the alcohol--allowing me to get an accurate FG reading using a refractometer?

 

[LBussy]

I just want to make sure I'm not totally missing something...but I use BeerSmith and it has a built in refractometer tool. I also know there are other similar tools on the internet. Don't they use a formula to compensate for the alcohol--allowing me to get an accurate FG reading using a refractometer?

Like a lot of things, there are multiple very smart people who came up with those formulas to figure this stuff out. Generally I'm not smart enough to know which one is "right" but I know a hydrometer works.

 

[Rhumbline]

I didn't see a thermometer, that's a necessity.

I'll second the Starsan. Other than that, patience and attention to detail are all that's needed.

Best of luck, happy brewing
Pete

 

[rydia131]

I didn't see a thermometer, that's a necessity.

I'll second the Starsan. Other than that, patience and attention to detail are all that's needed.

Best of luck, happy brewing
Pete

I have a candy thermometer that I used with my first brew. Not the easiest to read but it did the job. Before my next batch I figure ill buy a standard dial thermometer and in the near future I like the idea of having a digi as well.
Star San is the other thing I know I have to buy before my next batch. Any other cleaning/sanitizing tools that people found useful/necessary?

Also, how to brew by John Palmer...is this the best all around brewing book to buy? I'm looking to pick something up.

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[rydia131]

For those of you who have read or own How to brew, is this the actual book? I just stumbled on it looking for a price online.

http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

 

[LBussy]

Star San is the other thing I know I have to buy before my next batch. Any other cleaning/sanitizing tools that people found useful/necessary?

PBW (Powdered Brewery Wash) is something that you will eventually appreciate. It is a cleaner which will take off the nastiest stuff. Some folks make their own with TSP and Oxy-Clean but I find it easier just to buy it with another order and know I have it ready rather than trying to mix some up when I need it. It is awesome for cleaning out a brew pot or primary.

You will know when you need it.

Also, how to brew by John Palmer...is this the best all around brewing book to buy? I'm looking to pick something up. [...]For those of you who have read or own How to brew, is this the actual book? I just stumbled on it looking for a price online.

That is one of the better books, however like everything there exists more than one way to do things. I think John defaults to being very conservative which is probably better than sloppy. The online book is his 1st edition, the print variety is 3rd edition. I don't own either but the "collective" here generally feels the 3rd corrects some important things. If however you followed the 1st religiously you would be fine - as I said he faults to the conservative. Yes that is his site.

 

[eric19312]

How big is your brew kettle?


You should be planning to jump to either 10 or 15 gal ASAP so you can do full volume boils. Then you will really need the chiller.

And temp control. I had a free used fridge and added the STC 1000 controller from Amazon for about $30. Makes a big difference in product. Search "temperature control". If you don't have a used fridge or room for one search "fermentation chamber". There are some cool plans out there that build insulated boxes and cool with ice and fans and the STC1000 controller. Was thinking about doing that when I scored the fridge.

 

[rydia131]

Cool..never heard of PBW so that sounds pretty awesome.

As far as my kettle i only have a 5 gallon for now. Id love to get a fridge for temp control. Ive read some things on here about it and it sounds pretty sweet. Ill have to look into that in the future. Thanks!!

 

[Essau1969]

Will a candy thermometer work or is there a specific type that would be better ?

 

[eric19312]

Will a candy thermometer work or is there a specific type that would be better ?

This is what I use
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0021AEAG2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Rhumbline]

I think as long as it accurately measures between 50 and 180 degrees f it shouldn't matter too much.

I use a floating mercury thermometer, it does what I need it to do.