New to beer

[Ryue]

Hey guys,
I've been on HBT for a number of years, but so far I've only made mead.
I've been looking to branch out into beer and have just acquired a free Brewers Edge Mash and Boil (model with pump) along with a keg, CO2 tank, regulator and lines for free! (Will also be building my own keezer)
I'll be picking up a wort chiller, along with any other equipment ya'll sugest (more on that later)

I'm going to start with a recipe kit from Northern Brewer, I was looking at an all grain lemon Shandy recipe that sounds bomb.
I know this is more "advanced" but figured with my prior knowledge of fermentation and making booze, along with some help from you guys, I'll be alright.

I'm planning on carbonating via keg once my keezer is built and just keeping it on tap.

So any brew equipment aside what's listed that I should get?
(Brewers Edge Mash and Boil/pump
Wort chiller
I have lots of carboys and accessories)
Advise and/or instruction for intro to beer/all grain?
(I understand fermentation, but new to beer)

It's all appreciated, sorry for the long post lol
Cheers ya'll!

 

[NSMikeD]

You probably have it but just in case, a hydrometer (and or refractometer). A good thermometer. Mesh bags for hops (not needed but many find useful). Brew software like Brewfather of BeerSmith. A water report. Irish moss or Whitlock tanks for clarifying. Camphen (sp?) for chlorine/chloramine removal. Rags and a mop to clean up spills. A steralizers and cleaners (oxy). Spray bottle (for the sanitizer). Scale.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

As a side note you should do a test run with just water to make sure you have no leaks and also get a ballpark of volumes (losses) within the system so you can accurately put your equipment profile into a brewing program like beersmith. I am not familiar with this particular system but it is good to know things like timing as well, in regards to how long it take to get to mash temp, boil, and so on.

Edit: also welcome to the beer side!

 

[Tallgrass]

@Ryue Looking at that picture of the free gear you scored, I see a copper pipe. Possible you are getting one with the rest of the stuff?

 

[Ryue]

@Ryue Looking at that picture of the free gear you scored, I see a copper pipe. Possible you are getting one with the rest of the stuff?

Oh sh*t, I didn't even notice that I guess I'll find out when I pick it up later lol

 

[DannyBoy270]

Hop spyder, some method of aeration (ie aquarium pump, paint mixer type paddle, etc), lots of PBW & Starsan...lol

 

[AzOr]

+1 on the hop Spyder. They're not as spendy as they used to be. You may want to eventually get a stainless fermenter, but that's your call. I use the Anvil bucket and couldn't be happier.

 

[IslandLizard]

As a side note you should do a test run with just water [...]

I would just brew a beer, instead.
We normally estimate a gallon boil off per hour in a 5 gallon batch, but it could be a little less with the "urn." So start at 3 quarts and see where it leads. You can always add some more water (or leftover wort from a little sparging).

 

[Coookies58]

You say you have fermentation knowledge with mead. Does that include having a way to control fermentation temperatures? I’ve not done mead, so I’m not sure how important that is. Temperature controlled fermentation with a mini fridge or some other method is a huge advance in quality.

 

[madscientist451]

Since you're getting everything for free, you could spend a few bucks on a grain mill and a small scale. Buying grain in bulk will pay for the mill in the long run and when you get crushed grain from a supplier it can be inconsistent, so being in control of that helps avoid issues.
A small scale is helpful when weighing hops or grains, and necessary if you are adding priming sugar for bottling.

 

[hotbeer]

Don't be in a hurry to get so much new stuff that you add so much complication that it's hard to tell what you did right and what you did wrong.

 

[bracconiere]

you need a few clydesdales so you look cool when you pull up to the party!