NEWBIE - Please Help Me Get Started!

[BrettCo124]

Hi all,

this is my first post ever in this forum. Like other forums I belong to, I look forward in interacting with all of you, and helping others once I get my foot on the ground!

With that being said, I have absolutely zero experience in this hobby, but I love the thought of being a part of it. Would some of you kindly tell me what I will need to buy (and your favorite companies that supply them - if that's okay to post on this forum) in order to get started with all grain brewing? I am not interested in the kits at all. I want to be making it from scratch.

I thought I'd also mention, I am not afraid to purchase the right equipment. I don't have a ton of money to get started, but I could go up to probably $700-$1,000, which I know isn't a ton but if it could help me bypass starter equipment, I'd like to go that route. So please let me know your thoughts on the higher end equipment needed.

A friend of mine told me I should start with these items:
-All Grain Brewing System (stainless steel)
-Stainless Steel Immersion Wort Chiller
-Gravity Testing Kit
-21" Stainless Steel Spoon

I'm happy to add additional items to this. Again, I'd much prefer to buy the right equipment right off the bat. If you have specific companies/places to buy from, I'd be very happy to hear so I can be pointed to the right direction when I purchase - that is, if it's okay to post things like that in this forum.

I'm looking forward in being a part of this community! Thanks for having me.

-BrettCo

 

[ScrapRoomBrewer]

Welcome BrettCo! Prepare yourself for a ton of options!

I think first you'll need to explain what you mean by "All Grain Brewing System". Grainfather or something similar? Or burners, kettles, and a mash tun?

Also, you'll need fermenters, temp control for the fermenters, sanitization equipment, bottling and/or kegging equipment, etc.

 

[PhinneyWoodBrews]

I humbly recommend you go low tech first to see if you truly enjoy homebrewing, before sinking a bunch of money into it. Read through the forums, watch videos, select a simple recipe for your first go(no bbl aged barleywines or lagers). For less than 200.00, you could be set up to do stove-top small batch all-grain brew-in-a-bag(BIAB). You don't need high end equipment to make top-notch beer. Secure a method of controlling fermentation temperature. This doesn't have to be a huge purchase. I use insulated cooler bags(cool-brewing is the company) with frozen water bottles, monitored by a thermometer probe in a thermowell. Works great for me. After you've done a few batches, and you're hooked(you probably will love it). Then you can start building a high-tech, high-end system. You'll also know more about the route you want to take to get there. Good luck, and welcome to the fold!
Alex

 

[skraeling]

I got started brewing for under 100.00 Brett. Try it first. Then if you think youll stick with it, then you can go nuts on equipment.

https://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-starter-kit-1 I literally started with a groupon of roughly this kit.

I still use the buckets and other stuff it came with to this day even though I have upgraded everything else around it.

 

[mongoose33]

I suggest you consider this:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/premium-fermonster-homebrew-starter-kit.html

It's pretty much a ready-to-go kit (no bottles) that should set you up in good shape. Most kits don't have an immersion chiller (this one does), don't include a hydrometer for checking gravity (this one does), don't include a spoon (t o d), and don't include a boil kettle of sufficient size (t o d).

And it includes a recipe kit, so you don't even have to figure that out the first time.

I like plastic fermenters; all one needs to do is read the horror stories about what happens if a glass carboy breaks to want to go plastic. It works fine, it's much lighter, isn't prone to breaking, and unlike the kits that have plastic buckets as the fermenter, you can see what's going on in there.

While a stainless immersion chiller sounds....better, somehow than a copper one, you don't get quite the thermal efficiency with it that copper delivers. All you need to do is just spray it off when done, and you're ready for the next time. BTW, I have a stainless IC myself, and I really wish I'd waited for the copper one to get back in stock. I was impatient (an unusual quality in a new brewer, don't you think? ).

It's always hard, starting a new hobby, to invest in high quality equipment before you even know if you want to continue in the hobby. That's why I like this kit--you're in the game, including ingredients for your first brew, for $229, exclusive of bottles. And there's a lot of good stuff in there.

**********

I'd suggest you do extract brewing first before going to all-grain. Get the process from boil kettle to bottling down pat, then start working on the process of grain to grist to mash to wort to boil kettle.

Here's the number one question I think all new brewers should ask themselves: it's not that important where you want to be right now, but rather, where do you want to be in 3 months?

Everybody who has brewed knows how hard it is at the outset to exercise patience. That said.....try.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

There are lots of ways to start brewing. Some start with extract kits. Some jump right in to all-grain. Do some reading and decide what feels right. This is a good place to start.

http://howtobrew.com

After 4 years of brewing, I have probably spent less than $500 on equipment in total. Some of that is because I have built several items (e.g. IC chiller) on my own. But a good part of it is because I decided I really didn't really want to dive in that deep. I do all-grain BIAB brewing on my stovetop. I love brewing but I also have two young girls that I would rather spend the day with than with my brewing rig (my wife prefers that, too).

There are competition winning beers that come from extract as well as all-grain. So read up, surf around this forum and decide what works for you.

 

[Redlantern]

Not sure of your space constraints or $$$ - but look into brew in a bag (BIAB)

With a burner, kettle, and grain bag, you are most of the way there for big items. If you decide to change, those items are still enormously useful

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks so much for all of this info! I appreciate it very much!

I am definitely looking to do it from scratch, so I'd prefer to not do extract brewing. One of the kits I was looking at was from northern brewer - http://www.northernbrewer.com/megapot-1-2tm-all-grain-brewing-system
or this one, which was less expensive: http://www.northernbrewer.com/fermenters-favorites-essential-all-grain-brewing-starter-kit-10-gallon

I like the kit that scraeling and mongoose33 suggested, however I do want to also have the setup look nice (I'm weird and would rather spend more to have it look more pleasing to the eye). Are my choices any good? I'm going to still need to add things to this kit, such as the immersion wort chiller, correct?

 

[Redlantern]

your choices are fine. Both will make beer.

As far as the kettle - if you are doing 5-gal batches, get a 10 gallon kettle. Tri-ply bottom. Easy enough to get. 8 gallon ones are just on the edge of being too small.

If you are looking at the SS kit, might as well get the matching kettle....

 

[MrAverageGuy]

I humbly recommend you go low tech first to see if you truly enjoy homebrewing, before sinking a bunch of money into it. Read through the forums, watch videos, select a simple recipe for your first go(no bbl aged barleywines or lagers). For less than 200.00, you could be set up to do stove-top small batch all-grain brew-in-a-bag(BIAB). You don't need high end equipment to make top-notch beer. Secure a method of controlling fermentation temperature. This doesn't have to be a huge purchase. I use insulated cooler bags(cool-brewing is the company) with frozen water bottles, monitored by a thermometer probe in a thermowell. Works great for me. After you've done a few batches, and you're hooked(you probably will love it). Then you can start building a high-tech, high-end system. You'll also know more about the route you want to take to get there. Good luck, and welcome to the fold!
Alex

+1 on this advice...

 

[cattmoble]

Welcome to the forum BrettCo,
No matter what you start with it boils down ( pun intended ) to this:
1) water quality
2) sanitation
3) fermentation temp
4 -09) sanitation
10) PATIENCE

 

[mongoose33]

Thanks so much for all of this info! I appreciate it very much!

I am definitely looking to do it from scratch, so I'd prefer to not do extract brewing.

Nothing wrong with that.

However, there is a learning curve here; the more variables you include at the beginning, the more places there are for things to go wrong, and the harder it may be to isolate what's going on.

You can get an all-grain system and still do extract at the outset, just to learn that part of the brewing process. There's a guy in my local homebrew club who has never brewed anything but extract (so he says), and he routinely wins throwdowns at club events.

But most extract beer I've tried hasn't been all that great. I brewed extract my first 3 times, and it wasn't terrible, but this was before I learned what I now know about water.

If you want to do all-grain, you're going to have to learn about water. You can start with all RO water and amend it with minerals, but it's necessary for mashing that you get it right or close to right. Unless you're testing with a PH meter, how will you know if you've hit the target? So add that to your list, along w/ the different minerals and such needed for adjustment such as Gypsum, Calcium Chloride, Epsom Salts, Slaked Lime, Baking Soda, Chalk, and some sort of acid, either Lactic or Phosphoric or Acidulated Malt.

If you want to use your own water, you'll need a water report to determine what's in it. If your water is chlorinated, you'll need to use a Campden tablet to deal with that, as chlorine will not be helpful to your beer.

You see where I'm going with this? There's a LOT to know to do all-grain well. Some have done it, but I suspect mostly they got lucky in that their water was OK for brewing. Mine's not, and it's partly why my own beer zoomed up in quality when I began to use RO water and mineral amendments.

I look above and realize why I was off in my early beers. There's so much to get right, and there's a learning curve. Now, maybe you're a chemist so this is easy for you. I'm not. The way that minerals are described, changing from CaCL to Calcium Chloride to Bicarbonate or HCO3, or whatever. It's often confusing.

Now, if you can find someone to watch do an all-grain brew, and even better, tell you how they amend the water and such so you can follow what they did without necessarily knowing--yet--why they did what they did, and see the process from beginning to end, well, that might work.

But if you're doing this all on your own, doing all-grain from the beginning, hoping to get the water right, trying to figure out all the details from hop additions to chilling to racking to fermenter to pitching the yeast....not to be a killjoy, but my money is not on you.

Find someone to mentor you, or who will at least let you watch a complete brew. It will make things far more likely to be successful.

One of the kits I was looking at was from northern brewer - http://www.northernbrewer.com/megapot-1-2tm-all-grain-brewing-system
or this one, which was less expensive: http://www.northernbrewer.com/fermenters-favorites-essential-all-grain-brewing-starter-kit-10-gallon

I like the kit that scraeling and mongoose33 suggested, however I do want to also have the setup look nice (I'm weird and would rather spend more to have it look more pleasing to the eye). Are my choices any good? I'm going to still need to add things to this kit, such as the immersion wort chiller, correct?

The usual recommendation is one that limits cost. Looks like you're more willing to devote resources than people often are. That means you can go higher quality from the get-go, and that's not a bad thing.

 

[Brownalemikie]

Thanks so much for all of this info! I appreciate it very much!

I am definitely looking to do it from scratch, so I'd prefer to not do extract brewing. One of the kits I was looking at was from northern brewer - http://www.northernbrewer.com/megapot-1-2tm-all-grain-brewing-system
or this one, which was less expensive: http://www.northernbrewer.com/fermenters-favorites-essential-all-grain-brewing-starter-kit-10-gallon

I like the kit that scraeling and mongoose33 suggested, however I do want to also have the setup look nice (I'm weird and would rather spend more to have it look more pleasing to the eye). Are my choices any good? I'm going to still need to add things to this kit, such as the immersion wort chiller, correct?

Not sure if you plan on bottling or kegging, but if bottling, you might want to start buying AND drinking Sam Adams and start saving the bottles. I currently have about 90 bottles which is perfect for my weekly rotation/consumption schedule.

Btw, I started with a NB extract kit and still brew extract beers that taste fantastic. To date I've brew 27 (2 gallon) batches since beginning last June.

 

[BrettCo124]

amazing advice from all. Thanks so much. Say I were to go with one of the two kits I liked, what would be the additional items I would need? I'm assuming the immersion wort chiller? I'm confused because, if it's a kit, wouldn't it have everything needed to get a batch going?

I'm expecting to make a lot of mistakes going in, but I'm looking forward to learning. The one thing I'm trying to avoid is making beer from a kit that isn't my own recipe. I want to make my very own from scratch, which I'm sure you all do too. This is why I'm looking at the all-grain kits. Do I really need to know a lot of chemistry to make this happen?

 

[skraeling]

Say I were to go with one of the two kits I liked, what would be the additional items I would need? I'm assuming the immersion wort chiller? I'm confused because, if it's a kit, wouldn't it have everything needed to get a batch going?

I'm expecting to make a lot of mistakes going in, but I'm looking forward to learning. The one thing I'm trying to avoid is making beer from a kit that isn't my own recipe. I want to make my very own from scratch, which I'm sure you all do too. This is why I'm looking at the all-grain kits. Do I really need to know a lot of chemistry to make this happen?

Very few kits include an immersion chiller. Those that do like the one mongoose posted are more expensive. It just depends if you think you will stick with this hobby or not?

If you even think youll stick with this hobby go with the kit mongoose posted. IT has damn near EVERYTHING you will need.

If I were starting Id go with his kit especially knowing that I would stick with the hobby. It is a very very well put together kit. Even cheap immersion chillers will run you about 50.00

 

[mongoose33]

amazing advice from all. Thanks so much. Say I were to go with one of the two kits I liked, what would be the additional items I would need? I'm assuming the immersion wort chiller? I'm confused because, if it's a kit, wouldn't it have everything needed to get a batch going?

That's why I mentioned the Morebeer kit. Everything but bottles. Look at that list, get all those things, you should be fine. Make sure you get some Star-San for sanitizing, and some kind of cleaner (PBW is good).

I'm expecting to make a lot of mistakes going in, but I'm looking forward to learning. The one thing I'm trying to avoid is making beer from a kit that isn't my own recipe. I want to make my very own from scratch, which I'm sure you all do too. This is why I'm looking at the all-grain kits. Do I really need to know a lot of chemistry to make this happen?

You're trying to avoid something that will help you. You don't know enough yet to build a recipe. It is extremely good practice to limit the number of variables at the outset so you can focus on the process.

There will be plenty of time to make up recipes on your own. The best thing to do in the beginning is brew a known quantity. That way if something goes awry--and it might--you know it isn't the recipe that is the problem.

I've brewed Biermuncher's Black Pearl Porter and it's a wonderful beer. I had to change it slightly as I didn't have any 40L Crystal Malt, had to use 60L. So is that now my recipe, and not Biermuncher's? Well, maybe, but who cares? When I go to meet my maker, I doubt very much that the number of "original" recipes I brewed will factor into anything.

I've also brewed Biermuncher's Cream of Three Crops cream ale, it's wonderful. I followed the recipe as it was, and it's a terrific beer (esp. for people who don't like overly flavorful beer).

If you can take an established recipe like these, and brew a great beer from it, that says your process is good. If you brew a made-up recipe and it doesn't thrill you, what's the cause? Did you screw up the process? Get the mash temp wrong? Wrong PH? Should have changed when you added the hops? Didn't get a good cold break? Screwed up the yeast pitch?

But if you use an established recipe and remain faithful to the ingredients and process.....you've eliminated a huge alternative explanation for beer that doesn't turn out.

Please don't take this personally, but you seem somewhat headstrong in this. Sometimes that's an admirable trait as it suggests self-reliance and willingness to accept accountability. But there are times when learning from others' experiences is a far better trait.

I'll be interested to see how this all works out for you. Good luck, and brew on!

 

[skraeling]

starsan

the morebeer kit actually includes starsan too.

 

[bucfan1234]

Very few kits include an immersion chiller. Those that do like the one mongoose posted are more expensive. It just depends if you think you will stick with this hobby or not?

If you even think youll stick with this hobby go with the kit mongoose posted. IT has damn near EVERYTHING you will need.

If I were starting Id go with his kit especially knowing that I would stick with the hobby. It is a very very well put together kit. Even cheap immersion chillers will run you about 50.00

For a cheap IC, just go to the plumbing supply house and buy a roll of 3/8 or 1/2 soft copper ($25 to $35)and four SS hose clamps ($1) then get some vinyl tube from the and a hose adapter from the hardware ($5), then make your own.

All you really need to do all grain, is a pot, a BIAB bag (or any cooler with a ball valve and a bazooka screen) and a thermometer. Some way to chill your wort and a fermenting vessel. That is how I started out with it.

If I were you, and as others have suggested, I would buy a few recipe kits and get the process down before striking out into recipe creation. However, if you are hell bent to create your own recipes, buy a program like Beersmith so you can get a handle on the process of creating a recipe that fits the profile you are attempting.

 

[skraeling]

For a cheap IC, just go to the plumbing supply house and buy a roll of 3/8 or 1/2 soft copper ($25 to $35)and four SS hose clamps ($1) then get some vinyl tube from the and a hose adapter from the hardware ($5), then make your own.

and for the price of a few bucks more get one already assembled

 

[bucfan1234]

You could, but its more like double for a 50' IC.

 

[RedlegEd]

You're trying to avoid something that will help you. You don't know enough yet to build a recipe. It is extremely good practice to limit the number of variables at the outset so you can focus on the process.

There will be plenty of time to make up recipes on your own. The best thing to do in the beginning is brew a known quantity. That way if something goes awry--and it might--you know it isn't the recipe that is the problem.

If you can take an established recipe like these, and brew a great beer from it, that says your process is good. If you brew a made-up recipe and it doesn't thrill you, what's the cause? Did you screw up the process? Get the mash temp wrong? Wrong PH? Should have changed when you added the hops? Didn't get a good cold break? Screwed up the yeast pitch?

But if you use an established recipe and remain faithful to the ingredients and process.....you've eliminated a huge alternative explanation for beer that doesn't turn out.

+1 This ^^^^. It is excellent advice that will get you properly started in this wonderful hobby (obsession.) There are lots of threads in the beginners forum where new members ask why their beers don't turn out well. Obviously, the more variables, the more there is to go wrong. If you haven't learned the basics of water, mash temps, hop schedules, yeasts, ferm temps, and proper sanitation throughout the process, I think you will soon be very frustrated. Everyone here wants to see you succeed and make great beer. Follow the advice of those who've already walked the trail. BTW, Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde is also a great first AG beer to try. Good luck to you! Ed

 

[Sadu]

I got started with cheap starter kits and still use all the gear that came with them. Every upgrade I have made, I manage to find a use for the old gear somehow. The only exception is thermometers. Get a good quality handheld digital thermometer from the start. No fun to wreck a batch because the thermometer is 10f out from where it should be.

 

[PADave]

My advice, slow down and start small. Going balls out from the get go is going to make you frustrated when you buy all this fancy stuff and don't make a quality brew on the first try. Get the basics and learn to brew. Figure out what works for you and expand on it. Only change one thing at a time so you can see how that change affects your process. Start with a kit and see if you can even hit the predicted numbers, make something drinkable. Learn what different grains and hops taste like. See if you even like brewing. If you know nothing about brewing, take the advice of others. There are way too many variables in brewing to get it right the first try. I have a whole bin of stuff that I "had to have" when starting, that sits untouched. Before you do anything, read Palmers "How to Brew."

 

[tracyk]

The kit the Mongoose suggested would be great. It will do 5 gallon batches and has everything you need to get started in a kit. Yes, I know you want to do your own recipes. I did to when I first started, but I made a couple of extract kits mostly to see how long it would take me to brew up a batch. The first time took nearly 4 hours, but it gave me some idea of what I was getting myself into. In the interim I bought a 10 igloo cooler and converted it to a mash tun. Now I could go all grain. I used mostly recipes that were on this website for a year until I felt comfortable with doing all grain, adjusting my RO water, hitting my gravity numbers, working on fermentation temps, until I built a fermentation chamber. In the beginning I watch numerous you tube videos, read several book, but it never gave me a perspective on time. My first all grain recipe took me 6 hours to complete and I was completely worn out at the end of it. The is from milling my own grain to getting it in the fermentation refrigerator.

I also joined a brew club. This helped tremendously as I could ask them for advice on certain things that I just was not sure of in the beginning. Especially on priming for carbonation. Now I just keg, but once again I went back to my club and asked them about equipment.

Now that I have been in the hobby for 4 years, I am now considering building a brew room, but first I will need to transform my equipment to electric. So as you can tell the hobby never stops.

 

[seabrew8]

If your all in. I would also look into electric systems. I have a grainfather myself.

However, you can get going with BIAB for far less, which is probably the best idea - you will quickly find out what kind of equipment you prefer.

 

[martiniw2olives]

Hi all,

this is my first post ever in this forum. Like other forums I belong to, I look forward in interacting with all of you, and helping others once I get my foot on the ground!

With that being said, I have absolutely zero experience in this hobby, but I love the thought of being a part of it. Would some of you kindly tell me what I will need to buy (and your favorite companies that supply them - if that's okay to post on this forum) in order to get started with all grain brewing? I am not interested in the kits at all. I want to be making it from scratch.

I thought I'd also mention, I am not afraid to purchase the right equipment. I don't have a ton of money to get started, but I could go up to probably $700-$1,000, which I know isn't a ton but if it could help me bypass starter equipment, I'd like to go that route. So please let me know your thoughts on the higher end equipment needed.

A friend of mine told me I should start with these items:
-All Grain Brewing System (stainless steel)
-Stainless Steel Immersion Wort Chiller
-Gravity Testing Kit
-21" Stainless Steel Spoon

I'm happy to add additional items to this. Again, I'd much prefer to buy the right equipment right off the bat. If you have specific companies/places to buy from, I'd be very happy to hear so I can be pointed to the right direction when I purchase - that is, if it's okay to post things like that in this forum.

I'm looking forward in being a part of this community! Thanks for having me.

-BrettCo

Learn the process before investing in equipment. At this stage you have no idea what you want.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

First of all $700 -$1000 is enough to buy a home brewery almost on a semi-pro level. Yikes [emoji15]

 

[Redlantern]

The right equipment is information and understanding of the process. If you want to start with the right equipment, there you go.

Until you are building processes and tweaking recipes for competitive batches, the complete super-duper 2000 series brew kit will not yield better results than the starter kits.

Quality beer comes from experience, cleanliness, patience and consistency. That is being properly equipped. That does not come standard in even the most expensive brew rig.

 

[PhinneyWoodBrews]

I'm assuming the immersion wort chiller? I'm confused because, if it's a kit, wouldn't it have everything needed to get a batch going?

I'm expecting to make a lot of mistakes going in, but I'm looking forward to learning. The one thing I'm trying to avoid is making beer from a kit that isn't my own recipe. I want to make my very own from scratch, which I'm sure you all do too. This is why I'm looking at the all-grain kits. Do I really need to know a lot of chemistry to make this happen?

You don't absolutely need an in immersion cooler off the bat. You can chill with an ice bath. As for recipes, I can attest, it's a mistake to assume that your ideas for the "best beer ever" will probably result in a drinkable, but not very good beer. The recipes that are tried and true exist for a reason. Know your water source, remove city additions(chlorine, chloramine) using sodium metabisulfite tablets or RO(reverse osmosis) water. You don't need to fully understand chemistry to make a basic pale ale. Start simple, you'll naturally progress.
Cheers,
Alex

 

[BrettCo124]

Hey all! Just wanted to thank every single person on this forum who helped me out. I greatly appreciate it and I can't wait to be able to return the favor. Thank you all.

I decided to purchase the allbrew Fermonster premium kit. It looks like that will be my best best for being a first time home brewer. I'm really interested in this hobby, and I know it will take time and patience. I'm hoping it's something I will be proud of and continue.

I know I came in head-strong, but that's why I am here. I wasn't expecting to brew the best beer right away, but I just wanted to make sure I purchased the correct equipment. To me, it's never a good idea to go cheap unless absolutely necessary.

I'm hoping this kit is a decent kit. It certainly seems like it is according to reviews. Very excited to get started, and I thank you all once again. I belong to quite a few different forums that encompass the hobbies I enjoy, and sometimes they all aren't professional and the people aren't very friendly. Nothing is better than a forum full of pros like you all, who are always willing go offer your assistance when needed. This forum is top-notch.

Thanks again!

BrettCo

 

[Redlantern]

Sounds like a good choice. I started with plastic buckets and made some very good batches. I also had some very experienced brewers at my side.

Other than the obvious sanitation and patience issues there is one more thing - you will make beer. You will have a series of unmitigated disasters from time to time. You will still make beer. Some days everything will go flawlessly and you think you made the greatest beer. Some days the disasters will turn out to be amazing and the flawless runs will turn out beer that is simply, well, meh. None the less, you still made beer. Point is, take your time, have fun and learn. I had three consecutive amazing original recipe DIPA's that were all accidents of sorts followed by a proven recipe robust porter that was spot on the numbers and came out just OK. Guess what, I still cannot wait for my next porter

 

[martiniw2olives]

Hey all! Just wanted to thank every single person on this forum who helped me out. I greatly appreciate it and I can't wait to be able to return the favor. Thank you all.

I decided to purchase the allbrew Fermonster premium kit. It looks like that will be my best best for being a first time home brewer. I'm really interested in this hobby, and I know it will take time and patience. I'm hoping it's something I will be proud of and continue.

I know I came in head-strong, but that's why I am here. I wasn't expecting to brew the best beer right away, but I just wanted to make sure I purchased the correct equipment. To me, it's never a good idea to go cheap unless absolutely necessary.

I'm hoping this kit is a decent kit. It certainly seems like it is according to reviews. Very excited to get started, and I thank you all once again. I belong to quite a few different forums that encompass the hobbies I enjoy, and sometimes they all aren't professional and the people aren't very friendly. Nothing is better than a forum full of pros like you all, who are always willing go offer your assistance when needed. This forum is top-notch.

Thanks again!

BrettCo

That kit looks solid and a great place to build on if you want to transition to all grain, good luck! You are now doomed like the rest of us. Here is a quote from the great John Palmer taken from "How to Brew" on extract brewing:

"I should mention that Extract Brewing should not be viewed as inferior to brewing with grain, it is merely easier. It takes up less space and uses less equipment. You can brew national competition winning beers using extracts."

http://howtobrew.com/

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks and great quote! So, I'm glad you shared that quote because I feel like i really wanted to get my hands dirty in all-grain brewing. I know that I now have an extract brewing kit, but I'm STILL questioning whether I just bought a glorified mr. Beer kit. Will I have control over my future recipes? Can I have hops ready to go in a container to make my own recipes in the future, or is everything going to be what you would get in a mr. Beer kit? I completely understand that extract brewing is the best for beginners and for learning, but I'm still wondering that question.

 

[PADave]

What you got is worlds above a Mr. Beer kit. Even with extract brewing, you can make your own recipes, use steeping grains, and certainly can do hop additions. Lots of here on HBT have both AG and extract versions. If they don't, you can easily convert. Doing a few extract brews when beginning is not a bad idea as it lets you focus on the process without the whole mash procedure to worry about. You've got to realize, it's homebrewing everything is in your control, you can do anything you want.

 

[Ogri]

I know that I now have an extract brewing kit, but I'm STILL questioning whether I just bought a glorified mr. Beer kit. Will I have control over my future recipes? Can I have hops ready to go in a container to make my own recipes in the future, or is everything going to be what you would get in a mr. Beer kit?

I completely understand that extract brewing is the best for beginners and for learning, but I'm still wondering that question.

It still seems like you are not quite grasping, or are missing/overlooking, some very important points.

Seriously,,,,,open the link in the post above your last and have a proper read through John Palmer's "how to brew".

Using a mr. beer kit, or any other pre-hopped malt extract can kit, will give you the chance to learn and gain some experience, as well as hone some very important aspects of the brewing,fermentation and packaging, process which, when done properly, will all contribute to producing some great beer. In fact, if you can't make a relatively decent beer using extract kits then it would suggest there's a problem with some aspect of your process. Don't knock it until you've tried it. You'll very likely be pleasantly surprised at just how good the beer turns out.

Mr. beer and canned kit brewing doesn't mean that you are limited to "only" adding a can of Pre-Hopped Malt Extract to water and chucking some yeast in, especially as you start to understand what it is you want to achieve and how to achieve that. Steeping grains, further malt or adjunct additions, plus various hopping opportunities are possible and make for some fun adventures in brewing. Then, of course, you could completely dispense with the kit cans of pre hopped extract and use either dry malt or liquid malt extracts, steep various specialty grains, adding exactly the varieties of hop you desire for bittering, flavour and aroma additions. There really are a whole gamut of possibilities to exhaust, make great beer and gain confidence in your process before jumping to All Grain, and adding another bunch of complicated elements to your brew schedule.

Damn. Beaten to the post by PADave.

 

[bucfan1234]

That kit looks solid and a great place to build on if you want to transition to all grain, good luck! You are now doomed like the rest of us. Here is a quote from the great John Palmer taken from "How to Brew" on extract brewing:

"I should mention that Extract Brewing should not be viewed as inferior to brewing with grain, it is merely easier. It takes up less space and uses less equipment. You can brew national competition winning beers using extracts."

http://howtobrew.com/

Thanks and great quote! So, I'm glad you shared that quote because I feel like i really wanted to get my hands dirty in all-grain brewing. I know that I now have an extract brewing kit, but I'm STILL questioning whether I just bought a glorified mr. Beer kit. Will I have control over my future recipes? Can I have hops ready to go in a container to make my own recipes in the future, or is everything going to be what you would get in a mr. Beer kit? I completely understand that extract brewing is the best for beginners and for learning, but I'm still wondering that question.

That looks like a really nice starter kit. Everything you need to make great beer.

I started with a turkey fryer burner and pot and a plastic bucket. I made everything from coopers prehopped kits to my own all grain recipes in it, and you can do the same.

Buy and download Beersmith. Its worth every penny, and you will have total control to create recipes from scratch in either extract or BIAB.

Have fun an happy brewing.

 

[martiniw2olives]

Thanks and great quote! So, I'm glad you shared that quote because I feel like i really wanted to get my hands dirty in all-grain brewing. I know that I now have an extract brewing kit, but I'm STILL questioning whether I just bought a glorified mr. Beer kit. Will I have control over my future recipes? Can I have hops ready to go in a container to make my own recipes in the future, or is everything going to be what you would get in a mr. Beer kit? I completely understand that extract brewing is the best for beginners and for learning, but I'm still wondering that question.

The extract is just concentrated or powdered malt wort (2-row, etc) and all your doing is bypassing the mash step. You will still need to steep specialty grains and add hops. I don't think you will find any difference in the end result. This is not that easy and will require your full attention to the details.

I have never used Mr Beer, but I think it's a one off kind of thing for most brewers. I hear the quality is hit and miss and would not put extract brewing and Mr Beer in the same category.

There are truly great brewers on this forum that use extract from time to time. Explore the forum and you will see. I concur with previous posts on reading "How to Brew" and getting BeerSmith.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=37

 

[martiniw2olives]

Thanks and great quote! So, I'm glad you shared that quote because I feel like i really wanted to get my hands dirty in all-grain brewing. I know that I now have an extract brewing kit, but I'm STILL questioning whether I just bought a glorified mr. Beer kit. Will I have control over my future recipes? Can I have hops ready to go in a container to make my own recipes in the future, or is everything going to be what you would get in a mr. Beer kit? I completely understand that extract brewing is the best for beginners and for learning, but I'm still wondering that question.

Even if you wanted to go to all grain in the near future, all that's left that you will need is a converted water cooler for a mash tun. You can sparge by hand or do what I did and use a turkey fryer pot (hot liqueur and sparge). This was my set-up for years before moving to electric.

 

[mongoose33]

Provided you follow the directions, you should have good beer, as long as your water is appropriate. By that I mean you should be eliminating chlorine or chloramine from the water.

It's been said that if your water tastes good, you can brew good beer. That may be true in some cases but it is not true in all cases. Such as, for instance, my case.

I'm pretty sure you should be able to brew with RO water and you should be in good shape; since the extract is the result of mashing, dealing with water additions and so on is not an issue.

Read the instructions, then read them again. I screwed up my first extract brew because I did the steeping grains but misread when to add the extract to the kettle. Added it too soon, which wasn't a bonus.

Be deliberate in your first brew; you'll pick up speed and efficiency in the process as you go along, but it's really nice if the first brew is really nice.

 

[THESULLI]

I am just getting started out as well. I have done 1 batch and it turned out terrible. I would say one of the best pieces of advice I have gotten from this forum is to keep a detailed BREW JOURNAL! As I said, my first batch totally sucked... So now I am trying to figure out what I did wrong with no reference material! I am sure I did many things wrong on my first try but at least I would have had documentation of my mistakes and could have looked back on them and learned a thing or two for batch #2...