This is going to be another expensive hobby

[Soulshine2]

Chicago Brew Works is only a 10 minute drive from my house. I was just there a little while ago to pick up some fresh yeast so I can get something hopeful out of the Mr Beer kits I have. I also got a 1/2 pound of Briess 2 row malt and a few air-locks...just to play with . I'm already planning on getting a 5 gallon beginner kit from them , something I can build off of rather easily and its a step up from a 2 gallon plastic barrel and canned ingredients. Can't wait to get brewing. Summer is coming , I turn 50 and my son turns 21 this coming September. What a good time to do this.

 

[Murphys_Law]

Sounds like good times ahead! One things for certain: Home Brew doesn't save me money!

 

[Soulshine2]

Its the ultimate home brewers playground ...all kinds of equipment and grains ,malted and roasted already, they have a grinder right there. flavorings, spices, fruits, extracts, everything but the water. I'm going to require supervision...theres no way I could go back in alone and not come out broke.

 

[ChelisHubby]

It is only as expensive as you make. But either way you get to make and drink beer. Enjoy yourself and have fun. Ask questions here before you buy as I am sure someone will have answers and input so you can make a informed decisions.

 

[kristiismean]

1st. Welcome!

2nd: Buy once. Really, Buy once... figure out what you want to do, research, ask questions, look at setups, and buy once. figure out gas or electric, and batch size... and perfect your procedure before moving onto different styles, it will pay off with good and better beer in the long run. I did this when I started All grain, and I feel it paid off, my beers are consistantly good, great reviews from my LHBS and more experienced brewers, and friends that watched me start off with basic extract to going full out on my own recipes..

you are starting off with a mr. beer kit which is great! when at the store get a very accurate thermometer. that's probably one of the most important tools you can have as a brewer.

If you are near the loop, or ever up north (by six flags) we could trade and give honest feedback..

Welcome!

 

[mongoose33]

Assuming you have little to no equipment, let me suggest this kit to you:

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

It comes with virtually everything you need to brew, including an extract kit for your first brew--so you don't even have to make the decision about ingredients, and can focus just on process. The only thing it really lacks is a burner such as a propane turkey burner (for outside), or possibly you could do it on your stove if it's stout enough.

Kristiismean above has it right: buy once. Don't go cheap just to find out you want to upgrade shortly thereafter. The kit above is really a great starting place, the kettle is good, the fermenter is good--it's what I wish I'd bought when I started.

Now, who am I to say how you should enjoy the hobby, and you may enjoy piecing it all together, but as for me, I hated having to figure out all the things I needed. There's a cheaper kit from morebeer, but I'd steer clear; for the extra $100 you get a lot better equipment, something you won't regret.

Anyway, welcome, good luck, and enjoy!

 

[PADave]

Yes, it can become an expensive hobby, but aren't they all? Once you get a good setup and are brewing with it things get less expensive since you only have to buy ingredients. But there is always that next upgrade....for me stainless fermenters and getting my keg setup ready.

 

[kylelp]

Welcome

This hobbie is as expensive as you want it to be. But lets say you do 60 gallons of beer (which is 1 5gallon batch per month). 1 gallon will give you about 9 to 10 12oz bottles. So for the year (using 9 bottles per gallon), you get 540 bottles. Lets say your budget is 1 dollar per bottle (which is cheaper than the store) you have $540.00 to spend. Kits are kinda expensive plus your equipment cost could push you close to that 540 mark. But they do have quiet a few kit sales and buy 1 get another half off or what not.

 

[Rockit]

Compared to many other hobbies...it's dirt cheap.
Fishing/hunting..boats..ANYTHING with wheels...all way easier to blow big amounts of money on.

 

[sillbeer]

I would suggest a small, cheap 5 gallon starter kit. I started off piecing my 5 gallon brew stuff together and quickly went to an 18 gallon 3 vessel setup. Shortly after that I went to brew in a bag with the 18 gallon pot then electric. I'm now on my, hopefully, final setup. I have a 30 gallon boil kettle, 20 gallon mash tun and 20 gallon herms with an electric controller. In the beginning I would have never dreamed of having this equipment and probably thought it to be overkill. I don't think you can "buy once and cry once" from a beginners standpoint. You need to get your feet wet and figure out what you want to do.

 

[jcav]

Welcome to the forum and to this great hobby. That's great that your son turns 21! I have 3 sons (all older and out of the house) and when I get a chance to brew with them it's a great time well spent. Then later we can marvel and brag about the brew we made weeks later! Enjoy brewing with your son!

John

 

[IslandLizard]

Welcome to this wonderful hobby! Aside from equipment, if you can source your brew ingredients for a decent price, it's not crazy expensive. But altogether it can be time consuming.

If you want to brew mostly 5 gallon batches, you need a 10 gallon kettle, especially for all grain brews. You also need a way to heat it. Depending on your heating source a tri-ply bottom may be advised.

I have an 8 gallon kettle and it's just a tad too small for the large wort boils a 5.5-6 gallon recipe demands. I brew in the kitchen on a 3500W countertop induction plate.

Read John Palmer's How to Brew. The new edition of that book is coming out soon, I'd wait for that, but in the mean time, you can find the old edition on the web, with plenty of good information.

Read HBT, do your research and ask questions.

 

[Soulshine2]

http://www.chicagobrewwerks.com/sto...pment-kit-with-5-gallon-better-bottle/dp/1735

this is most likely what I will buy to get started . I have a burner and a few of the other supplies already. The reason I'm going with these guys is of course they are local ,10 minute drive if I need anything short notice(no shipping,no waiting). They've been in business 5 years and theres classes available for a mere $10 per session. Their supply house is packed and well organized and staff is extremely helpful. I told the guy there I was new to this and what I want to do .
All I meant by being expensive is I usually jump feet first into a hobby ...I already grow my own tobacco (2 years going)and I've invested a lot . Initial investment I understand to spend quality money.
I'm a carpenter and I know to buy good tools once.

 

[z-bob]

The next step up in my opinion, is making 2 gallon batches of all-grain beer in the Mr Beer fermenter, or in a bucket and use the Mr Beer thing as a secondary (so you don't need to leave headspace). You probably have most of the equipment already.

Edit: for a typical 2 gallons batch beer, you might use 60 ounces of 2 row, 3 ounces of some kind of crystal malt, and a half ounce of hops. Less than $10. Wait, I forgot the yeast. Add another $2 for a half a packet of yeast.

 

[kh54s10]

You might want to look at the list given for that starter kit. You might be able to piece it out for less. For one skip the 5 gallon better bottle. It is for secondary fermentation, you don't need it. Skip the lab thermometer, it is too slow... get a good digital. And get Starsan instead of the Easy clean, go to the grocery store and get Oxyclean Versatile for cleaning.

 

[Homercidal]

Sounds like a great place.

My only advice is to buy a large kettle. Get a 10 gallon or maybe a bit bigger. The reason is that batches are generally 5 gallons in size. You need some headroom during the boil. Having a 10 gallon kettle is great for now and for the future.

BIAB brewing is really pretty easy and inexpensive to start with, and a lot of people stick with it even after they get a handle on AG brewing and can afford to invest in a 3-vessel system. Brewing AG will save you money you can put into a Wort Chiller, or Fermentation Temperature Control. A couple of Very Useful things!

Speaking of temp control, it may be one of the most important aspect in homebrewing. Do yourself a favor and check out some methods for keeping your beer at the proper fermentation temps. This is usually 62-65F for Ales. Maybe a simple Swamp Cooler setup to start with. This is maybe the best way to get a better tasting beer from a good recipe.

Also water is critical. Make sure you don't have Chlorine or Chloramines in your water. Even if you can't taste it, check with your municipality and find out if they have added something. If so, you can use Campden Tablets to neutralize it, or use spring water for brewing. The Chlorines react with the fermentation process to make undesirable flavors that you can easily taste even if you can't taste the chlorine stuff in your water.

Good luck and Cheers!

 

[mongoose33]

http://www.chicagobrewwerks.com/sto...pment-kit-with-5-gallon-better-bottle/dp/1735

this is most likely what I will buy to get started . I have a burner and a few of the other supplies already. The reason I'm going with these guys is of course they are local ,10 minute drive if I need anything short notice(no shipping,no waiting). They've been in business 5 years and theres classes available for a mere $10 per session. Their supply house is packed and well organized and staff is extremely helpful. I told the guy there I was new to this and what I want to do .
All I meant by being expensive is I usually jump feet first into a hobby ...I already grow my own tobacco (2 years going)and I've invested a lot . Initial investment I understand to spend quality money.
I'm a carpenter and I know to buy good tools once.

I understand the desire to patronize a local retailer, and in general I applaud such efforts. However, i'd never recommend such a kit. Among other things, it doesn't have a long spoon, there's no chiller, and there's no boil kettle. If you look at the kit to which I referred earlier in this thread, it has all of those--plus it doesn't use a pail for a fermentation vessel.

HBT is replete with threads from new brewers using pails who cannot tell what's happening in their fermentation bucket. Maybe it's not bubbling through the airlock, for instance, and they can't tell if there's nothing happening inside or if there is simply a bad seal lid-to-bucket. Using a clear fermenter like the Fermonster means you can monitor what's happening, you'll learn more (IMO) about the brewing and fermentation process as you can watch what happens in the fermenter, it's easy to clean, and you don't have the "what's happening" questions. You know what's happening.

IMO, that's a kit designed to get people into brewing for limited cost, while being a kit they'll outgrow and likely regret buying. In other words, it's hitting a price point, not a quality point.

You know to buy good tools once--well, IMO this kit isn't that.

My 2 cents, in the end, we all make our decisions and own them. Good luck!

 

[skraeling]

Chicago Brew Works is only a 10 minute drive from my house. I was just there a little while ago to pick up some fresh yeast so I can get something hopeful out of the Mr Beer kits I have. I also got a 1/2 pound of Briess 2 row malt and a few air-locks...just to play with . I'm already planning on getting a 5 gallon beginner kit from them , something I can build off of rather easily and its a step up from a 2 gallon plastic barrel and canned ingredients. Can't wait to get brewing. Summer is coming , I turn 50 and my son turns 21 this coming September. What a good time to do this.

I still use at least half of the starter equipment that I began with. Mash paddle, buckets, hydrometer etc. And thats after I have over a grand in new equipment that I just bought. grainfather + ssbrewmaster bucket.

As long as you dont get bored of the hobby, your equipment will last damn near forever.

also that kit mongoose posted is far better than the brewers best one for not much more.

 

[Morrey]

My GF wanted to buy a Harley. But she decided to buy a Honda Rebel to learn to ride, then she would sell it, get her money out of it, then buy the HD once she learned to ride. Well, she was ready to move up in 6 months but had a heck of a time selling the Honda starter bike. She ended up losing half of what she paid on a HD trade in. Lesson learned.....take your time and buy what you really want to begin with. Starter kits rarely provide premium kettles and other equipment since they tend to appeal to the beginning brewer. Learn the ropes at places like brew clubs or this forum, then buy the equipment you want one time.

 

[Homercidal]

I understand the desire to patronize a local retailer, and in general I applaud such efforts. However, i'd never recommend such a kit. Among other things, it doesn't have a long spoon, there's no chiller, and there's no boil kettle. If you look at the kit to which I referred earlier in this thread, it has all of those--plus it doesn't use a pail for a fermentation vessel.

HBT is replete with threads from new brewers using pails who cannot tell what's happening in their fermentation bucket. Maybe it's not bubbling through the airlock, for instance, and they can't tell if there's nothing happening inside or if there is simply a bad seal lid-to-bucket. Using a clear fermenter like the Fermonster means you can monitor what's happening, you'll learn more (IMO) about the brewing and fermentation process as you can watch what happens in the fermenter, it's easy to clean, and you don't have the "what's happening" questions. You know what's happening.

IMO, that's a kit designed to get people into brewing for limited cost, while being a kit they'll outgrow and likely regret buying. In other words, it's hitting a price point, not a quality point.

You know to buy good tools once--well, IMO this kit isn't that.

My 2 cents, in the end, we all make our decisions and own them. Good luck!

Good points, and I also agree that seeing what is going on in the fermentor is educating, and it's also fun and interesting. However, it doesn't really affect the beer in the end (or shouldn't).

Buckets are cheap and they work. There is a good chance it will leak and you won't see the bubbles in the airlock for the whole fermentation. Big deal. I would rather put the extra $$ towards something more useful like a chiller and educate the new brewer to NOT use the airlock as a guide. They can upgrade to a Stainless bucket, plastic conical, glass carboy or BMB or whatever later if their bucket doesn't serve them well.

That's my 2 cents on it.

OP as you can see, there are many different ways to brew good beer. Keep reading and getting people's opinions and advice you will surely come up with what works well for you, even changing it over time, likely.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

It's not as expensive as collecting cars... welcome to the hobby and the forum. I know what you mean, it seemed like every time I went to the. LHBS I dropped around $50 and even more once in a while. Same thing when shopping online. Now that I pretty much have what I need for equipment I just need ingredients and spend $20 or less per visit. (For 2.5 -3 gallon batches) I reuse yeast which saves $8 here and there.

 

[IslandLizard]

You might want to look at the list given for that starter kit. You might be able to piece it out for less. For one skip the 5 gallon better bottle. It is for secondary fermentation, you don't need it. Skip the lab thermometer, it is too slow... get a good digital. And get Starsan instead of the Easy clean, go to the grocery store and get Oxyclean Versatile for cleaning.

Exactly my thoughts. Kits are kits, one size does not fit all.

+1 on a digital thermometer. I'm using the CDN DTQ450X, I bought for $16 off Amazon. There are others, better and pricier ones.

Make your own (PBW) brewery cleaner from Oxiclean Free with some TSP/90 added to it for extra oomph.

Kit price is fair, but includes some substandard quality items you want or need to replace, or items not needed.

Contents:
• 6.5 gallon "Ale Pail" Primary Fermenter with Grommeted Lid $12-16
• 6.5 gallon "Ale Pail" Bottling Bucket with Spigot $13-16
xx 5 Gallon Better Bottle Carboy ==? "Secondaries" are rarely needed
xx "Home Beermaking" Book ==> Get the new, 4th edition of How to Brew (out in June 2017)
xx Easy Clean No- Rinse Cleanser ==> Use Oxiclean Free / Get Starsan
xx Drilled Rubber Stopper
• Triple Scale Hydrometer ==> you may want a slightly better one $10-14
• Siphon Hose and Shut-Off Clamp $3
• Twin Lever Capper ==> Flimsy Red or Black all plastic. You can get a better metal one for $15-18
• Liquid Crystal Thermometer $2 This is a stick-on
• Lab Thermometer ==> Get a better, digital one $16
• Brew Paddle $5 This is a 24" long plastic spoon
• Airlock $1
• Fermtech Auto Siphon ~$10, or get a Stainless racking cane for $14
• Bottle Filler ~$3
• Bottle Brush ~$3
xx Equipment Instructions ==> ??? / No value

At the maximum estimated price with replacements for better, omitting items not needed: Total around $111, possibly less.

 

[Homercidal]

Yep, I usually spend more than $50 on a visit. Much if that is usually sacks of grain, but there is usually a toy or device I want to try. Good thing I usually buy bulk or plan ahead and only go about 4 times a year. Even a plan to only get a couple of specialty malts turns into a $50 bill by the time I leave!

Be aware that some recipes are WAY more expensive than others. Usually the more malt and hops you need, the more it's going to cost you. You could see a difference of 2-3 times the cost in some cases. By being just a little careful, though, I can make Two-Hearted IPA for about 1/3 the price of the store, and it's darn close to the original in flavor.

 

[Morrey]

Keep reading and getting people's opinions and advice.

Premium advice

 

[Homercidal]

Oh, and i don't want sound like I'm discouraging you from the kit that Mongoose linked. It looks like a great kit. Some good quality items in there and the kettle should be big enough to suit your needs unless you go up to 10 gallon batches.

My discussion about fermentors was only meant to imply that seeing the active fermentation isn't making or breaking the batch you brew. I have a Plastic BMB and love it, although when my wife and kids got it for me they got the 5 gallon version, so I use it for dry hopping, small batch primary, etc. It's too small to use as a 5 gallon primary (unless I use fermcap to control foaming, but I don't really want to.)

The fermonster is a very inexpensive option to start with. I really like my Stainless Chapman Bucket, but I wouldn't necessarily start with one for the $$.

 

[IslandLizard]

Kettle wise, if you don't have a decent sized pot yet to get started, you can buy a 4-6 gallon kettle in Walmart (stock pot) or restaurant supply store for $15-20.

Many items in the kit you can even do without. Or look on Craigslist, there are often people selling their brew equipment, for less than half or even a smaller fraction of what they paid for it.

Again, many ways of tackling the hobby. But make sure you like it enough before investing big money.

In the end, ingredients will consume most money for each batch. Equipment is mostly a one time investment. My first brew cost me over $15 a pint. And after some upgrades and extra equipment, we were drinking $30 pints for a while.

It's down to about $1 a pint now, unless it's a NE IPA, they're $1.50.

 

[Kharnynb]

It can be totally cheap and actually save you money...or it can get really as expensive as you want.

For now, i'm in the group of people that would have been worse off if I had bought all that great beer in the store instead of making it myself.

This might change in the summer as i've got my eye on a bulldog brewer electrical kettle.

 

[motosapiens]

I don't know how anyone could call brewing expensive, but perhaps I am doing it wrong. It is definitely a time investment, but I mostly brew in winter and spring, and it is extremely painful when I run out of homebrew in august or september and have to buy store-bought beer for a month or so. I spend literally twice as much when I'm not brewing, and the beer is not as good.

In 26 years of brewing, I'm pretty sure I haven't spent $1000 in equipment yet, so even if I amortize that over the couple hundred batches I've done, it's still way less than half the price of store-bought beer, and much better.

 

[motosapiens]

My GF wanted to buy a Harley. But she decided to buy a Honda Rebel to learn to ride, then she would sell it, get her money out of it, then buy the HD once she learned to ride. Well, she was ready to move up in 6 months but had a heck of a time selling the Honda starter bike. She ended up losing half of what she paid on a HD trade in. Lesson learned.....take your time and buy what you really want to begin with. Starter kits rarely provide premium kettles and other equipment since they tend to appeal to the beginning brewer. Learn the ropes at places like brew clubs or this forum, then buy the equipment you want one time.

Lesson learned, buy a USED rebel to learn on, or borrow/rent someone else's bike for a couple months.

Life is full of accounts of disasters from people who tried to learn on a big bike.

 

[z-bob]

If you're going to brew 5 gallon batches, I recommend getting a 6 or 7 gallon plastic carboy. They have several models there at Chicago Brew Werks. Use that for a primary and you can watch the whole process, and you won't need a secondary; just a bottling bucket. (I often bottle straight out of my primary, putting priming sugar in the bottles)

I have 4 gallon plastic carboys -- translucent plastic, so I can't really see what's going on in there -- and 3, 5, and 6 gallon glass carboys. Glass is heavy, slippery, and breakable, so I'm trying to get away from using them for beer; save them for bulk aging wine.