were to start for beer brewing equipment ?

[baddagger]

well sense i going to be trying to make my own beer i know i need to get some beer making equipment .. now i was wondering what would be the best equipment kit to start off wiht? i plan on kegging my beer but might bottle here and there for when i need beer for on the go. i also figure i will more then likely 2nd primary the batch of beer to give it more time to clean out all the extra bad tastes and help it clear up a bit. oh and i figure that even i know there are alot of kits out there i think i really want to try out the whole grain process to get the real feel for making beer..

so what would be the best route to go for a beer equipment kit?

 

[Ell]

I'm a fan of the Northern Brewer kits. Everything you need + a DVD with instructions on how to use it. Nearly fool-proof.

Good luck.

 

[Fpmurphy]

If you don't already have a pot to use, this kit at Midwest Supplies has everything you need, including the kettle, bottles, and an extract kit for your first batch.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/everything-a-carboy-complete-brewing-package-equipment-kit-3.html

 

[rancidcrabtree]

+ 1 to Northern Brewer! If you get their Ultimate Starter Kit you'll have all you need to keg right away but it is pricey!

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/starter-kits/ultimate-starter-kit.html

 

[edmanster]

I like to put kits together for friends with used equipment from the classifieds.. It saves them about 70% on price in the end after I have them get a new primary bucket.. With all grain it's a bit more tricky but just finding a BK to do a full boil and a cooler converted into a MT and most are golden to start
Oops... Forgot the burner wich we usually find with the turkey fryer BK.. This is best for beginners before you get addicted and start really spending the$$$

 

[baddagger]

well i just checked out craigslist and i saw that some people are selling glass carboys ..... i saw one guy selling win making equipment w/ 3 6gallon carboys...just emailed him to see if i could buy just two of them..
also found someone selling some brewing equipment with 5 gal keg..going to see how much he wants for that..

now just wondeing if i did buy a brewing equipment kit ..what is the most expensive part of them would it be the glass carboys?

now also just wondering if i build my own kit ..if i get say 2 6gallon glass carboys would i still need to get a fermenting bucket/bottling bucket with spigot
or can i bottles the beer from the glass carboys?

 

[edmanster]

If you plan on doing secondary you would want 5 gal carboys. If not then you can keg straight from the 6.5 gal carboys. For bottling you will want a bucket so you can mix your priming sugar into it.. Did the wine stuff include a siphon, airlocks, plugs, hydrometer, etc? Those are what I look for..

 

[baddagger]

If you plan on doing secondary you would want 5 gal carboys. If not then you can keg straight from the 6.5 gal carboys. For bottling you will want a bucket so you can mix your priming sugar into it.. Did the wine stuff include a siphon, airlocks, plugs, hydrometer, etc? Those are what I look for..

i took a look it does not have a airlock or plugs...

i do plan on doing secondary cause i do want to do all grain brews adn add fruit and stuff .....

but for the price should i just get a reg plastic bucket for my primary fermenting and a glass carboy for the 2nd... or would it be better to get two glass carboys?

 

[laiced]

It is really personal preference. With a carboy, you have the thrill of seeing all of the fermentation activities and measuring your worth by the amount of krausen that has risen....BUT you risk light exposure, which skunks the hops.

You all will have a bit harder time cleaning the carboy versus a food-grade bucket and run the risk of it breaking, which is dangerous AND expensive.

Your secondary fermenter should be a 5 gallon carboy or bucket though....you do not want a lot of headroom in there....I use a 5 gallon carboy as my secondary, but I built a wood cabinet to store it in, which protects it and prevents light from getting to my beer.

 

[Homercidal]

Personally, I'd not use glass carboys. They are much more money, and you can secondary in a bucket. It's the length of time that's important and I would personally never secondary a beer for long enough to worry about it. Wine and Mead and Cider, then yes, maybe.

But there is nothing wrong with using them either, other than they are heavy, harder to clean, and more dangerous. If those are not concerns for you, then CL is probably the best bet for them since they are $$ for new nowadays.

Use a 6 or 6.5 for primary and a 5 for secondary.

And also, when starting out, really pay attention to fermentation temps. That is one area that not a lot of people think about when they start and it can make a huge difference in the quality of the beer. Generally for ales you'll want it about 65 actual temp, maybe a few degrees lower ambient temp.

 

[edmanster]

Buckets are good but might stain and leave odors and glass is heavy and can break with slippery hands ect but its mostly a preference for primary...

 

[baddagger]

now i thought the the whole point of the glass carboy was so u can check for are bubbles to know when the fermenting has started and ended by watching it bubble? now with a plastic bucket would'nt that make it alot harder to check for sense u would not be able to see threw it?

as for the light getting to it im not two worried i have basement i can put in when its doing its thing

 

[edmanster]

now i thought the the whole point of the glass carboy was so u can check for are bubbles to know when the fermenting has started and ended by watching it bubble? now with a plastic bucket would'nt that make it alot harder to check for sense u would not be able to see threw it?

as for the light getting to it im not two worried i have basement i can put in when its doing its thing

Nope... You will know when it starts when the krausen starts to form and the airlock is bubbling. You can see the krausen threw the bucket most times or pop the top a little... You can't go by the airlock because the bucket might not seal good and might not always bubble.. You need a hydrometer to see when it's done...

 

[Homercidal]

There is nothing about bubbles that can relate what is going on as far as the fermentation. You'll need to have a hydrometer for that. The only thing I think a glass carboy is good for is LONG (more than a couple of months) aging, and if you are interested in seeing the fermentation as it happens. After a few batches, you'll not care what it looks like anyway.

The right kind of bucket will not leech odors or flavors into your beer, and the amount of O2 it would let pass would be miniscule. I'm guessing that the process of transferring your beer to bottles contributes to an oxidized beer more than the few weeks to month or three your beer spends in the secondary.

Some things may stain a plastic bucket, but I haven't seen it yet on mine. Maybe if you had a large amount of staining fruit, but what's it hurt?

 

[ironcash]

I'm only two brews deep into this hobby, but I just put my brewing equipment togethor individually. I purchaced a 22 qt boiling pot from walmart (one of the black spotted ones for canning) and it was less than $20, for pretty much the same thing at the brew supply store in my town they wanted about $40, so naturally I didn't get anything at the brew supply that I didn't have to... on account of I recently came the harsh realization that I'm poor