What is the easiest/cheapest entry into brewing?

[Luke889]

Do you want to brew beer, mead, or wine? I haven't brewed any beer, yet. But I plan on it. I have made a few one gallon batches of mead and wine, and this can be done fairly cheap. Before finding this website, I watched City Steading Brews on YouTube. They explain everything quite well, and they have some really good recipes. I actually have 2 1-gallon batches of their recipe for Metheglin mead brewing right now. But know this, brewing is addictive. Like hooked after one hit addictive. It's an awesome hobby, though, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

 

[MarthaSprung]

I am blown away by the response! Thank you all very much!

It's a bit much to process all at once, and I cannot reply to every post but I have read them all.

Absolute cheapest? Buy an apple. Chop it up into little pieces. Squeeze the juice out and let it sit out in the open where a wild yeast can find it. Within a few days you will have brewed. This isn't what I would recommend and it probably isn't what you had in mind so you need to clarify what you want to brew and what you have already for equipment. That equipment might include a kitchen stove and a big pot. While you might not think of this as brewing equipment, some of us use just that.

I have registered on this forum, because I am interested in fermentation primarily. I have baked sourdough bread and made water (as well as milk) kefir (+yogurt). I also have made apple cider vinegar in a fermentation crock, and currently I have plums with sugar in there. I have no particular idea what I want to brew, but whatever it is, it must be easy to get results. I can get discouraged pretty easily if it gets too difficult or complicated. I like the idea of trying to use what I have in my kitchen already.

When I was ramping up and learning about brewing, I did some early fermenting with half gallon apple juice. You can carefully remove the lid sprinkle in some ale yeast (Nottingham) and screw the lid back down leaving it slightly loose for CO2 release (tighten the lid later and it carbonates.). Make sure to check the juice to make sure there are no preservatives which inhibit yeast. If you are careful with the lid handling, you will be safe for these small cider batches.

Many home brew shops run beer brewing sessions outdoors on Saturdays. I watched a number of these, they are very informative.

Also back in the day I liked the old Brewing TV episodes (now on Youtube). Entertaining and great info for beginning brewers.

Prost!
View attachment 807168

I like this idea, and want to give it a shot. This apple juice is 'from concentrate'. Wouldn't it be better to use fresh juice?

If you start with small batch brewing, you won't need to purchase much equipment and can brew right in your kitchen.

That would be my preference, yes.

A kitchen stove and a decent size stock pot can get you started. Most food grade buckets or PET containers can double as a fermenter, so you're basically looking at purchasing a grain bag, grains (request double crushed), hops, and yeast. If you want to get fancy, you could buy an airlock, but the stated container would also work with a loose fitting lid. This is VERY minimal brewing and you will find that you will need and want additional and upgraded equipment to help you perfect your craft.

EDIT: You can also re-use pet soda bottles for bottling, eliminating the need for caps and a capper.

Are there instructions on this I can follow?

Do you already have any 5 gallon cooking pots?

Yes.

Your stove might not be able to boil 5 or 6 gallons of wort. (mine has a high-output burner but still struggles with that)

Mine gets pretty hot, it might be able to do the job.

When I don't have time to brew but want to do *something*, I make a batch of sparkling cider using bottled apple juice from Aldi or Walmart. (I should probably take up breadmaking instead because I don't need all that alcohol, LOL)

Do you get fresh jucie?

My favorite bottles to use are the tall skinny 500ml plastic soda bottles with screw caps. Costco sells cases of flavored sparkling water in them; it's not very good but it's not bad either and the bottles are awesome and reusable. I don't know how many times you can reuse the caps, but it appears to be a lot.

Fortunately I have enough bottles.

What's important to me is getting any result that is consumable without getting sick, that is easy to make. My biggest concern is that I get overwhelmed.

 

[AlexKay]

What's important to me is getting any result that is consumable without getting sick, that is easy to make. My biggest concern is that I get overwhelmed.

Something to keep in mind is that beer, because of its low pH, alcohol content, and hops, doesn't support the growth of anything that can hurt you. If things go terribly wrong, you'll get something that tastes or looks bad, but it won't make you sick! And chances are things won't go terribly wrong, and you'll get beer.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

My biggest concern is that I get overwhelmed.

Speed Brews (for 1.75 gal all grain brewing, mentioned by @NSMikeD ) and How to Brew (stove top extract brewing, mentioned by @IslandLizard) are good resources for focusing on the essentials. The detailed equipment lists and brew day descriptions will help avoid being overwhelmed.

 

[MarthaSprung]

Something to keep in mind is that beer, because of its low pH, alcohol content, and hops, doesn't support the growth of anything that can hurt you. If things go terribly wrong, you'll get something that tastes or looks bad, but it won't make you sick! And chances are things won't go terribly wrong, and you'll get beer.

Is the beer probiotic?

 

[AlexKay]

Is the beer probiotic?

I don't think S. cerevisiae (brewer's yeast) is normally considered probiotic, though it's probably still good for you. But there have been some studies that beer is prebiotic, meaning it promotes healthy growth of microorganisms already in your gut.

 

[z-bob]

I like this idea, and want to give it a shot. This apple juice is 'from concentrate'. Wouldn't it be better to use fresh juice?

Do you get fresh jucie?

The juice I use is from concentrate. I have used the "not from concentrate" juice from Costco and can't tell a difference. The main thing you have to watch for is to make sure the juice does not contain sorbate or benzoate preservatives. Ironically, fresh juice from an orchard usually has these preservatives and it's not easy to tell from the label. (it will be listed on the back in unreadably-small print) Pasteurized is fine. Sodium ascorbate or vitamin C added is fine.

I'm glad to see we didn't scare you away with so many replies

 

[RM-MN]

I started brewing many years ago by putting some bread yeast into a container of apple juice. I let it set out on the counter for a couple days to give the yeast a chance to get started, the refrigerated the concoction. At that point it will have little alcohol but will be slightly carbonated and I think it tastes good. You can't do much brewing for less money than that. Being refrigerated will drastically slow the fermentation but will not stop it completely.

 

[mamajack]

I started with something a lot like "The Brooklyn Brew Shop's Beer Making Book". A meadmaker and professional baker, I swore I would not make beer unless I could make it from grain - I had no interest in extracts. But I was intimidated and mystified about the process. So I started with a little book like that, 1 gallon apple juice jug all grain, BIAB batches. It wasn't that hard! I picked it right up! And I love it!

I expanded to 3 gallon batches eventually because bulk fermentation is simply better quality with a larger batch imo. I don't drink a lot of beer. I give most of it away. But I love brewing so much, as much as I love making a beautiful sourdough hearth bread or gorgeous pie. It's as interesting, perhaps more so, and endlessly creative.

1-gallon BIAB batches use a very limited equipment profile. Extract brewing is indeed simpler, so if you want the simplest process, that would be the way to go and the way most people start. But if you know your way around a kitchen, 1-gallon BIAB is a very doable way to start. Buy this book or the like - don't get too technical. Just do a simple beer and you'll see if it is for you.

 

[Alan Reginato]

Martha, I didn't read it all. But, the easy way is extract kits. Neve used one, because here, they are expensive. Two things to watch out. Free-chlorine water, run tap water through a carbon filter or buy mineral water. Oxygen, before fermentation it's good, splash when you transfer to the fermentation bucket. After fermentation is a disaster. So, a fermentation bucket that can be connected to a bottling wand it's a must.
The cooling thing, You can do a overnight cooling for the first time, after that I would suggest buy a regular chiller.
Fermentation temperature, keep an eye on it, US-05 (yeast) is neutral and ok to go.
Good luck!

 

[Old Medic]

Take a trip over to Asheville Brewing Supplies on Merriman Ave and chat with them.
Your more than welcome to drop by and help me brew a batch and learn some bad habits.

 

[ShellinTX]

Hello,

I am contemplating getting into brewing and want to ask you what the simplest, easiest and cheapest way to brew is?

Thanks in advance!

I’m pretty new to this as well. We happen to have an orchard that has muscadine grapes, blueberries, and blackberries, so I’ve been experimenting with making wine, but my least expensive jump has been making hard cider. That started this weekend when I bought gallon jars of apple juice. They are already sterilized. You just need the yeast packets, and a #6 cork and airlock. So super simple and about $8.00 for the gallon jug of apple juice (in Texas), $6.00 for an airlock and cork (larger quantities are cheaper per piece), and another $6.00 for packet of yeast (cheaper in larger quantities, but you don’t need much). I also added a little yeast nutrient. The best part is the jug, airlock, and cork are reusable, and you can use cheaper apple juice the next round since you can buy it in plastic. Of course, I had to buy five gallons because it’s apple season! I had an extra jug from before, so I poured off a small amount in each so as not to bubble over in first fermenting stage. I plan to add some of our berries and taste test which I like best in second fermenting. Had some amazing Blackberry cider in Seattle this summer, and that is the taste I’m hoping for!

 

[bwible]

If I were to go with less than 5 gallons, I think 3 would be pretty optimal. 32 bottles (if you exactly hit your volume) still feels like you got something out of all the effort, plus you can use 5 gallon kettles, buckets, or even carboys no problem.

3 gallons is exactly what I settled on long ago. In the real world it actually works out to right about 30 bottles. Or a case plus a 6 pack.

I plan all my recipes as 3.5 gallon batches. I collect 4 gallons to start and after the hour boil 3.5 gallons goes in the fermenter so that I actually get 3 gallons of finished beer after losses.

I settled on 3 gallons for several reasons:
- I am the only one in my house who drinks the beer and I don’t go through it as quickly as others might
- I like variety. I don’t want 50 bottles of one beer and 10 cases of beer after brewing 5 batches
- available carboy and keg sizes. I can ferment 3.5 gallons comfortably in a 5 gallon carboy. They make 3 gallon carboys too. I also have several 3 gallon kegs though those are getting harder to find.
- I can brew indoors on my stove, the pot is not too big for the stove to heat.
- I am 60+ and all the containers are smaller, lighter, and easier to handle compared to the “standard” 5 gallon batch, which will now start to matter more.

The biggest downside of the smaller batches is that I no longer have the capacity to brew 5 gallons, so if I want to fill a 5 gallon keg then I need to brew twice or plan a concentrated batch to be watered down after the boil.

For newbies, extract is the easiest way to start out. Working with known gravity points per pound of extract. The big pot is the biggest expense. I have a 5 gallon Anvil pot. Buy quality, buy once, cry once.

The learning curve is the biggest thing. So many hops now, many of us experirenced brewers have not brewed with half the varieties out there. Learning all the grains and what they are for. Learning all the beer styles and how to come up with recipes. Some kind of recipe software is great to have.

+1 on extract for newer people - its simpler, and you want to have the best chance for a positive experience early on so a new person doesn’t get quickly discouraged.

Far as cheap, nothing is cheap today. Extract costs more than grain but the work is done for you and your brew day becomes 2 hours shorter. Your time is worth something too.

Mead is also a good thing to start with. You don’t need a pot since you don’t boil mead. But even making cider or mead now has gone way up. I used to get 5 lbs of honey for $11.99 about 2 years ago and that is $21.99 now.

 

[Old Medic]

We are just over the Mt from you, and just getting back into brewing again (retirement is great) after nearly a 10 year break. The wife has developed a taste for Mead so that is the current project. I started out with a Turkey frier, brew bucket kit and extract kits. Changed to all grain, and had a blast with that, doing one every couple weeks. Was buying bulk grains so the per batch cost was 1/2 of buying kits, but add the other costs in. Its like reloading ammo to save money... LOL... You'll end up spending several hundred dollars to make it yourself for 1/2 price... So you need to make more... and then spend several hundred more for improved equipment, and now your down to 1/3 price...
Case in point, We live next to an orchard, and allowed to get as may left over apples we want.... Have canned them for years... but spent some $$$ on a crusher and press for fresh cider, and the base for hard cider and Cyser, pushing about 10 gallons so far.
Its a fun hobby, and good skill to have. Dont hesitate to hollar at us.

 

[Teufelhunde]

I don't think S. cerevisiae (brewer's yeast) is normally considered probiotic, though it's probably still good for you. But there have been some studies that beer is prebiotic, meaning it promotes healthy growth of microorganisms already in your gut.

I love it.....beer is medicine.....LOL....I must be healthier than I thought....

 

[MarthaSprung]

Dont hesitate to hollar at us.

Thank you very much for the kind offer. Currently I am located in germany, unfortunately.

What I want to do first is to get ale yeast (Bierhefe) and apple juice. I can get locally sourced apple juice, but am not sure whether I'll be able to find the ale yeast in a local store. They have Bierhefe at the drugstore, but as a supplement, so I am guessing that it is not active. If I order online I can get the Nottingham ale yeast, but the shipping cost is as high as the product itself.

 

[z-bob]

Thank you very much for the kind offer. Currently I am located in germany, unfortunately.

What I want to do first is to get ale yeast (Bierhefe) and apple juice. I can get locally sourced apple juice, but am not sure whether I'll be able to find the ale yeast in a local store. They have Bierhefe at the drugstore, but as a supplement, so I am guessing that it is not active. If I order online I can get the Nottingham ale yeast, but the shipping cost is as high as the product itself.

Can you get any wine yeasts? White wine yeast and a little yeast nutrient works very well for apple juice, and at least in the States it's cheaper than ale yeast.

(this is just a wild thought) Can you get a bottle of unfiltered bottle-conditioned beer? A Hefeweizen (sp?) might be good. As long as it's not pasteurized you can ferment with the dregs from a bottle or two.

 

[MarthaSprung]

Can you get any wine yeasts? White wine yeast and a little yeast nutrient works very well for apple juice, and at least in the States it's cheaper than ale yeast.

I might get wine yeast. Thanks for the tip!

(this is just a wild thought) Can you get a bottle of unfiltered bottle-conditioned beer? A Hefeweizen (sp?) might be good. As long as it's not pasteurized you can ferment with the dregs from a bottle or two.

I like this idea. I will ask around if/how I can get a unpasteurized and unfiltered Hefeweizen.

 

[IslandLizard]

What I want to do first is to get ale yeast (Bierhefe)

Any breweries around? They may give you a jar of their yeast.

 

[MarthaSprung]

Any breweries around? They may give you a jar of their yeast.

I have just e-mailed them, I hope they'll sell me their yeast.

 

[NSMikeD]

Champagne yeast is often recommended for apple juice. I don't know why, but my LHBS suggested it and that's what I use whenever I make cider. Like wine yeast it's easy to source.

 

[MarthaSprung]

Champagne yeast is often recommended for apple juice. I don't know why, but my LHBS suggested it and that's what I use whenever I make cider. Like wine yeast it's easy to source.

That's good to know.

I can get a variety of active Hefen here (labels in english):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/323360018685?var=512421233213
They are all pretty cheap and without shipping cost. Should I go with 'apple & pear cider'?

 

[Graham H]

Just this year I started experimenting with cider. I’ve been making 1 gallon batches using only store bought apple juice, sugar, and yeast. I’m still experimenting on finding a good “base” cider recipe so I haven’t tried adding any extra flavoring agents (fruits, spices, etc). I’ve found that I can get a drinkable cider in as little as a month, but the flavor improves greatly if I let the cider age. I picked up a bunch of one gallon fermentation jars (around US $20 for a kit of two; includes jars, lids, seals, and airlocks).

FastRack One gallon Wide Mouth Jar with Drilled Lid & Twin Bubble Airlock-Set of 2, multicolor (B01AKB4G9E) Amazon.com: FastRack One gallon Wide Mouth Jar with Drilled Lid & Twin Bubble Airlock-Set of 2, multicolor (B01AKB4G9E) : Home & Kitchen

Using these, I’ve made eight batches so far (another two are in progress) and used different juices, yeasts, and quantities of sugar. After sitting in the jars for about two month, I usually bottle (the 500ml swing top bottles are ideal; buy a case of the bottles and enjoy the free beer that comes in them) and then sample each batch bit by bit, a few weeks between each bottle. In my limited experience, I’ve found that two months of conditioning in the bottle has greatly improved the taste.

There’s plenty of equipment your can get (fairly inexpensively) over time to help you in your process. My suggestion would be a notebook, hydrometer, and autosiphon. As for additional supplies, cleanliness is key, so pick up some no-rinse sanitizer (Starsan is a good choice). Nutrients, enzymes, and additional items will probably come in handy eventually, but you’ll always need to clean & sanitize.

Best of luck!

 

[MarthaSprung]

Just this year I started experimenting with cider. I’ve been making 1 gallon batches using only store bought apple juice, sugar, and yeast.

What Yeast did you use?

I’m still experimenting on finding a good “base” cider recipe so I haven’t tried adding any extra flavoring agents (fruits, spices, etc). I’ve found that I can get a drinkable cider in as little as a month, but the flavor improves greatly if I let the cider age. I picked up a bunch of one gallon fermentation jars (around US $20 for a kit of two; includes jars, lids, seals, and airlocks).

Interesting. Does more yeast speed up the process. How much do you use?

FastRack One gallon Wide Mouth Jar with Drilled Lid & Twin Bubble Airlock-Set of 2, multicolor (B01AKB4G9E) Amazon.com: FastRack One gallon Wide Mouth Jar with Drilled Lid & Twin Bubble Airlock-Set of 2, multicolor (B01AKB4G9E) : Home & Kitchen

That looks nice, maybe I can find something like this in germany.https://a.co/d/cW77bZw

Using these, I’ve made eight batches so far (another two are in progress) and used different juices, yeasts, and quantities of sugar. After sitting in the jars for about two month, I usually bottle (the 500ml swing top bottles are ideal; buy a case of the bottles and enjoy the free beer that comes in them) and then sample each batch bit by bit, a few weeks between each bottle. In my limited experience, I’ve found that two months of conditioning in the bottle has greatly improved the taste.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

There’s plenty of equipment your can get (fairly inexpensively) over time to help you in your process. My suggestion would be a notebook, hydrometer, and autosiphon. As for additional supplies, cleanliness is key, so pick up some no-rinse sanitizer (Starsan is a good choice). Nutrients, enzymes, and additional items will probably come in handy eventually, but you’ll always need to clean & sanitize.

Got it.

 

[z-bob]

@MarthaSprung This is my favorite cider yeast: COTE DES BLANC RED STAR 5 GRAM WINE YEAST set of 6 | eBay Maybe you can find a seller in the EU?

I'm going to start some cider today using yeast harvested from a bottle of homebrew beer. (it's "Jovaru" yeast from Lithuania) I'm going to drink a bottle of the beer, pouring carefully to avoid disturbing the sediment. Then fill the bottle about halfway with pasteurized apple juice. Screw the lid on tight, shake it up good, loosen the lid just a little and see if it starts fermenting. Assuming it does, I'll add it to a gallon of apple juice and about 80 grams of sugar with a proper airlock on top. I want to try this yeast because it seems to produce a lot of glycerin, which tastes sweet and adds body. If I like it, I'll use the sediment from the gallon jug and some yeast nutrient to start a 4 gallon batch.

 

[MarthaSprung]

@MarthaSprung This is my favorite cider yeast: COTE DES BLANC RED STAR 5 GRAM WINE YEAST set of 6 | eBay Maybe you can find a seller in the EU?

I'm going to look for that. For now I am going to order the cheapest I get here and see if that does the job.

I'm going to start some cider today using yeast harvested from a bottle of homebrew beer. (it's "Jovaru" yeast from Lithuania) I'm going to drink a bottle of the beer, pouring carefully to avoid disturbing the sediment. Then fill the bottle about halfway with pasteurized apple juice. Screw the lid on tight, shake it up good, loosen the lid just a little and see if it starts fermenting. Assuming it does, I'll add it to a gallon of apple juice and about 80 grams of sugar with a proper airlock on top. I want to try this yeast because it seems to produce a lot of glycerin, which tastes sweet and adds body. If I like it, I'll use the sediment from the gallon jug and some yeast nutrient to start a 4 gallon batch.

Sounds awesome! Please, keep us updated on your progress.

 

[szap]

When I switched from propane to electric, this is the first all-in-one electric brewer that I bought. Obviously not top of the line but served me well and let me know that this was the direction I wanted to go. I use a bag in it and have made some good beers. Based on the name, it sounds like it could be a German company.

KLARSTEIN Mundschenk Beer Brewer - Complete Home Brewing System, Mash Tun, Home Fermentation of Beer and Wine, LCD and Touch Panel, 304 Stainless Steel, 8 Gallons (30 Litre) Capacity, Light Silver Amazon.com: KLARSTEIN Mundschenk Beer Brewer - Complete Home Brewing System, Mash Tun, Home Fermentation of Beer and Wine, LCD and Touch Panel, 304 Stainless Steel, 8 Gallons (30 Litre) Capacity, Light Silver: Home & Kitchen

 

[Broken Crow]

@MarthaSprung ... Aren't you overloaded yet?

 

[cheech226]

Mr Beer kits. They're not the best, but it's certainly the cheapest and easiest way to make beer. The extract is already hopped, and you can usually get all the equipment you need plus ingredients for under $100usd. I recommend swapping out the yeast though...

This is one they're selling for $42.46, everything in the pic.

https://www.mrbeer.com/mrbeer-gold-beer-kit

i got into brewing with a mr beer kit. i did buy s-04 for the yeast. the kit i purchased was churchill's brown ale. i read a lot about brewing. most important was holding temps in the lower range for fermentation with this yeast. the ale turned out well. after that success i bought more equipment. i still use my lbk.

 

[indigo]

My suggestion would be to head into your local homebrew shop and see if there's a local club. I would be surprised if there isn't someone in your area who can have you sit in on a brew-day to learn the process, give you lots of tips and answer questions first-hand. The club might even be able to help you cobble together a decent beginner's used equipment kit for cheap.