Which beginner kit?

[salbast]

Hey all! This seems like a great forum to get started with as everybody seems so helpful. That being said, I'm trying to get into brewing. I'm having a tough time trying to choose between kits. I don't live near any brewing supplies stores and I really only want to start out with about a 5 gallon batch.
I'm looking into starting out with this kit
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/everything-a-carboy-complete-brewing-package-equipment-kit-2.html
But then I read that these guys are good too and saw this.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/starter-kits/deluxe-beer-starter-kit.html
Do I really need all these buckets? Would I need 2 carboys? I think I do want to eventually really get into this and continue this hobby, but all these different options can get confusing.

 

[Bach7210]

Both are good kits to start with and both are good companies to order from. I'd get everything you are selling. Chances are you'll use it all at some point as you progress. Welcome to the obsession!

 

[salbast]

Thanks for the reply. I'm really looking forward to get this started. I think I'm going to go with the midwest all in one kit and get their Irish stout. I see you have your own brewing company. Did it start out as a hobby then into a business?

 

[802VermontHomebrew]

those are the two kits I was debating over... and ended up liking the midwest kit #2 better because it comes with the bottles, and the stockpot... and your choice of which beer kit you want... Plus the option of chosing glass or the better bottle. With the other kit you still need to buy bottles and a stockpot... On the other hand northernbrewer gives you to carboys instead of one... Both have their pros I just think (for me personally) the kit from midwest was more bang for your buck... I did the math, I couldnt find a stockpot from under 30.00 and I couldnt find a case of bottles for under 15.00 (24 per case so I would need 2 cases for my batch.. thats another 30.00) So all in all I would have to spend another 60.00 on top of the purchase from northern brewer just to get started brewing... where I can pay the same amount for the kit from midwest and only need to buy one more case of bottles and be good to go! Sorry for the long post just thought I'd share my same situation.

 

[salbast]

No need to apologize for your post. It was very helpful. Thanks. I think that's the kit I'm going to go with. I'm just trying to figure out which bottle to get. I know that the glass looks better, but I do have to carry this thing down 2 flights of stairs when I fill it up so... Does anybody know how much the glass bottle weighs vs. the plastic?

 

[haplo]

I can try to weigh my bucket and glass carboy when I get home in an hour. I don't like the sound of it being carried 2 flights of stairs when it's full though. I'd look into getting a carboy handle that both of those sites probably carry.

I bought a 5 gallon canning pot(black and light specks) for $20 at walmart when I first started out. It's stainless steel with a ceramic coating. I still use when I make smaller batches in my apartment and it works fine.

 

[coy]

I got my "beginners Kit" here - http://www.windriverbrew.com/apprentice.html
and you can choose a what beer you'd like to brew as part of the kit.
I thought the instructions were good and have a 800 number to call if you have other questions. He also answered every question I had via PM here and quickly with in 24 hours. (time difference)

I got my brew pot at local bargain store for $18 and my bottles locally some used for free and some that I drank.

 

[coy]

they also have a more advanced kit as well w/ a carboy http://www.windriverbrew.com/brewmasters.html

 

[doctorRobert]

check out austin home brew, there's is a little nicer I think - larger bucket (so you dont have to worry about blow off) and a floating thermometer. I had the midwest kit and I'm thinking of buying those two things, also their shipping is much cheaper.

That being said, I was very happy with my kit from midwest, everything was packed well and worked as expected, and the wort tasted great my brews are carbing now. I appreciate how they keep their recipe\instructions online, which is a gripe i have with austin home brew.

 

[802VermontHomebrew]

Wow you have the same second debate I had! Which carboy to get lol.... I suggest you go to my thread I made in this same section of the forum it basically covers everything you have asked.... There are all sorts of personal preferences... One side would say glass is better (you get to see your beer fermenting), where as plastic (better bottle) has a way better safety factor meaning you will never break it if it drops on the ground.. Also cleaning them (you must keep this in mind) glass you worry less about scratching with a brush... Plastic if you scratch the inside of it can ruin your brew. As far as carrying them down stairs the glass will be significantly greater in weight. But they do make carrying handles that you can find on both of their websites if not on ebay etc.. In your situation I would reccomend the the plastic just for the "what if" situation of dropping it down your flight of stairs you would want plastic. Yes beer would go everywhere but atleast you arent out of a carboy... the glass would shatter where the plastic would be fine. Yet another long post but I hope it helps you. Good luck on your search!

 

[salbast]

Thanks everybody. You've all been very helpful. I'm still debating on plastic vs better bottle. I'm leaning towards the glass with the brew hauler.

 

[thedude00]

Midwest id where i got my and i love it works great. And it was a good price

 

[bovineblitz]

I got the NB deluxe with better bottles. The deciding factor for me is that I don't like the idea of buckets.

 

[Bach7210]

Thanks everybody. You've all been very helpful. I'm still debating on plastic vs better bottle. I'm leaning towards the glass with the brew hauler.

Glass is great, but comes with some risk. As you've said, it is heavy and can break. The brew hauler certainly mitigates this, but doesn't completely take it away. What I like about my 6.5 glass carboys is the ease of keeping them clean. It takes nearly no time at all to clean and sanitize.

But to be fair, I do intend on getting a couple of better bottles as the price on 6.5 glass carboys has increased a ton since I've last purchased my existing two.

 

[salbast]

I like the ease of cleaning benefit. I don't think I mind getting a workout carrying a heavy jug of beer. I won't be doing it alone. Plus, the downside of scratching the inside of a better bottle (not sure how I would do this) is a con. I'll probably have more of a chance to scratch the inside than breaking the glass. Has the beer hauler ever broken on anybody?

 

[salbast]

I got the NB deluxe with better bottles. The deciding factor for me is that I don't like the idea of buckets.

Why don't you like the idea of buckets?

 

[KingKegII]

A 6.5 gal glass carboy is about 22 pounds, 6 gal of wort is about 52 pounds, so you're talking about lugging 74 pounds of an awkwardly shapped container down 2 flights of stairs. A 6 gal better bottle weighs about 8 pounds. Either way you'll be lugging a lot of weight down 2 flights of stairs. My vote would be for the plastic, or better yet, figure out a way to brew in the place where you'll be fermenting. Search HBT for threads on compact, electric brewing systems or compact 2-vessel systems.

Cheers

 

[salbast]

A 6.5 gal glass carboy is about 22 pounds, 6 gal of wort is about 52 pounds, so you're talking about lugging 74 pounds of an awkwardly shapped container down 2 flights of stairs. A 6 gal better bottle weighs about 8 pounds. Either way you'll be lugging a lot of weight down 2 flights of stairs. My vote would be for the plastic, or better yet, figure out a way to brew in the place where you'll be fermenting. Search HBT for threads on compact, electric brewing systems or compact 2-vessel systems.

Cheers

Thanks for the weight specs. That is a lot of weight. I'm hoping that the beer hauler will be helpful. I'm sure if I have a hand, it'll be easier. Maybe I can find room somewhere in my condo.

 

[DrawTap88]

Better bottle or bucket for primary, since you have to carry it down two flights of stairs. Use the glass for secondary if you plan on adding any fruit, hops, or spices as it will be easier to clean all of that out after you bottle.

I have to carry my primary up and down a flight of stairs. My dog always runs down before me and almost always just about trip over him on the first step, which is why I use the better bottle for primary. In your case, living in a condo, you may have to navigate past some folks coming up or down the stairs, so the better bottle will be safer for you and your neighbors.

 

[salbast]

Sorry guys. I was stubborn. I went with the glass. I'll just use the bucket as my primary and eventually the glass for secondary.
By the way, I do have a dog that gets in the way. I'll have to tie him up when I transport. And I barely see my neighbors.
I can't wait to get started.

 

[802VermontHomebrew]

glad to see you made a decision on a brewing kit... I think you made a great decision... Hopefully your first batch will keep you hooked! I picked up mine last night from that local... All is good, when I move into my new house on Friday I am going to set everything up in my basement, cant wait!

 

[william146]

I got this kit from William's Brewing: http://www.williamsbrewing.com/COMPLETE_BREWERY_WITH_INDIA_PA_P2349C257.cfm

Came with the wort chiller and a brew kettle, which justified the price IMO. I have since bought a 5 gallon carboy for a secondary and am using an old propane burner from a friend.

 

[DrinkinSurfer]

I settled for the costco Brewcraft kit because it was 99 bucks. It ain't pretty but it came with a junky stock pot. It still makes good beer though.

 

[Gopher40]

I saw a tip from someone that when carrying your full carboy to have it in a milk crate. I have heard the handles are not for carrying the carboys when they are full.

 

[salbast]

I saw a tip from someone that when carrying your full carboy to have it in a milk crate. I have heard the handles are not for carrying the carboys when they are full.

So what the milk crate protects the glass?