Which kit?

[JazHound]

I am looking for a starting kit that will last me awhile and I won't have to upgrade right after making my first batch, even though I will probably :cross:

Anyhow suggestions on the seller and which kit would be very helpful.

Thanks!

 

[Desert_Sky]

Well whats your budget?

 

[tequila_sunrise]

I would also like to tag onto this one as well... Say I have around a $150 budget (excluding the fridge, c02, and the kegs)

 

[JazHound]

$150 sounds about right. Couple dollars over if it will get me that much more.

 

[Lounge Lizard]

A kit for every budget:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html


The Deluxe Starter Kit looks nice.

There are other equally good websites that offer starter kits

Don't forget to factor in some kind of brewing pot and a way to heat it. If you have decent stove top burners, you could pick up a stainless steel or enamel brew pot from Wally World. Or you could get a turkey fryer rig from Home Depot or Academy Sports, for not too much money...

 

[Beer Snob]

A kit for every budget:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html


The Deluxe Starter Kit looks nice.

There are other equally good websites that offer starter kits

I couldn't agree with you more on Northern. They are one of the top places around in my opion if you dont have a LHBS. Might want to check out Austin as well. They have free shipping after you spend $60.

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/

 

[RichBrewer]

I would recommend a kit like this one.
http://store.thebrewhut.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=29
If you don't want to spend that much money then I would go with a kit that has 1 glass carboy in it.
Remember that kits you buy don't come with a SS pot or bottles. You will need at least a 20 quart pot. It looks like you will also need bottle caps with this particular one and maybe a funnel.

 

[SteveM]

For a variety of reasons, I still use my original plastic fermenter as my primary and use a glass carboy only as a secondary. Based on this experience I would say you can get by easily, to start, with the plastic basic kits, and buy a secondary when you need one (for about $25 at a HBS). You will need a bunch of bottles, and most here hate buying empties. I have settled on buying cases of local microbrews, which use the same bottles as my HBS sells.

 

[Beer Snob]

For a variety of reasons, I still use my original plastic fermenter as my primary and use a glass carboy only as a secondary.

Funny I am actually thinking to get a bucket now.... at times using a 6.5 gal carboy is nice, but cleaning it compaired to a bucket can be a real pain in the A$$....

 

[tequila_sunrise]

Funny I am actually thinking to get a bucket now.... at times using a 6.5 gal carboy is nice, but cleaning it compaired to a bucket can be a real pain in the A$$....

I would think that a carbouy would be easier to sanitize.

 

[SteveM]

Buckets are easy to sanitize if you approach it right. I make up about three or four gallons of sanitizing solution right in the bucket (either the plastic fermenter or the bottling bcket as circumstances dictate). After they go through the dishwasher, I sanitize my bottles, my siphon and tubes, my funnel, and anything else that requires sanitizing right in there, and in the mean time, all that sanitizer solution is working its magic on the bucket and my hands.

 

[Beer Snob]

I would think that a carbouy would be easier to sanitize.

There is a lot of crud that gets around the neck of a glass carboy. Not terrbily hard to get off with the right brush.... ever drop one on your foot?