Learning to Homebrew!

[twenty5]

I posted in the Groupon Deal thread that I decided against buying myself the kit ( http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php?t=57754 ), luckily I suppose becasue I got one Christmas!

Anyway, I have a ton of questions for Mike, Adam and a bunch of the other homebrewers so I decided to put a thread together that could help me and anyone else that bought this kit.

Contents (from Groupon deal):

- A brewing essentials equipment kit (a $56.95 value)
- Instructional Homebrewing DVD
- 6.5 Gallon Fermenter and Lid
- 6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket with Spigot
- 8 Oz. of Easy Clean No-Rinse Cleanser
- Airlock (Keeps air out of the fermenter)
- Hydrometer (Determines alcohol content)
- Bottle Brush
- Black Beauty Bottle Capper
- Bottle Caps
- Liquid Crystal Thermometer
- Bottle Filler
- Racking Tube with Bucket Clip
- Siphon Tubing

- A steel bottle opener (a $14.95 value)

- Choice of an irish red ale, an autumn amber ale, or an irish stout ingredient
kit (up to a $25.95 value)

- An instructional DVD (a $4.95 value)

- A $25 gift certificate for a second batch

According to the kit, I will still need a brew pot, thermometer and bottles.

So, for my questions..

What will we need as a minimum to get started?

What are some easy and cheap upgrades that would make life easier?

Do we need a carboy? Glass or Better Bottle?

Are the upgrade kits worth the money? Which would you get?

What should I stay away from (what do you consider a waste of money)?



Any and all help is appreciated and links to specific products would be great!

 

[SkinsFanLarry]

Justin, you might as well take up skiing, because you are headed down another "slippery slope" my friend! :grin:

I'm seriously thinking about heading down that "slope" with you though! :thumbsup:

 

[scotchNstogie]

First thing you need for brew day is a six pack of a homebrew, or your favorite craft beer. Nothing motivates you like sipping on what you hope yours will become.

Second, Get a brew or two under your belt before you upgrade. Make sure you like brewing first.

As to the pot. The bigger the better, but keep in mind if it is large, it may need two burners on the stove top to get it going.

The Carboy, I would get. You don't have to use a carboy per se, however, you should get a second fermenter. It helps with clarity and flavor by removing a large amount of the dead yeast from primary fermentation.

Once you have brewed a few times, and know it is for you, then I would get a wort chiller, and depending on if you stay partial mash or not, there will be other things you may want, mash tun filter etc.

Hope that helps.

 

[mthhurley]

So to me, here's what is missing for a beginner.

-A good thermometer that clips to the pot
-An auto siphon racking cane (the one included just says racking cane and I honestly don't know how it works looking at the picture. Putting your mouth on the end to start the siphon is not an option from a sanitation aspect).
-A chiller. Can you live with your sink filled with ice?...yes...is it ideal...no.

You don't "need" a carboy. That's just a fermentation chamber. You have a big bucket that you'll be fermenting in. Carboys are nice and you'll eventually want them, but you can work this kit as is. I've never used glass ones as they scare the hell out of me. Slippery and you drop that once and it will slice your foot off. There are plenty of horror stories out there about this. I use better bottles.

If you are a DIY guy, you can make a chiller on your own (I did). A coil of 3/8's copper from Home Depot, torch, flux, various fittings and you've got a chiller. If you want a pre-made one, I'd go for the middle upgrade kit.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/equipment-kits/kit-upgrades/equipment-upgrade-kit-two.html

John Palmer's How to Brew should be considered the newbies bible. But it's also available on his website for free. But not easy to navigate and flip through like the book.
The hop bag and bottle washer that upgrade comes with are good items.

Go to your local restaurant supply store (GFS if you have that) and get yourself a clear 1 gallon pitcher that has all the graduation markings on it. (top left of this http://cool.cambro.com/product_line.aspx?rrn=2&plrn=82)
GFS also carries stainless steel spoons...get a long one. Can get a pot there too if you don't have a big one.

I also don't see priming sugar in the kit. You'll need this come bottling time, it's what carbonates your beer. You can either buy straight corn sugar from the grocery store (sometimes hard to find corn versus cane), or find yourself a local home brew store and pick up a bag there. Honestly, try and find an LHBS..they will be your friends and can help you in a pinch.

That's all I have at the moment.....Adam? Jeremy?

 

[TheDudeAbides]

Justin, you're the man! I just got done redeeming my groupon thingy, and was planning on a thread just like this.
I even had the same questions, specifically about the carboy, and any easy upgrades that will make life better.
Thanks in advance to the homebrew gurus...
-Dude
(Subscribed)

 

[twenty5]

Oh, what about the water too? Thats a question I keep getting...

I have well water, does that limit me or do I have to add anything or buy water? Any tests I am supposed to do before hand?

 

[Goalee1]

Justin, you might as well take up skiing, because you are headed down another "slippery slope" my friend! :grin:

Soo true, there is so much to play with here. for your first run, I'd just get acquainted with the mechanisms of whats going on as well as temps, etc. forget about secondary fermentation for your first run just because it adds an extra step and little longer fermenting time though it does help clarify the beer. I actually use spring water that comes from a spring under our house and cool my wort in a stream that comes out from under the house (like they did back in the civil war era!). A thermometer is key especially when you start steeping grains.

You have entered yet another hobby which will take up another fraction of your daily hours lol!! Good luck and have fun! G1

 

[Mathen]

Ha! I just got a homebrew kit for Christmas myself and was thinking about starting a batch tonight. Looks like I'll be in good company. :waving:

 

[smokinghole]

You should or could get a decent pot at a restaurant store too. Your other possibly cheaper option would be to buy form bayou classic. After my experience I would advise a 10gal pot to start because it gives you more options and prevents buying a second one too soon. I went from a 4gal doing extract kits to a 10gal to a 17gal. I do still use the 4gal pot a lot though so it wasn't a waste.

 

[pnoguy]

Interesting, Justin. I'll be redeeming my groupon for this today, and getting started the first or second week of January. I'll be watching this!

 

[scotchNstogie]

Oh, what about the water too? Thats a question I keep getting...

I have well water, does that limit me or do I have to add anything or buy water? Any tests I am supposed to do before hand?

Justin,
Thats a great point. In fact, the water is often why a particular beer is the way it is. From what I have read, you don't really need to add anything, unless you are real serious(submitting to a competition). However, if you want, you can find the specific PH and mineral content of various water sources around the globe, I.e. Dublin if you wanted to make a Guinness clone.
I have heard some guys do get their water PH neutral, or brew only with distilled water.
For me, I use tap, that I filter and then just begin my wort from there.

 

[scotchNstogie]

This is a great thread and I am glad to see it on here. I wanted to throw out what I know, but I would love to hear other points of view on these topics.

I have been homebrewing just over a year now and I find it is fun and gives me lots of great beer. I have used mostly Bells kits and I have liked everyone so far.

Being new myself I don't have much advice for all the new brewers other than RELAX. My first brew I was so nervous that I was going to screw it up, I treated it like I was defusing a bomb... No need. It turned out great. Since then I have screwed up a few and... They turned out great.

The two biggest rules I follow, 1) sterilize. 2) coll wort quickly. As to the rest, I keep in mind that our founding fathers were mostly all homebrewers, and they didn't need a whole bunch of fancy equipment to brew... SO relax and enjoy.

ok, Ill shut up now and let the other more experienced brewers chime in.

 

[JRL]

First I want to say. SWEET. Welcome aboard. It makes me want to be there to help you with your first batch.

You are going to need a pot. The bigger the better. When I was doing extract batches with specialty grains (that is where you will be starting) I used a 10 quart stock pot (I had this at home) then purchased a 16 quart. The closer to 5 gallons the better. Full boils will produce better beer however there are other things that I feel are more important.

Sanitizer. You can use non scented bleach for this, just make sure you dilute it properly and rinse with HOT water. ( 1 tbs per gallon I believe) I use Starsan, it is a no rinse sanitizer and is awesome. Anything that touches your wort after it is done boiling needs to be sanitized.

A long spoon either metal or plastic. Long enough to reach the bottom of the pot. No Wood, wood can harbor bacteria.

A grain bag or muslin bag if you are using specialty grains also can use for hops. (might be in your recipe kit)

With your brewing kit and recipe kit that is all you will need to get started and as long as you follow directions, sanitize and cool your wort you will make good drinkable beer and best of all, you made it.

You will find things along the way that will make life easier.

When I did extract brewing I boiled as much as I could and then cooled off my wort with cold water. I purchased 2 gallons of spring water and put it into the freezer when I started for the day. By the time I was ready to cool my wort it was nice and cold and chilled it fast. You can also put your pot into an ice bath.

I never use a secondary fermentation unless I am adding something to by beer as in coffee, oak or fruit or aging it. If I do dry hop I will do it in my primary. The less transfers, the less risk of infection. I made approx 120 gallons of beer last year and only did a secondary on 20 gallons. I leave it in my primary for three weeks then start bottling.

I use buckets for all my fermenting, they are easy to clean and easy to get samples from. The only bad thing is you can not see your little yeasties doing there job. If you want to see that you will need something clear.

Remember that these are my opinions. Just because I do things one way does not mean it is the only way. There are a lot of resources and a lot of different techniques. Just remember the most important thing.

RDWHAHB (Relax don't worry have a home brew)

If you have any questions ask away.

 

[smokinghole]

Ooh yeah the water question. I use reverse osmosis water and add minerals ou t of necessity. My water really blows. If your water tastes good then use it for brewing. A ph test will give you an idea what you have beyond the detail of the mineral content. Water much more than ph 7 will be better for darker beers but can be adjusted. Water that is more acidic is better for pale beers but can be also adjusted to brew darker beers. These are generalized statements of course. I can help out with a ph measurement and mineral adjustments for you.

 

[mthhurley]

You should be able to get a water report from your local municipality. Check their website and let us know what it says. We can go from there.

 

[mthhurley]

This is why more advanced brewers use RO water. You are starting with clean water and can adjust it to meet your brews needs. Not needed for a beginner unless you really have toilet water as your base. Remember that water is the #1 ingredient so it will impact flavor.

 

[twenty5]

This kit good for answering questions on hardness and ph?

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Lab-WQ105-Water-Quality-Yourself/dp/B0009E5YIA/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1325166130&sr=1-4"]Amazon.com: Pro-Lab WQ105 Water Quality Do It Yourself Test Kit: Home Improvement@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51C7qanZS3L.@@AMEPARAM@@51C7qanZS3L[/ame]

 

[twenty5]

Little summary of what I am looking at now:

I got my How to Brew book last night from Amazon

Water test kit - $7.96
5 gal brew pot - $30-50?
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Economy-Stainless-Steel-Brewing-Gallon/dp/B005CIOBFU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1325169435&sr=8-3"]Amazon.com: Economy Stainless Steel Brewing Pot, 5 Gallon: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31MJ%2BG5cBxL.@@AMEPARAM@@31MJ%2BG5cBxL[/ame]
or
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Prime-Pacific-Stainless-Steel-Quart/dp/B0017WPY1A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1325168540&sr=8-2"]Amazon.com: Prime Pacific 18/10 Stainless Steel 20 Quart Stock Pot With Glass Lid: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BHUtHb7FL.@@AMEPARAM@@41BHUtHb7FL[/ame]
Clip on thermometer - $10.99
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/measuring-testing/thermometers/dial-thermometer.html
21" Spoon - $7.99
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/boiling-equipment/spoons-funnels-etc/21-stainless-steel-spoon.html
Bottle Washer - $11.99
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/cleaning-and-sanitizing/cleaning-equipment/jet-bottle-washer.html
Bottle Brush - $2.75
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/cleaning-and-sanitizing/cleaning-equipment/bottle-brush.html
Wort Chiller - $60-65?
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/wort-chillers/immersion/compact-8-copper-immersion-wort-chiller.html
or
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment/wort-chillers/immersion/copper-immersion-wort-chiller.html

Not sure which brew pot or chiller to go with if anyone has any imput there..

So I am looking at a total of $130-160ish in add ons... This will be split between me and someone else so I can deal with that for a start I think.. Anything wrong on that list or should something be added or subtracted?

Also, what cleaners / sanatizers do you use?

 

[mthhurley]

Justin


I think there's a bottle brush in your starter kit.
I use StarSan. Others use Iodophor. I don't like the iodine based ones because they stain.
I'd go with the first pot.

 

[twenty5]

OK, Thanks Mike.

Just thought of boiling.... Not going to be easy on an elec stove in an apartment lol. So I looked into turkey fryers... Anyone have any experience with them? Looking for something cheap turned this up:

http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Grills-Accessories-Smokers-Fryers/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgyZaq53/R-202038907/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&AID=10368321&PID=3925582&cj=true&cm_mmc=CJ-_-3925582-_-10368321

Seems cheap... Is it garbage? I think the pot comes with it, might be aluminum? I dont know..