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[SnailPowered]

I am currently deployed and I have been reading as much of the Brews Brothers forums as I can so that when I get into this hobby I will know as best I can what in the world I am doing. In my quest of understanding and preparation I have looked at a lot of beer brewing starter kits and thought it might be nice for newbs to have a list of links and hopefully some pro advice. So we will start with the links:MoreBeer.com - Personal Home Brewery Beer kitsSouth Hills Brewing Supply - Basic Brewers KitsRebel Brewer - Getting StartedPerfect Brewing Supply - Beginning KitsMidwest Supplies - Equipment KitsNorthern Brewer - Starter KitsHome Brew Heaven - Brewing Equipment KitsAustin Homebrew Supply - Beer Making Equipment KitsI know this isn't all of them but I am pretty sure it gives enough options that everyone can find one that will suit them. From everything I have read I think that MoreBeer.com has the best options in their kits other than that they don't have better bottles for their carboys.This is where the pros chiming in will be awesome! From my previous thread discussing starter kits I learned that you really have to decipher how much you can afford and how much you think you will like this hobby. I plan on jumping in with both feet (probably because I have more money than sense) and getting the kit with an 8 gallon kettle, wort chiller and pretty much everything else.The other thing that I have had recommended every time I have read a brew forum is John Palmer's How To Brew. I also purchased Randy Mosher's Brewing Radical Styles. Of course I am in Iraq and haven't gotten mail in over a month so I haven't gotten the chance to read them yet. Hope this helps!

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I am currently deployed and I have been reading as much of the Brews Brothers forums as I can so that when I get into this hobby I will know as best I can what in the world I am doing. In my quest of understanding and preparation I have looked at a lot of beer brewing starter kits and thought it might be nice for newbs to have a list of links and hopefully some pro advice. So we will start with the links:MoreBeer.com - Personal Home Brewery Beer kitsSouth Hills Brewing Supply - Basic Brewers KitsRebel Brewer - Getting StartedPerfect Brewing Supply - Beginning KitsMidwest Supplies - Equipment KitsNorthern Brewer - Starter KitsHome Brew Heaven - Brewing Equipment KitsAustin Homebrew Supply - Beer Making Equipment KitsI know this isn't all of them but I am pretty sure it gives enough options that everyone can find one that will suit them. From everything I have read I think that MoreBeer.com has the best options in their kits other than that they don't have better bottles for their carboys.This is where the pros chiming in will be awesome! From my previous thread discussing starter kits I learned that you really have to decipher how much you can afford and how much you think you will like this hobby. I plan on jumping in with both feet (probably because I have more money than sense) and getting the kit with an 8 gallon kettle, wort chiller and pretty much everything else.The other thing that I have had recommended every time I have read a brew forum is John Palmer's How To Brew. I also purchased Randy Mosher's Brewing Radical Styles. Of course I am in Iraq and haven't gotten mail in over a month so I haven't gotten the chance to read them yet. Hope this helps!

I'd probably just get the most basic B3 kit to start. I don't see anything there that won't always be useful to you and it can easily be added to.1. for your first couple of batches you don't need to do secondary (therefore you don't need a glass or better bottle carboy). just do an extended primary in the bucket and then bottle it up from the bottling bucket.2. if you want to jump in with both feet and buy a large kettle, get a 10 gallon kettle. with an 8 gallon kettle you will just barely be able to do a full boil for a 5 gallon batch but the chance that you'll boil over is high. you'll appreciate the 10 gallon kettle. the key is to remember that when you start the boil you'll have something closer to 7 gallons.3. there is a good chance your stove won't be able to heat 7 gallons of wort effectively - I have a bayou classic SQ14 burner (can be bought at home depot or online) that I think is a great choice.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

after looking everything over the midwest basic kit looks like exactly what I started with. it's not bad but the B3 kit looks a little nicer to me (I particularly like that they give you starsan and not easyclean).

[zymot]

Much depends on your budget. The B3 kit looks like a good deal. Everything you need to make your life easier. Add a pot for boiling and you are making some good beer.You could go uber cheap and spend a few dollars less.Example: You do not "need" a bottling bucket. I started off siphoning into bottles per Papazian. Then I got a bottling bucket and life was much much easier.Going cheap saves money but it makes brew day more of a challenge. Invest wisely from the start. I have never regretted doing it right the first time. I have several cases where I went on the cheap in the first place, then had to redo it correctly in the second place.zymot

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Much depends on your budget. The B3 kit looks like a good deal. Everything you need to make your life easier. Add a pot for boiling and you are making some good beer.You could go uber cheap and spend a few dollars less.Example: You do not "need" a bottling bucket. I started off siphoning into bottles per Papazian. Then I got a bottling bucket and life was much much easier.Going cheap saves money but it makes brew day more of a challenge. Invest wisely from the start. I have never regretted doing it right the first time. I have several cases where I went on the cheap in the first place, then had to redo it correctly in the second place.zymot

That's why I think the B3 kit is good. I don't see anything in there that I wouldn't continue to use even as I upgraded my brewing setup. I still use the bottling bucket and wand from my original kit.

[SnailPowered]

The B3 kit looks like a good deal. Everything you need to make your life easier. Add a pot for boiling and you are making some good beer.

The B3 does come with a pot, it's a 5 gallon pot for doing partial boils. I know George said that it isn't bad because he has a method of topping up with ice and they work a little better on a stove.The more I look at it I am thinking that the B5 would be the kit that I want because with the wort chiller and kegging system that's almost half the price. Money really isn't an issue and I can't see any reason why I wouldn't absolutely love this hobby. It is a lot for just starting out but it is far from the most expensive leap into a hobby I have ever done. I will definitely be getting a burner and if the 8g brew pot doesn't work out well enough I will get a 10g, I'm sure I will use the 8g for something anyway. Thanks for the input so far!I'm glad I found the MoreBeer.com kits because I had never heard of them until I was thinking about doing this thread, and I thought that I had looked at quite a few. Thanks for the input and I hope there is more! I hope that this gets put in the FAQ area when no one has any more comments.

Edited by SnailPowered, 06 June 2010 - 12:35 PM.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

The B3 does come with a pot, it's a 5 gallon pot for doing partial boils. I know George said that it isn't bad because he has a method of topping up with ice and they work a little better on a stove.The more I look at it I am thinking that the B5 would be the kit that I want because with the wort chiller and kegging system that's almost half the price. Money really isn't an issue and I can't see any reason why I wouldn't absolutely love this hobby. It is a lot for just starting out but it is far from the most expensive leap into a hobby I have ever done. I will definitely be getting a burner and if the 8g brew pot doesn't work out well enough I will get a 10g, I'm sure I will use the 8g for something anyway. Thanks for the input so far!I'm glad I found the MoreBeer.com kits because I had never heard of them until I was thinking about doing this thread, and I thought that I had looked at quite a few. Thanks for the input and I hope there is more! I hope that this gets put in the FAQ area when no one has any more comments.

That would be one of the more advanced B3 kits. I think you could get a better deal if you bought the most basic B3 kit and then bought the boil kettle separately. You don't need most of the more advanced stuff that the kit with the kettle comes with for that first batch of delicious beer. I think it's good to do things the most basic way first before making a decision about what more advanced stuff you want to buy. Otherwise you might go up a path that isn't what you want and then you have wasted equipment on your hands.

[zymot]

These are the two items from morebeer.com that will get you making beer. $105 is a pretty cheap first brew day.https://morebeer.com/view_product/15909/102142/Personal_Home_Brewery_%231_-_Standardhttps://morebeer.com/view_product/15751/102211/5_Gallon_Stainless_Steel_KettleA 5 gallon boil kettle means you will do partial boils, then topping off to 5 gallons. If you are doing extract recipes, I see no problem. (one of the best beers I ever brewed was an IPA extract kit from morebeer that I did as a partial boil)If you want to go full boil, a 10 gallon boil kettle is strongly recommended. You could get away with 7 or 8 gallons kettle, but it becomes a hassle. I would not count on a stove being able to get 5+ gallons to a rolling boil. Now a gas burner and propane tank is in your future.My point is, to go beyond the basic two items I linked to above your spending starts getting much higher very quickly.One last word. You will never be sorry you bought a stainless steel brew kettle. I use nothing but aluminum for my boil kettles. Aluminum is cheaper, easier to drill and it is what I find at restaurant supplies stores. So that is an option and a path to save some money.zymot

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

These are the two items from morebeer.com that will get you making beer. $105 is a pretty cheap first brew day.https://morebeer.com...y_#1_-_Standardhttps://morebeer.com...ss_Steel_KettleA 5 gallon boil kettle means you will do partial boils, then topping off to 5 gallons. If you are doing extract recipes, I see no problem. (one of the best beers I ever brewed was an IPA extract kit from morebeer that I did as a partial boil)If you want to go full boil, a 10 gallon boil kettle is strongly recommended. You could get away with 7 or 8 gallons kettle, but it becomes a hassle. I would not count on a stove being able to get 5+ gallons to a rolling boil. Now a gas burner and propane tank is in your future.My point is, to go beyond the basic two items I linked to above your spending starts getting much higher very quickly.One last word. You will never be sorry you bought a stainless steel brew kettle. I use nothing but aluminum for my boil kettles. Aluminum is cheaper, easier to drill and it is what I find at restaurant supplies stores. So that is an option and a path to save some money.zymot

I agree with pretty much everything here. I'd also add that the 5 gallon kettle won't be wasted even if you upgrade later. If you stick with this at some point you'll probably go all-grain and you'll buy a 10+ gallon kettle and the 5 gallon will become your HLT. That's exactly the route I ended up going.

[passlaku]

You might also want to consider adding another primary bucket so that you can start your next batch as soon as you finish your first. That way you have more than one type of beer on hand. On another note, you should check out thebrewingnetwork.com and download their past shows (eg, podcasts of The Jamil Show, and old Sessions) for some good information on brewing. The shows are somewhat raunchy, with sophomoric humor but they are also quite informative.SnailPower,PM me your mailing address so that I can mail you an extra copy of the new Palmer book.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

You might also want to consider adding another primary bucket so that you can start your next batch as soon as you finish your first.

I dunno - in the beginning I would want to wait for that first batch to see if I need to change my process before moving on to #2.

[SchwanzBrewer]

You can make full size batches just fine on the stove.All of my extracts were full boils on the stove. I just used two burners. It does take a bit longer to heat the water, but it can be done.Cheers,Rich

[zymot]

You can make full size batches just fine on the stove.All of my extracts were full boils on the stove. I just used two burners. It does take a bit longer to heat the water, but it can be done.Cheers,Rich

I know it can be done. A gas stove is more likely work than an electric. I advise anybody confirm it with their stove. Put 5.5 gallons of water in a pot. Put the pot on your stove and see how long it takes.In one townhouse I lived, with the electric burners I had to work with, it would take a lonnnnnngggggg time to get 5+ gallons to boil.I went out and bought a turkey fryer. Plus with gas, you can kill the heat instantly to stop a boil over. With electric, you turn it off and hope for the best or you pull the pot up off the burner.Added bonus with a turkey fryer: You have to use it outside. So I save myself from the wife walking into the kitchen every 20 minutes to announce how she does not like the smell and ask how do I stand the smell.zymot

[3rd party JKor]

Wrap your pot in mineral wool, or other high temperature insulation. It'll boil MUCH faster.

[Sidney Porter]

I think that a lot of us have purchased equipement 2x I didn't look at the starter kits but here is the min what I would get if I knew what I know now.-15 + gallon kettle. Coverted Keg or Home Depot has some 20 Gallon AL pots for $150ish. This size will allow you to do 10 gallons batches (you can still do 5).- ball valve- chiller-Propane turkey fryer set up use the 7 gallon pot as your hlt -48 to 60 qt cooler-SS braid- ball valve- 2 fermenters- SS racking cane- tubing- Small chest freezer with temp controler for fermenting make sure you can fit both fermeters in it.- 2 air locks- themometer- hydrometer and test tube- bottle capper

[SchwanzBrewer]

I know it can be done. A gas stove is more likely work than an electric. I advise anybody confirm it with their stove. Put 5.5 gallons of water in a pot. Put the pot on your stove and see how long it takes.In one townhouse I lived, with the electric burners I had to work with, it would take a lonnnnnngggggg time to get 5+ gallons to boil.I went out and bought a turkey fryer. Plus with gas, you can kill the heat instantly to stop a boil over. With electric, you turn it off and hope for the best or you pull the pot up off the burner.Added bonus with a turkey fryer: You have to use it outside. So I save myself from the wife walking into the kitchen every 20 minutes to announce how she does not like the smell and ask how do I stand the smell.zymot

I used an electric stove and always started with 6 gallons of water. I think 35-45 minutes to bring 6 gallons to a boil was my average. I use propane now and it takes about 15 minutes.Cheers,Rich

[jammer]

Honestly, ive never seen the need for a starter kit. I went out and did some garage sale-ing when i first started. I got a ton of stuff for really cheap. You can start with buckets and no carboys. Add some things as you see the need. It doesnt take a lot of $$ to make good beer. Also, i would just start with equipment to do 5 gallon batches first. No need to buy HUGE expensive kettles and stuff. Anything over 5 gallon batches and you need to do some things differently, which may include more equipment. Its very difficult if not impossible to just lug around a 10+ gallon kettle or fermenter, youll need to use pumps or siphons to move your wort around. Hell, you may not even like brewing once you try it. So my advice to you is to start slowly and cheaply. Make sure its what you want to do again and again. Theres plenty of time for you to catch the fever and start throwing money around. If you do enjoy it, youll probably eventually want to start kegging your beer. Or going all grain. Or making bigger batches. Most do. Youll need more equipment for that as well. Above all else, enjoy yourself and have fun.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Honestly, ive never seen the need for a starter kit.

I think a lot of people have more money than time. The basic starter kits aren't a bad deal and you know everything is food safe and okay to use for brewing. It just takes a lot of the guesswork out.

[zymot]

I think that a lot of us have purchased equipement 2x I didn't look at the starter kits but here is the min what I would get if I knew what I know now.-15 + gallon kettle. Coverted Keg or Home Depot has some 20 Gallon AL pots for $150ish. This size will allow you to do 10 gallons batches (you can still do 5).- ball valve- chiller-Propane turkey fryer set up use the 7 gallon pot as your hlt -48 to 60 qt cooler-SS braid- ball valve- 2 fermenters- SS racking cane- tubing- Small chest freezer with temp controler for fermenting make sure you can fit both fermeters in it.- 2 air locks- themometer- hydrometer and test tube- bottle capper

That is a big list for somebody saying "Making beer at home looks pretty cool. I think I would like to try that."snail, there are some basic brewing chops you need to get down. I suggest it is best to get a few extract batches under your belt first. You can graduate to all grain after you get comfortable with the brewing basics.zymot