Any Beer Brewers in here?
- Thread starter WingZero94
- Start date
Really man you can save a TON of cash by making a lot of the stuff you need yourself. need a 5 gallon carboy? Go to Wal*Mart and score a 5 gallon water jug and you can either make yourself a an airlock for it or order one from most homebrew sites (I'll see if i can pull a link for you after I post this). Cheese cloth works fine to boil your grains in and you can use aquarium hose for siphoning. You can also find most of your grains and whatnot you would need for sale at said homebrew sites. Really all you would need beyond that would be a huge stainless brew pot which can be had at wal*mart or any other department store and will more than likely be your biggest expense.
I would never use the 5 gal plastic water jugs...(soft plastic will scratch and bacteria can wedge in the hard to clean spots) Morebeer.com has some pretty good starter kits-
for 10 dollars more and FREE SHIPPING...you get this (http://morebeer.com/view_product/15910/102142) I think that is the minimum for what you start-
As for your pot- If you are going to do it on your kitchen stove- opt for 5 gallon STAINLESS STEAL (not aluminum!) stock pot or frying pot- otherwise I'd go for at least a 10-12 gallon just so you save money in the long run- (when you do 5 gal beer batches, you will need to boil 6 gal b/c 1 gal boils off in steam) Plus if you move to 10 gal, you need ~11 gal + a lil space on top to prevent boil overs
You can get them from Home Depot or Lowe's- Usually there'll be a good deal on a turkey fryer...make sure Stainless steal...
Beer is fun - Morebeer is good b/c they have free shipping on a lot of items (not all) but they overcharge on some items so beware- make sure you check other homebrew sites...google homebrew (midwest, northernbrewer) and even hop stores online...Good luck and if you have any other questions feel free to ask
for 10 dollars more and FREE SHIPPING...you get this (http://morebeer.com/view_product/15910/102142) I think that is the minimum for what you start-
As for your pot- If you are going to do it on your kitchen stove- opt for 5 gallon STAINLESS STEAL (not aluminum!) stock pot or frying pot- otherwise I'd go for at least a 10-12 gallon just so you save money in the long run- (when you do 5 gal beer batches, you will need to boil 6 gal b/c 1 gal boils off in steam) Plus if you move to 10 gal, you need ~11 gal + a lil space on top to prevent boil overs
You can get them from Home Depot or Lowe's- Usually there'll be a good deal on a turkey fryer...make sure Stainless steal...
Beer is fun - Morebeer is good b/c they have free shipping on a lot of items (not all) but they overcharge on some items so beware- make sure you check other homebrew sites...google homebrew (midwest, northernbrewer) and even hop stores online...Good luck and if you have any other questions feel free to ask
5 gallon water jugs or lidded pails will do the trick. Start with beer making, move up to wine, then end up with distiled hootch.
My main recommendation is to make sure everything is sterile. It helps to use stainless steel and glass equipment whenever possible to ease cleanup and sterilization.
One thing that came to mind is not to use those crappy little airlocks, they are easily overflowed. I've found that running a piece of tubing from the top of the carboy into a separate water filled jug and using that as the airlock is much cleaner and just as effective.
One thing that came to mind is not to use those crappy little airlocks, they are easily overflowed. I've found that running a piece of tubing from the top of the carboy into a separate water filled jug and using that as the airlock is much cleaner and just as effective.
1 bottling bucket
1 (or 2, if you want to do a 2-stage fermentation) glass carboy(s)
1 airlock
1 hydrometer
1 bottle capper
1 turkey fryer
1 6-10 gallon stainless steel pot (that fits on the turkey fryer)
Star-san sanitiser (highly recommended)
plastic tubing
you probably have a local homebrew shop. visit them!
1 (or 2, if you want to do a 2-stage fermentation) glass carboy(s)
1 airlock
1 hydrometer
1 bottle capper
1 turkey fryer
1 6-10 gallon stainless steel pot (that fits on the turkey fryer)
Star-san sanitiser (highly recommended)
plastic tubing
you probably have a local homebrew shop. visit them!
what's the difference/advantage to using a glass carboy to ferment instead of a 6gal plastic fermenting bucket?
I don'tMy local liqour barn(big box booze store) has some homebrew equipment, but it's not like there is anyone there to talk to. I just got my gas turkeyfryer off of cheapcycle, now I need to piece together the remaining equipment.
That kit looks good. You will also need a boiling pot...four gallons will be sufficient...stainless steel if you can afford it. I suggest you buy the Charlie Papazian book Complete Joy of Homebrewing
The typical method is to ferment in the primary fermenter (usually the plastic bucket) until the active fermentation is complete...about two weeks. Then move it to a secondary fermenter (usually glass carboy) for extended fermentation...at least two weeks depending on the brew.
The typical method is to ferment in the primary fermenter (usually the plastic bucket) until the active fermentation is complete...about two weeks. Then move it to a secondary fermenter (usually glass carboy) for extended fermentation...at least two weeks depending on the brew.
that's already been answered in this thread, but...
plastic will scratch and the little crevices will harbor bacteria.
aside from going glass at the start, another easy way to improve your brews is to do a full-boil (all 5 gallons at once) rather than doing a 2-3 gallon boil and topping up. that's why i suggested a 6+ gallon pot.
Originally posted by: Turin39789
My local liqour barn(big box booze store) has some homebrew equipment, but it's not like there is anyone there to talk to. I just got my gas turkeyfryer off of cheapcycle, now I need to piece together the remaining equipment.
Go to a restaurant supply story for your kettle. Years ago i picked up an industrial grade 15-gal stainless kettle for $80. I also had the jet propane cooker, 150,000 BTUs with that sound tended to freak out my neighbors just a little.
Also, like others have said acquire your own gear (although dont "steal" it as triska suggests), you dont need a "kit." In fact, back in college i used to make wort chillers and sell them to the local homebrew store (i was friends with the owner) for some extra cash with little to no effort. You can get good 5-gal buckets, spigots, line, etc at home depot. Usually higher quality and cheaper than a "kit."
Sorry, dude but there is no way you can do a primary ferment on a 5-gal batch in a carboy. Dont spread misinformation. :|
Edit: also, what in the hell are you doing to your ferment vessel to scratch it? Honeslty, if this is an issue i doubt you have ever produced a drinkable batch. I probably had to judge your swill at the sam adams longshot competition. :|
What are you talking about? That's why you buy a 6 gallon carboy and use a blow off tube. Plastic scratches easily and stains. The buckets should be replaced every year...or buy a carboy.
Again, what in gods name are you doing to scratch a plastic fermentation vessel?
If you can sparge exactly the quantity you need to do your boil for however long to result in 5 gallons then you must have one hell of an automated, controlled setup. If i end up with 5.5 gallons or maybe a little more, im not throwing out wort just so i can primary in glass. Besides cleaning a bucket with all the yeast, muck at the bottom is *far* less time consuming. Even cleaning a carboy after secondary is a pain in the ass. Youre just adding work, youre not adding any benefit at all by doing a primary in glass. You do realize that the hot wort going into the primary kills any bacteria present, right? Let it cool sealed, crack to pitch, then reseal. Whats the problem?
HomeBrewerDude
Lifer
- Jan 18, 2001
- 14,465
- 1
- 0
Below is the FYI pm I send to people. At the minimum, you should be able to brew good beer for about for approx $25. If you get into all grain brewing, you can get down to about $15 for 2 cases (the standard 5 gallon batch makes a little more than 2 cases). Also, read Palmers how to website..
http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html
---------------------------
this is a pretty generic pm I send to people, the original recipient had a pretty big budget IMO ($200 IIRC), but you should still be able to get a sense of the basic EQ that is needed.
let me know if you have further questions...
--------------------------------
Look in your yellow pages under beer, for a local homebrewing store. Most large cities have at least 1. Buying local will let you customize your EQ a bit, but might cost you more. However, you will have a place to go to for advice and returns if necessary.
any brew kit that has:
a 7 gal primary fermentation bucket (plastic), lid, air lock. (Plastic is fine for beginners, just don't scour with a anything that might scratch the bucket)
a bottling bucket (has a little spigot...should not be used as a primary fermentation bucket IMO because the spigot may leak)
a 5 gal glass carboy, with air lock and stopper
brushes for cleaning
a quality HOW-TO book (Papazani has a good one, as does Palmer). don't buy homebrewing for idiots.
sanitizer
long handled, strong spoon (not wood).
*bottles, bottle capper, and caps
Throw in a couple of beer kits (Kolsch, IPA, Porter, Stout are all easily doable for a newb) too, so you can brew ASAP! these run about 20-30$ and brew 5 gallons each. They include extract, hops, yeast, and directions.
There are a few things that can really improve the experience of brewing. in the order of least to most expensive they are:
1. an autosiphon. only 10$ or so. great tool.
2. turkey fryer! (lowes has em for 30ish) they go on sale this time of year. (think they are about 30-50$)
--->lets you brew outside, avoiding nasty boil overs on the stove top
--->includes a 7 gal brew pot and nice thermometer (usually not included in brew kits (see above))
3. flip top bottles (avoid the hassle of capping) OR
4. mini draft system (little kegs that fit in the fridge and hold about 1.25 gallons) OR
5. a kegging system ($200), requires an extra fridge, but negates the cost and hassles of bottling.
there will be some things in the kit that you may NOT want such as regular bottles, caps, and a bottle capper. MAYBE you can trade up on these to flip tops.
Some example websites, there are many good on-line vendors. These are just a few.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/
---> they have a decent kits
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/
----> decent kits, has one with a tapadraft minikeg system, and one with a kegging system
http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html
--->also has a kit with kegging eq included.
http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html
---------------------------
this is a pretty generic pm I send to people, the original recipient had a pretty big budget IMO ($200 IIRC), but you should still be able to get a sense of the basic EQ that is needed.
let me know if you have further questions...
--------------------------------
Look in your yellow pages under beer, for a local homebrewing store. Most large cities have at least 1. Buying local will let you customize your EQ a bit, but might cost you more. However, you will have a place to go to for advice and returns if necessary.
any brew kit that has:
a 7 gal primary fermentation bucket (plastic), lid, air lock. (Plastic is fine for beginners, just don't scour with a anything that might scratch the bucket)
a bottling bucket (has a little spigot...should not be used as a primary fermentation bucket IMO because the spigot may leak)
a 5 gal glass carboy, with air lock and stopper
brushes for cleaning
a quality HOW-TO book (Papazani has a good one, as does Palmer). don't buy homebrewing for idiots.
sanitizer
long handled, strong spoon (not wood).
*bottles, bottle capper, and caps
Throw in a couple of beer kits (Kolsch, IPA, Porter, Stout are all easily doable for a newb) too, so you can brew ASAP! these run about 20-30$ and brew 5 gallons each. They include extract, hops, yeast, and directions.
There are a few things that can really improve the experience of brewing. in the order of least to most expensive they are:
1. an autosiphon. only 10$ or so. great tool.
2. turkey fryer! (lowes has em for 30ish) they go on sale this time of year. (think they are about 30-50$)
--->lets you brew outside, avoiding nasty boil overs on the stove top
--->includes a 7 gal brew pot and nice thermometer (usually not included in brew kits (see above))
3. flip top bottles (avoid the hassle of capping) OR
4. mini draft system (little kegs that fit in the fridge and hold about 1.25 gallons) OR
5. a kegging system ($200), requires an extra fridge, but negates the cost and hassles of bottling.
there will be some things in the kit that you may NOT want such as regular bottles, caps, and a bottle capper. MAYBE you can trade up on these to flip tops.
Some example websites, there are many good on-line vendors. These are just a few.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/
---> they have a decent kits
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/
----> decent kits, has one with a tapadraft minikeg system, and one with a kegging system
http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html
--->also has a kit with kegging eq included.
HomeBrewerDude
Lifer
- Jan 18, 2001
- 14,465
- 1
- 0
Hot wort in the primary? It should be down to 80 degrees which definitely won't kill any bacteria. I've always used glass for my primary, I have two 6.5 gal glass carboys for primary and two 5 gal glass carboys for secondary. My carboy will be good for years and you'll have to replace your bucket every year. In the long run glass is better. Although you can also get a "better bottle" which is a plastic carboy, but eventually will scratch and need to be replaced.
I suggest reading up at www.homebrewtalk.com lots of useful information over there. I've been brewing for about 2 months, but I've already made 20 gallons of beer and 5 gallons of hard cider.
I don't have an issue with scratched primarys. My issue is with them staining and retaining flavors from previous brews.
I brew to produce 10 gallons. I have done it enough times that I have two full cornies when everything is finished. I don't waste wort, and don't need to add water at the end. My wort is cooled to pitching temps within 10 minutes of flame out...if necessary. I have a carboy brush and don't have issues cleaning carboys. Glass>plastic.
The bolded statement removes some of your credibility. You should ALWAYS cool as close to pitching temps before putting it in primary.
Originally posted by: HomeBrewerDude
Originally posted by: Unheard
Heh, beat you to your own post
I got an Eastman Outdoors turkey fryer setup secondhand - but I'm pretty sure that it came with an aluminum stock pot and not stainless. Other posters indicate this is a bad thing. Do I need to get a new pot?
HomeBrewerDude
Lifer
- Jan 18, 2001
- 14,465
- 1
- 0
6.5 gallons are fine for primary, but not necessary. There are many acceptable ways to brew beer and everyone has their own preferred methods. In some beers, you might lose some wort during blow-off (the initial period of highly active fermentation). Airlocks might get plugged with krausen, though that a risk too for even 7 gallon PET buckets. If you do use carboys for primary fermentation, invest in some handles, this will facilitate the cleaning process. Also, a nice big sink, with high pressure hose/nozzle will help a lot too.
The main drawback to PET buckets is that the plastic is permeable to O2. However, the diffusion rate is low enough that it won't affect the flavor of your beer over just a week or two that you would use the bucket. Many homebrewers will begin with just a PET bucket and will not rack over to glass for secondary. This is acceptable practice IMO, though anyone that is going to do more than 1 or 2 batches should go ahead and get in the practice of using a glass carboy as a secondary fermentation vessel.
I've been brewing for over 10 years, and I still use plastic buckets for primary. Its just a preference.
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