DIY Equipment

[tmgrood]

Are there any of you who have built your own beginner equipment kits for brewing?
If so did it save much money as opposed to buying a kit somewhere.
Im talking about buying airlocks, food grade buckets, lids, siphoning hoses and so on.
Just curious because Im thinking about doing it.

[Vienna Lager]

I got my first brewing system as a kit as a gift and did extract brewing for a couple months. Then I met some guys from the local brew club at a 'Polar Brew' on a lake in winter. A few weeks later I joined their group and found most of them were AGers and got interested in All Grain brewing. Though my LHBS had most of the AG stuff I found it enjoyable to make a mash tun out of an old 48 qt picnic cooler. Had some 1/2" copper tubing so made a manifold and the rest is history, as they say.

If you have a substantial income and money is no object then buy all of your stuff. On the other hand if you are kind of handy with tools and like to make stuff then go that route.

[Mad Scientist]

I went in stages, aquiring my parts (for AG that I needs over a couple of months. I was able to grab a CFC and a ten gallon mash tun with a NICE modified polar false bottom off ebay for very cheap (the mash tun & bottom was like $30 after shipping...a steal from hell).

My initial beginner kit was bought as a kit from a brew store. I think you might save $$ due to ease of ordering, and lessened shipping costs (by buying all at once), etc. Immediately after buying our kit we added more stuff though, and glass fermenters were at the top of that list.

[MichaelM]

build what you can if you can build it correctly and buy the rest.... Its allways more fun doing stuff when some of the equipment is something you created yourself and usualy saves you money as well..

www.midwestsupplies.com has pretty good prices but look around there are a ton of stores out there

[Derekt2]

I think your question was "is it cheaper to buy a complete, boxed beginner's kit or buy all of the same parts individually?" The fast answer is buy the box. Wholesalers (often but not always) assemble the kits and sell them at a discount as one unit, not one item assembled from many smaller units. If you buy everything seperately (from a retailer) it will most likely cost more for the exact same thing. Now, if you want a bench capper over a wing capper, a larger primary fermenter, whatever, than that may not be true. Just my .02

[tmgrood]

Yeah. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of buying from different places other than a homebrewing distributor.
Plastic food grade buckets from one place, airlock from another, carboy from another.............................
On the other hand I wouldnt want to put any homebrewing distributors out of business.
Im sure I will just buy a kit from my LHBS and possibly upgrade certain things myself along the way.
An immersible wort chiller may be one of them.
Thanks for the input.

[corkybstewart]

Buy your starter kit complete. It's cheaper because the store selling it know they'll make their money selling you ingredients later.
But as you progress in your brewing hobby there are lots of things you can build yourself and save tons of money and have fun at the same time. I've got a garge full of brewing gadgets I've built or bought and improved.

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by tmgrood
Yeah. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of buying from different places other than a homebrewing distributor.
Plastic food grade buckets from one place, airlock from another, carboy from another.............................
On the other hand I wouldnt want to put any homebrewing distributors out of business.
Im sure I will just buy a kit from my LHBS and possibly upgrade certain things myself along the way.
An immersible wort chiller may be one of them.
Thanks for the input.

By the time you did that, including your time, gas and/or shipping, I'd guess you would spend much more than what we are all discussing. Example: buy a hydrometer from a shop: $6?, exact same hydrometer from a medical supplier: at least 3x that b/c it's not something they sell a lot of, nor specialize in. Same deal with buckets. A five gallon paint bucket from Home Despot is what $5? Problem is it is way too small for what you need and homebrew sizes (6.5 gal.) are not common because of their odd volume. Besides how many hours, or even days, do you want to put into something you can accomplish in one fell swoop.

Disclosure: I am a LBS but it's not like I'm going to sell you anything. I've just seen this a bunch of times before and it's always the same deal. You *might* save a few bucks (and I'm still guessing not) but boy are you going to put a lot of effort into it. Save the energy and put it into making good beer instead.

[danno]

the place you can really MacGuyver everything yourself, and IMO save a bunch of money is in an All Grain system. for instance, morebeer's sculptures start out at about a grand, you could easily cobble the necessary stuff together much cheaper than that, but it involves a lot of effort. (I know, I've done it.) But extract kits, it's a no-brainer like everyone else said, get a starter kit (I'd go with an intermediate level kit)...

[tmgrood]

I personaly havent even brewed yet and was thinking of going for one of the beginner kits when I do, as much as I would like to jump right in.
But then again, an intermediate kit may be a good challenge.

[tmgrood]

Whoops danno. I think I read your comment wrong.
Sorry about that.
I see what youre saying.

[Vienna Lager]

The real problem, tmgrood is you find yourself starting to wander around a Wal-mart, Home Depot or Lowes and the picnic coolers begin to look like mash tuns and copper tubing, especially 1/2" begins to look like a manifold or a wort chiller.

GOD forbid if you are near tavern when the beer supply guy pulls up. They usually wheel a keg or couple of cases into the tavern and leave a bay or two on a side of their truck wide open. Instead of thinking of how to heft a full keg, your mind will figure that an empty one won't be missed and would make a nice HLT, or cook pot. I know some people that also use a keg for a mash tun.

Oh forgot to mention, those steel shelves at Home Depot/Lowes would make a good three tier framework.

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by Vienna Lager
The real problem, tmgrood is you find yourself starting to wander around a Wal-mart, Home Depot or Lowes and the picnic coolers begin to look like mash tuns and copper tubing, especially 1/2" begins to look like a manifold or a wort chiller.

GOD forbid if you are near tavern when the beer supply guy pulls up. They usually wheel a keg or couple of cases into the tavern and leave a bay or two on a side of their truck wide open. Instead of thinking of how to heft a full keg, your mind will figure that an empty one won't be missed and would make a nice HLT, or cook pot. I know some people that also use a keg for a mash tun.

Oh forgot to mention, those steel shelves at Home Depot/Lowes would make a good three tier framework.

Truer words have never been spoken. Oh, and you forgot to mention: "I wonder if that 3-stage stock pot is big enough to hold 10 pounds of mash?" Or, I wonder if I can move that freezer shelf back...

[tmgrood]

HAHA!
You guys are great.

[Vienna Lager]

To: Derek2 ...SHhhhhhhh.... (in a low whisper) "not the freezer shelf, his wife will have a fit".

[tmgrood]

Oh thats so true.
Actualy she's behind me on this homebrewing hobby.
Thats why I want to make sure my first batch is a good one because otherwise I may have alot of esplainen to do.

[MichaelM]

Originally posted by Vienna Lager
The real problem, tmgrood is you find yourself starting to wander around a Wal-mart, Home Depot or Lowes and the picnic coolers begin to look like mash tuns and copper tubing, especially 1/2" begins to look like a manifold or a wort chiller.

GOD forbid if you are near tavern when the beer supply guy pulls up. They usually wheel a keg or couple of cases into the tavern and leave a bay or two on a side of their truck wide open. Instead of thinking of how to heft a full keg, your mind will figure that an empty one won't be missed and would make a nice HLT, or cook pot. I know some people that also use a keg for a mash tun.

Oh forgot to mention, those steel shelves at Home Depot/Lowes would make a good three tier framework.


Truer words have not been spoken LOL. Try being a plumber with all the assorted crap laying around a plumbing shop..... never get any work done or when I visit the shop I walk aorund thinking ok what can I use this for and forget why I what I was there for in the first place

[corkybstewart]

The nearest Home Depot is 75 miles away so whenever we're there I buy copper fittings, T's, barb fittings, hoses,etc. The wife just rolls her eyes and doesn't say a word. She knows I'm planning to do something to the brewery and she just hopes it won't take any more room.

[danno]

Originally posted by tmgrood
Whoops danno. I think I read your comment wrong.
Sorry about that.
I see what youre saying. take a look at NB's starter kits (http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html). I was referring to the "glass" starter kit, what they used to call the intermediate kit.

(hey Derek, I'd be happy to link to your website to show off kits and stuff, but you gotta get your catalog online... :cool: )

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by danno
take a look at NB's starter kits (http://www.northernbrewer.com/starterkits.html). I was referring to the "glass" starter kit, what they used to call the intermediate kit.

(hey Derek, I'd be happy to link to your website to show off kits and stuff, but you gotta get your catalog online... :cool: )


I'd go with the delux myself, and a dd a chiller to it, but I would recommend a counter flow chiller as opposed to an immersion.

Starterkits from www.austinhomebrew.com, www.morebeer.com, www.williamsbrewing.com, and www.listermann.com should not be ignored either. At least wit this shorter list, you can price shop these, and decide you best option. Always be sure to figure shipping & kettle size (if available) into the equation.....

[Vienna Lager]

Some of you guys might liken our obsession with brewing and getting lost in the cooler section of Wal-mart or plumbing section of Home Depot/Lowes as pay back time for all those torturous hours that you were dragged through the shoe stores, lngerie saloons etc. (by you know who) and made to give an opinion of a certain item.

[Derekt2]

Shooe stores? No. Loungerie saloons. Okay!

[corkybstewart]

Originally posted by Vienna Lager
Some of you guys might liken our obsession with brewing and getting lost in the cooler section of Wal-mart or plumbing section of Home Depot/Lowes as pay back time for all those torturous hours that you were dragged through the shoe stores, lngerie saloons etc. (by you know who) and made to give an opinion of a certain item.

My favorite way to spend an afternoon was standing in the bra section holding a purse. We've been married long enough now I just say "I'm going to Sears to look at tools, want to go with me?"

[Vienna Lager]

Corky "in the bra section holding a purse".

Now that would be one interesting avatar.

[corkybstewart]

I hope you can get that image in your mind because if such a picture ever existed it and the negatives would long ago have been burned.

[Halgarmeister]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
I hope you can get that image in your mind because if such a picture ever existed it and the negatives would long ago have been burned.

Good thing I have connections with store security. ;)

Personally I don't thing the wife was even involved. Corky just walked into the lingerie department with a decoy purse to distract the sales staff and security...


wink wink

[corkybstewart]

No comment

[tmgrood]

You guys are crazy....................I love it.

[dparsons]

I agree with danno on the "intermediate" level kit. Get the one that comes with carboy(s) of the appropriate size. It will cost you less in the long run because you won't be upgrading for your 3rd batch.

The one thing you can definitely get cheap is bottles. People throw away tons of recappable brown bottles. Save your own. Ask your friend to give you theirs - the promise of a homebrew or two is a great motivator.

[tmgrood]

Does anyone know if Alaskan Amber or Pyramid Hefe Weizen comes in capable bottles?
Theyre both on sale at the nearby Safeway so I thought I would start collecting these bottles for future brewing.
These just happen to both be brands I have never tried before.

[Mad Scientist]

You need pop-top bottles

Pyramid Does not use these

Alaska, I don't know.

BTW, if you get a kit with carboys, make sure one is a 6.5 gallon.

[tmgrood]

Is that to make room for the fermentation foam?

Then it looks like it may be Alaskan Brew tonight................or Red Hook. Not sure if they have pop top or not.
Thanks for all your help.

[corkybstewart]

Grolsch and Fischer make great beer bottles, but not great beer. And since they're 16 oz it only takes about 37 of them to bottle a batch. Suggest to a bunch of friends that everybody come over Sunday for a Grolsch and chips party to watch some football-you bring the chips, they each bring 6 or 8 Grolschs. Of course you'll want to buy some good beer for yourself.
Hang around the recycling bins on a Sunday afternoon, I've gotten literally hundreds of bottles that way. Stay with brown bottles if at all possible to minimize skunking problems. I used to bottle in clear Samuel Smith bottles before I started kegging.

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
Hang around the recycling bins on a Sunday afternoon, I've gotten literally hundreds of bottles that way.

What are recycling bins? Must not be something we have here in TX...

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by tmgrood
Is that to make room for the fermentation foam?

yes - you'll want a little extra room in your primary.

[corkybstewart]

Originally posted by Boerne Brew
What are recycling bins? Must not be something we have here in TX...

New Mexicans are much more environmentally savvy than Texans. Otherwise you'ld be looking for a job.

[Otis_The_Drunk]

Being that tmgrood is from Washington state, they are pretty enviro-nazi there too. So, he should be able to get a great number of good useable beer bottles at the recycling center.

[sl7vk]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
Grolsch and Fischer make great beer bottles, but not great beer. And since they're 16 oz it only takes about 37 of them to bottle a batch. Suggest to a bunch of friends that everybody come over Sunday for a Grolsch and chips party to watch some football-you bring the chips, they each bring 6 or 8 Grolschs. Of course you'll want to buy some good beer for yourself.
Hang around the recycling bins on a Sunday afternoon, I've gotten literally hundreds of bottles that way. Stay with brown bottles if at all possible to minimize skunking problems. I used to bottle in clear Samuel Smith bottles before I started kegging.

The Fischer's are actually 22 oz making them even better.

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
New Mexicans are much more environmentally savvy than Texans. Otherwise you'ld be looking for a job.

Don't be so sure, I could tell you some things about my NM clients, officed in Clovis......

[tmgrood]

Originally posted by Otis_The_Drunk
Being that tmgrood is from Washington state, they are pretty enviro-nazi there too. So, he should be able to get a great number of good useable beer bottles at the recycling center.
Actualy today I talked with someone at work who has brewed a few batches and he said I should talk to one of the local restaurants and have them save me bottles...............and tip the waitress a little more than usual.
But tonight I thought I would risk it and buy some Pyramid Thunderhead beer in hopes they would come in pop top bottles but I was wrong.
Oh well, the beer is good tho. A very bitter beer but tastes great.

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by tmgrood
Actualy today I talked with someone at work who has brewed a few batches and he said I should talk to one of the local restaurants and have them save me bottles...............and tip the waitress a little more than usual.
But tonight I thought I would risk it and buy some Pyramid Thunderhead beer in hopes they would come in pop top bottles but I was wrong.
Oh well, the beer is good tho. A very bitter beer but tastes great.

Thunderhead is good, but not bitter.....

[tmgrood]

Not bitter? Then what is that taste that seems so bitter?

[corkybstewart]

Originally posted by Boerne Brew
Don't be so sure, I could tell you some things about my NM clients, officed in Clovis......

Allsups perhaps.

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by tmgrood
Not bitter? Then what is that taste that seems so bitter?

Try a Stone Ruination, or a Great Divide Hercules....bitter, but nicely so...

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
Allsups perhaps.

Who??????

[Halgarmeister]

Originally posted by tmgrood
But tonight I thought I would risk it and buy some Pyramid Thunderhead beer in hopes they would come in pop top bottles but I was wrong.

If you look closely at the side of the cap, you can tell if it's a conventional pop-top or a twist top. The bottle threads are visible through the cap, at least on all the twisters I've had.

[dparsons]

For those of you who don't know, New Mexico and Texas have been fighting over Eastern New Mexico and El Paso for a long time:

"You take them!"
"No, you take them!"

:p

[Mad Scientist]

Yeah, we can't even pay to get rid of El Paso...

[corkybstewart]

I know, let's give it to Mexico, they'll take anything. El Paso isn't even in the same time zone as the rest of Texas, how wierd is that?

[Halgarmeister]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
El Paso isn't even in the same time zone as the rest of Texas, how wierd is that?

And Texas isn't even in the same era as the rest of us... :p

[corkybstewart]

Once Kinky Friedman gets elected governor it will be.

[Otis_The_Drunk]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
Once Kinky Friedman gets elected governor it will be.

God Bless Him.

[Mad Scientist]

Foer Kinky's beifit:

Moses bless Kinky....