Would this work?? Basic brewing...

[cyanide]

I'm thinking of going out and getting my basic equipment for my first homebrew! I want to do it on the cheap and easy, then buy more stuff as time goes on. Tell me if I can get away with this :)

Alright, I've done my research, checked out various opinions and options. Here's what I figure I need to get my first brew going.

Get one six gallon bucket with a spigot. Rather than going to all the trouble of getting two buckets, playing with tubing and all, I may as well use the method of basic brewing kits where your bottling bucket and fermenting bucket are the same one. And of course, I'll have a lid and airlock with that.

I'll use the spigot to fill my bottles. Then to cap them, use plastic bottle caps, rather than buying a capper and metal caps. You all know what I'm talking about right? The plastic tops that you screw on to your old beer bottles.

Then, as time goes on, I'll use more equipment if I like doing this. What do you all think? This seems workable, but is going to effect the beer too much? Any warnings for me?

[cyanide]

Oh, one other thing, any advice on a kit to use? I figure I'll just get an easy one that you just boil and add yeast to.

I'm thinking of a Pale Ale one, mainly because drinking a lot of strong beer in June weather doesn't seem like a good idea, and Pale Ale seems to be the most popular for first runs.

I know some Austrailians that had a few good things to say about Cooper's and I believe they export a kit of their beer I can buy here in town. Anyone tried it?

Any particular brands people think highly of, or that I should avoid?

Thanks!

[Tweek]

This will work. One of the problems that sorta just jump out at me is that you could end up with a bit of trub in your bottles if you never rack and just bottle straight out of the spigot of your primary. However if you dont have much trub it could be settled below the spigot and not give you any trouble. Its worth a shot, bottling buckets are cheap and if it doesnt work out then you can just try again with a slightly modified setup.

[yonkersbrewer]

It works for me. Buy the bottling bucket. Make sure that you don't mix the bucket too much when you get to bottling and you won't get too much sediment. And if you do...don;t worry.

Next step would be to get a carboy for seconday. That way you can primary in the bottling bucket, secondary in the carboy, bottle in the bucket again. Saving one step.

If you really want to save on the first couple of tries you can bottle in soda bottles. it doesn't look pretty but I did it for almost a year and it was a great cheap start.

Good luck.

[cyanide]

How much of a difference does not having a second container for removing the trub make on the taste?

I know that basic setups or beginners will put the wort and yeast in the fermenter and leave it at that. The more advanced will take the beer out once the primary fermentation is over and have the secondary take place in a carboy or another bucket.

Does leaving the trub with the beer during secondary fermentation make a lot of difference in the final product? I know it won't ruin the beer obviously, but will it really make a noticable difference in taste?

And thanks, you guys have been very helpful.

[paul84043]

I have never done a side by side comparison, but I can't see how it couldn't make a difference in taste. For better or worse? Who knows...It's probably a personal preference thing.

Just for kicks I threw together what I would pick up as a more complete starters kit, knowing what I know now, with equipment that would grow with your hobby and last for a long time.

It's great that you can start out very small and cheap, I think it lowers the stress level and will ultimately attract alot more people to the hobby.

One problem that I see is your current choice of bottles. I really have no idea how well it will work, I just know that they warn against using the threaded bottles. If you really want to do plastic, you can pick up some of those PET (plastic) ones with new caps.
Flip top, or Grolsch bottles are the ultimate in ease of use, I can pick them up at my homebrew store for 1$ each when they have them used, 1.75$ new. A little pricey, but super cool!
My brother in law got a Mr.Beer kit for X-Mas one year, they made it and used 2 liter bottles. I guess they got away with it the first time, but the second time the caps leaked and thier beer tasted like crap. Well, that was enough to turm him off of homebrew completely for many years until I started making it and he realized that the fault was his choice of equipment, not the beer.

Around here a case of used 12 oz. brown bottles sells for 5$. New ones sell for 10$.
If you shop around you can aquire good bottles from your friends for free.
Caps come with your kit. The capper is 14$.

As for your kit expanding and growing with you, you will probably not want to continue to use a plastic bucket as a primary for an extended period of time.... It works, but the potential for infection increases as the bucket ages and gets scratches in it. Of course a new one is only about 6$, but a new glass carboy is only 15$.

If I were going to spec out a starter kit it would look like this.

6.5 Gal glass carboy 20$
Handle 6$
Angled Brush 4$
Bung and airlock 2$
Fermometer 6$
5 gal glass carboy 15$
handle 6$
Bung and airlock 2$
Fermometer 6$
bottling bucket with lid 6$
spigot 1.50$
tubing 6' 3/8 3$
bottle filler 4$
Star San one step sanitizer 9$
Autosiphon 14$
Theif sampling tool 9$
hydrometer 6$
Hydrometer tube 4$
Hand Capper 14$
backup caps 2$

total so far 139.50$

Basic kit 20$ (that can be prepared in Kitchen on stove)

Bottles of choice? 20$

179.50$ and you're in business with equipemnt that will stay with you and expand for as long as you brew.

Add ons....30 quart stainless pot? 50 to 100$ depending on where you buy it. Very important to get a good one, no aluminum, no teflon, no bolts or jagged welds inside the pot.

Propane stove, 50$ I use a 30,000 BTU from Cal Ranch.

Or buy a turkey fryer kit, it will have everything minus the propane I think.

I would stick to the ales, avoid the higher gravity, longer fermenting beers that would need to sit in the bucket for a long time.

Let us know what you decide to brew and how it comes out!

[cyanide]

Thanks, I'll be looking over that list as and if I expand. In all my hobbies I've started off small. I didn't buy a computer and every accessory and piece of software I ever needed on the first day.

But you're right, starting small and simple reduces the stress level. it also gives me less to screw up.

I'm very interested in moving beyond my first simple setup and making my own recipes and making beer I can really feel is my own, not something I brewed from a kit. But I'll work my way up to that in gradual steps.

Oh and on bottles:
Are plastic caps really that prone to leaking? As I recall, they do sell caps you can use on old beer bottles... are those worth bothering with?

[paul84043]

I've never seen the plastic caps you are referring to... I would see if you can find anyone that has used them first hand.

I keep thinking that I am going to proceed past the extract kit stage, and I am fairly sure that I will sooner or later, but there are so many kits available that are really good, it may take a while!!

One thing I forgot to add to my list would be the 12" funnel with the fine screen removable filter. I think it was another 10$. Worth it's weight in gold...
THere are also a host of spoons and what not available, you'll have to see what your local shop has on hand..

[toneyc]

That's a pretty high-end starter kit. Take a look at these:

http://www.stpats.com/equipset.htm

I would probably go with the 2-stage plastic kit, although I hate those leaky bottling buckets. You mentioned Australia, is that where you're located?

:) Toney.

[RAL]

I can recommend Coopers. I am enjoying a Coopers Real Ale right now and I have another in secondary ferment which looks like it will be as good as this one. Good luck from "Down Under" with your project

[cyanide]

Cool. I saw that yesterday and almost got it, went with a Munton's instead.

I may have to try Cooper's next.

[cyanide]

Originally posted by toneyc
You mentioned Australia, is that where you're located?


Nope, Oklahoma. I just talk with some Australians occasionally and they recommended the brand.

[paul84043]

I have used a few kits with Coopers extract in it and it seems to be grewt quality stuff.

I ordered my first kit from St Pats yesterday, a Barleywine that we hope to have ready for winter.
Those people seem to take beer very seriously!! I will probably end up ordering more from them.

[yonkersbrewer]

Like I said before I made do, very well I have to say, using old coke bottles and their caps for the first year and half dozen brews. I still have some hard cider in the cellar that I am going to try today that is 2 yrs old in plastic bottles. Think about it - coke etc wants their product to last and get to the consumer in good shape so the bottles that they use have to be a reasonable quality.

Toneyc showed a great link. LOL...the only problem is in making the choice. What great sets they are offering. To get into a life long hobby for less that the cost of a so-so fishing rod? Or a couple of trips to the movies? My choice would be to get a set with a bottling bucket only because I have found the spigot set up to be so easy to use.

Looks like you cannot go wrong with all the good choices out there.

[shughes600]

Originally posted by cyanide
I'm thinking of going out and getting my basic equipment for my first homebrew! I want to do it on the cheap and easy, then buy more stuff as time goes on. Tell me if I can get away with this :)

Alright, I've done my research, checked out various opinions and options. Here's what I figure I need to get my first brew going.

Get one six gallon bucket with a spigot. Rather than going to all the trouble of getting two buckets, playing with tubing and all, I may as well use the method of basic brewing kits where your bottling bucket and fermenting bucket are the same one. And of course, I'll have a lid and airlock with that.

I'll use the spigot to fill my bottles. Then to cap them, use plastic bottle caps, rather than buying a capper and metal caps. You all know what I'm talking about right? The plastic tops that you screw on to your old beer bottles.

Then, as time goes on, I'll use more equipment if I like doing this. What do you all think? This seems workable, but is going to effect the beer too much? Any warnings for me?

My only problem with this would be properly mixing the priming sugar in without disturbing the trub. I think you could use priming tablets or put sugar in each bottle. If that is the way you go, just run the trub off the bottom before you bottle. A bottling "cane?" is well worth the investment even for a one time use. The mess it saves will be well worth the investment. Here is a link. (http://homebrewcompany.com/homebrew/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=THC&Product_Code=4861&Category_Code=271)

[hnrblbrbrn]

I use the plastic bottles for the most part. It works pretty well depending on how strong you are when capping. I've had a bottle burst once which made me gratefully for using plastic instead of glass. I'm also partial to the plastic since I can bottle 2 liters at a time instead of 22 oz, the biggest practical glass bottle I've seen. The plastix also travel well IMHO, friends can provide an empty and I'll fill it. Again the breakage problem is a non-issue at parties.

[BucksBrew]

You can buy a complete advanced kit from Midwest Supplies for $110.00 www.midwestsupplies.com

I bought a bottle drying tree, a hydrometer testing tube for gravity readings, a wort chiller, a long stemmed thermometer, 2 nylon steeping bags, extra caps.

As far as the initial bottle collecting, soaking, washing and sanitizing. I have a large tub from Wal-Mart. Holds 2-3 cases of bottles. TSP was best for label removing for me.

Plus I built a two shelf fermenting stand out of scrap 2x4's from local jobsites. I made it portable and strong.

I thought of listing everything I have as a "Everything you need" thread to new brewers.

The better the tools you have, the easier it is to make the brew and the better the results.

[paul84043]

It would be really nice to have a "new Brewers" FAQ section with a suggested shopping list and alternatives that other brewers have come up with.
The kits that the shops sell are good, but they all seem to be missing certain parts and pieces.

I wish I could exercise my creative part of my brain, but I have to hide most of the obvious brewing equipment from the in-laws...
it sucks, I figure that one day I will have had enough and I will simply tell them how it is, but for now, my wife insists on patronizing them.

[Fast_Eddy]

Hello everyone....this is my first post on this board.:D

If you keep your fermenter on a slight incline(the spigot on the high side) that should cause the trub to settle away from the spigot. The steeper the incline, seemingly, the farther away the trub will settle.

This kind of idea was suggested by Dave Miller for using a keg as the secondary and keep the trub away from the spear.

Once you stir in the priming sugar, unless you're careful, it could all be for naught.

[paul84043]

Whoa!! Someone is thinking!!

Welcome to the forum Eddie...

Hopefully by bottling time, you have drained off the lions share of the trub, but that tipping away from the racking port is a fantastic idea.

[shughes600]

I think I am confused. Wouldn't you want to tip so spigot is down. Then open to remove trub.

This sounds like it might work. I'd drain 3 or 4 times though as I think some trub will be missed the first few times.

[paul84043]

I think he's referring to the racking port, not the bottom dump valve. That would keep alot of stuff from settling into the racking port...