fishrising Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 OK, straight to the point...what kit (and from where) do I need to buy to get started in home brewing beer? I want everything in it to get started, not needing to purchase anything else, recipes, ingredients and hardware. Opinions? I want a kit to see if I am interested, before going crazy with "real" equipment. I want to be under $300 all in to see if I want to pursue further. I love pale ales, IPAs, Scottish ales and stouts. I would prefer a pale ale or Scottish type ale to start with. Stout would be a 2nd attempt. THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Donnelly Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 http://www.williamsbrewing.com/Product_Questions_W4.cfm Sign up for a catalog and start collecting bottles with non-screw off tops - 22oz were my favorites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gecko Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 if you decide to get serious get glass carboys to ferment in. Food grade plastic buckets are nice but in the end a real hassle to keep clean and sterile. The other nice thing about glass is that you can see everything going on as well as when to 2nd ferment and bottle. I have a 6 gal, I need to pick up a 5gal for 2nd ferm this fall for MEAD. Beer is fun but in the end I found that other people can make as good if not better beverages than me....mead on the other hand you can't find many places and it's actually quite simple to make...though good mead take more time to age than beer. Buy good yeast and make sure that it matches the beer you are trying to brew...i.e. champaign yeast isn't very good for stout (but it does make a nice wheat or lager) if you want to touch things Maltose Zok's Robs Home Brew I've only been to Zok's but I bought yeast there and the Frog Bridge is cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algunderfoot Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 Second the Williams Brewing Co. Complete entry level gear and a nice selection of beer kits starting at around $110. If you wish to take your hobby further, hook up with the American Home Brewers Association an affiliate of the Brewers Association of America www.beertown.com Ph# 1-800-U-Can-brew Who knows you may be supplying a deck party at WSES in no time. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted September 6, 2008 Report Share Posted September 6, 2008 You should get some of these bottles that have the rubber stopper with the wire bail. Kind of like a Grolsch bottle. (Or you could just buy a few cases of Grolsch) I know a guy who bought a case of those bottles in a 32 oz. size and the glass was tinted dark brown. He swears by them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishrising Posted September 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2008 Thanks All! I purchased the necessary gear today to brew and bottle beer made from a Festa Brew Kit (from Magnotta Brewery in Ontario). This is 23L of wort, all ready to have yeast added to it and ferment. Ok, so it's kind of like making a Pillsbury cake, but I wanted to start EZ, and then get into the real deal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywhit Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 we'll be sampling some wet hopped brew tonight http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/index.cfm?cdid=116478&pid=28516 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEJ Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 X2 for the Grolsch bottles. That's what I used years ago. Had a bunch of them. Used to fill them all whenever I got a keg. The Mason jars of beer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebu Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Hey, one of my roommates actually used mason jars when he was home-brewing. Oh my gosh, what an awful beer!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex1230 Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Gecko - I volunteer my services as a Mead tester! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywhit Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Gecko - I volunteer my services as a Mead tester! second ! Dibs ! we need a BOL brew club I got the str8 scoop last night from the brewer,Ray Dobens, about growing your own hops and making a pale ale with at least 6 ozs of freshly harvested hops in the final boil. I even got a few ladies to eat a hop pellet last night. rabbit food....? Wicked tasty. the Barleywine on tap and the Imperial IPA was sooooooperb :D http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/index.cfm?pid=28516&cdid=28792 http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/index.cfm?cdid=101439&pid=28516 http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/index.cfm?cdid=114789&pid=28476 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Does huckleberry or Cherry -shine- and Corn whiskey count? If so sign me up for the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishrising Posted September 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Below are some pics of my fermenting Festa Pale Ale. Do they look right? These were taken 96 hours after being placed in the wine cellar. I had bubbles up to the plastic wrap, but they have since gone down. Yes, the ugly mess you see in the middle is where my two pieces of plastic wrap overlap each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncermak Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 Why are you using plastic wrap instead of a lid and an airlock? seems like a good opportunity for contamination Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishrising Posted September 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 My local home brew supply shop said this would work fine. 2 pieces of plastic wrap to cover the whole top. Over hang the edges. Put a rubber band around the whole thing. Pull 1 inch of plastic wrap out of the rubber band, and push it down on the edge. My LHBS said this in effect is a simple airlock. Figured I would try this, otherwise I would have thought he would have pushed me to buy more stuff from him, which he didn't, to setup it up like you described. But next time, I will buy carboys and use an airlock, or a top for the bucket with a airlock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncermak Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 I'm Wary...But I do always trust my LHBS... When is the tasting Party. I'll Bring some of mine too... -Noah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywhit Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 noah, send me an email. we need to compare notes on JB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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