Main > Everything Else
My new hobby..... Homebrewing!
DrewKaree:
As for the costs of my setup and what I've got:
* Free -- Turkey Fryer. Mine has a 30 qt pot. Smaller ones may or may not work for you. Got it at Wal-Mart for $30 (although I didn't buy it for making beer). Since I already had it, I consider this item to be "free"
* Free -- 2 5 gallon food-grade buckets Free. Hit up a local restaurant (I happen to frequent a bar/restaurant on Tuesdays that gave me 4). Don't forget the lids! You CAN use pickle buckets, but you'll need at least a week, and some preparation
* $4 -- stopper & airlock (I got the 3-piece airlock - easier to clean).
* $2.50 -- 2 spigots from American Science & Surplus, or $5/each from your local homebrew shop or Northern Brewer
* $5-6? -- Thermometer - I got a floater from the local homebrew shop, which was equal in price to Northern Brewer
* $6 -- Hydrometer - when I asked the owner of the local shop if they had the combo hydrometer/thermometer, he told me he did, but that I'd be better served by buying separate items for that. When they break ("and they WILL break", he said ;D ) you aren't stuck with a useless piece of equipment that costs the same as two separate pieces of equipment
* $2 -- hydrometer test jar (your hydrometer may come with one - mine was plastic, and I didn't trust it)
* Free -- thermometer One came with the turkey fryer, and I used to work in a restaurant, so I've got 2 dial and 1 digital models that handle the temps
* $2 -- bottlecaps from the local homebrew store
* $30 -- benchtop capper
* Free -- 50+ bottles. I live in Wisconsin. We're all about beer here. My father-in-law has old returnable bottles all over the place here for some reason. I'm going to purchase 3-4 growlers for my first batch, and use the rest to "test out" the bottles
* $25 more or less -- tubing, spoon to stir (can buy 2 for $6 at Sam's Club), hose clamp, and other crap I can't remember
* $10 -- StarSan, 16 oz
Ingredients weren't included. Depends on what I'll brew.
DrewKaree:
--- Quote from: divemaster127 on May 08, 2007, 05:03:22 pm ---I have been wanting to get into this hobby, just what i need, which kit at http://www.northernbrewer.com/ is the best bang for the buck
thanks for the advice
dm
--- End quote ---
Their basic starter kit is exactly what I based all my purchases off of. The only difference between theirs and what I got is that their airlock (fermentation lock....terminology is confusing at times) is the bubble type. I got a 3-piece airlock because I was told the airlock might come loose while in primary fermentation, and while it isn't a problem, the 3-piece is easier to re-sanitize and stick back in.
This is a bubble type:
This is the 3-piece type:
knave:
Many of the brewers in my area have switched to foodgrade plastic carboys, I've been drinking their beer for years and have never noticed any aftertaste or taint from the plastic.
That said...I'm sure it probably is "safer" to use glass.
Drew: How are you going to fit an airlock to your bucket for the secondary?
bfauska:
I am not judging, only pointing out what I find interesting.
--- Quote from: KenToad on May 08, 2007, 09:17:12 am ---I highly recommend the book to you, since he has some amazing diagrams/instructions for making your own Mashtun/lautering equipment from stuff you can pick up at the hardware store.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: KenToad on May 07, 2007, 11:19:19 pm ---Wow, Drew, I would rather support my local DIY Brew store than save $3. Seems a bit flinty that you went to the trouble to bring it back and had the guy give you back your five dollars.
--- End quote ---
Can't you get Mashtun/lautering equipment from a local DIY Brew store?
On a similar/slightly related note. I have always purchased my equipment locally at the DIY brew shop, with the exception of my wort cooler. I just picked up 25' of 1/4" copper tube at HD and used the appropriate fittings on the end to hook it to a hose, looks just like what they sell and cost much less.
I think that there is a balance between blindly supporting people who can use your business and finding the cheapest-possible-overseas-knock-off-product that you can. I feel bad if I go into a "Mom&Pop" store and ask all kinds of questions only to go buy the part they suggested somewhere else... unless they are expecting to live in a world where they pay retail prices for their merchandise and then try to do a standard 100% markup before selling to their customers. I am willing to pay a premium for good service, but they need to follow some kind of business plan that allows them to still at least come close to the prices at other places.
Also, even though I never seem to have enough time, I never place much monetary value on my time. If I can save $5 by doing a 1/2 hour project it seems worth it to me, my time is really only worth the wage I make at work during the hours somebody is willing to pay me that wage, if I had to take an hour off of work to save $5 on a project, there's no way I would do it, but in my "free" time, my time is basically free. Making the chiller for example was a savings even though it took me some time to find the parts and assemble them.
KenToad:
Drew, that book I mentioned is called "How To Brew" by John J. Palmer. It is a really good book, more technical (the appendixes, "Using Hydrometers," "Brewing Metallurgy," "Building Wort Chillers," and "Building A Mash/Lauter Tun," are worth the price alone) and actually probably a better manual than the Joy of Homebrewing, although I like both.
Well, I still say you're flinty for buying the second spigot in order to save $2 after bringing the first one back. But, that's not really important. What's awesome is that you're actually doing it. It's obvious that you've really done your research. If you really want a boring read and want to learn all about advanced double and triple decoction methods for lagering, then get "New Brewing Lager Beer" by Greg Noonan.
About sanitizing, don't worry too much about it, as Papazian says. It is really unlikely that anything will get contaminated even if you are really sloppy. I have been brewing for three years and made the beer and mead for my own wedding and my best friend's wedding (got a loud toast from 150 tipsy people 8) ) and I have been getting consistently more sloppy as I realize that the odds are really in my favor. So I have and use both types of airlocks and I usually just rinse them out with water and refill them if the beer fouls them up, for example. And, freshness of ingredients matters a lot more than being careful with any part of the brew.
I also have a smashing recipe for mead, if you're interested. You'll have to wait a year for it to clear, though.
Oh, yeah, definitely make a wort chiller, as Brian said. The faster you can get it cooled down after the boil, then the better it will taste, since the hops will be less likely to get oversteeped. The owner of my local homebrew shop is all about the DIY, even if it costs him business.
*Edited for clarity*
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version