Wanting to get my Husband a "kit" for Brewing his own beer....

[kathrynn]

for Christmas this year.  I have my own hobbies with cooking, canning and smoking.  Figure he can enjoy this one too...and maybe use the smoker for some things too!

Was looking on some very old posts...and wondering if this is still a valid one to go for...or somewhere else to look for a kit.  We do have a turkey (low country boil) fryer kettle...and have that part covered.

http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/product/0101895/silver-starter-kit

The Elves are waiting!

 

[thunder lite]

I've been brewing my own beer for a couple of years now. I started with this one:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-starter-kit.html

but if you haven't saved up bottles and don't have a brew kettle, then take a look at the kit that includes those items. You could also look at replacing the glass carboy with a Better Bottle. I'm still using glass, but there are some advantages to the Better Bottle (mainly weight and it doesn't shatter if you drop it). My advice would be to start with a basic kit that does include a secondary fermenter and then you can always add on items later. If he sticks with it, a wort chiller is a great addition for next Christmas or birthday.

Good Luck!

 

[kathrynn]

Thank you for your suggestion!  We have plenty of bottles each week....the only problem is they are twist off ones...We drink a bunch of Yuengling...at the house.  But that will not be a problem...know we will need another kind.

I do have a turkey fryer...could we use that one?  If not...will be adding that to the list.

Also, We have Pearly Gates here locally and that place is well know for getting the grains......yeasts....what ever it will be that he will need.  

 

[papagrizz]

Hi ya KathrynN,

Here is the kit I started with, easy to follow and makes darn good brew.

http://www.mrbeer.com/

Your a good woman for thinking of such a thoughtful gift.

 

[kathrynn]

Thank you!  I hope he is surprised!  Been "plotting" some surprises for all of the family.

I am going to scope out all of the suggestions!

Cheers! 

 

[thunder lite]

Depending on the fryer, you could use the burner, but I would not use the pot. I use a dual burner camp stove. It's handy because I can move the hot pot to the unused side if a boil over is imminent or when adding the malt extract.

The Mr. Beer suggestion is a good one, especially if you think he may not stick with it. Before I bought my kit, I took a community ed class on home brewing. It walked me through the steps and produced my first batch. After that, I decided it was something I wanted to do, so I bought the equipment. that might be another option (I bought my wife a gift certificate for a wine making class and afterwards, she decided it wasn't for her). 

Ron

 

[kathrynn]

Okay...Ron....someone had said you could use the burner...because the stove would be too tall for a little short one (like both of us) to get the pot safely off the stove.  Just wondering if I need a thicker gauge metal pot to "cook it" and it not burn.

A neighbor suggested this one:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...arter-kits/essential-brewing-starter-kit.html

and this:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/brewing-equipment/brew-kettles/megapot-stockpot.html

I totally trust you guys!  Haven't "steered" me wrong yet!

Kat

 

[n2blues]

A very good resource is "BrewYourOwn.com. here you will find forums as informative as these , except about beer. Weather you're starting with BBQ/smoking or brewing beer, one always leads to the other

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Kathryn,

I've had good luck dealing with these folks over the years.

http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/equipement-packages-/2,1166.html


~Martin

 

[kathrynn]

Thank you Martin! All suggestions are great!!!!!  Looks like I have homework to do! 

 

[thunder lite]

For my first kettle, I started with this one:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/economy-stainless-steel-brewing-pot-5-gallon.html

which seems to be similar to 

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...conomy-kettles/5-gallon-stainless-kettle.html

I've since upgraded to a larger, but still economy kettle. The ones you've noted are really, really nice, but they are heavy and expensive.

As far as the starter kit, the only thing I would do different with it is to add a glass carboy or Better bottle. This would be used for the secondary fermentation phase. While not absolutely necessary, using a two step fermentation results in clearer and better tasting product. 

Oh, and another thing you'll want is a good thermometer for steeping the grains. It should have a  long enough stem to reach from the top of the kettle to about 1/2 way down. An example would be:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/dial-thermometer.html

I bought a digital Oil & Candy Thermometer. I can't remember where I got it, but it was probably either Target or Wal-Mart. It was about the same price as the dial thermometers, I think.

Amazon has it:


But I don't think I paid that much.

I thought about brewing on the stove, but I live in Minnesota and all the humidity from a 1 hour boil in the house in the middle of winter, wouldn't be good.

Another resource is:

http://www.howtobrew.com

He wrote the book that most people reference and the first edition is available to read online for free.

Ron

 

[bdawg]

I would suggest you skip the 5 gallon pot and go up to either the 8 or better yet, the 10 gallon pot first.

The reason is that a 5 gallon batch will not fit into a 5 gallon pot.  You need to start off with more water than the target batch size because you will lose water to boiloff and also to the gunk left over in the bottom of the pot after the boil.

Sure, you can top up after the boil with more water, but you get less hop utilization, and your beers always end up darker than target due to more mailliard reactions during the boil.  Besides, if he likes it, he'll want to move up to full boils, and you'll end up spending the money AGAIN on the bigger pot.

You will end up saving 30 bucks in the short term only to spend the 130-160 anyways on the bigger pot on top of the 110 or so you spent for the 5 gallon pot.

(Oh, and a cheapo pot with a really thin bottom will tend to scorch whatever you put in it).  This is a case where you get what you pay for.

HTH-   

 

[bdawg]

Oh, and I forgot to mention the 10 is better than the 8 because you have a lot more room so boilovers won't happen anywhere nearly as often.

 

[thunder lite]

Thought I'd pass this along. This is from an email from Midwest:

Get 10% off Beer and Wine Starter Equipment Kits for a limited time!

Enter promo code "MIDWESTHOLIDAY" at checkout to get 10% off
 Beer and Wine starter Equipment Kits.

Ron
 

 

[kathrynn]

Thanks again guys!  I was going to get a bigger pot...and a thicker gauge metal....dont want him to burn his 1st batch.  Need to order sometime this week....will let yall know what I do!

Going to to have it shipped to the Quilt Shop...so he doesnt see it! 

 

[kathrynn]

okay---guys!  Here is what I am thinking about getting.  Need some more help!

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brewing-starter-plus-kit.html

Now...Help!

It said choose either for a Carboy....glass or a better bottle

then...for the actual stuff for beer:

Amber Ale

Irish Red

Irish Stout

I wanna drink too....I figure the Irish Red...would be kin to Killian's

Amber Ale...not sure

Irish Stout...He loves dark...thick...imports....I am not a fan.

What one do I pick that we both could enjoy.

 

[thunder lite]

A glass carboy has the advantage that you don't have to worry about scratching it when you clean it. The disadvantage is that it's a lot heavier and will shatter if dropped on hard surface. the only downside to the better bottle is being careful not to scratch the inside when cleaning (scratches can harbor bacteria).

With either one, get one of these (or similar I had to resolder mine after a couple of uses):

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/jet-bottle-washer.html
 

Makes rinsing out the carboy/bottle a lot easier.

As for the kits, I've made both of the ales. they were both great and easy.

Happy brewing,

Ron

 

[kathrynn]

Going to call this afternoon!  Thanks bunches for all the suggestions!!!!  Beer Brewing here we come!

 

[hebby]

Try to find a homebrew shop in your area. They will have everything you need to get started and usually will have a brew day demonstration so he can see what it's all about. I started out on my stove then went to a turkey fryer setup and have since welded up a full 3 burner steel brewing table and make 10 gallon batches now, if he likes brewing watch out...but remember if he gets a little carried away, just relax and drink a homebrew! The kits from the online sites are good. I have ordered from www.morebeer.com www.northernbrewer.com and www.midwestsupplies.com and all have been great. Also do a little research and see if there is a homebrew club in your area, many times people will have upgraded to a larger system and have an old brewpot or equipment available. Clubs are also helpful as we have a monthly club brew day and he can learn a lot about the process. Just make sure to sanitize everything that touches the brew once you turn the fire off. There is also a great homebrew forum with all sorts of info. www.homebrewtalk.com that is worth taking a look at for recipes, tips, diy stuff etc. Let me know if you have any questions I'd be happy to help.

 

[kathrynn]

Thanks Hebby!  I have just ordered his kit!  So excited! There is a place here that is a local "Hippy" store for a lack of a better term....but I have been warned that the grains and yeasts are old and not kept under good conditions.  There are several of our friends who are into Home Brewing.  Free the Hops is in Birmingham every year...and there are local beer tasting events in Huntsville.  I am just tickled!  This is going to be a huge surprise for him.  AND....I can help...and drink too!