# just got a beer kit



## gypsyseagod (Jul 16, 2007)

i bought a beer kit all i need is the vat,hydro,& bottles. deejay, do you know of a good site that sells those items ?? or anyone else ??


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## bigal (Jul 16, 2007)

Don't know, don't care.   I just need some "MARZEN BEER" for tomorrow.  Got some sob that wants me to try it on some ribs.......
	

	
	
		
		



		
			















Sorry.......once again.

What kind is it?  I'd looked at a "Mr.Beer" before, but never did it.  You darn Marzen beer has me think'n bout it more and more!

More info/pics if ya can.  

Thanks gypsy!


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## ron50 (Jul 16, 2007)

Al, Now I'm laughing so hard I am crying.


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## ron50 (Jul 16, 2007)

*Description:*
Before refrigeration, it was nearly impossible to brew beer in the summer due to the hot weather and bacterial infections. Brewing ended with the coming of spring, and began again in the fall. Most were brewed in March (MÃ¤rzen). These brews were kept in cold storage over the spring and summer months, or brewed at a higher gravity, so theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]d keep. MÃ¤rzenbier is full-bodied, rich, toasty, typically dark copper in colour with a medium to high alcohol content.

The common Munich Oktoberfest beer served at Wiesâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]n (the location at which Munich celebrates its Oktoberfest) contains only 4.5% alcohol by volume, is dark/copper in color, has a mild hop profile and is typically labeled as a Bavarian MÃ¤rzenbier in style.


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## ron50 (Jul 16, 2007)

My favorite part if the high alcohol content


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## gypsyseagod (Jul 16, 2007)

according to this kit i can get a stout 32 pints w/ up to 6% content.... that ought to get me quite silly. and big al... you go boy!!!! (i always dread reading my posts "the next day".....


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## deejaydebi (Jul 17, 2007)

Gypsy -

Gypsy -

You can re-use the crown cap bottles (not screw caps) from store bought beer or even grolch bottles. In a pinch you can use pop bottles.

The vat can be any large pot big enough to hold your wort and at least a gallon or two over. Although some people won't do it (rumors of alztimers etc.) you can use an aluminum pot, stainless is better but more expensive.


What type and size of kit did you get? Extract, extract with specialty grains or all grain? 3 gallon, or 5 gallon? If it's extract and 3 gallons you probably have the pot big enough already. If it's 5 gallons you can either make half the recipe at a time or you'll need about a 7 gallon pot to brew the wort in.


goto my site here I have a basic brewing ebook (about 80 pages)
http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/microbrew.htm

Here's a website that lists many online suppliers:
http://www.ratebeer.com/ShowHomebrewShops.asp

These are my favorite suppliers:
http://www.homebrewheaven.com/
http://www.listermann.com/
http://www.homebrew.com/index.shtml
http://www.homebrewit.com/

These are really nice folks to deal with (one is right next to Smoked)
Good Luck! Just ask if you have anymore questions!


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## gypsyseagod (Jul 17, 2007)

debi- this is  john bull stout(just add sugar) kit. as far as a vat i can get food grade 5 gal buckets w/ lids ( i'm in kentucky dry county still behind every hill country)now i know how to distill & process real booze & have made beer before but the bottles... grolsch goes fer $9.00 per 6pk so thats out. thanx fer the links, i'll get it down & pics as we go. i have some great labels to put on the bottles too courtesy of a mall in nashville w/ gag labels.. here's the pic- zoom in.   http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w...lletrip026.jpg   i personally like the hoover beer "this beer sucks" or the hebrewski- the jewish beer....


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## gypsyseagod (Jul 17, 2007)

p.s. i hope big  al(big hangover)feels good tomorrow- bwahahaha


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## bigarm's smokin (Jul 17, 2007)

* Join the crowd my friend, (but, that's why we are friends!) There is an old saying, " pretty is, as pretty does, do,s, DANG! you know what I mean! We all are in the same boat.  Aren't we blessed to have each other? YES!!!!  Terry*


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## navionjim (Jul 17, 2007)

this is john bull stout(just add sugar) kit. as far as a vat i can get food grade 5 gal buckets w/ lids ( i'm in kentucky dry county still behind every hill country)now i know how to distill & process real booze & have made beer before but the bottles... grolsch goes fer $9.00 per 6pk so thats out. 

As semi-pro and now ex-brewer: Good call on the food grade buckets those will work just fine for your 5 gallon batches. If your a distiller then you already know about fermentation. I kegged most of my products in latter years, but when I started out the ideal thing to use for bottling were Champaign bottles! Believe it or not, if you look at the top of a Champaign bottle you will see that it has a lip that will take a crown cap. These bottles are also heavier glass and can take a higher carbonation pressure, so should you have an over priming problem at any point, they won't blow up in your basement. They are also 750ml in size and I don't know anyone who opens a home brew and doesn't either share it with someone or drink two pints anyway. 750 ml means less bottles to deal with, and it lowers your cost on caps. Lastly they have a "punted" bottom, this helps secure the least layer from your prime sugar / krausen, so you can pour more beer out without disturbing the yeast on the bottom of the bottle. As for availability, this is the perfect time of year, just find someone who had a recent wedding, you can usually get several cases of bottles for free. 26 bottles will hold a 5 gallon batch with a bottle left over. They are all around the best thing to use


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## gypsyseagod (Jul 17, 2007)

cool jim, thanx for the heads up.


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## watery eyes (Jul 19, 2007)

Go to a banquet hall and ask them if you can have the champagne bottles after a wedding.

Do some reading before you attempt to brew.

Bad things can happen if you go in dumb and blind....and try not to drink too much while you brew....angain...the dumb and blind thing.


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## gypsyseagod (Jul 19, 2007)

i've brewed once before & it came out great- but that was back in oh about 96 in hawaii & the store sold everything... remember i live in 1 of 16 ajoining dry counties & we have the internet now .... i could prolly get next door & find some bottles(mason jars) but everyone here grows dope or makes meth these days....


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## deejaydebi (Jul 19, 2007)

You can also use soda pop bottles but be careful to keep them in the dark as most are clear these days. Don't use the water bottles they are thinner and the caps have tiny slices in them that will let the CO2 out.

There are sevral places in the links I gave you that have brown plastic bottles fair cheap. I get the from the Basketball games all the bottles are plastic and they throw them away. I few friends and a few games and we have a case of bottles.

I also go to beer stores and and buy back returnables. I don't need that many though I have 11- 5 gallon kegs and 10- 3 gallon kegs, just a few cases to pass on the friends for samples. Sometimes they even give them back, but not often!


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## gypsyseagod (Jul 19, 2007)

thanx debi fer the sites- i didn't have time to get to them today but i'll try to get on it tomorrow - so fer the meantime i got 2 12's of killian's red, a 6 of guinness, & 2 gallons of bacardi gold- that should hold me past monday.. maybe.... (my b-day).. really ready to get this beer thing started again - last i made was a carmel/honey marzen that was smooth to drink but even better to cook w/.


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## gypsyseagod (Jul 19, 2007)

p.s. i even found some really cool labels.  like... McBeer- playland was never so fun.... and HOOVER BEER - OUR'S REALLY SUCKS... LOL


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## deejaydebi (Jul 22, 2007)

You can make up your own using any word processor. I enjoy commingup with lables for my beers. Here's a few of mine:


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