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Buying my first home brewing kit...help?
Oh...patience in drinking it after it's bottled isn't an issue...no patience there. But I will be patient to let the brewing process take it's full course...if I'm gonna drink it, no cutting corners. LOL
Thanks
McBrewer wrote:
I thought the same thing at first too. It is much more difficult when you have 48 bottles of your very own beer sitting on a shelf in the next room though. My first batch barley lasted 1.5 months from its brewing day. Still working on patience, but it does help to brew as much as you can.
I started off being very patient to the point where I wouldn't even crack a bottle open until 2-3 weeks after bottling. Now I'm lucky if I make 24 hours. I love tasting my brews periodically to see how the flavors change and meld together from day 1 to until they're all gone. And yes, you are right about brewing as much as you can. It keeps your mind occupied so you're not constantly thinking about those 2 cases of scotch ale aging in the back of your brew closet.
And on another note, Midwest is a good website that I've ordered from multiple times. Other good sites with decent shipping include:
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/
http://www.austinhomebrew.com
http://morebeer.com/view_product/15912/102142
You will need a propane burner, but starting with this will leave you alot less to upgrade when you decide to go all-grain (and you will) .......and free shipping 
Thanks dartgod...a little more than I wanted to spend right now, but probably worth it. Definitely worth considering.
Quick question, some starter kits come with a wort chiller, and some do not. Being that I've never done this before, how imperative is it that I get a kit that includes one?
Nano wrote:
Quick question, some starter kits come with a wort chiller, and some do not. Being that I've never done this before, how imperative is it that I get a kit that includes one?
Wort chillers aren't a must have on the beginner level especially if you're not doing a full boil but I would recommend it. I like my immersion wort chiller because I don't like sitting around waiting. Combined with a cold water bath I can bring my wort from a boil to 75 degrees in 10-12 minutes. If you don't get a kit that includes one, there are different methods to lowering your wort temperature such as an ice water bath, adding ice from a sanitized container and even sticking your brew pot in a snow bank.
Thanks FirePit...that's what I was figuring. Think I'm going to go with a kit that has one though...figure it's probably something I'm going to want/need sooner or later.
That kit from morebeer has a 8 gallon kettle (full boils) and a wort chiller which you will need for full boils and you won't have to upgrade equipment after two or three batches.....it will save you $$ in the long run........or you can upgrade as you go and 6 months from now you'll say.....##@@#@## I wish I would of got that to start......
I wish I had got a wort chiller and bigger cookpot when I started.....
Nuno wrote:
Thanks FirePit...that's what I was figuring. Think I'm going to go with a kit that has one though...figure it's probably something I'm going to want/need sooner or later.
Yep...I'm pretty convinced I'm going with that one. I found a somewhat local brew shop, so I'm going to head there and talk to some folks and check out the equipment first hand before I order it. In the end you're right though, especially with my personality. I've been wanting to do this for years, and knowing myself, I'm sure that after my initial batches, I'll want to dive much deeper into brewing, so might as well get all of the equipment now.
Thanks a bunch for all the advice!!
Well, thanks to everyone's help, and the folks at my local brew shop (which wasn't too local, but well worth the trip), I got all the answers I need and finally settled on a kit and first brew.
I ended up with a kit very similar to this:
http://www.homebrewers.com/c=gUxr1L6qdr … ients.html
I did add a glass carboy as a secondary fermenter, and 24 22oz bottles, as well as a pot. All in all, came in slightly lower in price than I was anticipating considering I bought it all there and didn't need to have it shipped. The only thing I didn't get (which I just plain forgot), was the wort chiller, but I think I'll go back for that on in a couple of days to make the kit complete.
My first brew is going to be Luebecker Lager. I'll be brewing Tuesday night...and CAN'T WAIT!!!
I know it'll be a while before I can report back, but I'll be sure to come back and let you all know how it came out. I'm sure I'll be back plenty between now and then for further advice.
Hey Nuno, welcome to home fermentation !!!! 
I assure you it will be rewarding. Being that you are into Yuengling , is it possible you are a southeast Pa. guy like me ??? If so, there are a number of somewhat local brewshops that are reputable in the area. I agree with the consensus that the ales are the best route for a newbie because the ale yeasts work within a wide range of ambient temps. I have done lagers here and had no problem.
I started out with a brewers best 2 bucket kit and slowly grew from there. I have to admit the early brews I did with those buckets were quite drinkable !!
I don't want to get into trouble with the site administrator as to mentioning shops and locations. You can email me or send a message within this site and I can tell you where the So. - So. East Pa. shops are that have helped me out. Good Luck with your new hobby, you will not be sorry.
Hope I am within the rules here !!!
zimnypiwo wrote:
Hey Nuno, welcome to home fermentation !!!!
I assure you it will be rewarding. Being that you are into Yuengling , is it possible you are a southeast Pa. guy like me ??? If so, there are a number of somewhat local brewshops that are reputable in the area. I agree with the consensus that the ales are the best route for a newbie because the ale yeasts work within a wide range of ambient temps. I have done lagers here and had no problem.
I started out with a brewers best 2 bucket kit and slowly grew from there. I have to admit the early brews I did with those buckets were quite drinkable !!
I don't want to get into trouble with the site administrator as to mentioning shops and locations. You can email me or send a message within this site and I can tell you where the So. - So. East Pa. shops are that have helped me out. Good Luck with your new hobby, you will not be sorry.
Hope I am within the rules here !!!
Actually, I'm in Jersey (Northeast Jersey). I can't remember exactly when I started drinking Yuengling, but it was sometime right after I graduated college (sometime in 97), and haven't looked back since. Their Lager and Porter are my favorites, so with my first brew I'm aiming for something close to Yuengling in flavor and body. I can't wait until Tuesday to get this first brew started.
Ahh !!! college beer days !!
I've got family up in Rockaway !
Good luck with your virgin voyage !!! Let us all know how you make out. Remember if you can drink your end result, you havn't made any mistakes!! Just a variation of the recipie.
Ps. I like the Porter, Lager, Black and Tan, and the Lord Chesterfied Ale from Yuengling myself. I live only 55 minutes away from the brewery, It is a GREAT daytrip from your neck of the woods. I would say 2 hrs. or so.
Regards, Zimnypiwo
zimnypiwo wrote:
Ahh !!! college beer days !!
I've got family up in Rockaway !
Good luck with your virgin voyage !!! Let us all know how you make out. Remember if you can drink your end result, you havn't made any mistakes!! Just a variation of the recipie.
Ps. I like the Porter, Lager, Black and Tan, and the Lord Chesterfied Ale from Yuengling myself. I live only 55 minutes away from the brewery, It is a GREAT daytrip from your neck of the woods. I would say 2 hrs. or so.
Regards, Zimnypiwo
Nice...I go out to the brewery once a year...every Black Friday. Me and a couple of my buddies have been going for the past 4 years...the tour is great, and then there's a bar not far from there that has almost all the Ling's on tap for $1/glass. We make a day of it...tour around 11am...Bar the rest of the day...they even have pizza delivered for us all day while we're there because their kitchen is closed on Black Friday. The place is called Pep's...suggested to us by Dale (Dick Yuengling's son in law) on our first trip there, and we've made it part of the tradition ever since.
I will definitely report back on my first brew...just can't wait to get it started...but I promised myself I wouldn't brew until Tuesday. The kit is actually a Bday gift from my GF, so I had to promise not to actually use it until my birthday...I call it practicing patience...haha
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