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Starter / All-in-one Brew Kits
Does anyone have any suggestions or caveats about brew kits that advertise "everything you need"... Are these a good idea, or is it best to go to a specialty brewmaster shop to put together a kit component by component?
I ask because I've helped a friend brew, and have sort of been freeloading off his system, but would like to set up my own home brew and wondered how the board feels about the best way to put it together.
Thanks.
i wish i had gotten one that came with a carboy. get one of those. a lot of times they're marketed as "intermediate" kits.
or just buy the stuff piece-meal.
I have found that the ingredients in those kits are usually garbage compared to what you would pick out yourself. Especially if it has the canned malt extract - not fresh! If you already understand the basics of homebrewing because you have been brewing with your friend, then you should pick a recipe you would like to brew, and buy the ingredients needed. Kits are more for people who have never brewed before, ever.
Excellent advice, thanks to you both. I think I'll be going on a shopping spree at the local homebrew shop my friend goes to.
Start with the basics... 2 Carboys, Kettle, and a cornellius keg with CO2.... Bottleing takes alot more time... I've seen alot of starter kits with most of the stuff all includded... Oh!!! and go with glass.... much better.. TheJet
I think it all depends on your comfort level. I started with kits b/c I'm not very handy and I just wanted to get the basics down. As I've done more, I've gotten away from them.
The jet pointed out what I was going to say.
I haven't seen a starter kit yet(I'm in the market) that came with a boiling pot,(kettle)
Seen some nice one online for a fair price, I'll post a link after I get mine, sorry.
But a lot of stuff, it seems will have to be biught seperate, like air locks, the one or two you will get
in the kit, wouldn't be enoug, but thats just me.
I will prolly just go out and buy a kettle and have a friend that weilds install the spout for me.
For a couple bucks of course, thats a big diffrence in price as far as some of the prices I've seen on the net.
Marv.
Well I think you got people talking about two different kinds of kits here, one of homebrewing supplies, the other of ingredients as in a boxed recipe.
For homebrewing supplies kits, you can't go wrong with the beginner kit. While it's a bucket instead of glass, you'll always be able to use it. As you brew more you'll find you need multiple fermentation vessels, which you can buy seperate. But getting all the stuff in the beginner kit (like capper, racking cane, etc.) is always useful. Using plastic buckets for primary won't be any worse than glass. Nobody I know has ever left a beer in a primary bucket long enough to get ruined by oxygen, thats more of an issue when doing a secondary for a few months.
For ingredient kits, as long as you get something with fresh ingredients you should be ok. Lots of homebrew places box their own recipes, as do online places. But if you get a box by Brewers Best or something like that, you run the risk of getting old extract/hops/yeast.
DT
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