Phoenix Gold Phorum

Im looking in to starting my own brewing for something to do. I have begun enjoying higher quality beers lately, and think this may be something I would be into. Is it realy a big pain in the ass? I just dont want to spend a lot of money and have it come out tasting like crap. Im thinking of just buying a basic starter kit, but just want to be sure that Id be getting the right one. Is a carboy necessary? Im not really sure if it is something that is required, or just nice to have. Looks like you can do secondary fermentation into another bucket. Also, how bad does it smell when fermenting? My wife seems to have a concern over that.

Im basically wondering what kit I should order from Midwestsupplies.com. Groupon has a deal for $65, but i would still need to get a lot of things for it. Im debating on just getting one of the complete kits with the kettle, because I dont have one yet. These are the two kits Im considering:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/everythi ... t-kit.html
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/everythi ... kit-2.html

I have been helping my buddy brew for the last few years and it really isn't that hard, just takes some time that's all. A carboy isn't necessary, but it is a little nicer to use compared to the bucket. I would go with the second kit listed because of the larger kettle size (5 gallon compared to 4 gallon). A complete kit is more convienient and cheaper than buying pieces individually. The starter kits are great for doing the kit brews (buying all of your ingredients in a kit) and if you decide later on that you want to do larger batches of all grain brews, you'll be able to use everything you already have except for the kettle.

There are no smell issues associated with secondary fermentation (other than when you open the lid to the bucket/carboy). My buddy brews 10 gallons at a time (at my house) and it has never been a problem. It does smell when brewing, but I enjoy that part.

Not hard, just a lot of time, and the initial investment for gear is high.

You might want to consider checking out a local you-brew shop. You go in, pick the recipe, start the brew, and they handle the rest for you. At the end, you come back and bottle it. So you still do all the labor, they just have the gear and ingredients. It's usually pretty cheap, so it's a good way to start getting into it. A few of my friends have done the you-brew route and the results have been extra tasty, especially without any preservatives in the beer. I am considering doing this for my wedding instead of getting kegs.

If you do go for a home brew kit instead, I would definitely recommend a carboy.

i actually bought my kit from midwest. we've only used it a couple times, but it was fun! defineitly get the carboy as tom said, and dont do what we did and use a 3gal pot 2 times. just find a large one (or cut the top off a keg)

A friend of mine brews his own beer and wine and I've helped on a number of occasions. It's relatively simple to do the kit brews, but once you want to start making your own beer for real that's where the art comes in.

This is interesting...not that I need another hobby...
I took a look at the midwest forum and people were trading rhizomes and shit...had to look what that even meant.
Apparently you can even grow your own hops.

Yeah, it looks like it can get very involved. Im still really in a debate about this. Basically I am looking at $200 to get started, mainly because the wife is saying she doesnt want me boiling in the house. This means I will have to get a turkey fryer. But looking at my kitchen, I dont know if I will even have the space to put a 5 gallon stock pot due to the clearance between the cooktop and overhead microwave. I would be starting off with basic kits to get the hang of it, but it seems like it would take forever before I get to a point that I can actually play with making my own recipe. Thats a lot of money to invest for something I can go to the store and pay $8 for...

joyride wrote:Yeah, it looks like it can get very involved. Im still really in a debate about this. Basically I am looking at $200 to get started, mainly because the wife is saying she doesnt want me boiling in the house. This means I will have to get a turkey fryer. But looking at my kitchen, I dont know if I will even have the space to put a 5 gallon stock pot due to the clearance between the cooktop and overhead microwave. I would be starting off with basic kits to get the hang of it, but it seems like it would take forever before I get to a point that I can actually play with making my own recipe. Thats a lot of money to invest for something I can go to the store and pay $8 for...

Just like car audio for some people, home brewing can get quite expensive and involved. Burners are relatively inexpensive $50 or more depending on the model/brand. As for the stock pot, my friend had the same issue as you, trying to fit a 15 gallon pot on a stovetop. We ended up buying some stainless sheet metal having it bent into a rectangular shape and tig welding it together so that it would sit on two burners and still fit under the overhead microwave. It cost under $300 for the stainless, fittings, and valves for two 15 gallon containers.

It doesn't take long to come up with your own recipe, most of it is just modifying existing recipes to suit your tastes. As for investing money into it rather than buying it at the store, it all depends on how passionate you are about brewing your own beer.

Beer recipies are actually quite simple.

Grain
Water
Yeast
Hops

What makes a recipe difficult is if you want flavored beers like blueberry or orange and whatnot.

I love me some RUBY ale................
If I could make it, I'd never be sober.................

Rold Gold wrote:I love me some RUBY ale................
If I could make it, I'd never be sober.................

That shit was the bomb-diggidy. Got me DRUNK as fuck

never heard of it, but here's someone who tried to copy it recently..
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f85/brew-lo ... ne-218186/

I brewed, many years ago, it was a simple setup. I had a 10 gal plastic container with a fermentation trap that yielded beer after 4 weeks.
The beer on a shelf over the bed with a siphon and copious empties under the bed, you don't have to move for a week. Then on to the next squat!
Life is good.









Cheers,
Duncandisorderly.