Want to get into making my own beer

Any suggestions? I'm looking for a good place to by a starter kit. What all will I need to get started?

My aunt and uncle own a beer making supply store in Lilburn. They have some information on their website that can help you get started. I think they do mail-order too. If you don't want to do mail-order, they may be able to point you in the direction of a local vendor.

Tell em Jeff sent ya.

http://www.homebrewingsupplies.org/

Bass Pro has a brew-it-yourself kit. Not sure how good it is, but that's one idea.

http://www.basspro.com/MR--BEER-Premium-Gold-Edition-Beer-Home-Brewing-Kit/product/10209348/59606

Don't bother.
Buy a large mash bag (basically a cheesecloth bag), get a large stock pot from Value Village, a recipe using grain, and then get down to a brewing supply place and buy said grain, which they will grind for you.

Put grain in bag, boil according to recipe, the product will be FAR superior than trying to deal with the syrupy glob you get out of a can. Since the grain's in the bag, you can remove and toss the grain without having to strain it.

You'll need a primary fermentor with an airlock (big plastic bucket), a secondary fermentor (a carboy with an airlock), and a tube/siphon to transfer between the two.

Start stocking up on bottles. And buy disinfectant. You need everything involved to be as sterile as you can get. Get the kind the brewing people sell.

I found out Brewmasters Warehouse in Marietta has a Beginner home brewer class. It's a couple hours long and cost $40. Plus they give you %10 off your first purchase. This sounds really fun and beneficial because I know nothing about home brewing.

There's really NOTHING to it.
You have to sterilize everything with a solution you buy there
Bring the grains/water to a rolling boil
simmer for whatever length of time the recipe says (you're making a "tea" in essence, and to ensure anything alive in the mix is dead)

Then you wait for it to cool enough the yeast don't die.

Then you add yeast and stick it into a covered bucket with an airlock. Watch it bubble.

After a certain length of time you transfer the stuff off the top into a carboy with a sterilized siphon. Wait another amount of time as specified in the recipe.

Then you add more sugar and bottle.

EXPERT MODE: before you add the yeast, find out the specific gravity by taking a small sample and floating a gauge in it (they sell em)

then before you bottle do it again - the difference will tell you the BAC.

I know once I learn how to do it, it will be easy from what your telling me and from what I've heard. I just learn better by watching and getting hands-on. I just like to get all the small details about whatever I am doing because I am guaranteed to mess something up by using broad or general directions.

How difficult is it to boil water?
Can you siphon from one container to another without spilling anything?
Can you use a thermometer?

Alright dude. I get it. You're an expert and I'm an idiot. Thanks for your help.

I'm not an expert and you're not an idiot.
For serious, the only difference between a kit and a genuine DIY.

In the kit, you open a can of sugary syrup and try and melt it into boiling water

with grains, you put the grains in a cheesecloth bag put it in a pot and boil it.

I'm trying to encourage you not insult you - it really is very very easy.

That's why I want to go to the class. Maybe after the class I can just buy what I need, rather than buying a kit. And yes, I think I can boil some water and use a thermometer, but the other details about how long the fermenting process is, what to look for, and things to do and not to do. Also, I'm sure the whole process is not the same for every type of beer. And there are so many different types of ingredients to use and different ways to use them to make different types of beer.

cch0830 said:

That's why I want to go to the class. Maybe after the class I can just buy what I need, rather than buying a kit. And yes, I think I can boil some water and use a thermometer, but the other details about how long the fermenting process is, what to look for, and things to do and not to do. Also, I'm sure the whole process is not the same for every type of beer. And there are so many different types of ingredients to use and different ways to use them to make different types of beer.

Click to expand...

Well, of course.
The recipe will tell you how long to ferment it.

As for what to do and what not to do?

- don't add the yeast when the temp's too hot
- make sure no bacteria or mold are in your mash
(that's why ya boil it, and sterilize everything that will touch it)
- rack it off from one container to the other to get rid of the crud, sediment and dead yeast

That's just about it
The recipe will tell you what to do and it's very very easy to follow.

My advice would be to get a book with some beer recipes therein and try one.

Get the stock pot at value village: buy the primary and secondary and a siphon from wherever you get your other supplies.

But I've found "beer in a can" to be messier and far more hassle than simply boiling the grain

Whew! I got thirsty just reading this thread... think I'll head over to the fridge and grab a cold one...

Read this:

http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

It's considered the beginner homebrew bible, by John Palmer. He made his millions on the book, and now offers the whole thing online for free, you don't even have to download it. Just go from page to page. You won't remember everything you read, it's very detailed. Bookmark it on your browser.

By the way, most people don't use secondaries anymore, including myself. Remember that when reading the Palmer stuff. He swears by them.

Its been years since I made any home brew. Some was really good and some was really BAD! It is a fun hobby and it is pretty easy to do.
Take the class. Not only will you learn something you will meet some new folks with a common interest.
Have fun with it and share the results!

I finally got started a year or two back and bought a starter kit from Midwest Supplies. For a beginner (which I still am) it's literally as easy as following a recipe.

Once you've done a few batches this way you'll want to step up your game and get into whole grain brewing. That's not something I've taken the plunge on solo yet, but I'm hanging out with some guys that do and picking up some pointers.

It's fun - go for it. It will give you a new appreciation for beer.

Swampy said:

I finally got started a year or two back and bought a starter kit from Midwest Supplies. For a beginner (which I still am) it's literally as easy as following a recipe.

Once you've done a few batches this way you'll want to step up your game and get into whole grain brewing. That's not something I've taken the plunge on solo yet, but I'm hanging out with some guys that do and picking up some pointers.

It's fun - go for it. It will give you a new appreciation for beer.

Click to expand...

I hate to not send business to Brewmaster's Warehouse in Marietta... cuz they be localish, as far as online sales goes... but Midwest Supplies is also my favorite online supplier. My first order there, about 3 years ago, they sent me a free $75 stainless steel 6 gallon pot and lid for free. I think my order was only about $40. That was a good investment on their part, because I've spent A-L-O-T of money there since then.


Swampy, I made the same excuses for not going all-grain about a year ago. Once you make the jump, you'll be much happier. First of all, the grains are a fraction of the cost of extract. Secondly, the beer you make starts to actually taste like beer, instead of beer-like carbonated stuff, if that makes sense. That's not to say you can't make good beer with extract, many competitions and medals have been won with extract beer, but the overall cost, if for no other reason, is much cheaper for batch. My latest go-to recipe costs me about 50 cents a beer; $3.00 six-pack of really good beer.You can't beat that.

cch0830 said:

What all will I need to get started?

Click to expand...

(1) One 6.5 gallon brew bucket, with gallon markings on the side.

(1) One lid to fit the bucket.

(1) One Airlock

(1) One Bottling Bucket. I can't recommend this enough. It's just like a fermenting bucket mentioned above, but it's got a cheap little plastic spigot on the bottom. Instead of being a two-man job to bottle the beer, you just siphon from the fermenting bucket to the bottling bucket, then use the spigot to fill your bottles with a minimum of mess and spilled beer all over your kitchen.

(1) One Large Stockpot, 6 gallon minimum. * see below*

(1) One propane burner. Electric stoves (and some 'high efficiency' gas stoves) won't bring 5 gallons of water to a boil. There are ways around this, if that's outside of your budget to get started, but make sure to get a cheap turkey fryer setup as your next purchase. *If you get a turkey fryer setup, this eliminates the need to purchase a separate stockpot as required above, since they come with 7.5 gal pots*

(1) One six-foot length of clear syphon hose, *make sure to get the recommended diameter to fit the spigot on your bottling bucket above*.... Home Depot sells it, but you have to buy 20 feet at a time. Homebrew shops sell it by the foot, at a huge markup, but you only have to buy what you need, so overall cost would be cheaper. It's always good to have a little extra on hand. You never know when you need extra clear 3/8 pvc tubing, such as using it to connect your fuel pump to the carbeurator to observe fuel flow in a 1989 7.5 hp Sears Gamefisher.

(1) One bottle capper. I've got one I'll give you for free if you are interested. Don't use it on guiness bottles, it likes to shatter guinness bottles for some reason.

OR

(4) Four 12-packs of Grolsch from walmart or sam's club. They have the flip-top "swing top" bottles and no capping is necessary. What I don't keg, I put in flip tops. I'm done with bottle capping (thus free bottle capper for you if you want it).

(1) One tub of C-Brite sanitizer powder. You mix a measured amount with water, and that's your sanitizer solution. Don't use bleach solution. It's a long explanation.

(1) One regular old Homer Bucket from Home Depot. This is what you use for your sanitizer solution.

(1) One hydrometer. Keep the plastic tube it comes in, and take care of it. You'll use this tube for your samples.

(1) One thermometer. I like the digital kind with a timer, comes in handy. To get started, you can use the same one you use for bbq, but eventually you'll want your own that is just for beer making, particularly if you are married.

(3) Three milk crates, or equivalent. These are for storing your bottles while they age.

(1) One grain bag. You'll need this even when brewing with extract. There are always specialty grains that go with your brew. The extracts are basically 4 types. Light, Dark, Amber, Wheat. To make the different styles of beers, the recipe will call for any number of specialty grains that you'll steep according to the recipe.

(1) One hop sock. It's basically panty hose that holds the hops while you boil them. You don't have to use them, I don't use hop socks, but my beer has hop pieces floating around in it, and I'm fine with that. I brew for myself, not others.

(1) One bottle of Camden Tablets. These aren't necessary, but give you a secret weapon in your stash, in case something bad starts growing in your bucket. They also act to neutralize nasties in your tap water or any funky stuff you may want to add to your beer, such as fresh fruit.

(1) One compost pile or community dumpster. You do not want rotting spent grains anywhere near you. They smell worse than rotting shrimp heads, and might get the cops called on you for having a dead body stashed on your property somewhere. I'm not kidding.*


That's it.


Tips:

-Don't bother with liquid yeast unless you are making a wheat beer.

-Remember the acronym "RDWHAHB". Relax. Don't Worry. Have A Home Brew.

-Read the John Palmer link "How to Brew" I linked above. The only part I recommend skipping over is the water chemistry part, that isn't necessary for you to worry about as a beginner. Also, the many pages devoted to lagering, you can skip that too, until you want to brew lagers. That is also somewhat complicated. Stick to ales for now. No shame in it either, that's all I brew.

thanks for all the info!