Newbie looking to get started

Buying, building and using brewing equipment and apparatus. Product reviews and questions.

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lootcorp
Light Lager
Light Lager
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 2:11 pm

Newbie looking to get started

Post by lootcorp »

Hi all,

I am just starting out w/ home brewing and am looking to buy a kit which will have all the equipment I will need. I am looking to start out simple but I don't want the equipment I buy to restrict me too much as I advance my skills.

I was looking at the following kits, but I don't really know enough yet to know if it is a good deal and the proper equipment for what I want to do:

http://www.arborwine.com/beerkit.html

I am looking to focus on simple beers in the beginning - I'd love to brew up some IPA and simple ales. Can anyone shed some light on how suitable the kits I linked to would be? Or recommend another kit?

Also, can anyone recommend any brew stores in the NYC metro area? (Preferably Queens or Long Island)

Thanks for the help!!

-loot
BillyBock
Imperial Stout
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Joined: Sun Dec 31, 2000 11:37 am
Location: Ohio

Post by BillyBock »

It looks like a standard kit. You'll need a stockpot though. Otherwise, it should work out for what you want to do. Also checkout: morebeer.com or http://www.northernbrewer.com They'll have a variety of starter kits also. I would also suggest, if you're not sure if you want to go headlong with this hobby, then keep your equipment investment small.
richanne
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Location: phoenix, AZ, US
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A little pricey

Post by richanne »

$98 is a bit pricey for a starter kit that doesn't include bottles.
You should be able to get a kit that includes most of that stuff (perhaps a bottling bucket instead of a carboy) except for the $30 ingredient kit for about $50.

Start with that and some bottles left over from your favorite commercial beer that comes in bottles that require a bottle opener to open them.

Probably the closest homebrew store to you is Niagara Tradition Homebrew in Buffalo (http://www.nthomebrew.com). For $70, you can get a starter kit that includes the ingredients for your first batch in one of several varieties.
Richard and Anne Brady
Brady's Homebrew
http://www.bradyshomebrew.com
flavaham
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Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2006 5:38 am
Location: Denver, Co. USA

Post by flavaham »

If $100 is in your price range you'll be able to find a good kit somewhere. The one you linked to looks fine to me (except that I would advise a 6 1/2 gallon glass carboy over the 5. If you are interested in why let me know)

As for the ingredients though, I'd buy them at a local brew store. Also, keep in mind that a good stainless stock pot is going to be about as much as the starter kit. You don't want to use aluminum. I don't know the technical terms, but there is something in aluminum that can effect the taste of your beer. Stainless is the way to go.
Also, when buying a stock pot, consider future batches. I had to buy two because I didn't think ahead. I started with extracts and only boiled about 2-3 gallons of wort, then diluted with water in the fermenter. I now do all-grain batches and boil the full volume of the beer (and you can do that with extracts too - I recomend it). What that means is I had to go from a 5 gallon stock pot (about $60) to a 10 gallon stock pot (about $85-$100). If this is a hobby that you know you will stick with, spend a little money on your initial investment.
Brewing beer is really quite simple. It's all about cleaning, sanitizing, and using the right ingredients. The first two are no brainers. The ingredients can take years to get right, but, that's half the fun!
One more quick tip: Use filtered water, not tap. You can buy it anywhere or just use a britta water pitcher. A friend of mine dose this and makes great beer.
Hope this helped! Good Luck!
-g
"Beer, the cause of and solution to all the world's problems..."
-Homer Simpson
markdouglas
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2006 5:43 pm

Post by markdouglas »

/echo what others have said. what i tell people looking to break into the hobby - as with any hobby - spend as much as a reasonable budget will allow. you should spend about $100 initially..homebrew kits are good but i'll tell ya - if you're even halfway serious you'll outgrow most kits in the first couple of brews. simple stuff like that butterfly capper that comes with most all kits...how anyone get's that thing to work consistantly is beyond me. for a few more $$ you can get a bench capper and be done with it.
PasoSpec5
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 2:18 am

Post by PasoSpec5 »

Try this guys Deluxe Kit. With a recipe kit(Negra Mexican) with everything you need it was 193 out the door.

http://www.docscellar.com/
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