Coopers Or Brigalow Home Brew Starter Kit..?

[Greeno]

Hi guys,

I was looking in Kmart yesterday and they have 2 starter kits, the Brigalow and the coopers.. i am going to be getting a keg setup so i dont need the bottling equipment.

Which brand would be better?

Cheers,

Greeno

:icon_chickcheers:

 

[muckey]

never used the brigalow 1 but I cant see that there'd be too much difference between them. Check the price and which 1 has a kit tin that you want to brew

 

[manticle]

I think the difference is in the included tin. I've never come across anyone recommend Brigalow. Coopers, if treated properly, can turn out an ok beer.

 

[chappo1970]

Go the Coopers kit. In a previous life I found Brigalow gear to be cheap nasty cr@p.

Cheers

Chappo

 

[Interloper]

What is it you want out of it? A fermenter?

You could buy a container and a tap from Bunnings/Kmart etc and then fork out just for a thermometer and an airlock and save yourself some cash.

I bought a brigalow kit to get started and really all that's in it (and the coopers one) is a container, airlock, bottling wand, thermometer and hydrometer.

Realistically you could just buy the essential bits without any starter kit and it would save you enough for a tin of goo.

The brigalow tin of goo is undrinkable muck. At least if you buy the coopers kit you'll get a better quality tin of extract.

 

[Greeno]

What is it you want out of it? A fermenter?

You could buy a container and a tap from Bunnings/Kmart etc and then fork out just for a thermometer and an airlock and save yourself some cash.

I bought a brigalow kit to get started and really all that's in it (and the coopers one) is a container, airlock, bottling wand, thermometer and hydrometer.

Realistically you could just buy the essential bits without any starter kit and it would save you enough for a tin of goo.

The brigalow tin of goo is undrinkable muck. At least if you buy the coopers kit you'll get a better quality tin of extract.

Ahh ok, i didnt even think about bunnings! perhaps i should look into that..

 

[Bribie G]

If it wasn't for the money spinning 'brewery in a box' concept and after sales of caps and bits, Brigalow would have probably gone out of business years ago. Their kits are garbage. I did one last year to see what they were like and ended up drinking it laced with Bickfords lime cordial as an alcopop because it was the only way I could wrestle it down.

 

[Greeno]

Are the hydrometer's and that sort of gear that are sold in Kmart ok? so i could get the container and tap from bunnings and the other gear there?

 

[Scruffy]

The cheaper hydrometers have a printed paper scale inside, this might move about from time to time, so bung it in some PURE water at 60 deg F, it should read 1.000.

I didn't know Bunnings did homebrew stuff, unless you mean copper...



It depends how much you want to spend of course, but, yup, they'll work fine if you're starting out... you'll be asking if cheap thermometers are any good next

 

[glaab]

The brewcraft kit looks ok


http://www.brewcraftsa.com.au/showProduct/...ER+HOME+BREWERY

 

[manticle]

Are the hydrometer's and that sort of gear that are sold in Kmart ok? so i could get the container and tap from bunnings and the other gear there?

Only good if you're making regular kit and kilo. If you want to make anything higher gravity they are useless because they only go to 1040.

 

[Renegade]

You could buy a complete starter kit with the bench capper etc. And I would give you 20 bucks for the capper if youre kegging !

Bunnings sell 25l water barrels for $16, as good as any fermenter. A tap is around $2. You really dont need an airlock, just some clingwrap over the opening. A decent hydrometer is probably an investment, those kit ones are a bit dodgy i think. Get yourself a long stirring spoon from Big W or something. All you need then is a hose to fill up your kegs and your off and running.

 

[Renegade]

Only good if you're making regular kit and kilo. If you want to make anything higher gravity they are useless because they only go to 1040.

That's so dumb.

 

[iScarlet]

Probably the cheapest one I've bought was the Toohey's one, no bottles, a Toohey's can, a hydrometer and a hand capper. I haven't had a trouble with the hydrometers that came with either the Coopers or the Toohey's packets, actually I think they are both the same.

The fermenter is fantastic, I just won't touch the can it came with. I think Brigalow is much the same deal, plastic bucket and lackluster kit. That said, brewing the can in the Coopers kit with the sugar it comes with can yield a brew that's ok at best.

 

[HoppingMad]

You could buy a complete starter kit with the bench capper etc. And I would give you 20 bucks for the capper if youre kegging !

Bunnings sell 25l water barrels for $16, as good as any fermenter. A tap is around $2. You really dont need an airlock, just some clingwrap over the opening. A decent hydrometer is probably an investment, those kit ones are a bit dodgy i think. Get yourself a long stirring spoon from Big W or something. All you need then is a hose to fill up your kegs and your off and running.

Have one Bunnings fermenter as well as 2 HBS fermenters, and 1 coopers fermenter. Gotta warn you that while you'll save dough on the Bunnings one (put together the $16 number one Renegade has quoted above 4 weeks ago) - the seal on these drums (Made by BMW plastics mine was) is very iffy. I find that I have to screw the small chunky lid on it up to 3 times to get it properly airtight. Never had this issue with the HBS fermenters or Coopers. Just be aware that without due care on one of these you might be 'aerating your wort'.

Hopper.

 

[geoffi]

The kit may or may not come with a 'sanitiser', but if it does it's probably sodium metabisulphite. Do yourself a fave and buy a real sanitiser, eg Iodophor or Starsan, from a homebrew shop.

 

[Scruffy]

So what's the keg system you're looking at/inherited/buying?

 

[souths1968]

Option 2 without the bench capper at $99.95 would be the best valued option.


http://www.homebrewinn.com.au/product_starter_kits.htm

 

[Renegade]

Have one Bunnings fermenter as well as 2 HBS fermenters, and 1 coopers fermenter. Gotta warn you that while you'll save dough on the Bunnings one (put together the $16 number one Renegade has quoted above 4 weeks ago) - the seal on these drums (Made by BMW plastics mine was) is very iffy. I find that I have to screw the small chunky lid on it up to 3 times to get it properly airtight. Never had this issue with the HBS fermenters or Coopers. Just be aware that without due care on one of these you might be 'aerating your wort'.

Hopper.

I dont use the lid, and dont see why anyone would bother when gladwrap is easier, and more sanitary.

 

[Greeno]

So what's the keg system you're looking at/inherited/buying?

Well i picked up a Gold Andale font of ebay cheap and i am going to mount that on top of my bar.. and run the beer from a fridge under the bar. i just need to pick up the rest of the gear now... as cheap as possible to keep the Mrs happy...

:beerbang: