Deciding On What To Buy

[jonnir]

Hey all,

I've done reading on home brewing my beer for so long and then sorta let me brain rest for a while and start reading up on it again. Now i'm guessing some of it doesn't make complete sense until i actually get right in and have a go. I guess i would of just done it long ago but i always like to research what im getting myself into first so hence the reason why i haven't just done this.

So now i guess instead of just 'reading reading reading'. I'll also ask for some help.

I was looking at picking up one of those Coopers Starter kits from bigw/kmart. Is there any reason not to? Is that the way to go or is it cheaper to just go to the lhbs and pick up a Fermenter/tap/hydrometer/stirring stick (anything else im missing)

I'm hoping to put a few brews down for xmas as i'm going away camping and hoping to bring the brew along instead of buying carton after carton while im away!

Also any suggestions for a first brew? I love my coronas ( i like to call them a 'crisp' beer)

Cheers all!

 

[dougsbrew]

yeah mate, go the kit, has all the gear and i believe a KK kit to make a batch included.
all this gear can be used with your next setup be it biab or 3v etc.
only thing id suggest is using us05 instead of the yeast sitting on top of the can.

 

[kymba]

Then again you could grab a 20L plastic Jerry, a big funnel, a mexican Coopers kit and a box of DME or dex from bigw (you can also get PET bottles from there which are perfect for camping).

Dilute the kit in a big saucepan and tip into Jerry through the funnel. Add 500g of dme / dex & top up with water to about 20L then sprinkle the yeast on top and secure a bit of cling wrap over the spout

Remember though that the most important thing is temperature control, especially during primary fermentation. If you can keep it at say 16 then you'll have a clean beer

Oh and welcome aboard :unsure:

 

[Helles]

If your going camping for an extented amount of time (like me 3 weeks)
You need kegs and lots of them

 

[DU99]

Dr smurto's GA would go well.

 

[jonnir]

I'm away for a week, gotta feed about 3 of us with the beers!

 

[DU99]

Tins of Spag/baked bean's ,cast iron cook ware

 

[hoppy2B]

Kit might be the go because you will get little nick knacks like a hydrometre and so on.
If you end up delaying getting into home brew like you have been, try and buy beer in bottles that can be crown sealed with a bottle capper for when you do start brewing. Then it may be worthwhile buying bits and pieces including say a 30 litre ferment vessel from Bunnings for $20 etc.

 

[kymba]

oh, and i take this camping...http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=54925

 

[petesbrew]

Hey all,

I've done reading on home brewing my beer for so long and then sorta let me brain rest for a while and start reading up on it again. Now i'm guessing some of it doesn't make complete sense until i actually get right in and have a go. I guess i would of just done it long ago but i always like to research what im getting myself into first so hence the reason why i haven't just done this.

So now i guess instead of just 'reading reading reading'. I'll also ask for some help.

I was looking at picking up one of those Coopers Starter kits from bigw/kmart. Is there any reason not to? Is that the way to go or is it cheaper to just go to the lhbs and pick up a Fermenter/tap/hydrometer/stirring stick (anything else im missing)

I'm hoping to put a few brews down for xmas as i'm going away camping and hoping to bring the brew along instead of buying carton after carton while im away!

Also any suggestions for a first brew? I love my coronas ( i like to call them a 'crisp' beer)

Cheers all!

Welcome aboard Jonnir,
The coopers kit is what lots of us started off with. I'm still using my fermenter 7yrs on.
I took my first beer camping too. It may have been crap by my standards today, but at the time it was lovely because it was beer and I made it myself.
Watch the vid that comes with it for the basics for starting off.
Ferment your beer at 20c deg if you can.
Come here for recipe advice and general pisstaking.
The Coopers Mexican Cerveza & Canadian Blondes are great kits for experimenting with.
Have fun!
Pete

 

[wbosher]

I'd go with the Coopers kit to start with too. Has everything you need to get started, including 30 PET bottles. All you need to get is some sanitising solution like starsan.

Throw away the instructions in the kit, and follow the advice of the pros on this site. LOTS of great information here as you're already aware.

Be patient (unlike most of us newbies :lol: ) and have fun.

 

[petesbrew]

I'd go with the Coopers kit to start with too. Has everything you need to get started, including 30 PET bottles. All you need to get is some sanitising solution like starsan.

Throw away the instructions in the kit, and follow the advice of the pros on this site. LOTS of great information here as you're already aware.

Be patient (unlike most of us newbies :lol: ) and have fun.

Oh yeah, this is one hobby where you have to learn patience.

 

[pk.sax]

The costs might add up slightly over the kit esp if its on all like 50 bux or something but all you need are:

Fermenter: bunnings/camping store barrel or cube
Hydrometer: spare from bigw or home brew shop
Kit can: bigw or home brew shop - like said above Mexican cerveza and Canadian blonde.
Sugar: buy some dry malt extract and dextrose from wherever you like.
Yeast: home brew shop - us05 will do well.
Sanitizer: bigw (sodium perc) or home brew shop (starsan or hydrogen peroxide) or pharmacy (hydrogen peroxide)
Cleaner: sodium perc from anywhere. Nappisan, the cheap unscented one works.

Bottles: if you got bottles, just clean and sanitise them and get a bottle capper and crown caps instead of buying plastic. Else plastic bottles, great for camping of course.

Now, if you went to the home brew shop, they might have a kit made up of some of these better ingredients already. Cost more than the big standard coopers kit but taste better too. I never could finish my first kit that came out of the box. Was brewed in winter, no extra heating and yet disgusting.

You can also, depending where you live, pickup a cube full of fresh wort from some of the bigger home brew shops and use instead of the kit & sugar mentioned above. Some of the shops even give you a free sachet of us05 with it.

 

[jaypes]

I was in the exactly the same position as you, a noob brewer.

I had a few mates brewing and have always wanted to give it a go. I looked at the coopers kits but ended up going to a HBS after researching their website - I left the place with a new friend.

For the money the HBS kit might be a bit more expensive, but at least the person selling it to you actually knows what they are talking about (at least in my experience) if you have any questions - it is in their best interest for return business.

I am 7 days into my first brew and am already planning my 5th.

Good luck and have fun

 

[Black Devil Dog]

Then again you could grab a 20L plastic Jerry, a big funnel, a mexican Coopers kit and a box of DME or dex from bigw (you can also get PET bottles from there which are perfect for camping).

Dilute the kit in a big saucepan and tip into Jerry through the funnel. Add 500g of dme / dex & top up with water to about 20L then sprinkle the yeast on top and secure a bit of cling wrap over the spout

Remember though that the most important thing is temperature control, especially during primary fermentation. If you can keep it at say 16 then you'll have a clean beer

Oh and welcome aboard :unsure:

I'm sure you mean well, but if someone told me to do that before I had ever brewed a single batch of beer, I would have gone, "too hard".

IMO keep it simple:

Buy the Coopers kit and make whatever is in it. You need a fermenter and that will do perfectly. You've paid for the contents you might as well use them. You will learn something.

Keep the temp at 18 - 24 degrees during ferment by whatever means you can.

Be patient and use your hydrometer to be sure fermentation has finished. 10 - 14 days it should be done for sure.

Bottle. 2 weeks minimum conditioning. Drink it and make some more.

Next batch try something else. :icon_drunk:

 

[amcqueen]

I'm sure you mean well, but if someone told me to do that before I had ever brewed a single batch of beer, I would have gone, "too hard".

IMO keep it simple:

Buy the Coopers kit and make whatever is in it. You need a fermenter and that will do perfectly. You've paid for the contents you might as well use them. You will learn something.

Keep the temp at 18 - 24 degrees during ferment by whatever means you can.

Be patient and use your hydrometer to be sure fermentation has finished. 10 - 14 days it should be done for sure.

Bottle. 2 weeks minimum conditioning. Drink it and make some more.

Next batch try something else. :icon_drunk:

I agree.. Buy the kit and plunge right in. As Black Devil Dog says - you will learn something. Document down everything that you did for your brews so that you can improve brew by brew. Dont have expectations that your brew will be outstanding first time - but you should be able to make decent beer initially... Good luck! :lol:

 

[smartaform]

My wife bought the Coopers DIY Kit in April as my birthday present - probably one of the best birthday gifts ever!! B)

I made the initial Lager that came with the kit - it was ok, drinkable and all that. Went to the LHBS and continued buying Coopers Kits, started experimenting with grains and hops then 2 weeks ago moved to a partial mash 'Christmas Ale'..

Of course i've read heaps of articles and bits on this forum and you pick things up as you go.. I was too impatient on my first brew, trained myself not to touch until x time and have steadily built a nice stockpile of beer for the summer...



DAMN THIS HOBBY!! I'm figuring out a recipe when i should be working

 

[Ivonavich]

My wife bought the Coopers DIY Kit in April as my birthday present - probably one of the best birthday gifts ever!! B)

Amen to that!!!!!! Mine brought me one in July for my Birthday.... :lol:

 

[tanked84]

Amen to that!!!!!! Mine brought me one in July for my Birthday.... :lol:

same but in September...best ever!