Help Starting From Scratch

[marksbrew]

Wow, thanks for the warm welcome guys. Very impressed with everyones enthusiasm and general feedback.

Sounds like coopers would be fine but knowing me I'll probably want to go to a HB shop and have a look at different options. Price might send me BigW but will see how I go.

Thanks

 

[marksbrew]

The basic kit you get with a brewery in a box will not be wasted whatever path you take with kits, extracts or all grain brewing. Items such as the fermenter, hydrometer, bottling cane etc etc are all held in common by all methods. As previous poster said if you decide to go beyond kits then you will just need to acquire various bits of extra gear as you progress, but the basic outfit is great. Most HB shops will sell you a basic brewery in a box such as Brewcraft, or you can go the supermarket variety, the Coopers is very sound and good quality IMHO.

All you may need to throw away is the can opener

Welcome to the craft.

Thanks for that BribieG

One thing I can't stand is throw aways as time goes on so good for my piece of mind.

 

[marksbrew]

I have to add to my essential list - sanitiser.

This article is very good

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=18

and that grain and grape link provided above by Matti is excellent. G & G will sell you what you need and give proper information along with it. They are more interested in seeing you make good beer and return a happy customer than ripping you off selling stuff you don't need. Basically they're all beer nerdsas opposed to disillusioned retailers.

Hey Manticle

Your picture scares me but your advice sounds great, thanks for your imput.

Bottoms up

 

[marksbrew]

Hi all

Just to let you know, I made the leap and bought my homebrew kit today. I ended up goiing for the Brewcraft $150 option over the coopers. Main reason was to get the bench capper and extra bit of better quality including better beer etc. Apparently there is about $220 worth of value v's about $100 worth with the coopers.
Any way got the equpment now but still have to wait a few more weeks till my birthday befroe I do my first brew.

Spending the next few weeks stocking up on coopers long necks (HARD TO TAKE HEY!)

I'll let you know in a few weeks how I go.

Cheers
Bottoms-up

 

[manticle]

Best of luck. Plenty of good information around to avoid making the mistakes I did.

My avatar is Shane McGowan. What that man doesn't know about drinking beer...........well you know the score.

 

[Pennywise]

Bench capper = bloody smart choice. Those hand cappers are absolute CRAP!!!

 

[marksbrew]

So I finally got around to doing my first brew this morning. I did the Brewerscraft Munich larger with a tea bag of Hallertau.

Seemed to go ok so will wait to see how it tates.

Start planning the next one I guess.

Cheers

 

[mckenry]

Bite off more than you can chew, then chew like crazy.

Get the good gear from the start. I know its hard if youre on a budget, but get the best you can. You wont regret it.

e.g. wait another week or two and get a bigger pot, coz one day youll think 'I wish I had a bigger pot'
If you go AG, get the biggest esky coz one day you'll think 'I wish.....

 

[marksbrew]

Thanks

Very philisophical, That is how I tend to shop for all things.

 

[Brewman_]

Hi Bottoms-up,

Good on you for getting all that top advise up front. Hope you enjoy the first one, I reckon you will.

I use Kegs now days, but call me an old bloke, but I have a 20 year old hammer bottle capper, got it in my first kit, and which I always use when bottling. I also have a bench capper, but I never enjoyed using it. Just a preference I spose.
FNL

 

[HoppingMad]

You made the right choice on the bench capper.

Hand cappers can break bottles if your hammer tap is too hard. Lost count of the times I almost slashed my wrists open. Old reused bottles can become fragile and after capping 35 tallies you can get sloppy around number 28 with a hammer tap! After two near misses I resorted to capping bottles with a towel wrapped around my arm for insurance!

Two handed cappers occaisionally 'grab' the neck of bottles causing them to split. There are good and bad ones out there though.

Bench cappers rock and take the guesswork out of the job. Adjusting the height can be a pain but I'll take that any day of the week. Just line up your empties according to height and you'll save time.

Now...if I could only find a cheap bottling line and automated capper...that would be something...

Hopper.

 

[mwd]

just broke my first bottle and ruined the carpet with a big IPA stain. Makes the $6.00 hammer capper a bit more expensive.

Don't use the carpet as a shock absorber

Go the bench capper or stick to the Coopers/Morgans PET

 

[marksbrew]

Good advise to avoid carpet damage. hmm...
I have the bech capper but do you think it is worth doing a practice cap or is that just silly and a waste of a cap?
Still don't have enough bottles yet, I'd better hurry up and get more.
Someone told me you can use softdrink pet bottles too as long as you keep the in the dark, is that true.
I'd prefer glass but just incase I don't get them in time..

Still bubbling away...o...0....O!

 

[Pennywise]

No problems with using PET bottles as long as you keep them out of the light. I'd prolly buy new caps too

 

[Digger11]

No problems with using PET bottles as long as you keep them out of the light. I'd prolly buy new caps too

Does that apply to Brown PET Bottles ?

 

[manticle]

Brown ones should be fine. Supposedly a bit more susceptible to oxidation given time as the plastic becomes permeable but light sensitivity should be similar to brown glass.

 

[DKS]

All good advice here bottoms
Best I can offer is read, read and read some more. Its all free and a big bains trust here at AHB. Also, give as much info as you can when you have questions like exactly what youve done or ingredients youve used, temps, yeast types etc.
You could start by letting us know where you are ( not address of course)Locals can be very helpful. Clubs, Temp control, suppliers etc etc . Good luck with your new hobby.
Daz
Edit :Al god adivice would have been silly

 

[Brewman_]

Maybe a little off topic, but I am a big fan of PET these days. I was not a fan until recently.

If I have any left over beer in a fermenter after kegging, and I don't plan on cellaring the beer, then I bottle to PET 1.5 or 2L bottles. I have been doing this for 6 months and with great results. The good thing with a 2L PET is you can put the Cap back on and put it back in the fridge for another day - and surprisingly the beer tastes fresh the next day.

I keep the bottles in a dark cupboard for a few weeks to carb up.

I reckon this is the easiest way to store 2L of excess beer after kegging. I use mineral water bottles and use them once only then discard.

FNL.

 

[avaneyk]

Brown ones should be fine. Supposedly a bit more susceptible to oxidation given time as the plastic becomes permeable but light sensitivity should be similar to brown glass.

I used the brown PET bottle when I started out - found that these bottles do eventually go flat. It takes quite a while though...like 6+ months.

 

[Brewman_]

Hi AndrewSA,

A mate works at one the the premium soft drink companies, and he said exactly the same thing. Apparently the soft drink bottles have a short shelf life. Should drink em sooner rather than later.

FNL