Is a Heating BrewBelt needed?

Damascena

Hi,

I am in the process of buying the equipment to brew beer for friend of mine as a Christmas present. I am at a loss as to what is the best starting package to go with. I have been searching the websites and checking the various offers but as I don't know how relevant each component is to the process I find it hard to make a judgement call as to what is actually needed.

I notice that some kits have a heating brew belt. I am wondering if this is really necessary? I only really wanted to spend around €70 and none of the kits I found for that price had a Heating Brew Belt. I'd pay the extra €20 if it was something that was really worth getting. I'd appreciate any advice on what is a good starter package and whether the Heating Brew Belt is necessary.

Thanks

spoofilyj

A Brew belt is not essential, its a Nice to have bit of equipment but its really not needed, as most brews are best if kept around 18-20 degrees C, so most houses will be around this with little variance unless the brew is kept near a radiator which is not a good call anyway...

By the way, great pressie to get someone and could lead to a long term hobby. Good Call:D

Damascena

Thanks for your reply. Yeah to be honest its a present I would love to get. I am hoping he doesn't like it and in a month or two I can slip in and take it!

Would you have any recommendations on equipment kits I should start with or any to stay away from either?

Thanks again for your reply.

merc230ce

I got the Coopers Microbrew one and I think it's great - the fermenting bucket has a clever collar on it for when you need a bit of extra space (if you're brewing a particularly 'enthusiastic' beer ;-), the hydrometer is plastic so fairly robust, the Little Bottler is dead handy. The only things I don't like are the plastic bottles - I used them the first time but then saved up glass ones for subsequent brews.

spoofilyj

To be honest I'm fairly new to this too, I only started my first kit around two weeks ago, I went for the Coopers Pilsner Kit and its bubbling away under the table in the kitchen, I also started a Mead batch on sunday too and this is bubbling away nicely too.

My dad used to make Wine so I was able to rob a lot of his stuff that's not being used anymore.

One of the basic kits from one of the many home brew sites will do to start with but as with anything you get interested in you will add to it and tweak your kit to suit what you like brewing.

I would however recommend definately getting two fermenting buckets.
One should have a tap and the other leave without. It gives you flexability when you have a brew going in one you can kick off another. Its also handy when your ready to bottle, siphon one into the other to leave the dead yeast at the bottom and then you can prime your batch for bottling and your whole batch will be evenly carbonated.

BeerNut

The €70 set from HBC looks pretty good, though I'd make some substitutions: an immersion thermometer instead of the stick-on one; no need for sanitiser since you can make your own with supermarket ingredients; no need for the drilled lid/airlock/bung arrangement; no need for a bottle brush.

I don't know if it would be cheaper to assemble the set manually though.

Krusty_Clown

BeerNut wrote: »

an immersion thermometer instead of the stick-on one

How do you use the immersion thermometer? Do you take a sample from the fermenter and check the temperature then, or lower/leave it in the fermenter when needed?

BeerNut

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

How do you use the immersion thermometer?

I dip it in things when I want to know how warm they are :P

When steeping grains I leave it in the pot so I can monitor the temperature.

When rehydrating yeast I leave it in the sterilised water as I cool it down to the right temperature.

When chilling wort I use it to check when pitching temperature is achieved.

When taking gravity readings I use it to measure the wort temperature in the trial jar in order to calibrate the hydrometer reading.

I have an external thermometer in the room where I ferment. There's no need to monitor the exact temperature of the wort at all times.

Krusty_Clown

Thanks that helps. I had a mental picture of a thermometer permanently bobbing up and down in the wort, while eager home-brewer squints to read temperature through barely translucent plastic bucket.

I suppose as you go down the brewing route for the first time, you're anxious to make sure everything is spot-on. With experience, you can be very casual about the whole process, as you know fermentation will take approximately two weeks, and there's little point in monitoring anything in the interim. Myself and my young daughter have been enjoying the experience of checking for bubbles in the air-lock and checking the temperature daily (without taking any samples!).

Sorry for drifting off topic, but are bottle washers and bottle trees very useful or unnecessary additions?

BeerNut

I think I've used my bottle brush about four times in the three years I've had it, but all my bottles get rinsed immediately after the contents are poured. Bottle brushes are for lazy people, or those who inherit bottles from lazy people, I think.

I like my bottling tree, but I couldn't say it has improved the quality of my beer any so I could probably live without it.

Krusty_Clown

BeerNut wrote: »

I think I've used my bottle brush about four times in the three years I've had it, but all my bottles get rinsed immediately after the contents are poured. Bottle brushes are for lazy people, or those who inherit bottles from lazy people, I think.

I like my bottling tree, but I couldn't say it has improved the quality of my beer any so I could probably live without it.

Thanks again. I was thinking a second bucket/fermenter might be a better investment, as I could sterilize the bottles in a no-rinse solution in the second bucket, while getting it ready for batch priming. I presume you'd need to sterilize the bottle tree?! Think I'll get a bottle tree and a second bucket and start taking over the brewery laundry room.

BeerNut

If you don't have a second bucket that's definitely the next thing to get. It makes a huge difference. The bottling tree separates so each level can be sanitised individually and there's no need to sanitise the base.

Damascena

Thanks again for your advice. I am thorn between the coopers kit and this kit here http://www.homebrewwest.ie/brewsmarter-premium-starter-beer-kit-best-value-844-p.asp they are similar price! It might come down to a toss of a coin unless anyone can give me a reason why one might be better then the other.

Krusty_Clown

Damascena wrote: »

Thanks again for your advice. I am thorn between the coopers kit and this kit here http://www.homebrewwest.ie/brewsmarter-premium-starter-beer-kit-best-value-844-p.asp they are similar price! It might come down to a toss of a coin unless anyone can give me a reason why one might be better then the other.

I went with your the kit from your second link and the Brew belt is still wrapped up in the shrink-wrap it came in. The cost of the brewbelt would have paid for a secondary/fermentation bucket and a bottle tree/bottle washer. I stuck a temperature guage in the area in which I was going to keep the beer for a few days and it remained a constant 18-20'C, which seems to have been fine for fermentation (bubbling away for 8 days so far).

*Edit*:
You could go with the Brewsmarter start kit (complete with Cooper's Canadian Blonde) for €39.95.
Throw in 48 Coopers Oxbar 500ml bottles €23.90
Add in a second fermentation bucket complete with tap/air-lock: €19.95 (or simple bucket with Syphon)
and you'd still have enough money left over to buy a thermometer and spare hydrometer.

The instructions for brewing are on the Cooper's kit, so there is nothing to be gained my buying a more complete kit, unless you think you'll use the Brewbelt (which you can always buy later).

Damascena

Thanks again Krusty. You have my mind made up now so. I really appreciate the advice and hopefully when my friend grows tired of the equipment and passes it on to me, and I get some experience, I will one day be able to help out someone clueless like you just have!! I really appreciate your help. Thanks again.

Krusty_Clown

Damascena wrote: »

Thanks again Krusty. You have my mind made up now so. I really appreciate the advice and hopefully when my friend grows tired of the equipment and passes it on to me, and I get some experience, I will one day be able to help out someone clueless like you just have!! I really appreciate your help. Thanks again.

No problem, expect I am equally as clueless. My kit was a present from my wife, so I pointed her in the direction of the complete kit, thinking that for the first tentative steps, having everything you need would make life simpler. But really, these beginners kits are just a collection of individual pieces of equipment, assembled into a box for delivery! The useful information that you need for brewing, will come from the experienced posters on this forum (and others), as well as the homebrew contributors on youtube.

Why not buy yourself a bucket too, and you'll have everything you need to make your own alongside your friend's efforts?!

poitinstill

better agian get a free bucket with a 30 bottle of wine kit ...see offers on the sites for the autralian blend wines...thehomebrewcompany and homebrewwest do them and you get a free fermeter