Help needed new kit

Sparks43

Finally going to get my own brew going and hoping to order tonight

Budget is 60 euro and I'm looking for a complete kit for an ale including malt

Also need 2 airlocks and yeast for 2 gallon drums of turbo cider

I will be adding to it over time so good equipment is priority

I have no issues with using a cheap finlandia kit for first brew
Don't need bottles can get all I need

Thanks
Newbie :-)

blueshed

imo the Finlandia kits need a bit of hacking, ie adding grains n hops. you would be better off putting a few extra quid and getting this kit

http://www.homebrewwest.ie/coopers-international-english-bitter-17-kg-beer-kit-514-p.asp

most people here and on other sites have used this kit and got good to great results with it.

depending on where your based there might be a local homebrew club where you could call to one of the meets and chat to some lads with alot more experience.

i find most that i have met very helpfull and some go out of there way with tips, advice and use of there equipment.

Tigger

I'd get a bucket from Homebrewwest a from it and a couple of airlock a
Cost about 15€
Then I'd get a bottling bucket (comes with a tap a bottling tube and an airlock and you can ferment in it.
Cost about 18€
Couple of champagne yeasts (I'm cheap I'd get one and split it and then wash the yeast)
Cost 3.50€
And an auto syphon for transferring from the bucket to the bottling bucket
Cost 16€
I'm a tiny it over budget but I'd get a ale can and a brewferm lme can
I like coopers sparkling ale
Costs about 22€
The coopers kit is feed but it's hard to clean out between batches
I use buckets for primary fermentation and the bottle from the coopers kit I bought

sharingan

Dont use champagne yeasts for beer.

Also I think Home Brew West and the Home Brew Company do a line in budget LME, which is perfect for kit beers.

Sparks43

Just about to pull the trigger on this.

Do i get yeast with the beer kit or do i have to buy seperate?

Ronan|Raven

Yes, the beer kit will come with yeast.

Sparks43

Trigger pulled order placed:D

Cant wait to get started

Tigger

sharingan wrote: »

Dont use champagne yeasts for beer.

Also I think Home Brew West and the Home Brew Company do a line in budget LME, which is perfect for kit beers.

The champagne yeast is for the turbo cider the op wanted

dashcamdanny

You can get 25L food grade buckets with lids for a fiver here http://www.thepackagingcentre.com/our-products/ .
Im sure wherever you are, there will be someone who sell at a fraction of the price the price these home brew companies are doing.

The mark up on these things is extortionate here in Ireland.

Sparks43

Ordered yesterday at 1 and still no sign of a dispatch

Do homebrewwest deliver on saturdays ?

Was looking forward to having my first brew on before the weekend :-(

lee_baby_simms

Sparks43 wrote: »

Ordered yesterday at 1 and still no sign of a dispatch

Do homebrewwest deliver on saturdays ?

Was looking forward to having my first brew on before the weekend :-(

Usually takes 4 working days from ordering to arriving.

Sparks43

Phone call this morning from them and my kit should arrive in the morning

Getting a muntons kit instead of the coopers as they are out of stock

First brew hope I get something drinkable from it love english style ales and bitters and hope to move to brewing from grain asap

Sparks43

Its arrived:D

Cup of tea then sterilize time

Bogwoppit

Sparks43 wrote: »

Its arrived:D

Cup of tea then sterilize time

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

If you let us know where you are then there may be someone nearby who can show you some tricks.

Sparks43

SG 1.045

Pitched yeast at 18.3 c

Went pretty smooth sterilized everything thoroughly and through the instructions in the bin:D

Now the wait begins

Had a taste of the wort (couldnt resist)

tasted quite nice and looking forward to tasting it at the end

Elbow

Just remember not to even think about doing a single thing to it for at least 3 weeks

(That includes sneaky siphons to make sure its ok )

Sparks43

I have a tap on the bucket so i can check how its going if i need to:D

My 10 year old is making a start on two turbo ciders atm

Purely as a science experiment you know:pac:

BeerNut

Sparks43 wrote: »

I have a tap on the bucket so i can check how its going if i need to

It's not a good idea to take samples from the tap as they're difficult to clean during the fermentation process. At the very least have spray sanitiser on hand and spray the tap after you've used it.

Sparks43

So would i be better off to syphon into bottles rather then use the tap?

BeerNut

I've done both and never had a problem. Using a bottling wand on the tap is certainly very handy. But if you're using a tap, open it only once, at bottling time.

Elbow

This may not be right according to anyone who knows what they're doing but I just sanitize the tap at the same time as i'm sanitizing my bottles and I've yet to run into a problem.


I put 10L water into my bottling bucket, add sanatizer, give it a slosh around, pour the contents into the sink, wash all my bottles, while they're drying on the bottle tree I stick the fermenter, hose, muslin, cable tie and filling stick into the sink (the water just covers the tap). Give everything a rinse and job done

In case anyone was reading the above and wondering zip tie and muslin????, I zip tie the muslin to the bottom of the hose to stop any crap going into the bottling bucket


EDIT:
Beernut posted while I was typing the above, I am guliity of using the tap for taking samples

Sparks43

10 hours in and the airlock on the beer kit is bubbling away nicely

No move on the 2 ciders yet but they have built up a nice head of yeast so im quite hopeful.

Hope to get a bit more equipment next week so i can get another ale and stout going.

Sparks43

Still bubbling nicely took a reading off one of the ciders og 1.048 down to 1.016

Had a little taste and I must say it tastes lovely slightly oversweet but I'm sure that will ferment out

Leaving the bitter to its own devices but more then likely will rack to secondary sometime late next week

Sparks43

Bitter is bottled

Nice and clear and tastes fabulous

Have a stout in primary and also picked up a second fermenter to do a beer

Ciders turned out well and they are bottled as well

Good fun this homebrew lark

Padraig Mor

I'm going to jump in here if the OP doesn't mind, rather than starting a new thread.

I'm planning to get started homebrewing soon and will order my kit soon. I've read a bit on the forums and I reckon the following should have me covered for most basic brews:


Am I missing anything obvious here? There will be a bottle draining tree included as well (free with the kit and sanitizer). Has anyone had experience with the Chemipro Oxi? It's described as a cleaner and sterilizer (sic) but its blurb implies it's just a cleaner. Is it OK for no-rinse use on bottles previously rinsed with water?

I love a nice hefeweizen - hence the Craft Range wheat kit, which has some good reviews here. Would it be best bottled straight from primary after fermentation ends, rather than racking? Am I correct saying it should be fully drinkable 2 - 3 weeks after bottling, and best within 3 months or so?

Finally, yeasts. Would it be best to buy a few different yeasts, or isolate from the bottle? Note I have access to full microbiology lab facilities so isolation is not a problem. Is preparing proper starters from cultures easy enough?

Hingo

Padraig Mor wrote: »

I'm going to jump in here if the OP doesn't mind, rather than starting a new thread.

I'm planning to get started homebrewing soon and will order my kit soon. I've read a bit on the forums and I reckon the following should have me covered for most basic brews:


Am I missing anything obvious here? There will be a bottle draining tree included as well (free with the kit and sanitizer). Has anyone had experience with the Chemipro Oxi? It's described as a cleaner and sterilizer (sic) but its blurb implies it's just a cleaner. Is it OK for no-rinse use on bottles previously rinsed with water?

I love a nice hefeweizen - hence the Craft Range wheat kit, which has some good reviews here. Would it be best bottled straight from primary after fermentation ends, rather than racking? Am I correct saying it should be fully drinkable 2 - 3 weeks after bottling, and best within 3 months or so?

Finally, yeasts. Would it be best to buy a few different yeasts, or isolate from the bottle? Note I have access to full microbiology lab facilities so isolation is not a problem. Is preparing proper starters from cultures easy enough?

The yeast in the kit should be fine, but if you wanted to experiment, could try some blanche yeast for that spicy flavour you get in the likes of Hoegaarden. - you might get some funky smells during the fermentation process, especially in this weather, so if you have a decent room that can keep at the lower-mid end of the yeast's fermentation temperature spectrum (~18'c), should be onto a winner IMO. - if you do get any smells from the yeast (like sulphur/rotten eggs) dont be put off, its normal and it will dissapate over time
Wheat beer is generally best within it early days around a month after bottling.

think you're good to go there

Khannie

Only thing I'll say is that I don't use a trial jar any more. Mine cracked and since I just use the tube that the hydrometer came in. Might save you a few squids.

Sparks43

http://www.homebrewwest.ie/30-l-budget-beer-starter-kit-with-32-pint-ingredient-kit-843-p.asp

Wished i spotted this before i ordered

Replace 1 fermenter the hydrometer and trial jar and get that kit

Couple of euro extra gets you a thermometer and 32 pint ale kit

Also grab some LME as prices are dirt cheap atm
Picked up a few last week for 2.95 a can


Stout is going well and going to whack the Coopers Draught on later tonight

blueshed

deffo grab some LME, will improve your kits, plus look at this capper for a few extra quid http://www.homebrewwest.ie/counter-top-capper-x28yellow-blue-green-redx29-3739-p.asp

not got it myself yet but anybody here or over on the NHBC site swear by it.

blueshed

if your getting the Craft range beer kit and Oxi you should get the bottle tree free http://www.homebrewwest.ie/bottlecarboydemijohn-brushes-washers-rinsers-fillers-drainers-210-c.asp

Khannie

I have that capper and it is great.