Complete Starter ... what kit to use?

[lovelldr]

Hey guys

So, I'm new to this, and was thinking of this for a while. Looking around, not sure what's the best stuff to go for?

Was thinking, to start slowly, I might pick up one of those BeerBuddy kits that are available at Wilko's etc for around £27. Will need one of the beer belts to keep it nice and warm, as will be brewing it in the garage, and can get quite chilly in there...

So, will that be enough to get me started?

I have quite a few bottles I saved up which I'd be looking to do the second fermentation in, so will need one of those recapper things... So, will this stuff all be ok? Or would I be better to go for another kit?

Answers on a postcard please :) hehe

 

[RobWalker]

Cheap capper = fine, but make sure to use good bottles - ales, bulmers/magners etc, no corona bottles or anything weak like that. buy new crown caps too, theyre like a quid a bag.

Those brewbuddy kits are alright and a good introduction to brewing, you have plenty to learn the first time around so just go with the instructions before you start getting creative. Only thing extra i'd really suggest is if you have a local home brew place, you can get a small bottling attachment which will make the whole thing a lot less tedious. Just lets you turn the flow on and off making bottling a breeze!

As for what kit to get, or future kits - brew what you want, but get recommendations on cheap ones as they're hit and miss! I just brewed up a coopers cerveza which is great even before it's clear, and also got an admiral's reserve on after the recommendations on here!

 

[scott78]

i think it would be an idea to get another fermenting bucket so you can take the liquid off the sediment prior to bottling. this will give you clear beer from the bottle with only slight priming sediment. if you get one with a tap you can bottle/batch prime out of it as well.
hope the brew turns out good for you

 

[mickthetrick]

for a cheap kit you can't got wrong with the coopers brand. they have a good selection and for a first timers are real easy to do but also very drinkable.
im a fan of the coopers irish stout but the Mexican cerveza is very nice also.
a big thing that a new brewer should get the hang of is cleanliness. sanitize sanitize sanitize and you wont go far wrong :thumb:

 

[RobWalker]

sanitize and RINSE IF REQUIRED! i've fallen victim to that one, on a brew using loads of expensive honey too

I hear the coopers european lager is awful so I'd steer clear of that one! the others are meant to be good though. tucked into my first real bottle of cerveza tonight. delicious! they must use a weird technique for the extract to get it tasting clean without the lagering phase.

 

[lovelldr]

Cheers for all the advice guys...

Hopefully gonna buy/order the kit soon. Already have a list of about 3 beers I fancy brewing, lol. Just need the kit to do it...

One other question I was wondering. Got a few of the larger 750ml bottles from some beers I brought back from France, such as Westemalle, Chimay, etc. If I purchased one of the cappers capable of 29mm, should those caps for those bottles? Looks as tho they have the grip type part on the glass... Also, can champagne bottles be used in same way?

Thanks again

 

[Fender Precision]

Hi, I wouldnt use any bottle bigger than a pint. Most of mine are 500ml. Because you will be conditioning the beer in the bottle it will have some sediment in the bottom and you need to pour it all in one go in order to leave the nasty sediment behind and get a nice clear pint for yourself. If you pour into 2 glasses from a 750ml bottle the second pour will have all the disturbed sediment in it- yeauch !The only bottles Ive had problems with are Hobgoblin bottles. They cannot be recapped due to the shape of the bottle kneck which is a pity because they are nice looking bottles. Happy brewing :

 

[sanityisnew]

I'm with you on the 500ml thing although I do occasionally do a couple of 1L or 750ml bottles in the summer for shandy.
I've recapped Hobgoblin bottles a couple of times and never had a problem but I do have a problem with bottles with a shorter capping buldge (?) I guess it depends on the brand of capper. 29mm is pretty standard so should be fine.

I used champagne bottles for some ginger beer a while back but my capper wouldn't fit caps to them so I ended up corking them.

 

[RobWalker]

We regularly brew in 660ml bottles because we love a cheap brand of cider that comes in those bottles, it's alright if you just get a jug and then pour it into two glasses and voila, you have two smaller beers. valid point though!

...or just one big glass

 

[lovelldr]

Thanks again for the tips guys...

OK, so I bought the young's starter kit, and I have a FV that my dad had, which has the tap on. So, I was wondering...

I am going to be fermenting in the garage... Since it's quite cold in there (7' this morning), I will need a a brew belt to keep the temperature warmer. Now, the kit I bought was the lager kit (as they had ran out of the bitter, but I'm not too fussed with it being first time, so either wouldn't matter :p), so am I correct in thinking that brewing temperature is better when colder for lager? From what I've read (if I remember correctly :p), lager is best brewed around 14c-16c, whereas ale is around 20c-22c... Is that correct? Either way, will need a brew belt...

Anyway, my idea was...

Do the Primary fermentation in the FV I got in starter kit. Then, when that's finished fermenting, then syphon it in to the 2nd FV, and complete a batch prime in there (as this will allow me to keep the temperature warm still, as will be keeping bottles in garage still, so will be cold if not got the brew belt on). Then, I would bottle from the 2nd FV via the tap. Is that a good idea!?

If doing it this way, when I bottle, would I still need to put any sugar in the bottle to help with carbonation etc? Whatever, I would be able to keep the bottles in a nice cold environment (around 7c) for the final 2 weeks. Will also be kept in the dark...

So, is that a good plan? Any further hints/tips?

Thanks again guys

 

[baggyray]

If you batchprime in a second fv,you shouldn't need to prime the bottles.

Personally,and from my own limited experience :lol: ,I wouldn't go for the brewbelt option.Buy a 40 ltr flexibin (£5 ish ),and a cheap aquarium heater ( tenner or so ),this should keep your brew at a constant temperature much more economically.