Ex pat in NZ

[SnakeEyes]

Hi, hoping to get some start up advice. I'll read through the how to section first.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum

Are you going to make Beer, Wine or Cider?

.

 

[SnakeEyes]

Welcome to the forum

Are you going to make Beer, Wine or Cider?

.

Thanks.

I'm wanting to brew some pale ales tbh. I was thinking about getting a starter set, Do you think that's the best option for a newbie?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I was thinking about getting a starter set, Do you think that's the best option for a newbie?

I will move this to the beer brewing equipment forum so more members will see it. :thumba:

.

 

[Clint]

Hiya. Depends if you want to do kits, BIAB or AG, AG could be an all in one automated system or three vessel.

 

[SnakeEyes]

Hiya. Depends if you want to do kits, BIAB or AG, AG could be an all in one automated system or three vessel.

I've no idea tbh. This will be my first attempt.

 

[Clint]

Kits are easy. If you buy the two can or all malt versions you can make some nice beer. Kit required is also minimal so you wouldn't have to spend a lot to get started. Plus the ease of use gives you time to concentrate on the aspects that count like proper cleaning,sanitising and planning.

 

[joel]

Welcome to the forum!

Before you start out do plenty of reading, you can read John Palmer's How to Brew online for free, it's slightly old now but I found it helpful to learn the basic process of brewing.

Kits are by far the easiest way to start brewing but the results can be more Tui than Tuatara (i.e. cheap and nasty vs craft) if you use a cheap 1 can kit with a kilo of sugar. Better results can be had with using malt extract instead of sugar and even adding dry hops or hop tea. All grain (often called AG on this forum) is a steep learning curve and a bigger outlay to start with but has the potential for much better results. Brew in a bag (BIAB) is a relatively easy and affordable way to get into grain brewing with just a grain bag and something big that can hold a good boil. If I had the money I'd get a single vessel all grain brewing system like the Grainfather (if I was on NZ I'd probably get the Robobrew with the pump as it's much cheaper). Whatever method you choose you'll need a fermenter and something to package the beer in e.g bottles or kegs and a way of transferring it from the fermenter.

I lived in NZ and started brewing out there (I'm back in the UK now). I started out with the Coopers starter kit which had everything included to do a first kit beer including brown PET plastic bottles. The fermenter has changed since I got mine but at the time the quality was good. The lager kit made with a kilo of brewing sugar wasn't great, but it got me started. Many of the major supermarkets also stock coopers kits (Pak'nSave often had them reduced and sold bottle caps and carbonation drops too) which are relatively cheap out there. The premium (all malt with added dry hops) kits sold in homebrew shops are quite expensive though, $55-$59 for the better ones, so I preferred to use the coopers kits as a base and add hops, malt extract or enhancer, experiment with different yeast etc.
Most of the homebrew shops sell starter kits, find one that includes bottles unless you have a suitable source of empty beer bottles.

The best homebrew shops I used were Brewers Coop in Auckland for their big range and The Brewhouse in Wellington for their quality and customer service.

I hope this is all helpful, good luck!

 

[SnakeEyes]

Welcome to the forum!

Before you start out do plenty of reading, you can read John Palmer's How to Brew online for free, it's slightly old now but I found it helpful to learn the basic process of brewing.

Kits are by far the easiest way to start brewing but the results can be more Tui than Tuatara (i.e. cheap and nasty vs craft) if you use a cheap 1 can kit with a kilo of sugar. Better results can be had with using malt extract instead of sugar and even adding dry hops or hop tea. All grain (often called AG on this forum) is a steep learning curve and a bigger outlay to start with but has the potential for much better results. Brew in a bag (BIAB) is a relatively easy and affordable way to get into grain brewing with just a grain bag and something big that can hold a good boil. If I had the money I'd get a single vessel all grain brewing system like the Grainfather (if I was on NZ I'd probably get the Robobrew with the pump as it's much cheaper). Whatever method you choose you'll need a fermenter and something to package the beer in e.g bottles or kegs and a way of transferring it from the fermenter.

I lived in NZ and started brewing out there (I'm back in the UK now). I started out with the Coopers starter kit which had everything included to do a first kit beer including brown PET plastic bottles. The fermenter has changed since I got mine but at the time the quality was good. The lager kit made with a kilo of brewing sugar wasn't great, but it got me started. Many of the major supermarkets also stock coopers kits (Pak'nSave often had them reduced and sold bottle caps and carbonation drops too) which are relatively cheap out there. The premium (all malt with added dry hops) kits sold in homebrew shops are quite expensive though, $55-$59 for the better ones, so I preferred to use the coopers kits as a base and add hops, malt extract or enhancer, experiment with different yeast etc.
Most of the homebrew shops sell starter kits, find one that includes bottles unless you have a suitable source of empty beer bottles.

The best homebrew shops I used were Brewers Coop in Auckland for their big range and The Brewhouse in Wellington for their quality and customer service.

I hope this is all helpful, good luck!

That's really helpful. Thank you. I think I'll start with a Cooper kit. Start nice and cheap in case I mess it up then see where it leads me.

 

[Dutto]

Welcome to the Forum! :thumb:

What to buy? How to get started? Things to consider are:

• How much money do you have to spend?
• How much room do you have for your brewing and storage?
• How much support for your new pastime will you get from your partner? (*)

When these have been answered then you can start planning what you "need"! (**) :thumb:

(*)
I chose the word "pastime" with care because this hobby of ours can easily turn into an obsession.

(**)
What you "need" right now will vary wildly from what you "want" after your first brew. My only advice is that you consider the three points above and then choose and buy wisely.

Enjoy! abigt

 

[SnakeEyes]

I've just ordered this:

https://www.brewshop.co.nz/mangrove-jacks-craft-series-starter-kit.html

I think the only other thing I will need is bottles.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

You will also need sanitiser and a means of getting the finished beer to the bottles there will be more and I am sure the beer brewers will add to the list.

.

 

[SnakeEyes]

You will also need sanitiser and a means of getting the finished beer to the bottles there will be more and I am sure the beer brewers will add to the list.

.

Can I not use the tap on the fermenter?

By sanitiser do you mean to disinfect everything?

 

[joel]

Wow that's a good quality fermenter in that set and a nice looking beer kit, the Mangrove Jacks craft series stuff is good.

Getting a bottling wand (they're only a few dollars) that fits the tap on your fermenter will make your life way easier and less messy at bottling time and will make sure the finished beer isn't oxidised, which will make the beer taste stale.

The sanitiser makes sure no bacteria grows in your beer causing an infection. Everything that touches the beer both before and after fermentation should be sanitised first. The best thing is a proper brewing no-rinse sanitiser like starsan, it seems expensive but goes a long way. Brewshop sells an unbranded version that's really good value https://www.brewshop.co.nz/brewing-other/cleaning/stellarsan-sanitiser-500ml.html. I tried using domestic bleach but it leaves a taste if you don't spend ages rinsing several times.

 

[SnakeEyes]

Wow that's a good quality fermenter in that set and a nice looking beer kit, the Mangrove Jacks craft series stuff is good.

Getting a bottling wand (they're only a few dollars) that fits the tap on your fermenter will make your life way easier and less messy at bottling time and will make sure the finished beer isn't oxidised, which will make the beer taste stale.

The sanitiser makes sure no bacteria grows in your beer causing an infection. Everything that touches the beer both before and after fermentation should be sanitised first. The best thing is a proper brewing no-rinse sanitiser like starsan, it seems expensive but goes a long way. Brewshop sells an unbranded version that's really good value https://www.brewshop.co.nz/brewing-other/cleaning/stellarsan-sanitiser-500ml.html. I tried using domestic bleach but it leaves a taste if you don't spend ages rinsing several times.

I'd saw all the sanitiser stuff. Why don't people using alcohol? It sterilises then evaporates.

 

[Dutto]

.......... Why don't people using alcohol? ...........

Er .... I drink mine! :thumb:

Add to your list Syphon, Bottling Wand, Bottle Caps, Bottle Capper and an accurate pair of Scales ... :thumb:

... and don't panic, we are only just starting!

 

[SnakeEyes]

Its just arrived. Shitting myself now

 

[Clint]

...get some brown trousers for that. Blame the stench on the dog....

 

[SnakeEyes]

...get some brown trousers for that. Blame the stench on the dog....

I'm actually scared to start lol.

 

[Clint]

What did you buy?