Hi everyone! New, soon-to-be-brewer here, raised in Reading and currently living in London. I've been lurking around the forum for some time now, and day-dreaming of brewing my own beer for quite a lot longer, and I've finally decided to bite the bullet! I get my next pay check in about a week, and will immediately be buying myself a starter kit.
The one I intend to get is this:
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Equipment-Only-Starter-Kit-5-Gallons.html
It seems to have everything I need, and has two buckets, which I like and which seems to be rare in a starter kit. A second bucket gives me the option of a secondary fermenting vessel, bottling bucket, and at some point in future means I can try the "double drop" technique. Hobgoblin is one of my favourite beers, so I'm intrigued by the technique.
I have a couple of questions about equipment. First, these buckets, as you can see, have taps built in. Initially I thought that the option of a tap would be potentially useful, but it's since occurred to me that it might be more of a hindrance due to trub building up around the inside of the tap. How much of an issue is that likely to be?
Second, how big a pot am I realistically going to need? I have a 5l stock pot, but found a 25l pot on amazon for a reasonable price (as reasonable as a pot that size gets, anyway).
I intend to start off with the Festival Golden Stag kit. It looks like a good-quality, all-malt kit, and sounds like a decent summer beer. I figure if I get the brew going at the start of July, it should be ready to drink by mid-August, so I'll want a nice, light, hoppy summer pint!
I like the idea of designing my own beers, so at some point in the future I intend to try some all-grain brews, but (in a move entirely out of character for me) I'm trying very hard to wind my neck in and learn to walk before I try running.
The one I intend to get is this:
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Equipment-Only-Starter-Kit-5-Gallons.html
It seems to have everything I need, and has two buckets, which I like and which seems to be rare in a starter kit. A second bucket gives me the option of a secondary fermenting vessel, bottling bucket, and at some point in future means I can try the "double drop" technique. Hobgoblin is one of my favourite beers, so I'm intrigued by the technique.
I have a couple of questions about equipment. First, these buckets, as you can see, have taps built in. Initially I thought that the option of a tap would be potentially useful, but it's since occurred to me that it might be more of a hindrance due to trub building up around the inside of the tap. How much of an issue is that likely to be?
Second, how big a pot am I realistically going to need? I have a 5l stock pot, but found a 25l pot on amazon for a reasonable price (as reasonable as a pot that size gets, anyway).
I intend to start off with the Festival Golden Stag kit. It looks like a good-quality, all-malt kit, and sounds like a decent summer beer. I figure if I get the brew going at the start of July, it should be ready to drink by mid-August, so I'll want a nice, light, hoppy summer pint!
I like the idea of designing my own beers, so at some point in the future I intend to try some all-grain brews, but (in a move entirely out of character for me) I'm trying very hard to wind my neck in and learn to walk before I try running.
