Ingredients to buy

[topcat2006]

I've just made my AG brewery now need to brew my first beer.

Im going to have a trip to the home brew shop tomorrow - any suggestions for ingredients I should have "in stock"?

Thanks

Tom

 

[phettebs]

What styles do you like to brew? Do you have the ability to crush your own grains?

I'd start with Maris Otter or some other quality base malt. Then some crystal of varying Lovibond rating. Doesn't hurt to have a little wheat around either. Some chocolate malt and maybe some roast malt. If you make a lot of stouts and porters, then maybe more of those two than less.

Get a variety of hops and keep some dried yeast on hand for spur of the moment brewing.


Obviously, there are way more ingredients you could get but I'd start with the basics and once you get into the swing of things, you'll see which ingredients you tend to use and which you don't.

-Baz

 

[Sean_Mc]

I order online with a prepared list, otherwise I go silly and buy stuff I hardly use which takes up space in my limited freezer.

As Baz said which style of beer do you like?

 

[topcat2006]

I like any beer!

Good tip about the crushed grains - no crusher so will get precrushed.

I presume Im going to need steriliser, irish moss, campden tablets too?

Tom

 

[dennisking]

Suggest you start with a basic beer so pale malt, crystal malt, golding hops and fuggles hops will always give you a decent beer. Don`t forget yeast.

 

[Dieseljockey]

Hi Topcat..

Take a look at the recipes on the forum..determine which of them you fancy..you then buy what you need and then follow that recipe. :thumb:

 

[topcat2006]

Hi Topcat..

Take a look at the recipes on the forum..determine which of them you fancy..you then buy what you need and then follow that recipe. :thumb:

Hi Dieseljockey,

I think you have misunderstood me. I'm looking for all those "common" ingredients which just about every beer will need - these I plan on keeping in "Stock". Of course there will be "specials" which will be needed for different recipies.

Thanks

Tom

 

[Sean_Mc]

In the long run Videne and Oxyclean work out cheaper for cleaning and sterilising.

Protofloc IMHO works better and can be slightly cheaper than Irish moss.

Buying pale malt in 25kg sacks is always cheaper.

Wilkinsons buy in bulk and work out cheaper than the HBshop on certain stuff, like hydrometers and campden tablets

 

[robsan77]

well, for hops and special malts you will have to decide on your next few recipes., but you will need a sack of maris otter and for me, crystal malt gets used a lot and flaked barley for head retention. Get a few packs of nottingham or so4 yeasts and some us05 if you want to do blonder hoppy beers. Some protofloc or irish moss and some campden tablets. A load of steriliser and you may want to get some bottle caps while you are there :thumb:

 

[Dieseljockey]

I understand your Q...but you have to know what your going to brew...if you go into your LHB shop as Sean_Mc said you may finish up with stock you may never use & you throw away later on.

I think most of us keep M Otter as a main base malt, crystal, choc, a little wheat....I've just received some Melanoidin Malt for a recipe that I've put together...but would you want that type?? ..then there's hops,yeast..
The list can go on & on ....best of luck..

 

[Tony]

I plan 2 brews at once and order in for those. As you say, you'll need the basic bits - I use videne for sterilizing and protafloc/Irish moss. Get yourself a hydrometer and a trial jar, a good thermometer, a 3 or 5 ltr jug and some hops to store in the freezer. I never really know when my next brew will be so don't keep any grain (other than for the next 2 brews) in stock.

Have fun - great position to be in!
:

 

[Texy]

Hi,
I am also about to start on my AG journey and also needed to buy the 'basics' for varied beer types.
AG#1 is planned this weekend, and the goods arrived just over a week ago. However all of the ingredients
are currently in my shed - I haven't stored the hops in the freezer as I didn't realise I had too
Is it really neccessary?

Cheers,
Texy

 

[prolix]

Texy if you want to keep the hops for a while then freeze them especially in the warmer weather, as for the shed hope you have adiquate anti mouse protection, going in to find your lovely grain sack nibbled is not fun I use a black bin they don't touch it for some reason, all the grains stored it that.

 

[Texy]

Thanks. I bought some airtight containers for the grain and they are fairly inaccessible in the shed, but I think I will also use empty quality street tins we have left over from Xmas that I will utilise.
Cheers,
Texy