Newbee's New beer kit help

[heftyporker]

Hi all!
I'm about to take the plunge into ale brewing! I'm totally new to it although I've been doing lots of research, reading posts etc for a month or two. Anyway, i'm ready to buy a kit and found a "Woodfordes wherry micro brewery" for £60. It includes the following:
This beginners kit includes

Fermentation bin
mixing paddle
Syphon
Steriliser
Hydrometer
Woodfordes Wherry beer kit
40 pint barrel
Brewing instructions

Is that good value?
Having read what you all write, I want to try and make as good a brew as a first-timer can, so what else would you recommend I buy with the kit? I've already decided I will need a heating belt but what about different yeast or sugar and so on?
Thanks everyone! :)

 

[Moley]

Price seems reasonable :thumb:

Wherry is a two can Premium kit, so it doesn't need any sugar adding.

Best thing you can do though is to throw away the yeast which comes with the kit and use something like a Safale S-04 or a Nottingham yeast.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, all the help you need is right here.

 

[Aleman]

I beg to differ . . .The best thing they can do is throw away the Wherry kits and get one more likely to work!! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[snail59]

I beg to differ . . .The best thing they can do is throw away the Wherry kits and get one more likely to work!! :twisted: :twisted:

Thats a bit harsh AM my Wherry worked well and turned out rather nice

Mind you I started with the Coopers English Bitter starter kit from The Thrifty Shopper CLICKY LINKY THING A little cheaper but in my opinion a better beer than the Wherry. :thumb:

 

[queues likely]

I beg to differ . . .The best thing they can do is throw away the Wherry kits and get one more likely to work!! :twisted: :twisted:

Thats a bit harsh AM my Wherry worked well and turned out rather nice

Mind you I started with the Coopers English Bitter starter kit from The Thrifty Shopper CLICKY LINKY THING A little cheaper but in my opinion a better beer than the Wherry. :thumb:

that aint a bad price for the gear, not a bad start point with the coopers bitter, just supping one now. :thumb:

 

[Aleman]

I beg to differ . . .The best thing they can do is throw away the Wherry kits and get one more likely to work!! :twisted: :twisted:

Thats a bit harsh AM my Wherry worked well and turned out rather nice

Harsh . . .Yes, it was meant to be, there was a time I would recommend anything Muntons to anyone, but I feel the QC has slipped, and the worst of it is that they are so big they don't really give a damn about the Homebrewer .. .after all here in the UK they make 90% of the extract even if it doesn't say Muntons on the Tin. . . .where are you going to go?

Mind you I started with the Coopers English Bitter starter kit from The Thrifty Shopper CLICKY LINKY THING A little cheaper but in my opinion a better beer than the Wherry. :thumb:

Now that kit from Greg is a much better option, the Coopers kits do what they say on the tin . . . HeftyPorker, If you get that one get Greg to throw in a better yeast like SO4 or Nottingham, and you will make a really nice beer.

There are alternatives to the Muntons two can kits that do not have the potential problems

 

[Moley]

Actually, I think Tony's got a point, my Wherry nearly went down the drain at 3 months.

Good price on the Cooper's starter set from Thrifty Shopper, and free carriage too.

I started with a couple of their Dark Ales (with extra spraymalt), and in my opinion that was also a better beer than the Wherry.

 

[snail59]

When you put it like that Tony I can see your point and a fair one it is :thumb:

 

[Aleman]

When you put it like that Tony I can see your point and a fair one it is :thumb:

Yeah, sorry, bad week at work . . . and I couldn't even do my favourite thing ("Hit any user to continue")

 

[heftyporker]

Excellent! Thanks for all your comments! I've decided to go with your thriftyshopper suggestion and I'm going to get some Danstar nottingham yeast and a brew belt. (unless you think I'm making a huge mistake with those extras!?) My wife is going to get it for my birthday!...She may come to regret that decision!

Thanks again!
Will let you know how I get on in a few weeks!
Hefty P

:drunk:

 

[Good Ed]

Hey Hefty, that's great, anything to keep SWMBO onboard :thumb:

 

[Aleman]

I would not suggest additional heating unless it comes with a thermostat, a small aquarium heater stat is a much better alternative to a brewbelt.

You can stand the FV in a large container filled with water and put the aquarium heater in the water not the FV. . . That gives you a very stable temperature and its thermostatically controlled.

 

[queues likely]

I would not suggest additional heating unless it comes with a thermostat, a small aquarium heater stat is a much better alternative to a brewbelt.

You can stand the FV in a large container filled with water and put the aquarium heater in the water not the FV. . . That gives you a very stable temperature and its thermostatically controlled.

this is a bom (very good) tip. :thumb:

 

[Moley]

and I'm going to get some Danstar nottingham yeast and a brew belt. (unless you think I'm making a huge mistake with those extras!?)

I'm not sure about the brew belt, they aren't controllable and can run a bit too hot. Where are you and what are your room temperatures like?

As Aleman has just suggested, I use water baths and aquarium heaters, but they have now been turned off and packed away.

 

[nuggitmv]

Excellent! Thanks for all your comments! I've decided to go with your thriftyshopper suggestion and I'm going to get some Danstar nottingham yeast and a brew belt. (unless you think I'm making a huge mistake with those extras!?) My wife is going to get it for my birthday!...She may come to regret that decision!

Thanks again!
Will let you know how I get on in a few weeks!
Hefty P

:drunk:

dont use the belt theres no need and may over heat the wort

 

[heftyporker]

Oh OK! No brew belt needed! I assumed they would have a thermostat on them! That's a good idea getting the fish aquarium heater instead but some of you seem to be saying I shouldn't need a heating element? Trouble is we're out all day - and I'm a little worried it might be a little cold? I assume I need to keep it out of the sun to stop the heat changing all the time? I have a room which gets less light than the others. Am I right that the mix needs to be about 18 degrees? In which case the house doesn't get that hot until August! (south wales)

Thanks again for your help so far, any more = much appreciated!!!

 

[marco491]

As a newbie myself, I have found the Woodforde's Wherry kit very reliable. I have made two batches with the surgical precision of a newbie and both have been a success. It does need sugar in the keg. My only problem so far has been CO2, it has gone flat a bit early both times (IMO). Next up, Great Eastern.

 

[nuggitmv]

room temp will be fine even if no heating it wil be ok

 

[Growler]

I keep mine in the cupboard under the stairs its small and in the core of the house so suffers very little temp changes

 

[medlington]

Both those kits seem abit steep to me, I started with the Youngs brewbuddy which seems to come with everything that those kits come with but for around £22 from Wilkos. I've found that I need to use brewbelts as my flat has been so cold over winter, maybe I should have used the aquarium heater method but the brewbelts have worked fine for me.