Remaining kit to buy. Recommended UK equipment supplier?

[Do_you_realise]

Hey,

I am looking to pick up the rest of the bits and pieces required to get from beer kit (already have all the actual ingredients for my beer) to bottle. I already have the FV - just the bucket kind from Wilkinson's - and a Hydrometer. I am hoping to get this stuff into bottles in under a month before I disappear on business for a month.

buy the following in the UK and hoping that they can all be found from the same supplier to save on shipping costs:

StarSan
Bottling bucket
Bottling tube(?) which fits the bucket (I don't know what to look for in terms of connection types etc!)
23L worth of brown plastic homebrew bottles (for now...)
Auto Syphon
Priming sugar
Hop bag

Plus anything else I might have forgotten about...

Any idea where might be my best bet to pick up all of the above without paying for two or three different lots of shipping?

I'm also trying to weigh up whether or not it would just be easier to buy one of the "Coopers Home Brew DIY Beginners Kit" (English Bitter or some kind of ale probably) packages which may work out more cost effective. The included FV would be duplicated but could be used as a bottling bucket, and I suppose if I get hooked on this I could always put it to use as a second FV at some point in the future. The second purchase of a Hydrometer would definitely be wasteful though. I would also need to add in the extra cost of StarSan (and make sure I find a supplier which stocks both the DIY kit and StarSan) as the Coopers kit doesn't seem to include a no-rinse sanitiser. Plus an auto syphon to get the beer from my FV into the Coopers bucket. And a hop bag. Maybe this isn't such a great plan after all...

Sorry for the long post! Any pointers would be gratefully received.

 

[pittsy]

hi, try the top of page there are adverts/links and try the home brew company :thumb:

 

[mattrickl06]

I think the coopers starter pack is good value and the english bitter is a decent brew.

The home brew shop.co.uk is great for sundries which u are after.

Then in 3 months the site sponsor maltmiller is great for your AG equipment

 

[ScottM]

From your list I think http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/ has everything.

I would recommend getting a secondary bucket as well as a bottling bucket. That way you can give your brews a week to settle at a cooler temp, allowing a secondary sediment drop. Will leave less sediment in the bottles and it also cleans the beer a bit more as the yeast do a lot of clearing up even after fermenting.

Other than that I think you have it sussed.

You have a couple of bottling options. There is the little bottler, which attaches to a bucket tap IIRC. The bottling wand, which attaches to a syphon tube and flows when inserted into a bottle... stops when you pull it out. The automatic bottle filler, does what it says on the tin. I just got an auto filler but I've not tried it in anger yet

 

[jonnymorris]

I would recommend getting a secondary bucket as well as a bottling bucket. That way you can give your brews a week to settle at a cooler temp, allowing a secondary sediment drop. Will leave less sediment in the bottles...

You might also want to read this thread... viewtopic.php?f=36&t=34124

 

[rpt]

The little bottler comes with a tap so you can replace the one that your bucket already has. You can also buy a bucket complete with the little bottler. (BrewUK sell these, haven't checked the Homebrew Company).

 

[Ian...]

have a look at www.art-of-brewing.co.uk I have used them four times now and their prices are the most competitive I have found, plus their delivery/postage is the cheapest at free next day delivery for orders over £49. Excellent service too. The only thing they dont seem to do are safale and some of the more specialist yeasts. They also do a bottling cane with the valve on the bottom at £4 which is will just fit into 'standard' syphon tubing. This is not the little bottler that people have mentioned which is around £11 with postage, but if you already have tubing, and a racking cane, it works out easy to use and cheaper.

 

[ScottM]

have a look at http://www.art-of-brewing.co.uk I have used them four times now and their prices are the most competitive I have found, plus their delivery/postage is the cheapest at free next day delivery for orders over £49. Excellent service too. The only thing they dont seem to do are safale and some of the more specialist yeasts. They also do a bottling cane with the valve on the bottom at £4 which is will just fit into 'standard' syphon tubing. This is not the little bottler that people have mentioned which is around £11 with postage, but if you already have tubing, and a racking cane, it works out easy to use and cheaper.

I use art-of-brewing quite often myself. They don't stock starsan though. Very few suppliers do and it would be uneconomical to pay postage twice.