Lawrence Brewers Guild

Ok guys, love drinking beer, never brewed, wanna get started. So many questions but need help first in choosing equipment. As any new things I attempt to do, this one have no clue on what is good or waste of money so apreciate any advice. I want to start small but buy things that I willl be able to use later as I get better at brewing. Seen many starter kits but have no clue on what to look at.

Given this, "inquiry minds want to know"...so fire away members and help the rookie out. Promise to test my own product out before torturing any one with samples lol.

Ted,
Give us an idea of your goals.
Where are you wanting to brew? Outside, kitchen, garage?
How much beer are you wanting to brew in each session? A lot of brewers (myself included) subscribe to the "Why brew 5 gallons when you can brew 10" idea, and if you are planning to move to 10 gal batches eventually you will want to take that into account when purchasing your equipment.
All grain or extract? I'd encourage you to start out brewing all grain rather than starting with extract, but that is a decision you will need to make, and it will effect your equipment needs.
Package or scavenge? There are a lot of equipment packages out there that you can purchase, but with a bit of work, patience, and hunting you can build your equipment yourself, save some money, and learn a lot along the way.

Keep in mind that there are also a lot of different ways to brew, and no "right" way. So a lot of people will have differing opinions on what is the best equipment to start with.

1. Read How to Brew by John Palmer. The website is the 1st version of his book, and an excellent starter/primer point. He's up to version 4 now I think, and the guild library has version 3.

2. Don't buy anything without attending a meeting, or at least looking around the forum. A portion of my stuff was bought either from fellow brewers, or them telling me where the deals were at.

3. Hook up with a experienced brewer (through the guild), and watch a brew day.

4. Ask some questions, then ask some more, and when you think you have asked them all, ask a few more. Brewing is an ever evolving hobby, but there is a ton of experience you can get from fellow brewers.

Read the Palmer book, if you are a member of the guild you may borrow the guild's copy. I currently have it and I plan to return it during Thursday meeting. Read the book. I would also say to buy a kit and just do it simple at first (extract).

will l.

Greenblood wrote:Keep in mind that there are also a lot of different ways to brew, and no "right" way. So a lot of people will have differing opinions on what is the best equipment to start with.

Ditto

cyburai wrote:1. Read How to Brew by John Palmer.

Hook up with a experienced brewer (through the guild), and watch a brew day.

Ask some questions, then ask some more, and when you think you have asked them all, ask a few more. Brewing is an ever evolving hobby, but there is a ton of experience you can get from fellow brewers.

ditto

Can brew in my basement or in my shop. which is better? Temperature of brewing location makes a difference I assume.

I would say 10 gallons but afraid may waste on my first batches due to inexperience.

Grain or extract..not sure which would be better for me to start with so any explanation/advice is needed.

Definately scavenge, I am all about that as I feel the extra work would help me better understand the equipment needed. Plus saving money so I can get "better" equipment instead of the pre-packaged kits. Is this correct train of thought?
So any members that have equipment you want to part with please let me know.

Been dying to go to the meetings but unfortunately with the restaurant, I am pretty much seven days a week morning to night working so really difficult to get away. Hope this will change as store grows as I also want the op. to meet some of you.

humbled by the overwhelming information out there so will try my best to get to a meeting so I can check out some books.

Thanks again guys for taking the time to give your 2cents as it is apreciated, excited to get started but gonna spend the time and effort to educate myself before going crazy with it. I am sure the bug will hit me harder as I learn more.

A few things that wont cost you much more equipment wise that will allow you to do 10g batches. Most everyone uses a Keggle as a boil pot (a converted Sankey Keg, I bet you have some of those lying around ) and a second one to heat water with. You can get away with just one Keggle if you do full boil extract beers. You can do 5-10g batches in a Keggle, but you cant do a 10g in a smaller Kettle.

Doing a full boil vs a partial boil is a improvement in technique and overall quality of the beer. Partial boils are mainly used for extract (basically powdered or liquid sugar) batches where you make a very concentrated wort (usually 2-3g), cool it, then add the remaining water to the concentrated wort to get your final 5g batch in the fermenter (usually a glass carboy or plastic bucket). Partial boils can be done on your kitchen stove.

You can still do full boils on your kitchen stove. Its called the Texas Two Step. Its when you use two smaller Kettles and do two boils splitting the ingredients between the two Kettles. There can be a slight difference in boil off rate between the two, but not enough to make much a difference to your final volume. The Texas Two Step is an improvement over partial boils vs topping up in the fermenter as described above.

My suggestion is to buy a extract kit (we can help you on getting a quality one) and get your feet wet on a partial boil so you get the basics down. Then make the decision to build a Keggle and a Turkey Fryer and move your extract batch to a full boil outside (this puts you almost 1/2 way to 10g All Grain batches) or scrounge around for a second smaller pot and move on to 5g full boils on the kitchen stove doing the Texas Two Step. These suggestions does two things. It allows you to be able to make a improvement in technique by going full boils, and it is the cheapest in equipment to get started.

I must add, that a 5g extract kit is fairly costly. $30 easily. A 5g AG batch cost roughly 2/3 of that. Moving to 10g AG doesn't mean double all the ingredients, you will add some, but will cost less than a 1/3 more to increase batch size.

My priorities for improving ones beer goes as this,
1) Cool as rapid as you can to the yeasts recommended ferment temp and keep it at that temp during fermentation.

2)Moving to full boils whether it be extract or AG.

3)And i will get drilled for this by some, Moving to AG where you get your fermentables from malted barely and not extract.

With that said, Ive sampled some nice extract beers. But the technique has been modified a bit as i described above. I'm not saying extract/partial boil beers are bad. Ive also sampled some bad AG beers where something got screwed up on brew day or in the fermenter. Usually the screw up can be attributed to mash temp or ferment temps.....

Something to think about,
Cheers,
Andy

Just happen to "find" two empty half barrel kegs laying around Reading online on brewing methods and now even more dazed and confused lol but reading your explanations helped clarified some things so thanks for the 411. I plan on picking some brains at the Left Hand tasting should anyone be willing the share. Prob. will drive you guys nuts with questions.

for clarity;

I meant ingredient kits. It is an easy way to get your feet wet.

Hey, what if you host a meeting?

Now someone's thinkin !!! Would love to, a great op. to meet everyone and learn since I can't get out. Who would I need to get in touch with and what is needed for the meeting and we at Angler's would gladly support with. Why didn't I think of this ? duh

Ted, I am in the same boat as you are. Never brewed, but very motivated to learn and get started. Thanks for posting as I too am learning a lot from the replies.
Marc

1. I also second read "How to Brew" by John Palmer. It is a great book which breaks brewing down starting with extract brewing to all grain.

2. Do a Google search on beer brewing. You will have a wealth of information at your finger tips. Most of the info is very accurate.

3. Brewing is like religion or weight lifting, everyone has a devout way of doing things and they are always right. Read, listen, watch and ask from as many people as you can find. This is how you will develop your own style.

4. Start off simple. Most of the equipment is cheap or you can build it yourself.

5. Relax. don't get wrapped around the axial...it is only beer. If a dude sitting on the Tigris river 7000 years ago was able to brew beer ...you can too.

6. Network. Go online, come to the meetings, have a couple of go-to-people you can ask questions and bounce ideas off of...you will learn a ton

hope this helps.

Jason