Complete beginer advice please

[Petest]

Hi folks
I couldn't find a beginers section so I thought I'd ask here.
I've never had ago at home brew. I've been reading a few bits and bobs but thought I'd ask those who have already set sail on the brewery sea for advice.
I'm thinking of buying the kit in the link below. What do you think, has it what I need or will I be better buying bits individually?
I'd rather attempt a bitter or ale first as its my prefered pint.

Thanks in advance

Pete

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[craigjoneswales]

Hi Hows things mate?

im pretty new myself. i got my beer kit which was also Young's gear

the brew buddy kit includes the following and is only £19.99 in wilkinsons

5 gallon Fermenting barrell
Hydrometer
sanitising solution
stirring spoon
10 CO2 bulbs
CO2 injecter
CO2 cap for your Pressure barrell
Youngs Bitter Kit
Syphon tube (for syphoning from fermenting barrel to Keg

A pressure barrell will cost you £17.99 there too

the kit seems a bargain as the co2 cap for the pressure barrell is 15 quid on its own usually

keep us posted how you get on

[floydmeddler]

Hi Pete,

A little advice on equipment only:

Get on to http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk and order 2x 25 ltr 4 inch top fermenters:

fermenter25ltr.jpg (4.34 KiB) Viewed 1981 times

These are fantastic for primary fermentation and very good for secondary fermentation (although you will eventually want to get a glass carboy for secondary... all in good time though) I would attach a 'Little Bottler' to one of the fermenters:

LittleBottler.gif (7.88 KiB) Viewed 1982 times

I would then buy something to syphon with:

TelescopicSyphonKit.jpg (5.69 KiB) Viewed 1982 times

Then I would get myself to Sainsbury's and pick up 48 bottles of 500ml sparkling water. I currently use these bottles for my 'back up' brews. They are PET and green in colour and work just as well as glass bottles with the added benefit of not having to worry about cappers and caps etc. These bottles will cost you around £12.


Hope some of this helps.

Floyd

[marko]

I would use the plastic bottles too, better to releave the pressure through the unscrewing the cap than painting your garage with glass and more importantly beer

[SiHoltye]

My advice would be to stick to the KITS information section top right, and keep posting as you go along. You don't need much kit at all, and if you're unsure ask here ...and don't forget to add half a crushed campden tablet to your tap water before you start doing anything with it. Otherwise the chlorine/chloramines added by the supplier to prevent spoilage with create a TCP like taste in your finished brew...not good I speak from experience , oh and use the search facility too, it's really handy for filtering out answers without having to wait for people to get back to you.

[mickhew]

Hello. I bought that exact kit, and my comments are..
1. Didn't come with a thermometer, I needed one to make sure the yeast was pitched when the wort was the correct temp.
2. The syphon is crap, so I bought an Youngs auto syphon. Cost £11 MUCH easier. but wouldn't need that if....
3. Would have preferred the FV to have a tap built in, this one didn't. Tap means no syphoning needed.
4. Better (in hindsight) to have some sort of CO2 injection on the barrell, to maintain pressure inside as it empties.
5 ! Have found better deals elsewhere !
6. The spoon is crap, get a paddle for stirring.
Other than that, the kit is o.k !
Cheers,
Mick

First Wherry in the barrell conditioning.

[Petest]

Thanks for the replies folks.
Food for thought and I think I'll keep reading up a bit more before taking the plunge.
Thanks again
Pete

[THE EMBALMER]

buy any coopers kit, fermenting bucket with tap, bugger that syphoning lark.
then decide if you are going to bottle(get bottles from pub magners ect free you see) or kegging go for cheap kegs wilco with the gas top look on ebay for co2 top i got one for about a fiver instead of £15..
thats about it. put kit in bucket with spray malt or sugar fill tin up boiling water leave for 10 days , use 2 litre bottled water pour in bucket keep bottles re-fill with beer leave for a while then drink. easy as!! go for it you have nothing to lose except your mind

[brysie]

embalmer......you have started to scare me.

[Ditch]

Why, Brysie? " The Embalmer " seemed to make more sense to me than most of the other post up there. At least he was burbling from hands on experience ..... of, I'd judge, about five pints of Coopers?

SiHoltye too offers sound advice. Only, I feel; If someone buys a kit, then comes here to ask what the hell to do with it? Have they Read The Label??? If so? Why ask us?

Indeed, I can't help but muse on the question of whether this forum couldn't do with sections such as " I've Bought A Beer Kit. Now What? " Which might lead to Links to such subjects as, " Try Following The F*cking Instructions That Come With It! " And maybe another section, to cover; " I Want To Make Cheap Beer; What Gear And 'Kit' Should I buy? ". There they could be directed to threads covering; " What sort of 'Beer' Do Ye Usually Drink? Eg. Lager, Bitter or Stout? "

However, that, perhaps, reflects one view of a more perfect and orderly world? Not about to happen, is it?

F*ck it. Ever onwards.

[Jim]

Why, Brysie? " The Embalmer " seemed to make more sense to me than most of the other post up there. At least he was burbling from hands on experience ..... of, I'd judge, about five pints of Coopers?

SiHoltye too offers sound advice. Only, I feel; If someone buys a kit, then comes here to ask what the hell to do with it? Have they Read The Label??? If so? Why ask us?

Indeed, I can't help but muse on the question of whether this forum couldn't do with sections such as " I've Bought A Beer Kit. Now What? " Which might lead to Links to such subjects as, " Try Following The F*cking Instructions That Come With It! " And maybe another section, to cover; " I Want To Make Cheap Beer; What Gear And 'Kit' Should I buy? ". There they could be directed to threads covering; " What sort of 'Beer' Do Ye Usually Drink? Eg. Lager, Bitter or Stout? "

However, that, perhaps, reflects one view of a more perfect and orderly world? Not about to happen, is it?

F*ck it. Ever onwards.

Most of us on here are quite willing to help beginners. The kit instructions don't tell you everything and are often poorly written. Daab/Chris has a good section on his site called 'Things beer kit instructions don't tell you'. A good read for beginners.

[Horden Hillbilly]

Petest, click on the uk-homebrew link in my signature. There is a step by step section on kit brewing on there.

[bigbob]

I was given the exact same jobby from brewityourself and so far (4 brews in) its performed brilliantly. the wherry was very good despite not being as strong as suggested, and the barrel held pressure very well. i would have to agree about the syphon it is crap...but it still works so for your first try i would recommend the kit. the only thing is that if i was having my first dabble at home brew i would probably buy one of the its without the barrel first, i.e. just the bucket, syphon, beer kit etc and bottle it in cheap plastic bottles that you've saved because then if you decide its not for you you will save a bit of money and you can pick a barrel up fairly cheaply if you do decide that you love this hobby. then again if you love beer and hate paying too much for it then you will love it! anyways enjoy it if yo do take the plunge.....

[rollin danny]

Forget the barrell .Secret is use bottled water.When you put a brew on have one previous brew ready to bottle.AS one beer goes in the fv the empty spring water bottles are ready to fill up with beer.I dont even sanitise the bottles ,They dont need it .Ive been brewing like this for eight months without problems.Keep the cycle going and youll be putting a brew on about every two weeks.You should always be in front, unless you are a total piss head.Then you would have to double up

[Lillywhite]

Forget the barrell .Secret is use bottled water.

Horse for courses. A lot less hassle kegging than messing about with bottles IMHO and no need to buy supermarket bottled water if your local tap water is OK.