Beginner - what kit should I buy?

[georgehastings]

Hello everyone,

It is my husbands birthday soon and he would like to try to brew his own beer. He likes both lager and ales.

I would like to buy him a kit for his birthday but I don't know what or where to start looking for a kit. Please could someone advise me which kits are best and where I can go to buy one? I live near Maidenhead in Berkshire.

Many thanks!
Georgina

[brysie]

hiya.

im miles away so cant recommend a brew shop but i started before xmas with a coopers starter kit.

it was about 55 quid but the beauty was that it came with absolutely everything you need including the bottles needed to bottle it.
[and i do mean everything.]

the folks on this forum are ace too. best of luck.

[Lillywhite]

live near Maidenhead in Berkshire.

If you have a Wilkinson's Store then I would recommend the Woodforde's Wherry kit which will cost you £14.62 and includes the yeast.

It's a good quality kit and ideal for a first brew. I would recommend you also buy a small tub of yeast nutrient as well.

A Fermentation Bin will cost £7.79 and a 5 gallon Keg will cost £17.54 and is far better than messing about with bottles.

He won't be disappointed.

[mattwatts]

live near Maidenhead in Berkshire.

If you have a Wilkinson's Store then I would recommend the Woodforde's Wherry kit which will cost you £14.62 and includes the yeast.

It's a good quality kit and ideal for a first brew. I would recommend you also buy a small tub of yeast nutrient as well.

A Fermentation Bin will cost £7.79 and a 5 gallon Keg will cost £17.54 and is far better than messing about with bottles.

He won't be disappointed.

I would disagree. I have had a couple of stuck fermentations with Woodfordes and never had a problem with Coopers.

I have two Coopers on the go at the moment, both started extremely well and if the lager I made is anything to go by, will be fantastic. Woodfordes CAN be superb but I don't think they're good for a newby.

Just my 2ps worth.

[brysie]

aha.

well ive done both so there.
both turned out fine.
bottle/barrel......potato/potarto.....horses for courses...cat/pigeons.

however, the coopers kit was incredibly simple for a novice like me and definitely got me interested to try more.

[mattwatts]

Exactly what I was getting at brysie, the Woodfordes can be great but if you were to do one as a beginner and it stuck, would you want to do more brewing?

Me not good with words today.

[Lillywhite]

Exactly what I was getting at brysie, the Woodfordes can be great but if you were to do one as a beginner and it stuck, would you want to do more brewing?

Me not good with words today.

I know what you're saying but I think that Muntons have got their act together, of late, and the four recent Woodforde's kits that I've done have all got down to 1.014.

Can't vouch for Coopers kits however.

[mattwatts]

Exactly what I was getting at brysie, the Woodfordes can be great but if you were to do one as a beginner and it stuck, would you want to do more brewing?

Me not good with words today.

I know what you're saying but I think that Muntons have got their act together, of late, and the four recent Woodforde's kits that I've done have all got down to 1.014.

Can't vouch for Coopers kits however.

Have they? I'll try one next as soon as I have a spare FV or more accurately, room to put another one in my brewery (or as my wife calls it, the spare room). I still think the Coopers are more reliable.

[Tim74]

I know what you're saying but I think that Muntons have got their act together, of late, and the four recent Woodforde's kits that I've done have all got down to 1.014.

I have done a couple of Wherry kits since Christmas and both of those have also reached 1.014. Beginners luck, maybe?
The Cooper's kits have been very easy to follow too; I've done a couple of Cooper's Australian Lager kits and although they aren't ready for drinking yet, so far so good. Early this morning I made up a Cooper's IPA kit and added some Goldings hops, so we'll see how that turns out. Damn that Chris X-1 and his posts... so many ideas and not enough funds...

To the OP, don't forget mail order companies. I have dealt with The Hop & Grape (www.hopandgrape.co.uk) and I have received fantastic service from them. The advantage is that they will give you good, reliable advice too. The staff in Wilkos (for the most part), won't.

[georgehastings]

Thank you everyone! I can't believe how many people have replied.

I think I may look at the hop and grape website and see if there is a Wilkinson's store nearby.

I will keep an eye on the forum so if anyone has any more advise I am all ears!

[davekermito]

Coopers, Coopers, Coopers!

Reliable, easy, not bad for a kit.

Get him some muslin bags, some crystal malt and some hops as well to modify it.

Then weep as he tells you "I've steeped some grains, so sod it I'll do an all grain next".

[vinceg]

I bet he gets the bug and will never buy beer from the supermarket again.....I started about September and unless I see something I like on a BOGOF or something like that, I never buy supermarket beer now.

I have now got myself 3 Youngs budget barrels out of WIlkos (best to buy these in person as the P&P can be a bit steep) and have got to the stage where I've got a bit of a production line going, as you can see from my sig block.

Bit of advice (if a bit geeky) Keep a spreadsheet and note down every bit of expense and how much beer you produce, so you can work out price per pint. So even if hubby's brew doesn't turn out right first time, you'll be able to see how much you're saving - I'm down to about £1.90 a pint now, but I've not done many brews yet and spent quite a bit on gear.

As regards a beginner's kit, I did Woodfordes Nelsons Revenge as my first one. It turned out great, but reading the posts on here perhaps not the best thing to start with, so how about a nice drop of Youngs Harvest Mild. Superb, only the Coopers Stout has come close so far.

Best thing I ever did - enjoy!

Cheers
Vince

[clatters69]

I bet he gets the bug and will never buy beer from the supermarket again.....I started about September and unless I see something I like on a BOGOF or something like that, I never buy supermarket beer now.

Seconded. I don't even bother with the BOGOF's. Home brew is more enjoyable, significantly cheaper and the beer's better. It's also better for the environment - the amount of empty bottles that go into the recycling bin has stopped totally.

[georgehastings]

I'm not sure about my husband but I am excited about it already!

I have visited the local Wilkinson's and bought a Coopers bitter kit. But I was a bit baffled by all the equipment. I didn't know what I needed and what I didn't. I was thinking of calling hop and grape for advise unless anyone else can let me know a list of the equipment I will need.

My husband likes tinkering around and fiddling with things. What is the all grain thing I have heard you all talk about? Should he try that or is it a bit complicated so should try a simple Coopers kit for his first go?

Thanks again everyone. I'm looking forward to sampling his first ale...

[Lillywhite]

I have visited the local Wilkinson's and bought a Coopers bitter kit. But I was a bit baffled by all the equipment. I didn't know what I needed and what I didn't. I was thinking of calling hop and grape for advise unless anyone else can let me know a list of the equipment I will need.

You will need a fermentation vessel, either £7.99 with a clip on lid although I would recommend the one with the black 4" screw on cap at £10.99 plus a plastic air lock and rubber bung.

A long handled plastic spoon and a syphoon tube plus a 5 gallon Youngs Budget keg at £17.99. This will all cost 2.5% less at check-out and shouldn't break the bank.

That should get him started.