Hello! Advice needed right off the bat.

Hi everyone! New, soon-to-be-brewer here, raised in Reading and currently living in London. I've been lurking around the forum for some time now, and day-dreaming of brewing my own beer for quite a lot longer, and I've finally decided to bite the bullet! I get my next pay check in about a week, and will immediately be buying myself a starter kit.

The one I intend to get is this:
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Equipment-Only-Starter-Kit-5-Gallons.html

It seems to have everything I need, and has two buckets, which I like and which seems to be rare in a starter kit. A second bucket gives me the option of a secondary fermenting vessel, bottling bucket, and at some point in future means I can try the "double drop" technique. Hobgoblin is one of my favourite beers, so I'm intrigued by the technique.

I have a couple of questions about equipment. First, these buckets, as you can see, have taps built in. Initially I thought that the option of a tap would be potentially useful, but it's since occurred to me that it might be more of a hindrance due to trub building up around the inside of the tap. How much of an issue is that likely to be?

Second, how big a pot am I realistically going to need? I have a 5l stock pot, but found a 25l pot on amazon for a reasonable price (as reasonable as a pot that size gets, anyway).

I intend to start off with the Festival Golden Stag kit. It looks like a good-quality, all-malt kit, and sounds like a decent summer beer. I figure if I get the brew going at the start of July, it should be ready to drink by mid-August, so I'll want a nice, light, hoppy summer pint!

I like the idea of designing my own beers, so at some point in the future I intend to try some all-grain brews, but (in a move entirely out of character for me) I'm trying very hard to wind my neck in and learn to walk before I try running.

On the question of trub build up,it won't be any problem as there will be near on 2 inches below the tap outlet for a beer,as for the kit you intend to get I cannot offer any advice as I've never done it,sterilisation and patience will be more important

Thanks Godsdog, I'll stick with that kit then.

The other big question is the pot. Is a 5l pot big enough to boil 3kg of extract in? Or do I need to buy a bigger one? Ideally, just to save my budget, I'd hold off and buy the bigger one next month.

The Festival Golden Stag kit is very good, you won't be disappointed.

Forgive my ignorance but isn't that kit a 3kg liquid malt extract?, why would you need to boil it? Mix it up with a kettle of hot water top up with cold pitch yeast,job dine and wait until its ready to keg

Godsdog said:

Forgive my ignorance but isn't that kit a 3kg liquid malt extract?, why would you need to boil it? Mix it up with a kettle of hot water top up with cold pitch yeast,job dine and wait until its ready to keg

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+1 on this. You shouldn't boil the kit, so don't need a pot at all.

Not your ignorance, Godsdog... mine! I thought you had to boil the wort? Or is that only all-grain brews?

Thank you both for your help on this.

Thumper said:

Not your ignorance, Godsdog... mine! I thought you had to boil the wort? Or is that only all-grain brews?

Thank you both for your help on this.

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In some instances where you do a mini mash you do boil but not for extract kits there's no need,I think that kit comes as a two can one so any extra fermentables ie sugar,DME are not required

Well, thank you both for the advice, you've saved me some expense! I'm glad I asked before buying, now :)

There are three basic ways to brew your own beer.
Kits - usually based on liquid malt extract
Extract brewing - usually involves boiling liquid or dried malt extract with hops
All grain- which involves a mash and then a hop boil
If you are starting with kits try this
Basic beginners guide to brewing your own beer from a kit - The HomeBrew Forum
It includes a few tips on basic equipment you will need
The only other bit of advice is to not rush things, in spite of what the kit instructions tell you. You will need at least two weeks in the FV before you can start to think about bottling, and its better to bottle nearly clear, or better, clear beer. Then one to two weeks carbing in the warm. Then leave it somewhere cool if you have such a place for at least two weeks before you try one. If its not fully clear don't bother. And then leave it another two weeks and you should notice an improvement, and as it's a lighter beer you have it should be OK to start drinking it although more time may see further improvement.

Thanks terrym, a useful link.

Thanks terrym.