Hello everybody, I'm just about to start on my homebrewing adventure. Read a couple of books and done a day of brewing with a friend's kit. I've been looking at pulling the trigger on a Grainfather connect rather than buy all the individual components. As much for space saving as anything else. I'm not sure whether to buy a recipe kit to start to avoid having to buy all the malts etc separately and go from there. I wondered if there are any top tips for new starters?
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Patience, young padawan.
The thing is, do you want to do all-grain or extract brewing? Exctract brewing seems a bigger thing in the English speaking world (UK and US) than on the continent. However, what I do see on this forum, are regular postings of people who have switched to all-grain brewing, and wonder why they have brewed kits (all though there seem to be some kits that are of high quality).
Try to know the amount of beer you will consume (taking into account friends and relatives). Know the amount of storage space you will need for the beer you want in stock. Do you want a regular beer to drink every day, or do you want to experiment with lots of beers. What is the minimum amount you can brew with an all-in-one system, because there physical parameters which make that you can not go under a certain amount of malt and water to brew (that is true for any brewing system).
Even if you buy a Grainfather, you would also have to add the cost of a cooling system for your wort (I think that is always separate from these all-in-one brewing systems), a grain crusher, if you want to control your mash better, also a pH meter. You will need a fermenter and bottling material.
I started with a small bucket-in-bucket system (also called zapap lauter tun), and even with a standard cooking pot of 10l and a sieve in my kitchen. And used an old coffee grinder (see my avatar) to crush malt. If you use your imagination, you can do a lot to learn, before you invest a large sum of money to buy materials.
The thing is, do you want to do all-grain or extract brewing? Exctract brewing seems a bigger thing in the English speaking world (UK and US) than on the continent. However, what I do see on this forum, are regular postings of people who have switched to all-grain brewing, and wonder why they have brewed kits (all though there seem to be some kits that are of high quality).
Try to know the amount of beer you will consume (taking into account friends and relatives). Know the amount of storage space you will need for the beer you want in stock. Do you want a regular beer to drink every day, or do you want to experiment with lots of beers. What is the minimum amount you can brew with an all-in-one system, because there physical parameters which make that you can not go under a certain amount of malt and water to brew (that is true for any brewing system).
Even if you buy a Grainfather, you would also have to add the cost of a cooling system for your wort (I think that is always separate from these all-in-one brewing systems), a grain crusher, if you want to control your mash better, also a pH meter. You will need a fermenter and bottling material.
I started with a small bucket-in-bucket system (also called zapap lauter tun), and even with a standard cooking pot of 10l and a sieve in my kitchen. And used an old coffee grinder (see my avatar) to crush malt. If you use your imagination, you can do a lot to learn, before you invest a large sum of money to buy materials.
Welcome to the forum xoddsx, have a look at the the GF below its the best kit for the price at the moment.
The Grainfather Connect (Incs FREE Mash Kit and Steriliser) NEW MODEL -
http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk...mash-kit-and-steriliser-new-model-p-3531.html
A counter flow wort chiller is part of the kit.
The Grainfather Connect (Incs FREE Mash Kit and Steriliser) NEW MODEL -
http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk...mash-kit-and-steriliser-new-model-p-3531.html
A counter flow wort chiller is part of the kit.
Thanks chthon, hadn't considered the minimum but I think I'll be looking at brewing 15 litres as a minimum, which must be over the kits minimum but will check.
Definitely want to go all grain, makes sense to me and where I think I'll get a lot of added satisfaction.
Patience certainly seems like sage advice but I've spent so long procrastinating that it feels a long time and if I buy smaller kit it will end up at something like the Grainfather... eventually.
Chippy Tea, I was looking at Beerhawk they have 10% off for first orders and I like the look of the mangroves fermenter as well on there. Unless you know reasons not to order from there?
Thanks for the responses guys, all info is welcomed
Definitely want to go all grain, makes sense to me and where I think I'll get a lot of added satisfaction.
Patience certainly seems like sage advice but I've spent so long procrastinating that it feels a long time and if I buy smaller kit it will end up at something like the Grainfather... eventually.
Chippy Tea, I was looking at Beerhawk they have 10% off for first orders and I like the look of the mangroves fermenter as well on there. Unless you know reasons not to order from there?
Thanks for the responses guys, all info is welcomed
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