Getting closer

[Dordoor]

Hi Brewers,

Continuing the journey as today I placed an order for:

Brewzilla 35L Gen 4 with extras:
◦ Hop Spider

• Whirlpool Arm
• Chiller Hose Connections
• Mash Paddle
• Gen 3 Insulation Jacket

Fermzilla 30L All Rounder with extras:

• 2x Plastic Carbonation Cap
• Stainless Steel Float and Silicon Dip Tube
• 1 x V2 Blow Tie Spunding Valve (0-15psi)
• Floating Dip Tube Filter

9.5L Keg with kegging tool

ChemSan no rinse sanittiser

Still don't have:

• Co2 cylinder
• Regulator
• Beer and gas lines
• Hydrometer
• Containers, buckets, jugs to keep ingredients
• Some sort of tap to dispense the beer, financially not ready for a proper tower.
• And zero ingredients to make beer.

These are what I am aware of. I already have a heating mat, inkbird thermostat, inkbird meat thermometer, undercounter fridge (Hotpoint Larder 8132, if anyone drilled these please message me) pressurised growler

What else would I need, guys?

If you could advise on beer and gas lines, I am not sure what diameter line I would need for gas and beer.

Eventually I want two kegs for different serving pressure so I would need a regulator accordingly.

I mean please advise on anything, I am new to this with zero brewing experience.

What would be your next step?

Can't really spend anything on myself, wife will give me the silent treatment and still need presents for the children

Many thanks

Regards,
Dan

 

[Clint]

I think you're jumping the gun a bit! The kit you've bought is no doubt very nice but for me the key to making beer is getting the basics right and repeating it.
The basics definitely centre around cleaning and sanitising,keeping extensive notes,dailing in your recipes,working out what your kit can do,temp. control and above all patience!
For a 35l system a 9 litre keg isn't gonna work unless of course you plan to make 9 litre batches! So you need to decide..bottles or kegs?
You definitely need a hydrometer! You also need a cleaning product as sanitiser isn't a cleaner.
And unless you can join a club,get an experienced brewer involved to help you need to Google/YouTube etc. a lot to plan what you need to be doing with your kit.
Plus....a million other things!!

 

[Donegal john]

Yeah what Clint said. It’s some bit of kit you have but a very expensive way to enter the brewing world.
Get a all grain kit ordered if that’s where your going and make it a fairly simple one like a bitter or basic ale and fill bottles until you get some experience and the rest of the kit will follow in good time. Learning to use your kit will take a lot of trial and error but the results will be fantastic.

 

[Dordoor]

Thanks for the reply,

Yes, the plan is to have two 9 liter batches, would like to have two different beer but two 19l batches would be way too much for my needs. Since these are my needs the smaller batch brewing would make me brew more frequently, which is needed.

I did have the conversation with both ends, start simple with extract Vs start aio electric. I have my reasons why chosen this way. Yes, it is very complex, been reading, learning about processes.

The only reasonable point against starting with this equipment was maybe I won't like the whole thing, I get discouraged then I lost money.

You said jumping the gun a bit, but you didn't mention why. All you listed is doable with this equipment. Yes, I am new to it but willing to learn.

There will be failure for sure, but there will be with simpler equipment as well.

When I started boxing I bought a pair of boxing gloves, I knew I wasn't really going to use it as a beginner at trainings but also knew that it will be needed later.

I did not buy these because the are fleshy and shiny, I understand beer can be made with simpler equipment but my space is limited I worked out this would work the better then other set ups.

I think I understand that the basics are always important, without the basics there are no good results, at least not consistent good result. This is why I mentioned boxing. To be able to box the basics are essential. I think the same way about learning to brew, I know very well a "better" pair of gloves, a more expensive running shoes, more expensive camera - won't make me a better, boxer, runner, photographer. These are all tools to do and work on a final product.

Yes I will need cleaner as well, forgot to mention, not 100% sure what to use on the fermzilla.

 

[Dordoor]

I think you're jumping the gun a bit! The kit you've bought is no doubt very nice but for me the key to making beer is getting the basics right and repeating it.
The basics definitely centre around cleaning and sanitising,keeping extensive notes,dailing in your recipes,working out what your kit can do,temp. control and above all patience!
For a 35l system a 9 litre keg isn't gonna work unless of course you plan to make 9 litre batches! So you need to decide..bottles or kegs?
You definitely need a hydrometer! You also need a cleaning product as sanitiser isn't a cleaner.
And unless you can join a club,get an experienced brewer involved to help you need to Google/YouTube etc. a lot to plan what you need to be doing with your kit.
Plus....a million other things!!

Thanks for the reply,

Yes, the plan is to have two 9 liter batches, would like to have two different beer but two 19l batches would be way too much for my needs. Since these are my needs the smaller batch brewing would make me brew more frequently, which is needed.

I did have the conversation with both ends, start simple with extract Vs start aio electric. I have my reasons why chosen this way. Yes, it is very complex, been reading, learning about processes.

The only reasonable point against starting with this equipment was maybe I won't like the whole thing, I get discouraged then I lost money.

You said jumping the gun a bit, but you didn't mention why. All you listed is doable with this equipment. Yes, I am new to it but willing to learn.

There will be failure for sure, but there will be with simpler equipment as well.

When I started boxing I bought a pair of boxing gloves, I knew I wasn't really going to use it as a beginner at trainings but also knew that it will be needed later.

I did not buy these because the are fleshy and shiny, I understand beer can be made with simpler equipment but my space is limited I worked out this would work the better then other set ups.

I think I understand that the basics are always important, without the basics there are no good results, at least not consistent good result. This is why I mentioned boxing. To be able to box the basics are essential. I think the same way about learning to brew, I know very well a "better" pair of gloves, a more expensive running shoes, more expensive camera - won't make me a better, boxer, runner, photographer. These are all tools to do and work on a final product.

Yes I will need cleaner as well, forgot to mention, not 100% sure what to use on the fermzilla.

 

[Donegal john]

Experience can only be gained by brewing ,all the reading in the world won’t give you that. It’s advice you asked for so I’m afraid it’s a lot of advice you will get and with that comes opinions. However a lot of advice will come from people that have been there and done that and is all given in good faith.

 

[Jim Brewster]

Nice kit, I've been brewing 1 gallon batches over the last 2+ years and really need to start scaling up

 

[Clint]

Sounds like you have a plan!
You are right,beer can be made on very basic equipment and I found it easier to learn the basics like this.
Good luck!

 

[Dordoor]

Yeah what Clint said. It’s some bit of kit you have but a very expensive way to enter the brewing world.
Get a all grain kit ordered if that’s where your going and make it a fairly simple one like a bitter or basic ale and fill bottles until you get some experience and the rest of the kit will follow in good time. Learning to use your kit will take a lot of trial and error but the results will be fantastic.

I would not have had any problems starting with a pot on my stovetop as I understand theta the basics are needed. But reading, learning months after months many pointed out that learning how to bottle is fine it's a skill, but mean very little when someone wants to keg.

Again, there will be errors, failures. It's part of the procceses, I don't mind them, that's how I learn. And I know Indo have a lot to learn

Thanks for the input.

 

[Dordoor]

Sounds like you have a plan!
You are right,beer can be made on very basic equipment and I found it easier to learn the basics like this.
Good luck!

Exactly my point, I would mind doing a few batches on the stovetop, femrent in buckets and so on. It's all good. I learnt photography on a shitty camera.

But I know I would very quickly wanted to change for electric aio brewing so the so called simple and cheaper equipment would be almost a waste. Hard to sell, would be just around collecting dust.

Its a different system. Yes, more expensive. If you could, wouldn't want to learn photography on the best camera? Wouldn't want to learn driving a Ferrari? Depends. I wouldn't if I didn't have the Ferrari after learning to drive. But I will have the brewzilla kit, why not learning on that?

 

[Dordoor]

Experience can only be gained by brewing ,all the reading in the world won’t give you that. It’s advice you asked for so I’m afraid it’s a lot of advice you will get and with that comes opinions. However a lot of advice will come from people that have been there and done that and is all given in good faith.

I agree, practice practice practice.

But why do I have to start with bottling to enter the brewing world? Why I can not start with the equipment that I chose to start with? Is it because others didn't start this way?

 

[Donegal john]

I agree, practice practice practice.

But why do I have to start with bottling to enter the brewing world? Why I can not start with the equipment that I chose to start with? Is it because others didn't start this way?

I said that because you said you don’t have all the equipment to start kegging and that you can’t spend anymore money on kit so bottling was suggested to get you brewing. But do as you wish and wait. It’s only suggestions.

 

[Dordoor]

I said that because you said you don’t have all the equipment to start kegging and that you can’t spend anymore money on kit so bottling was suggested to get you brewing. But do as you wish and wait. It’s only suggestions.

Oh I hear you. Yes, I've got the biggest part of the system, initially I wanted to leave out the fermzilla and ferment in a bucket, and spend the fermzilla fund on equipment for kegging. But....

The rest is half way sorted, regulator and co2 cylinder. I don't really mind waiting another month to get them purchased, this way at least I got the Black Friday discount. Absolutely not in a rush to start tomorrow.

 

[DuncR]

Reading the above has got me thinking about how much money I have spent on gizmos in the garage. I don’t regret it but it is quite scary!
As someone posted elsewhere, probably running at £20 a pint at the moment! Good job the present Mrs R hasn’t asked!!

 

[Clint]

Life's too short for not doing stuff..

 

[foxy]

Fermenting fridge and temperature controller. Get a picnic tap and dispense straight from your fermenter while waiting for kegs, you will need a gas cylinder though.

 

[Dordoor]

It's kinda sorted by now, 4th day of carbonating. Just a half batch as wouldn't really need more and happy with the result. Got a Pluto gun, will be serving from keg.