[Stevie]

Large kettles are expensive. Start with the 5 gallon for now.

[Stevie]

I avoid NB/MW like the plague now, so I guess I didn't even know they had them.

They came out before the buyout.

[jrdatta]

Huh.  I guess I never really bought kits but I totally missed them coming out with them.  Though if they came out after NB bought MW I probably didn't really care because there shipping service started getting terrible and I just bought more from my LHBS.

[Stevie]

Had they come out after the buyout, I'm sure the outrage here would be fierce. I still don't care enough myself.

[jrdatta]

True. Aaaaaannnnnnddddd back to the topic at hand.  The small kit should be good for ya OP. Add a kettle and a hydrometer and some sanitizer and you will be in business!  My one big suggestion for success is try and keep your fermentation coolish (depends on the yeast but under 68 degrees F generally) and get brewing!

[Stevie]

 Just posted on HBF - http://www.homebrewfinds.com/2017/06/9-gallon-stainless-steel-kettle-lid-30-14-best-price.html

Can easily add some weldless fittings down the line.

[jrdatta]

Wow, that is a crazy good deal.  I paid $70 for that exact kettle like 3 or 4 years ago.

[cdawson]

You can save and re-use most of your old pry off bottles and cap them using the wing capper that comes with the kit. Might want to pick up a bottle brush either way. If you buy new bottles you will want to save and re-use those. Save yourself some trouble and rinse your beer bottles well after pouring/finishing a bottle, they will be much easier to clean for the next use.

[TacticalGarand44]

Thanks for the replies folks. I have another question. Can I brew smaller quantities using the same materials? For example, could I just brew 2.5 or 1.7 gallon batches (1/2 or 1/3), using the full size buckets? I would rather not screw up an entire recipe. Thank you.

[reverseapachemaster]

Thanks for the replies folks. I have another question. Can I brew smaller quantities using the same materials? For example, could I just brew 2.5 or 1.7 gallon batches (1/2 or 1/3), using the full size buckets? I would rather not screw up an entire recipe. Thank you.

Yes. I have for years brewed 2.5-3 gallon batches in a 7.9 gallon bucket. Below that size I usually use 4l wine jugs for 1 gallon recipes or split two gallon batches into two jugs.

In a perfect world you would always ferment in a vessel just big enough for all the wort and just enough head space to avoid losing beer to blow off but it can definitely be done. If you decide smaller batches are your thing and you want a better fit for fermentation vessels then you can get 3 gallon carboys or 2-4 gallon food grade buckets.

[TacticalGarand44]

Thanks for the replies folks. I have another question. Can I brew smaller quantities using the same materials? For example, could I just brew 2.5 or 1.7 gallon batches (1/2 or 1/3), using the full size buckets? I would rather not screw up an entire recipe. Thank you.

Yes. I have for years brewed 2.5-3 gallon batches in a 7.9 gallon bucket. Below that size I usually use 4l wine jugs for 1 gallon recipes or split two gallon batches into two jugs.

In a perfect world you would always ferment in a vessel just big enough for all the wort and just enough head space to avoid losing beer to blow off but it can definitely be done. If you decide smaller batches are your thing and you want a better fit for fermentation vessels then you can get 3 gallon carboys or 2-4 gallon food grade buckets.

Thank you. Is it any more complicated than taking the recipe and dividing all weight and volume quantites by 2 or 3?

[jrdatta]

Sorta.  Your boil off will be the same amount that it was under a full batch if you use the same kettle, so you have to account for that, but it will get you close. Enough.

[cdawson]

I've been brewing mostly extract with specialty grains for just over a year. Up until a couple batches ago we were using my tap water (after the softener) and was told this should be okay for extract because all the water chemistry was basically done in/for the extract. I managed to make some good beer this way, but after a while I started to pickup on the same bitterness or twang in all of my finished product (all ales). I recently started using RO water for our extract batches and I feel that it has made a major improvement in the beer that I produce. So if I could give one piece of advice to a new brewer it would be to use RO or Distilled water for as much of the water that goes into your brew as possible. I can get RO for 25 cents per gallon at a local grocery store from the machine where you fill your own container. Minimal cost to your brew but its for the better.

[a10t2]

Thank you. There is a debate on another forum right now, saying that homebrewing does not save you money.

That debate will never die because both sides are correct. If you don't place any value on your labor, then of course you can make beer for less than someone who has to pay their employees.

But if you move into all-grain and reusing yeast down the road, raw materials costs drop into the $5-20 per batch range.

[denny]

Thank you. There is a debate on another forum right now, saying that homebrewing does not save you money.

That debate will never die because both sides are correct. If you don't place any value on your labor, then of course you can make beer for less than someone who has to pay their employees.

But if you move into all-grain and reusing yeast down the road, raw materials costs drop into the $5-20 per batch range.

I still say homebrewing to save money on beer is like buying a fishing boat to save money on fish.  Or my wife's garden, where a carrot costs about $2. Or my chicken coop, where eggs will cost me $6 each for the next 5 years.