i started with the noble grape set up, it was 101 and change, it comes with everything you need and your first brew minus bottles and bottling sugar.
NG has start up kits....so does kijiji...you can start up for around $100...I think NG was including a festa kit with their package (not sure how much that was). The festa kits are very easy to get use to timing and temps.... I did a grain boil...that's where the fun is...you can play with the beer at this point...or you can dry hop a festa kit...I'm hooked, it's a lot of fun making and drinking your own brew
I suggest getting the start up kit from Noble Grape, along with a Festabrew Kit - they are the best "Kits" you can buy..very easy and quality beer. From there, if you decide you like it, look into BIAB (brew in a bag). It would give you the ability to make what you get in the Festabrew kit from scratch; literally starting from the grain and water, adding hops and boiling. The extra equipment needed to get into a BIAB setup would basically be a turkey fryer (propane burner) and a large pot (~55l in size). I started brewing all grain on a single tier, 3 vessel brewing stand but recently switched to BIAB. It's a lot less equipment, easier to do & learn, and a lot less cleanup. Realistically, you could get into a BIAB setup for a couple hundred extra...it opens up a whole new world of brewing though. My Old Setup: My BIAB Setup:
Kegged Festa Brew Westcoast IPA last night, cranked to 30 PSI and will let it sit for 2 days then drop down to serving pressure... Good idea? Also pitched a "Canadian Draught" and Mangrove Jacks Mexican Cervasa (which was 6 months past it's best before date) we'll see how that goes. So far, I'm loving skipping the secondary fermentation.
A short video from my brew day today. I was brewing a winter warmer and using a new hybrid method. It's part BIAB, part traditional method. It seems to be the best trade off for maintaining temperatures, while minimizing cleanup & lifting on brew day. I'm very happy with the outcome.
If you're looking to get into all grain, or just want to see the process, post up on the Brewnosers and I'm sure you'll get invites to check out someones brew day.
Have a Fiesta Continental Pil on the go now, decided to give'er a try. Trying to decide which one to do next haha
got a Mangrove Jacks Pear Cider in the carboy. Just have to wait 7 days in the carboy then it will ready to bottle. should be ready to drink by christmas break
I started a Winter Cream Ale this weekend It's a Cream Ale with added vanilla...smells awesome in the primary - - - Updated - - - Jimmy, think I should oak this in the Secondary? I guess the (granville winter) vanilla is really from white chocolate...how do you add white chocolate??? Butter? maybe that's why the Granville winter doesn't have a ton of head??? I also bottled my belgian wit
Bottled some hard apple cider that has been sitting in the carbuoy for over a year last night - I didn't intentionally leave it there that long - I just hate bottling and never got around to it! It was clear as clear could be and tasted incredible. I then started some red wine (Tempranillo) and a West Coast IPA; stocks are running really low and I waited too long to have stuff ready for Christmas, but better late than never. I need to pick up a keg system; the only part of the process that I can't stand is bottling.
My Wit turned out great...not as cloudy as I thought it might be...but it's fully carb'd and it's only been in the bottle for a week. I also would love to keg...I could double my production lol...I can't wait to bottle and carb my Winter Cream Ale...It smelled awesome coming out of the primary
I'm down. I can bring a keg or two. Jac, how do you stay fit ( I know you workout from the Health and Fitness forum) and drink so much beer?
I need to buy another carboy...going to start another wine New Zealand Sav Blanc...takes 8 weeks (10 days in the primary, the rest in the carboy)...and I will need to make a batch or two (beer) for Super Bowl
bring back from the dead. just bottled a cider kit. i cant tell if my hydrometer is wonky or i just made non alcoholic cider. the kit says the starting SG should be 1.040-1.048. the hydrometer read 1.010. then just before bottling i check the sg again and it read 1.010..
