just getting started

[hiyield]

hello all my new friends. I must say I am happy to be a part of beer Smith. I know that trial and error is a big part of the process, and makes a man Weiser as he progresses. Having said that, my question is as a beginner, what are some basic tools in the cooking process, that I should and should not purchase. or items that I can construct on my own I don't want to appear as a leech, money is tight and there are a lot of choices out there. I live a ways from society lol in a farm town, no brewing supplies here. I must travel a ways to collect items needed. I am trying not to go into  this  without at least trying to do some homework my wife suggests store-bought, but my palate is tired of the same run-of-the-mill 3.2 beers that are available to me.looking forward to my first successful batch, and putting all the masses I'm sure I will be cleaning up in the past...... later to all my micro brewing friends

[Mtnmangh]

What type of equipment you purchase really depends on what type of brewing you plan on doing and how much you are willing to spend.  If you plan on brewing extract brews you can get by with a relatively small amount of equipment.  If, however you have a desire to end up brewing all grain, that changes things.

I started out with a simple Brewer's best equipment kit that cost around $100.  It came with a fermenting bucket, bottling bucket, 2 cases of bottles, capper, and a racking cane.  It didn't take me long to get an auto-siphon as it makes moving beer much easier.  I also purchased a 5 gallon kettle (not beer specific) and this setup worked for quite a while.

Before too long I purchased a 5 gallon glass carboy to use as a secondary tank.

When I changed over to all grain it took more of an investment.  I made a mash tun using John Palmer's design for a copper manifold and a 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler.  I also purchased an 8 gallon brew kettle with quarter turn valve and thermometer.  (I kind of wish now I would have gone to the 10 gallon.)  I also had to get a wort chiller.  I first got an immersion chiller and HATED it.  It took hours in the hot Tennessee heat to cool wort with luke-warm hose water, so I bit the bullet and purchased a Therminator.  I can now take 5 gallons of boiling wort to 70 degrees in about 4-5 minutes.  Pretty awesome.  Best investment yet.

So, if you plan on brewing a lot and have the idea that you may want to go all grain, you have to ask yourself whether you want to purchase for the long term, or short term.  My original brew pot is now my sparge water kettle (so it's being used still), but the immersion chiller is gathering dust.

Good Luck!

[hiyield]

thank you my friend  for all the information I do want to go with an all grain set up I think pale ale I tried the dark years ago and I just did not like it I have looked at several setups where they have three or so beer  kegs in a gravity rack stacked on one another sort of speak I was wondering if the chiller and all that other stuff was required as well. you have definitely led me in the right direction. so now I know what to start picking up. thank you very very much and happy brewing :-)

[Scott Ickes]

I was an extract brewer for many years.  I was doing partial boils.  With what I've learned over the years, I wish I had started with a 15 gallon boil pot right from the get go!  When I started all grain brewing a larger pot was a necessity.  An 8 gallon pot gets a thumbs up from me if you're just starting out, so that you can do full boils.  However, with an 8 gallon pot, you're probably going to boil over a lot when you're doing full boils.  A 5 gallon batch requires about 7.5 gallons of wort at the start of the boil.  With a 15 gallon pot and a squirt bottle of cold water, you avoid boil overs quite easily.  You can even do the occasional 10 gallon batch with a 15 gallon pot.