I just ordered the Deluxe brewing kit with the Caribou Slobber for my first brewing trial. I have a propane burner, a 6-gal aluminum pot to cook in. I was just wondering what else do I need to make the 1st time as sweet as possible?
Not sure what equipment you have… some things to think about:
Cooling method after boil - a large bucket filled with ice water, or an appliance like an immersion coil, or lid your kettle and put it in the snow until it reaches 75F.
Fermenter - either a plastic bucket or a carboy of some kind.
Tubing, sanitizer, hydrometer, thermometer, etc. All the little things people don’t normally talk about but are necessary for a basic brew day.
You bottling? When you’re beer is done in a few weeks, you’ll need bottles and a capper.
It really is easy, don’t get all worked up and remember to have fun. Brewing with someone familiar with the process helps, but lots of us went solo to begin with.
Something to maintain a fermentation temperature in the mid to low 60’s. This can be achieved pretty easily with a swamp cooler, which is basically a container filled with water that the fermenter sits in, drape a towel or t-shirt over the fermenter so it soaks up the water and evaporation of the water will keep it cool. put a fan on it if the ambient temperature around the fermenter is too higher and even frozen water bottles to get it even lower.
Fermentation temperature control is one of the easiest and most significant things you can do to improve your finished product.
Patience.
Seriously, just about every noob mistake involves trying to rush the process.
Thanks guys for the help. I think I have the essentials covered. Is a hydrometer an essential?
I wouldn’t say its essential but it’s helpful. It’s the only way you can know for sure that fermentation is complete by taking sequential consistent gravity readings. If it hasn’t changed over a few days you’re done fermenting. I also like to know the final gravity (and subsequently ABV) of the beer I make because you learn a lot about fermentability of the wort you produce and the attenuation of different yeast strains.
throw out the directions. I have not found any directions on kits to brew good beer.
Pitch enough yeast
Brew something simple low gravity
Ferment cool side of yeast range
Do a lot of reading
Keep it simple for a while until you learn the basics
