Beer Making Kit
Those of us that share a passion for making beer at home probably started with a beer making kit. Beer comprises 4 ingredients: water, malt barley, hops and yeast. A beer making kit provides the processed malt barley and hops. Depending on how these ingredients have been brewed, the result is a style of beer, such as an ale, lager or stout. A style of beer may be further refined. e.g. an ale may be ‘Mild’, ‘Bitter’, ‘Brown’, etc.
A beer making kit will come in one of two different packages. A ‘No Boil’ kit, the simpler of the two, or a ‘Boil’ kit. Either one will get you started.The first, because it has been partially processed, comes in a pouch and is a much heavier kit. Its weight makes shipping charges expensive, so it is not so readily available. A ‘Boil’ kit mixture comes in a canister and requires the additional step of boiling, which is not a problem, as instructions with the kit explain how to brew your beer.
Your choice of available beer making kit depends upon where you live. Mr. Beer, based in Arizona, USA advertises itself as America’s #1 Selling Home Brewing System and is available in USA and England. Coopers Beer Kits are produced by Coopers Brewery in South Australia, and are also available in USA, Canada, England, Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand. Muntons Beer Making Kits are made in Suffolk, England and are available in mostly the same countries noted above as Coopers. These are probably the largest beer making kit suppliers. Each provides an extensive choice of style of beers.
The beginner home brewer will need equipment to get started. Mr. Beer’s home brewing system comes in four different series. All four include their brew pack (beer mix, yeast, sanitizer), two gallon fermenter (in the form of a keg) and brewing guide. Each series upgrade adds additional equipment, such bottles, and additional refill pack. The top series ‘Brewmaster’s’ has the most equipment provided. There is only one Coopers Microbrewery Kit, which is the equivalent to Mr. Beer’s top series, and only comes with Coopers Lager Beer Kit concentrate with yeast, brewing sugar and carbonation drops. There are several significant differences between equipment provided:
|
Differences |
||
| a) Beer made |
2 gallons |
6 gallons |
| b) PET bottles and caps |
8 x 1 liter |
30 x 740ml |
| c) Sanitizing cleanser |
Yes |
No |
| d) Hydrometer |
No |
Yes |
| e) Instructional DVD |
No |
Yes |
Muntons does not provide equipment to get you started. Instead, they rely on your buying equipment at your local beer making store. I find the all inclusive service of providing equipment from Mr. Beer and Coopers extremely helpful, particularly as you have little or no knowledge when just getting started, and want to keep your costs down. Also, if you have a busy schedule, being able to order online and have your beer making kit delivered to your home makes a deal of sense.
Although there is a relatively small investment in getting equipment through either Mr. Beer Home Brewing System or Coopers Microbrewery Kit, you will be able to reuse it many times. As you gain more experience, you may want to upgrade certain items of the equipment. At least by then, you will have the understanding and knowledge of what you are about.
I will be providing a review on each of the above three beer making kits, and others, in future posts; so stay tuned.
So you can see that there are quite a few things to know about getting your first beer making kit. Your first and most important decision is to choose a style of beer you truly enjoy, because your last step will be in tasting your own creation! You will want that to be memorable.
One home beer making guide that I think every serious home brewer must have, is Matt Tremblay’s ‘The Home Brewing Success Blueprint’. It is excellent in giving you practical insights and tips of home brewing that beer making kits lack. You will almost feel his presence guiding you as you stand in your kitchen going through each step. Keep referring to his book while you are brewing, and take detailed notes of your experience - how long each task takes, temperatures, time of year, specific ingredients you used, describe their color and interaction, consider what you might change next time, etc. Your learning will be so much faster, and it will really improve your success.
It covers equipment, ingredients, sanitation, the brewing process, bottling, terminology, and trouble shooting – and has 21 color photos plus the “hows” and “whys” of home brewing. In addition, Matt Tremblay also provides 29 Legendary Beer Recipes. This will really get you fired up to start experimenting with your home brewing, and to move on from beer making kits.
I think this is an absolute must have for someone who really is serious about home brewing and is starting out with a Beer Making Kit.
Cheers
PS. Enjoy your beer making kit, and I would love for you to add some comments below on whether you found this post helpful. Also, please come back to report on your experience in brewing your first batch, just bookmark this page or add it to your favorites.
