TOPIC:

My intention here is to start the mother of all debates. And then arrive at the perfect starter kit for beer kit brewers.

If Beoir will allow us, we will create it and brand it as Beoir kit, and include a link to Beoir with the instructions (hopefully also written by you guys).

Issues that we hope will give rise to a great debate are:
- single fermenter VS two fermenter kits
- pros: initial cost, ease of use, and less air contact,
- cons: individual priming of bottles (or the cost of Coopers carbonation drops)
- taps and bottling sticks VS syphons
- fermenter capacity (33L VS 25L)
- SR quality hydrometers and glass trial jars VS plastic alternatives (are the quality ones worth the expense?)
- sterilizers and cleaners
- other issues.

I really hope you guys will engage.

The best selling kits in the works are single fermenter kits (Coopers). But traditional kits have two: one for fermenting and one for bottling.

Ok, here's one issue:
- in order to transfer beer from a primary fermenter (to a secondary fermenter, or to bottles) should you use a syphon, or alternatively, a tap and a tube (to a secondary fermenter) / tap and bottling stick (to bottles).

This is an important issue, because some say taps are hard to sanitise; while others say simple syphons are prone to saliva infection, and autosyphons are expensive, easily broken, and also hard to sanitise.

We have our own opinions on this issue, but the reason we are posting here is to get yours.

Ive never had issue with syphon you dont have to slobber all over it.

I started brewing last November and got some advice on the required kit.

I started off with;


25 liter translucent fermenter :: Tapped, Lid, grommet (bored bung), Airlock with cap
25 Litre Fermentation Vessel :: Tapped with Little Bottler bottle filling system, Lid
Large Liquid Crystal Thermometer (to stick on side of fermenter)
Thermometer 12" (Spirit) - Perhaps not essential
Hydrometer plus Trial jar
Beer Paddle Plastic 16"
Syphon Tube
Starsan sanitizer
Bottle Brush
Twin Lever Capper
Crown Caps
Large jug

I got a 3KG beet kit to start.
I didn't buy bottles as I had been collecting them for some time before I brought the kit.
Finally. I just use glucose for priming

"oconn":dpkyv5r1 wrote: Ive never had issue with syphon you dont have to slobber all over it.[/quote:dpkyv5r1]
Mouth bacteria versus hard to sterilize taps?

Come on guys, opinions please!

Come on guys, there are several different models when it comes to equipment kits.

We all use them day in, day out.

Please feel free to critisise any aspect of any kit out there.

An open debate (even if we all completely disagree) will throw out valuable information for us all.

Like new technologies that many people are not even aware of. Today, a couple called to us . . . but didn't know about bottle filling sticks. We just presumed they knew. But they didn't.

Please engage and tell us what you found was good, or else negative, with your kit, so that we can come up with a better one.

Or tell us what is unusual about your kit . . . things that others may not be aware of.

Our goal is to increase homebrewing in Ireland for all. The more people that brew, the better for us.

So two things are critically important:
- an equipment starter kit that actually works, and
- an initial ingredient kit that works well enough for the first time brewer to brew again and again.

The latter is hard because people's tastes differ.

But surely, we can discuss what constitites a good starter kit?