Recommended starting equipment for small batches.

[Markish86 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Markish86]

Hi all.


I've recently returned to Cape Town after living in London. Glad to be back, but crikey do I miss the ale
and pubs. I'm keen to start brewing my own with dream of one day mastering the art of proper Cask Conditioned ales.

I'm a total newb and would appreciate any suggestions on how to get started. What would be the best starter kit to go for? Preferably one aimed at producing smaller batches ( less than a gallon ) so I can experiment with different recipes more frequently and also one that allows for storing the beer in something like a keg instead of bottles, can't be arsed with sanitizing and capping each bottle after every batch.

Cheers

Mark

[MongooseMan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MongooseMan]

I'd highly suggest going to one of beerguevara's (www.beerguevara.com) workshops.
They take you through the entire process, and it's a great way to get started.

[StevenD (Slainthe) Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StevenD (Slainthe)]

I'd highly suggest going to one of beerguevara's (www.beerguevara.com) workshops.
They take you through the entire process, and it's a great way to get started.

I'll second that. I started there too and it was a great introduction to something that has become more than just a hobby...

ps....@Markish86....welcome to the forum!!

[SimonB Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close SimonB]

Mark

Second going to Beerguevara, and buying on of their small Molatov kits. That's the way I started, and although my equipment has evolved, I still brew small batches for experimentation purposes.

[Markish86 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Markish86]

Cheers for the replies.


The Molotov kit is exactly what I was looking for. Visited the beerguevara website yesterday but somehow failed to notice the entire section regarding carboys and beer kits. Will pop by this weekend to see what they say about alternatives to bottles and will defo be attending one of their workshops when possible.

[brewengineers Affiliate Member Find all posts View Profile Close brewengineers]

Hi Mark,

Check us out our website (www.brewengineers.co.za) when you have settled in and and in need of some brewing equipment.

Cheers,
The Brew Engineers Team

[Karel Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Karel]

Hi Mark

We have experimented with very small batches allgrain and found that the time difference between brewing 5lt and 20lt is 1 hour and the cost about R100 more. 5 lts between 3 mates is not enough to last a tasting of one brew session.
Most Internet recipes are for 5gl batches 19 lt. less calculation
My suggestion thus is, climb in boots and all go for it, follow the basic rules of temperature, sanitation and work to the recipe and you will not screw up the batch.
Course at beerguervara great, beerlab has equipment you can rent to start off with. Once you are hooked get yourself a good pot or 2 and you will be well on your way.

[StevenD (Slainthe) Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close StevenD (Slainthe)]

Karel, in as much as I respect your views and agree with the smallish differences in costs between batch sizes, I would rather recommend that someone new to brewing starts off with a small batch or two, gets to understand the processes involved, the basics of brewing, the intricacies, the difficulties. And, in the end, the joy of tasting that self-brewed beer and getting excited by the prospects ahead.

As someone who started off small, I developed my own way of doing things with my own equipment and layout, which will vary from just about everyone else who brews. Granted, the basic elements will be the same, pots, boiler, heat source (gas or electricity?), etc, but getting to know your own equipment by initially brewing small batches is what I would recommend, rather than ,as you put it, "climb in boots and all", spending lots of money on outlay, but risk getting something wrong in the process, screwing up the brew and end up having to toss the whole batch. That disappointment could cause a negative change to any new brewer's outlook on the whole experience.

I've brewed a few large batches since starting in about October last year, but the experiences I learned from with the small batches helped tremendously towards these.

My 440ml worth...

[CapeTownBrew Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CapeTownBrew]

I personally started off with 23L batches, but only because I didn't know better and I bought an entire kit. Having now bought a Molotov kit, I am battling to wrap my head around "scaling down" my methods for a 5L batch. I don't think this would have been the same if I had started small and gone big. I like the idea of a small batch for experimentation purposes, but will only brew large batches for regular consumption. Knowing what I do now, I would definitely have started small and gone big.

[SimonB Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close SimonB]

I don't agree with the "going whole hog" story and going big batches instead of small batches to start off with.

Small batches are easy and convenient, and allows greater scope for experimentation. If you try something and it doesn't work it's less painful to ditch 4 litres of beer than 20. I started out doing the small batches long before Beerguevara even brought the Molatov to market. In fact I started with the stuff from Brooklyn Brew Shop and introduced the idea to Andy.

Yes I am now on the bigger batches, but I never brew anything as a big batch until I've done it as a small batch and assuring me it's something I want to drink (or my mates want to drink )

The only time I would say go straight into the big batches is if moving from extract, because normally you have most of the kit anyway.

As regards recipe conversions being a pain, something like Beersmith does the conversion for you at the click of a button.

[CapeTownBrew Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CapeTownBrew]

In fact I started with the stuff from Brooklyn Brew Shop and introduced the idea to Andy.

Simon, where did you get the Brooklyn stuff from, I haven't found them locally, and it is very expensive to ship to SA!

[pretorjn Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pretorjn]

Simon, Can I be on your mates list

[SimonB Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close SimonB]

Simon, where did you get the Brooklyn stuff from, I haven't found them locally, and it is very expensive to ship to SA!

They used be available through Brewers&Union. Not sure if they still do.

Simon, Can I be on your mates list

[Markish86 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Markish86]

I ended up going with the Molotov kit from Beerguevara, airlock was bubbling away merrily the first few days, beers sat nearly two weeks in the fermenter now and I'm planning on bottling on Sunday. Does anyone know where I could get an auto siphon for cheap? I see Beerguevara have them on sale for R230, about R100 more than I'm willing to pay. Might just use a sanitised syringe to get my siphon going.

[SimonB Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close SimonB]

What I don't like about the Beerguevara kit is they don't have a proper racking cane, rather than a siphon. That being said you don't need an autosiphon. And don't need to suck on the end of the siphon either.