Hello from Tahoe

[dpaola2]

I was browsing garage sales and saw a northern brewer kit for sale. Nearly brand new, unopened. Got it for $50.

came home, brewed the Amber. Had a ton of fun. Acquired a bunch of gear from Craigslist, and did a hazy IPA brew on Saturday.

I am really enjoying the process and figured it was time to join a forum so I can ask questions and learn from more experienced people!

cheers!

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

Welcome to the forum, from Nebraska and congrats on your successful brews! This is a wonderful forum and hobby.

Ive always wanted to visit Tahoe but havent been able to make it happen yet...Cheers!

 

[bracconiere]

kit for sale. Nearly brand new, unopened. Got it for $50.

$50 seems steep....but i'm concerned it was only nearly new....just saw someone drinking yellow fizzy liquid, wouldn't want a newbie to make that mistake!

Welcome!

 

[bleme]

$50 seems steep....but i'm concerned it was only nearly new....just saw someone drinking yellow fizzy liquid, wouldn't want a newbie to make that mistake!

Welcome!

The Amber by itself is only about $30 new, but I think OP is talking about a whole starter kit which comes with a 5 gallon kettle, fermentor, bottling bucket, hydrometer, etc AND an Amber kit, for $140 - so $50 isn't bad at all

 

[bracconiere]

The Amber by itself is only about $30 new, but I think OP is talking about a whole starter kit which comes with a 5 gallon kettle, fermentor, bottling bucket, hydrometer, etc AND an Amber kit, for $140 - so $50 isn't bad at all

i got thrown off by him buying equipment off craigslist......for the second batch.....

 

[dpaola2]

It was this kit: Brew Share Enjoy® Homebrew Starter Kit

Unfortunately no hydrometer. I'm prioritizing brewing over and over rather than taking careful measurements - but I would love someone to set my thinking straight! How crucial is the OG/FG measurement for newbie brewers? Can't I just look into the fermenter + gauge by # of days fermented?

 

[dpaola2]

Yes, I bought a larger kettle that has a thermometer on it and a filter in the bottom, as well as a clear carboy for fermenting.

What's the consensus on fermenting in a bucket vs. carboy?

 

[InspectorJon]

What's the consensus on fermenting in a bucket vs. carboy?

I think the consensus is that you should. Welcome from Placerville. I like the carboy because it is more fun to watch the activity. Is there a homebrew supply store in the Tahoe area?

 

[dpaola2]

Haha, makes sense. I currently have the amber fermenting in a bucket and a hazy fermenting in a carboy.

Unfortunately no homebrew supply shop I'm aware of (although I'm told there used to be one near Coldwater). I go down to Carson (Just Brew It) or use morebeer.com. Would be awesome to have a shop in town:!

 

[bleme]

What's the consensus on fermenting in a bucket vs. carboy?

If you are looking for consensus on anything, you might have picked the wrong hobby, lol!
"There's more than one way to skin a cat" applies to nearly everything in homebrewing and everyone has their own preferences. Part of the fun is trying different methods and figuring out what works best for you.

I started out fermenting in a 6 gallon carboy (probably my first 10 batches), then found a source of 7 gallon buckets with great sealing lids for just 50 cents each. That extra gallon of headspace made it worth it to me to sideline the carboy. Now I only use it for low-foam ferments like ciders.

A friend I brew with often found a small winery that was selling off old Italian, thick-walled carboys for cheap and bought 6 of them. He won't ferment in anything else because he values how sanitary they are.

 

[ncbrewer]

What's the consensus on fermenting in a bucket vs. carboy?

See this thread - Broken Glass Carboy Horror Stories Compendium
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/broken-glass-carboy-horror-stories-compendium.376523/

 

[ncbrewer]

How crucial is the OG/FG measurement for newbie brewers?

If you're bottling, I would consider a hydrometer a necessity. You need to know fermentation has finished, and stable gravity is how you know. If you bottle before fermentation finished, it will finish in the bottles, causing gushers or bottle bombs. As far as OG, I don't see it as necessary if doing extract brews. You can calculate the OG by using the ppg of the extract. Steeping grains will throw in a little uncertainty, but not much. I haven't sampled for OG on an extract batch in many years.

 

[dpaola2]

Thanks for your advice, this is really helpful.

 

[Cyclman]

Welcome to the hobby, and the group, from Colorado