Woodforde complete starter kit. yes or no?

[moonbox]

I am thinking of buying the complete Woodforde Wherry starter kit

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Before I spend my hard earned pennies, is this a good complete starter kit or are there better ones out there? I am thinking if all goes well I will be able to add on to it, and build on it. First time poster and in need of pointing in the right direction.

Thanks
Ben

[Normski]

Hi Ben and welcome to the site. You'll find all of the info you need on this site.
I think the kit you have sugested is a pretty good starter kit. Although if you have a Wilkinsons near you or even order over the web you will get the exact same stuff upto about a tenner cheaper.

[lollypopp]

You might find this link of Chris' handy, http://www.18000feet.com/how/H2HB2.htm I've booked marked it, coz I find it handy, well I'm quite new to this myself

[brysie]

dont forget that you will need a pressure barrel or bottles as well.[but you can get the bottles free from your local pub.]
and if your using bottles you will need caps and a capper. [about a tenner]
the coopers kit just lets you brew and bottle without worrying as it comes with screw top pet bottles. its how i started.

oops. sorry im talking about the COOPERS starter kit.

[joel_m]

i got this Woodfordes kit http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... _Kits.html

Picked mine up instead of having it posted and it has pretty much everything you need to get going at brewing including the woodfordes wherry kit and a pressure barrell + CO2 valve cap and sparklet bulb. I have added a few things to my brewing kit since (another pressure barrell king keg one and a load of swing top bottles which interestingly if you buy then from my local shop or tescos they come with free beer inside! The tescos Brown glass bernard beer ones are really good).

But I'd say if you are just getting going like with any hobby don't buy loads of kit that has most things you need in it. Certainly everything for your first brew!

[batemans fan]

I would recommend that whether you go with the starter kit or buy separately, you invest in a fermentation vessel and hydrometer before you start your first brew. Using the starter kit as it comes is a bit hit-and-miss with no good option for monitoring/control because once you've mixed up your wort, pitched your yeast and sealed your pressure barrel, there's no good way of checking your gravity (to let you know of problems) or of fixing a problem if you know one is there (the wherry kits don't always ferment out as planned).

I would go for the Brupak Brewer's Choice Best Bitter kit with 1kg Light SprayMalt, a fermentation vessel (I use the barrel/screwcap type with a tap at the bottom), a hydrometer, and a pressure barrel (personal experience says to use PTFE on the barrel neck thread and vaseline on the O ring seal before screwing the cap on) or bottles - keep the price down by using old PET (i.e. fizzy pop) bottles, if you wish. If you go the bottle route - get a 'Little Bottler' bottling stick - you will never regret the extra few pennies but may regret not geting one ). I use VWP cleaner/steriliser.

If you do go the pressure barrel route (which I prefer since sorting out gas leakage problems) - you're better off getting one with an 'S30' valve and a Hambleton Bard CO² cylinder rather than the bulbs. The first cylinder will cost about £15 - but subsequent ones are only about a fiver if you return the empty. This will work out much cheaper in the long run and will save you heartache if you get a bad seal on your barrel and need to inject some gas almost every pint you pour.

[joel_m]

just a note the kit above comes with a sepereate FV and Keg it isn't an all in one. Also comes with a hydrometer (although mine was a few points out)!

[batemans fan]

just a note the kit above comes with a sepereate FV and Keg it isn't an all in one.

Sorry, joel_m - instead of clicking on your link, I just presumed it was the same microbrewery kit that I started on last year - those kits came with just the pressure barrel, kit, CO² bulb and steriliser - the whole process was done as one operation in the pressure barrel.

After clicking on your link and googling for a few other sites, it looks to me as though all the Woodfordes Microbrewery kits are now supplied with a FV and a PB, as well as a host of other useful equipment - the price hasn't changed much either (there is a 'downgrade' on the PB from KingKeg to 'budget' - but reports I've read on this board are favourable of the budget PB).

So the advice in my previous post is somewhat redundant

In that case, my advice to moonbox is to price up the bits separately and go with the Brupaks Brewer's Choice instead of the Woodfordes, if it works out a similar price or less.

[techtone]

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You are much better off getting the official Microbrewery starter kit which additionally contains the co2 bulb cap+holder+bulb and airlock and thermometer (and nice box ) and can be purchased for just 2 or 3 pounds more elsewhere.

[joel_m]

i would definately agree I looked around quite a bit before buying mine (not to mention reading threads on here about what you actually need).
It seemed a good all in one kit for a good price. The Keg is a budget pressure keg but to be honest its not much worse than my KK. The only complaint I have is the small opening makes it harder to clean, but even thats not a major gripe.
As Bateman's fan says you can probably pick up everything cheaper if you shop about but I just went for the all in one figuring if I ejoyed brewing I could build up more stuff later.

[moonbox]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will follow Joels lead and go for the kit he suggested at the Home Brew Shop.
Ben
Liverpool

[mickhew]

Whatever you do get an FV with a tap, SO much easier than syphoning.