Homebrew Starter Kit

[BlindXX]

Apologies if there is already a thread like this, I've had a search and didn't find anything. I'm looking to get into homebrewing and have been doing a bit of research into the starter kits. Ideally, I would like to give myself a bit of room for experiment. Problem is, I live in a small flat (last night my other half uttered the horrible phrase "where would you keep that?" when I mentioned it to her) and the temperature always seems to be either freezing or baking. I was looking at the following - Mr Beer, Beer Machine, and the kit I actually want is Coopers Starter Kit - I've heard good things and the others are reportedly a bit crap. Is anyone able to tell me how much space is needed with the coopers kit? The only reason for considering the others is the space, although I have read you can modify the kits and recipies wit these. I haven't posted links as this is my first post and don't want my account closed!
Many Thanks

[Shadowknight]

When I lived in a small flat (two rooms! Bedroom and kitchen!) I had a basic home brew set up.

One Fermenting vessel, one beer keg. I used to store the keg on top of the FV in the bathroom, (in the shower, just moving it when we wanted to use the fermenting room for, erm, showering!)

It wasn't ideal, but the beer was okay. Inconvenient, but not insurmountable. I think you get bottles with the starter kit, so you could look into just getting the FV bucket, a barrel, all the sundries and a kit for the same money.

[houblon]

It's times like this, I'm very thankful I'm with a woman who enjoys drinking beer!

Do you know what your temperature swings are in your flat? Last summer I did have a problem with the heat knackering my yeast in the secondary.

[BlindXX]

On a hot day, it can hit 29-30 quite easily as the sun comes in, I don't know exactly how hot the top temp is. I think I can empty a dark cupboard in the bedroom which doesn't get quite so warm. In the winter it gets really cold, about 11 degrees when we are both at work. What temp does the yeast decide to give up? As to the tiny flat, if Shadowknight can do it in that space - no excuse for me! I could always throw some of her shoes out to make space... Fortunately she likes Mexican beer so lots of bottles around is not a problem unless they're empty! Given your advice Shadowknight and houblon I think I'll go ahead and just order a kit and make space somehow. I'm still leaning towards the Cooper Starter kit, seems to get the good reviews.
Thanks guys.

[Ditch]

Blind; Comes the winter and a 50 Watt, German made fish tank heater is ye friend

[dmuz]

I put my FV in an old kitchen bin filled with water. Temperatures stayed pretty constant even though it was in a hot during the day, cold at night lock up. I even managed to do a pretty decent lager kit with lager yeast.

[50CAL]

Well I got one of the coopers diy beer kits a few weeks back and they dont take up much room at all. I have mine in a tiny box room that I use for my computer its only 6' x 8' and I sit the FV on a small table in the corner. Its north facing so no direct sunlight and this time of year its a steady temp too.
You get everything you need in the kit apart from water and a can opener. I made the Aussie lager and a week in the FV and a week in the bottles inside the box that the kit came in so didnt take up a cupboard or any other extra space really and if you that stuck for space you could put the empty FV on top of the box I guess.
Im quite lucky really I have a garage with a spare fridge so I put the bottles in that after a week and they have been in there two weeks now and are almost clear now just a tad cloudy but hand on heart there just as good as shop bought beer just not as clear yet but that will come im told.
I was not expecting it to turn out quite as good as it has I was really suprised by how good it is and how easy it is to make . So on wednesday I banged a Mexican cerveza in and thats doing great too. The only problem is the waiting its so hard now to keep dipping in to them and to wait untill they have conditioned properly.
Cant comment on the other kits you mentioned but find it hard to see how they can better this coopers kit oh and no airlocks to get confused with just a simple lid it cant get any easier.

[Ditch]

..... oh and no airlocks to get confused with just a simple lid it cant get any easier.

[mrmojorisin]

No idea how much the mr beer kits are but the cheapest I've found the coopers DIY kit is >£60. IMHO, you would be better off buying a brewing bucket with lid (~£10), a paddle (~£2), a hydrometer and jar (~£6), a thermometer (£2-£3), some syphon tube and a bottling stick (~£6). You'll need cleaner and bottles but a small tub of VWP is cheap and you can start with tesco value lemonade bottles (18p each) if needs must though I recommend befriending your local landlord and relieve him of all magners sized bottles, it will then cost a further 15 to 20 quid for a capper and caps but you've then got it for life/until it wears out you then have all the kit for ~£26 plus whichever bottling method you choose and you can spend the extra saving on a second kit you'll be wanting to put on as soon as the first is finished

[GSMunn]

No idea how much the mr beer kits are but the cheapest I've found the coopers DIY kit is >£60. IMHO, you would be better off buying a brewing bucket with lid (~£10), a paddle (~£2), a hydrometer and jar (~£6), a thermometer (£2-£3), some syphon tube and a bottling stick (~£6). You'll need cleaner and bottles but a small tub of VWP is cheap and you can start with tesco value lemonade bottles (18p each) if needs must though I recommend befriending your local landlord and relieve him of all magners sized bottles, it will then cost a further 15 to 20 quid for a capper and caps but you've then got it for life/until it wears out you then have all the kit for ~£26 plus whichever bottling method you choose and you can spend the extra saving on a second kit you'll be wanting to put on as soon as the first is finished

Although I agree with a lot here, the whole point o the coopers kits is you get EVERYTHING you need. May not be the cheapest method, but for a lot of people, thats the best part of these kits yknow? Plus, Coopers kits are bulletproof.

[BlindXX]

Hey, thanks for all the advice! I must say I have now made my decision and informed the Mrs I'll be buying a Coopers beer kit at the end of the month. 50CAL - you brewed the exact kits I was thinking of doing and after your positive words my level of excitement has risen somewhat!

[50CAL]

It really is good Mine has not fully cleared its almost there but when you put it against a shop beer you can see it still needs a week or two but having said that close your eyes and take a swig you wont know whats what well the mrs didnt anyway.
All in all unless you screw a major part of the instructions up you wont go far wrong. I have been doing the Mexican cerveza but I added an extra 500g of brewing sugar and forgot to add the BKE until I was clearing everything away and spotted it and I thought I had screwed it up as it was very murkey and giving off loads of gas so much that it burnt my nose when I took a wiff.... but today day 6 its smelling perfect no gassy smell at all just a sweet beer smell. I busted my hydrometer so cant take a reading until my new on arrives from ebay but it started out at 1048 so if I can get it down to 1010 or lower its gonna be a kick ass beer 5.2+
Enjoy mate there good fun just have to dig deep and fight the deamons in your head telling to to take samples every night.