Northern Brewer Deluxe Homebrew Starter Kit, Equipment and 5 Gallon Recipe (Bavarian Hefeweizen)

First and foremost, this kit does not include everything you will need to brew your own beer. I'm a 20-year-old single man, so hopefully you have more in your kitchen than I do, but I had to purchase the following:

- $50 for 50 empty bottlesbr>- $45 for a Brew Kettlebr>- $85 for a propane burnerbr>- a propane tank for $35br>- $8 for a Brew Spoon TOTAL: $18br>ABV Test Kit $18br>ABV Test Kit $18br>ABV Test Kit $18b $231 (more than the kit itself)br>br>It's not about the money; I'm just annoyed that they never mention all the extras you'll need! A complete kit would have been worth more to me. Since I was led to believe that this kid had everything I needed to brew beer, it's the principle of the matter. In reality it contains approximately 50% of the equipment necessary for brewing beer. br>br>And now for the brew itself: day! Everything seemed to be going swimmingly at first. Yes, the supposed "brew bot" help guide that was supposed to guide you through your brew day didn't exist. What does it matter, though? We were doing fine following the Northern Brewer YouTube video guide, at least until we needed to use the auto-complete feature. siphon - which was MUCH, MUCH shorter than the one in the video - I didn't realize until later that the kit came with two hoses of different sizes; it was unclear which was used for bottling and which was used for transferring throughout the process. In any case, you'll need a longer hose - Both hoses, in my opinion, were excessively short. And who actually blows into that thick, short carboy? off the hose in the first place? Simply replace it with a longer hose, and I believe we will be better off as a result. br>br>UPDATE: br>br> br>Last night, the beer's fermentation was finally complete, allowing me to bottle it - Unfortunately, there were only 4 gallons to bottle; we're not sure if the last gallon evaporated or spilled, or if we simply did not follow the directions correctly. To give you an idea, I purchased 50 empty bottles and filled 42 of them with 4 gallons of beer when I was ready to bottle. In addition, when we dry- When I hopped in the secondary, I got a lot of hop particles/flakes that wouldn't sink (even after 1. 5-week period) - As a result, even during bottling, that stuff was floating around. When siphoning from the secondary to the bottling bucket, I did my best to avoid the hop flakes, but some managed to find their way into the bottles (hoping they settle to the bottom and become embedded in the yeast layer that forms during conditioning). Note: Because the bottling wand WILL clog with hop flakes/particles, I had to clean it out in the middle of the process. bottling. br>br>With this kit, I've had a great deal of success. But, because I'm a generous reviewer, I'll give it four stars for the time being. br>br>I'll try to update this as soon as the bottles have finished carbonating and are ready to drink. br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>br>Update 12/2/19br> There is a lot of sludge at the bottom of many of the bottles (much more than I expected). So it's not a good idea to drink straight from the bottle. I had to pour into a glass, leaving about an inch or two of liquid at the bottom of the bottle (approximately 20-minutes). 30% of the liquid) in order to avoid sludge pouring into the glass. Is this something that happens frequently? By trade, I'm an Industrial Engineer who works on process development for a living. However, based on how the beer turned out, I've come to the conclusion that either the instructions are incomplete or I'm not smart enough to understand this process. In any case, I'm giving up on this set. Maybe you'll be able to do better than I did. Best of luck to you!.

Lillie Shields

| Jul 20, 2021

You get what you pay for, and the kit you'll get here is pretty standard. The real value is in the carboys and extract kit; everything else is mediocre at best, and it's added time and stress to my brewing process. Because the thermometer and temperature gauges, as well as the bottle capper and sanitizing agent, are all very basic, you should have no problems bottling your beer until a few weeks later. The NB deluxe kit's flaws are clearly visible at this point in the process; The bucket you're using to fill bottles will leak. I've found no way to fit the spigot snugly into the bucket, and there's always a small leak around the gasket. I lost 2 1/2 gallons as a result of this, and I'm still cleaning my closet/bathroom/dining room/kitchen after having to transfer a batch from carboy to bottles and empty the remainder of the bottling bucket into the now empty carboy. This has been a real pain in the neck for me, which is why I'm writing this review. Because the plastic gasket inside your pump isn't properly fitted, it will leave a plastic residue inside the pump; the auto siphon is trash. I tried moistening the gasket according to the instructions, but it still hurts to use. I ordered a replacement pump and received it quickly and without hassle, so I was pleased with the customer service; however, the second pump I received was just as useless; one end of the pump was improperly cut at an angle, and I sliced my hand open while attempting (unsuccessfully) to place tubing over the pump. I strongly advise you to seek out a reputable homebrew shop and spend a few extra dollars on more durable equipment. br>br>Creative+ paraphrase: This is a complete kit; you will not require any additional items to begin fermenting.

Lauren Dyer

| Feb 25, 2021

The project appeared daunting at first: There's a lot of gear and steps to take. Because I'm a visual learner, I started by watching their YouTube video on the entire process, then reading the instructions and taking notes. I'm sure it's not required. br>I started making the wort on Saturday, and it's now Tuesday (as seen in the photos). It appears that everything is going according to plan. Because our area (for garage storage) can get too hot, I'm keeping the fermenter in our closet. I did have to purchase a pot, spoon, and bottles, however. br>We have a gas range, and it didn't seem to get to a "rolling boil," so I covered it halfway with a lid. I was afraid the wort would evaporate too much before it reached that point. That was an excellent solution! When pouring the wort into the fermenter near the end, I used a fine strainer as well. br>It smelled like an IPA in the house. It was pleasant at first, but became overwhelming after a while; I could still smell it a few days later, even though I wasn't at home. If this isn't acceptable to you, make sure your brewing area is well ventilated. br>I'll update this review once I've had a chance to try the beer.

Isaias Collier

| May 12, 2021

Almost everything is included in this package. There are a few things missing, but nothing that prevents the brew from being finished. If you enjoy beer, you should save the bottles you already have. As a result, you shouldn't be concerned about that. You'll need a big pot for this - Mine was around the age of three. 5 gallons, but double-check your recipe if you want to be sure. You don't have to boil all 5 gallons of water. If you use a smaller pot, you'll have to be extra careful not to let it boil over. I use mine to brine turkeys, but they can be used for a variety of purposes. I believe that a hydrometer should be included in the kit, with instructions on how to use it included on the recipe page. I have a hydrometer, but I neglected to take the initial readings. Anyway, I'm a big fan of the Irish red and think they did a great job putting the kit together.

Willie Weeks

| Nov 15, 2021

All of the equipment that came with the beer making kit was nice, but figuring out how to brew the beer was a challenge. To make sure I was doing everything correctly, I bought a book, watched videos on YouTube, and called a friend. It could benefit from more detailed instructions.

Jaycee KAUR

| May 03, 2021