Help me upgrade please

So I am selling my motorcycle (sob) and I'd really like to spend some of the money on brewing/beer stuff. I'd like whatever I buy to be a lasting piece, so I don't want to spend it on bulk grain or other consumables. I'll end up with between $500-$1,000.

My hang up is I'm really pleased with my system and brewing capacity so far. I'm doing 5 gallon batches with BIAB, no/slow chill, and fermenting in the kettle. Works beautifully. I also wash yeast and have a basic 2 keg co2 draft setup.

My first thought was CONICAL! But honestly I think a conical would just look nice while creating more work, and my wife already does enough of that. I also thought about a brew stand, but I have no desire to move my brewing outside., nor do I have the room.

So I guess my next thoughts were a nitrogen setup or a dedicated dual tap kegerator (using a fridge now), but I feel like I'm not thinking of everything. I'd really appreciate any kind of suggestions you guys might have.

I'd go coil chiller and fermentation chamber. You could do both and have money left over. Both will improve your end result with little change to your process.

Keezer or Coffin build?

Kegerator is the way to go if you are satisfied with your setup. Customize your own or just buy a new one.

+1 to ferm chamber.
Assuming you don't already have one.

Brew yourself a delicious Doppelbock with it. Haha

Depending on space a ferm chamber is great. A kegerator/keezer is not bad either and usually a SWMBO appreciates having the fridge space back.

And when you say

My first thought was CONICAL! But honestly I think a conical would just look nice while creating more work, and my wife already does enough of that.

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are you telling me that you make her clean up after your brewing activities? For shame! She must really like your beer. I'm just joking with you here, but seriously, she cleans up after your brewdays? Does she have an attractive sister in my area?

My best bit of advice is to think of your process and what you are having trouble controlling/would improve your beer the most. I found controling fermentation temps made for the biggest difference in my finished products. Yeast starters (stirplate anyone?), heped me pitch more appropriate amounts of yeast which helped as well. Kegging (with dedicated keezer) was fun, and saved from the monotony/hassles of bottling. I enjoy boiling outside, and full boils seemed to help things quite a bit as well, but since you said you dont wanna forget about that. Maybe think through what the most annoying thing about your brewdays/brewing practices is and look into finding something for that. Or, you could always buy something nice for the wife and build up her good graces for when you have a boilover or your brewing interferes with anything.

DrunkleJon said:

are you telling me that you make her clean up after your brewing activities?

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HECK NO! What I meant was she stands there and looks nice while creating more work for ME! Heheh, no she does her fair share around the house, but she's not enough of a beer drinker for me to con her into cleaning up brew messes.

I'm leaning more towards a nitro setup honestly. I only order Guinness for the creamy nitro effect and not really for the beer itself. Plus, the whole nitro setup isn't something I could justify buying myself normally.

If you don't need the equipment, why are you selling the bike?

No time to ride and no place to store it any more, unfortunately.

Wait, you ferment in the boil kettle?

Brewmex41 said:

Wait, you ferment in the boil kettle?

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That is correct. Don't think I could go back.

How do you oxygenate your wort?

kaconga said:

How do you oxygenate your wort?

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I use one of those aeration pumps with a stone attached to a piece of tubing.

I've thought about boil kettle/no chill before. How long do you let it sit? Overnight?

Yeah, anywhere from 12-24 hours. What's great for me (since I brew later at night) is I can finish brewing, come home from work the next day, and aerate and pitch.