Next best step in brewing

Right now my setup is this:

All grain with 12 gallon mash tun and 13 gallon brewpot, I have a propane outdoor burner, a fermentation chamber with temp control, a kegerator tap system, and all carboys for fermenting.

So my question is, when you were at this point, what is the correct next step for improving your homebrew?

I know there is no technically correct way to go, I just am wondering because I wish someone would have told me to switch to all grain before getting a kegerator, or to get a bigger brewpot for full boils before I fashioned a fermentation chamber.

Thanks guys

What do you want to change about your current setup? I bought a blichmann floor burner and love it compared to my propane turkey fryer burner.

How is your local water? I have an in house reverse osmosis system that can be had relatively cheaply at freedrinkingwater.com. Now I'm working on understand how to build up my brewing water. Just snagged a $30 used Hanna Prep PH meter on eBay and have been using Bru'n water for the calculations.

Only time will tell if it makes my beer better though, lol


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

Stir plate/starter equipment.

Stir plate / oxygen injector. Then, Ph meter.

Better/more equipment doesn't make better beer. Join a club, read a book, go to a competition, chat with a brewmaster at a brewpub, or brew with other brewers. Learning always trumps buying if you want to brew better beer. Plus, you'll then be able to answer your own question!!

$5 - Campden tablets, irish moss/gelatin (these are super cheap upgrades if you don't have them already).

$50 - yeast stir plate for starters (depending on style you brew, dry yeast is great without a starter).

$50 - wort chiller.

$50 - oxygen tank/aeration stone for proper oxygenation of wort.

$100 - Grain mill to start milling your own grain and cut down costs by buying in bulk (I love my Chinese Cereal Killer).

$60 - refractometer

$5 - plant hop rhizomes for cheap/fresh hops

Just my $0.02 in order of preference. Look into BIAB though, seriously.

Nice! Thanks everyone. I am already growing about 12 hop plants right now! Aeration system is definitely a must.

buy a bigger boil kettle and use your current boil kettle as a HLT. That could bump you into 10 gallon batches. Might also want a pump.

Next upgrade is going to be a temp controlled fermentation chamber! Until I run across a great deal I will make do with a swamp cooler...


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I am lucky that I had a large extra fridge and found a cheap johnsons temperature controller.

Get some 2.5gal kegs and smeller firmenters to split up your batches. You can experiment with different yeast strains and dry hopping all from one mash

Smaller kegs not smeller

Aw man I'm really losing it, (carboys)

That is quite a thought. Especially since right now all I do is wait to try my next idea. But I don't have time to brew more than once every two weeks and those five gallons are gone in no time through all the friends just waiting to try it. I would want to go bigger in batches but I'm still so experimental in the things I try with each brew.

Yes I love my 2.5 gal kegs because my equipment can handle a 7.5 to 8 gal batch but not a full double batch of 10 gals so I usually make one 5 gal keg of something I like and get more experimental with the remaining 2.5. And keg it separately or I'll make three different beers in three 2.5 ers. You can even split the boil if you have two burners and steep some grain in one pot that wasn't part of the mash. Example, make a base mash for a brown porter and then separate 3 gals of wart and steep some roasted barley and black malt to make a stout from the porter mash and keg that separately

Malted_hops said:

Stir plate/starter equipment.

Click to expand...

^^^^^ THIS

Healthy, happy yeast = delicious beers

Oxygen system, don't bother with aeration.

Oxygen system sounds interesting.

Yeast propagation system (stir plate and flask)
Oxygenation system
Counterflow chiller
Malt mill
Pump (with fittings on your gear)

If you're into DIY, and even the least bit handy, you can make the stir plate for maybe $20. You can also make the CFC for maybe $50 if you can solder. I use a cheap Harbor Freight pump to circulate the cooling water and freeze blocks of ice to put into the bucket. My barley crusher works well hooked up to a cheap Harbor Freight mixer/drill. I'm still getting the hang of my new pump, but it's helping my back out on 10 gallon batches...

theheadonthedoor said:

That is quite a thought. Especially since right now all I do is wait to try my next idea. But I don't have time to brew more than once every two weeks and those five gallons are gone in no time through all the friends just waiting to try it. I would want to go bigger in batches but I'm still so experimental in the things I try with each brew.

Click to expand...

With what you said above.... I would go to 10 or 15 gallon batches and experiment there. Running out of brew is never a good thing. If you can only brew twice a month, with the equipment you already have, my goal would be to be able to crank out 10 to 15 gallon batches. I wouldn't want me or my friends to go thirsty!

I am glad the homebrew community is so into sharing beer and sharing new ideas about brewing. I wish I could send everyone some beer. Maybe I'll need to start bottling again.

Oxygenation is over rated if your already doing starters. Unless your doing really big beers 1.080.

Brewing water- get a test done for $30 and possibly RO system $200
Electric HLT- 5500w element is impressive. $500ish
Keg washer $100