What would you do with 2K?

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jbsengineer

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I have $2000 set aside to jump into all grain brewing. So far, I have a beer fridge with two taps, carboys (primary's and secondarys), cheap brew kettle, gizmos and gadgets. What would you buy with 2k for a jump into all grain brewing? I would like to invest in making brew day itself easiest (such as pumps etc). Without sacrifice to great tasting beer.

Should I save more for an electric setup?
 
I would say build your own single tier, electric, natural gas, or propane depends on you and preference. Fermentation chamber. Add more kegs for storage. Get more taps. Another beer fridge.

Start at the beginning of your process and add the pieces that will help and assist you in making better more consistent beer.

Good luck, this thread should explode with more ideas than you know what to do with and more money than you have or are willing to spend.
 
2k is a lot more then you would need. I would build a three tier electric brewing system. Spend 500 and then go on a cruise with the rest ;)
 
I would build an electric setup and surf CL for a lager fridge. Since I already have those things, I guess I would pay down my second mortgage. Priorities.
 
Man...2G's would be killer....electric setup with all sorts of gizmos. I'd get a few different kettle sizes for different batch sizes too. Also a few more taps...
 
Pumps and and that stuff are definitely convenient, but I know guys who brew award winning (Gold at NHC for example) beer without them.

I'd first look into vessel size. I'd love to be able to do 10g batches, so that would be a major priority of mine. 15-20g brew kettles, and burners strong enough to fire 'em. Then, I'd seriously look into fermentation temperature control.
 
Dude, I jumped into AG for about $40, with junk I had laying around. It's all about making the best beer you can for the least about of money. I mean sure, you can go out and buy $2000 worth of really good beer and be happy for a while, but when it comes down to it, it's always better to get drunk on your own... stuff.

Too bad you're on the other side of the country, but I'm sure there's people there that can lend a helping hand.

ToddO: Yes
 
You say "jump into" all grain. Me, no way would I spend 2k on something I could do for $100 unless I was really sure I wanted to.

>>>>ok, maybe $200 to be sure but no more.
 
I did my complete kal clone switch over fom extract for around 3k. You could cut some corners and do a lot of it for 2k.
 
LandoLincoln said:
Have you priced a good brew stand lately? Unless you can weld and cut steel on your own, brew stands are mondo pricey.

If you're electric and build it out of wood its cheap. Lumber for mine was 20 bucks. Not pretty but it gets the job done.
 
I'm just getting into all-grain, so from my experience I'd say a nice kettle, a brew stand, and a plate chiller.
 
i would get myself some nice kettles and a stainless table as a brew stand and a conical. Additionally if your handy and don't mind doing some research check out the BCS-462 i run my entire system with that and i absolutely LOVE it. Also i don't know if you mentioned it but fermentation temperature control would be a good idea also.
check this out
 
Well, I'm thoroughly overwhelmed. I understand I can go all grain with as little as $100. But I would like to invest in making the process more efficient, consistent, and automated at the same time.

The BCS-462 is really interesting. Has anyone combined Kals board with a BCS-462?

Thanks for the all the ideas. I am definitely going to set aside a few hundred for a fermenting chamber and more taps.
 
If you haven't already, invest in temperature control and yeast health. Nothing will make your beer better than proper temperature control, yeast starters, and aeration. A chest freezer with a temperature control makes for a great fermentation chamber.

I'm sure you can spend 2K easily on shiny pots, pumps, stands, etc. That isn't going to make your beer any better. I make award winning beer using two 5-gallon buckets, a 10G mash cooler, a 10G pot I purchased from eBay, propane burner, and an immersion chiller. It's definitely a no thrills set up and isn't going to take make it into any magazines, but the point is that if you focus on the basics (mash, ingredients, and yeast health) you'll make great beer.
 
I agree with Darwin, and to add, focus on making your beer consistently good before you dump money into things that don't really affect the actual quality much.
 
If I had 2K I would set a up a offical mini shed brewery and escape there every weekend and brew. :mug:
 
all stainless single tier digital temp controlled HERMS with 25 gallon kettles. Electric AND propane setups, and 2 big chest freezers, one for ales, one for lagers. Ok that blows your budget away but it would be nice.
 
If i had 2k i would start with 3 nice kettles the bigger the better always better to have the extra room. Then i would invest in mats for a stand or a prebuilt if you not a DIYer.
Then I would get a pump or two for wort movement. Lastly a CFC or a plate chiller. If you a good bargain shopper that should run you easily under 1k. Use the rest for fittings, hoses, electric stuff if your going that route. 2k is plenty for a sweet setup.

Do you homework before you dive into something to make sure it'll work for you.
 
I would do exactly what I did. Blichman top tier w/ 3 burners, keggle BK, Keg or other aprrox 15 gal HLT, and a 10 gal rubbermaid MLT. One march pump, a plate chiller, beersmith or other software if you dont have it. Camlock quick disconnects on everything. Not sure exactly how much it all cost, but less than $2k. Use the rest on misc supplies and ingredients including at least one 50lb sack of 2 row.
all_grain_system.jpg
 
surfingpl said:
i would do exactly what i did. Blichman top tier w/ 3 burners, keggle bk, keg or other aprrox 15 gal hlt, and a 10 gal rubbermaid mlt. One march pump, a plate chiller, beersmith or other software if you dont have it. Camlock quick disconnects on everything. Not sure exactly how much it all cost, but less than $2k. Use the rest on misc supplies and ingredients including at least one 50lb sack of 2 row.

+1
 
I'm in the same boat. The wife wants me out of the kitchen, so we compromised. I get a basement, electric AG brewery. I'm in the early planning phase, but I'm thinking, all stainless, HERMS.
 
My first advice is to start with just enough equipment to brew a few AG batches, like a large kettle, mash tun, and burner (keggles are cheap and work great BTW). Also get some good fermentation temperature control ASAP, as it's undeniably one of the most important factors in making great beer. There are countless ways to set up a nice brewery for $2k, but until you've done some research and some AG brewing it's tough to know which set-up will work best for you. Read the build threads in the DIY forum for ideas, and slowly plan out how to spend the rest of the money. Pay particular attention to why people are making the choices they make in their builds. I think there's less risk of buyers remorse this way, and a higher likelyhood that you'll truly enjoy using your system.

My second piece of advise is that if you're even a little bit handy, look into building a system yourself rather than buying something that's turnkey ready. The process of putting it together yourself forces you to learn a lot, and you'll be better prepared to operate it and troubleshoot any problems down the road. You'll also be able to configure things exactly the way you want them, and include only the features that are important to you. IMO the building, tinkering, improving, and modifying of a brew system is half the fun of being a homebrewer, but I also realize that some people would prefer to get straight to making beer.

Whatever you decide, good luck!
 
Good advice from JuanMoore. I initially started out using 10 gallon igloos and have been making ag batches easily for years. Over this time, I have drooled over the morebeer systems and even set aside the money for one. But, after doing this for awhile, I have realized that I enjoy being a bit more "hands on" and have opted for a top tier. Others here have made their own systems. I respect that, just not for me. No one here can really tell you which direction to go, but I would certainly advise patience before dropping 2k on a system. Good luck on your choice, hope you continue to enjoy the hobby.
 
+1 on good advice from Juan . I ask myself one question before I buy something: will this help make better beer? That is how I decided to spend money on a grain mill before i build a RIMS etc it helps prioritize what to buy next. My last purchase was a 10" banjo burner because my old jet burner scorched decoctions
 
Ok, I'm taking a lot of advice here to good use. I have purchasing a chest freezer and temperature controller which will eventually become my keezer, however in the mean time it will be utilized as a fermentation chamber.

I am also looking at putting together or buying cooler mash tun. I will invest more time with AG too learn what I want to build.
 
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