What is the most useful Brewing item you own?

I have to go with the Auto-siphon....amazing.

Temp controller. Set it & walk away.

well,let's see...Off the top of my head,I'd have to say the bottle tree & vinator by Ferrari. I also recently aquired their super agata bench capper as well. Great products.

The most useful brewing item I own is the beer tap. Without that, I'd have nothing!

I would say this forum even though I do not own it. There is a amazing amount of knowledge here and a huge group of people willing to share it. I just wish I was here when I started brewing to take advantage of it all

I'd have to say my temperature controlled fridge for fermenting. I never need to worry about what the temperature is outside or in the garage or what season it is. Its a variable that is nice to not worry about.

I suppose you all know what I'm going to say

edit:
Nevermind. I didn't know we could make up our own rules. :cross:

I would say the vessel that transfers that tasty liquid we call beer to my mouth...mmmmm, beer.

temp controlled ferm chamber. Ease, convenience, and huge impact.

Temp controlled fermenters and transfer pumps.

I know that's two things but both are of huge importance equally to me.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015AOQUO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

sweeper nozzle for the end of my hose, turns a hose into something that can clean brew goo.

I guess I am sort of assuming things like "a pot to boil wort" is kind of taken for granted, since you could not use an autosiphon or anything else if you did not have a pot...... So, taking into account the "necessities" for actually producing the beer -
Temp. Control
Yeast Starter equipment

Those are the two things that I think make the biggest impact on the quality of the beer being made.

My computer. It allows me to access endless amounts of data and information to support my brewing.

My gastronomic spectral analysis unit...gives me detailed readings of the beer's quality.

mattmeiske12 said:

I'd have to say my temperature controlled fridge for fermenting. I never need to worry about what the temperature is outside or in the garage or what season it is. Its a variable that is nice to not worry about.

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Yep. That has made the single biggest improvement on the finished product for me.

+1 on temp controlled fridge. So, so nice.

for me its my brand new thermapen thermometer.
This thing has a million uses. Indispensable on brew day.

For me the most important thing is also something I don't own. Its something I didn't know I was going to need so bad till I used my friends, a wort chiller. It sucks and isn't even effective to just the sang sink full of ice water to chill down the wort.
I plan on building myself one in the next month if its in the beer budget.

Where or how do I get a temp controlled fridge for fermenting?

Fridge off craigslist & beer supply sites for the controller.

jordanIPA said:

Where or how do I get a temp controlled fridge for fermenting?

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My mom was buying a new fridge and I told her not to chuck the old one. I bought a temp controller off amazon and hooked it up. I could be wrong, but I haven't seen anywhere to buy one with temperature control on it. Most people convert fridges.

Hands down it would be my iPhone. Without hbt and beer alchemy I would still be making sub par extract brews from outdated kits. Information is everything.

My home made wort chiller has removed much time and frustration from my brew day.

matt2778 said:

Hands down it would be my iPhone. Without hbt and beer alchemy I would still be making sub par extract brews from outdated kits. Information is everything.

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You know it! Helps me access any and all info needed to brew or for brew. At any time. Hooray.

My fermenter lol. You ever try carrying around 5 gallons of beer in your hands? It's not very easy.

Kettle.

Can't do much without a way to boil your wort.

jordanIPA said:

Where or how do I get a temp controlled fridge for fermenting?

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Buy a cheap used fridge, one of these, and some odds and ends from Radio Shack and Home Depot. Follow the instructions in this thread and you have a temp controlled fridge. Toss a little lamp in there with a 60 watt lightbulb and you've got dual control.

Digital thermometer. In terms of optional items, this one is the best. You can pick styles to fit your ambient temps within your house. I rarely use my temp controls anymore. But you absolutely have to hit your mash temps correctly. Wort chiller is a close second, although I dunno whether that's really optional.

Either that, or my brand new 1 BBL electric system for my nanobrewery

Refractometer is pretty baller, too. Also, pure O2 stone is great.

thermometer

I think my squeegee is one of my best tools. After a brew day or bottling session, I can simple hose and squeegee down the floor into my drain.

No hops, grain, wort, or sludge left on the floor to get sticky or smell. Plus it keeps it from being a skating rink in the winter too!

atimmerman88 said:

I think my squeegee is one of my best tools. After a brew day or bottling session, I can simple hose and squeegee down the floor into my drain.

No hops, grain, wort, or sludge left on the floor to get sticky or smell. Plus it keeps it from being a skating rink in the winter too!

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Man, it would be really nice to have a floor drain in the garage.

Gotta say, $4 food grade buckets from Lowe's are pretty useful. Store grain, ferment beer, fill with all kinds of different liquids.

I'd say my autosiphon

My immersion wort chiller with the motorized paint stirrer. No laborious stirring, and that free time is definitely put to good use at that point in the brew session.

ktblunden said:

Man, it would be really nice to have a floor drain in the garage.

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When we bought our hose it was one of the features I locked in on, put it right at the top.

If we ever move, it'll be a requirement. So handy.

We have a drain in ours too,& an insulated garage door that's well balanced.

I LOVE my digital remote thermometer. Has a set temp, timer and an alarm to let me know when I have hit my temps. I never overheat my strike water now. I avoid lid on boil-overs by setting it to go off at 208 while I meander about doing other things. It helps me know I have chilled far enough after the boil. I just leave it in the kettle.

I got several items this past Xmas that are completely awesome: digital johnson controller, refractometer, a few odds and ends. I have found I can make beer on just about any equipment. But my thermometer makes my brewing life easier.

Its this one, btw

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00046YFHE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Um... gotta go with autosiphon.

I'm upgraded past that for the most part, but it's still a dear and close friend that got me through the tough times.

i recently put a water spigot directly over my HLT so i fill directly without dumping or lifting buckets. i hook up my wort chiller via hose then switch to spray nozzle for cleaning. takes about 30 min off my brew time.