What's the next step in improving my brewing?

I've been brewing for about a year. I'm looking for advice about what to do/buy/build to make a step forward.

I've done extract and partial grain, but don't really have room for all grain equipment. I always do a yeast starter. I've got a little 2 keg system in a mini fridge. I've done kits and followed recipes from books.

What should I tackle next? New kettle for a full boil? Build or buy a wort chiller? Try some BIAB all grain? Build a tower to replace the picnic taps on the kegs? Create a recipe? Get a stir plate?

Thanks for the thoughts! Posting this has got me thirsty...

You could try what I do. Partial boil/partial mash brew in a bag. I have a 5 gallon ss kettle use a 5G paint strainer bag in with a cake cooling rack on the bottom to keep the bag/grains from burning. I generally mash 5lbs of grains in 2 gallons of water at 152-155F for an hour. Then sparge grains in a collander on top of the BK/MT with 1.5G of 165-168F water for total boil volume of 3.5 gallons.

Bigger pot to do biab all grain. And build a small immersion chiller.

Temperature controlled fermentation was the upgrade that had the most improvement for my brews.

00p said:

What should I tackle next? New kettle for a full boil? Build or buy a wort chiller? Try some BIAB all grain? Build a tower to replace the picnic taps on the kegs? Create a recipe? Get a stir plate?

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All of those sound like good things to try

HawksBrewer said:

All of those sound like good things to try

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Agreed. It's a slippery slope, and I bet you are employing all those and more within a season. Going BIAB might be your best option given your restraint on space, but I am biased.

#1. Fermentation Temperature Control

Everything else is debatable in improving your beer on what level of importance it has. So in no particular order these things will improve your beer...

-Process improvements like full boils and fast chilling or brewing all grain with step or decoction mashing when called for.
-READ Yeast, Style books, How To Brew, Tasting Beer, New Lager Beer, tons of books on brewing - the info WILL help
-Compete - it can be a pain in the butt, but competing has taken my brewing to another level and it was already good.
-Judge - become a BJCP judge. Evaluating beer will give you a whole new appreciation for beer and the ability to find nuances in them that was previously absent to your taste buds. Armed with that information you will be able to formulate recipes with information about how the beer will actually taste when it's done.

Wow, you guys rock. Thanks for the thoughts.

cfonnes said:

Temperature controlled fermentation was the upgrade that had the most improvement for my brews.

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Brewmech said:

#1. Fermentation Temperature Control

Everything else is debatable in improving your beer on what level of importance it has.

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This can't be stated enough. Temperature control and pitching proper levels of yeast have the greatest impact on the end result. Since you already make starters I would focus on temperature.

Im still extract brewing with spec grains. Process improvements is where im at. Refractometer to test the OG while boiling has been a big help. Wort chiller,temp controls,yeast handleing and health. I even go so far as to crush my own steeping grains as well as sparge them. Im always tweaking my brewery.

cfonnes said:

Temperature controlled fermentation was the upgrade that had the most improvement for my brews.

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This is by far the best investment that you can make in your home brewery.

Yup, one more for temperature control. It's the best thing you can do for your beer, period.

Next: yeast pitching rate (making starters of appropriate size)

After that: pure O2

Fourth: Full boils and maybe onto all grain with BIAB if you want.

I have to admit that some ferment control of the set it & forget it type would be great. I hate the thought of constantly changing frozen water bottles.

Another vote for fermentation temperature control. It’s the one thing that resulted biggest improvement in the quality of my beer.

+1000 on getting a bigger kettle that will give you the room you need. I use 15 gallon in a HERMS a stir plate if you do not have one, a grain mill 10 gallon cooler for AG. AHH....... my friend the list never ends. Always some new to try build brew etc it is one of the things you have to love about this obsession