Buying used equipment

I am serious about starting home brewing. Is there any reason I shouldn't buy used equipment besides the obvious (crack in glass carboy, spoon with no handle, etc) or 'outdated' technology? As long as I do a good job cleaning and sanitizing it should be fine right?

Or should I just buy new equipment?

If you're just buying a starter brewing kit you probably won't save much.

As long as it's clean and all you should be fine, but most of what you're buying is so cheap that it might not be worth your time to search around.

I'd say new equipment, unless you know someone that is getting out of the hobby.
A glass carboy is good to pick up used as long as there is no cracks or chips as well as a hydrometer and or thermometer.
The buckets, I would buy new, as these get scratched and the O-rings on the lids can get dryrotted.
The boiling pot and spoons, you can get a Walmart fairly cheap.
HTH's

I must of been lucky and found a Craigslist ad for brewing equipment. It had (2) 5 gal carboys, (2) 6.5 gal primary fermenting buckets, (1) bottling bucket, (2) racking canes and auto-siphons, airlocks, 50+ Grolsch bottles (16oz and 32oz), 5 gal stainless kettle, copper wort chiller, and a party pig.

The guy I got it from used this equipment for many years and stepped up to a conical plastic fermenter and kegging. I got it all for what a starter kit would run. He threw in extras of many things like bottle caps, a book, and other stuff I cant remember.

Had I not seen this ad, I was going out to by a starter equipment kit. It depends on how long you want to wait to get your equipment and get started.

You can sometimes find good deals on Craigslist. You also have to watch out for the Craigslist Inflation Effect, where every doofus thinks their particular crap is worth more than everyone else's. I've picked up great deals, but passed by a lot of $200 "complete brewing setup" posts consisting of everything you can buy new at the LHBS for $150.

Anybody else notice that a "refrigerator" on Craigslist can be had for $50, but once somebody puts a hole through the door in exactly the WRONG place, it becomes a "kegerator" and is now worth $200? Go figure.

Talloak said:

I am serious about starting home brewing. Is there any reason I shouldn't buy used equipment besides the obvious (crack in glass carboy, spoon with no handle, etc) or 'outdated' technology? As long as I do a good job cleaning and sanitizing it should be fine right?

Or should I just buy new equipment?

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I am curious about the 'outdated technology' statement. Is there any brewing equipment that would be considered outdated? At least with regards to the homebrewer I am not sure if any piece of brewing equipment is outdated. ANyone? Anyone?

jds said:

You can sometimes find good deals on Craigslist. You also have to watch out for the Craigslist Inflation Effect, where every doofus thinks their particular crap is worth more than everyone else's. I've picked up great deals, but passed by a lot of $200 "complete brewing setup" posts consisting of everything you can buy new at the LHBS for $150.

Anybody else notice that a "refrigerator" on Craigslist can be had for $50, but once somebody puts a hole through the door in exactly the WRONG place, it becomes a "kegerator" and is now worth $200? Go figure.

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Yes and yes.

Although I did get about $300 to $400 worth of brewing equipment for $75 so do not discount the possibility of what you can find on Craigs. I like to consider it recycling as well. No matter what they did to it the cleaners and sanitizers will bring it back to a workable condition.

all my stuff is used. I love craigslist, ebay, etc etc....its more of the hunt that fun for me

beyonder74 said:

I must of been lucky and found a Craigslist ad for brewing equipment. ...

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jds said:

You can sometimes find good deals on Craigslist. ...

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Joker said:

... so do not discount the possibility of what you can find on Craigs. ...

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monty73741 said:

all my stuff is used. I love craigslist, ...

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All I've been able to find lately on craigslist around here

Love CL...

My brewing setup (kegs and all) came from CL... though I had to add more $$$ worth than I thought (hydrometer, thermometer, siphon, etc. and ya know I HAD to get 2 6 gallon carboys ;-)) BUT I paid less than what starter kits go for 'round here for:

2 5 gallon carboys
1 immersion chiller
1 7.5 gallon SS pot
2 corneys (pin lock... sigh)
regulator and 5 lb CO2 tank (partially full).
And some plastic fermentation buckets that I likely wont use...

Have barely missed a couple (free) keggorator prospects - but I have automatic searches set up. If someone posts a fridge or freezer and I'm on the 'puter, I know within 1/2 hr ;-)

jds said:

You can sometimes find good deals on Craigslist. You also have to watch out for the Craigslist Inflation Effect, where every doofus thinks their particular crap is worth more than everyone else's. I've picked up great deals, but passed by a lot of $200 "complete brewing setup" posts consisting of everything you can buy new at the LHBS for $150.

Anybody else notice that a "refrigerator" on Craigslist can be had for $50, but once somebody puts a hole through the door in exactly the WRONG place, it becomes a "kegerator" and is now worth $200? Go figure.

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Aside from what was stated as the obvious (cracked carboys) this would be my biggest concern. I also saw some dingus trying to sell a used starter kit for more than a new one would go for!

jds said:

Anybody else notice that a "refrigerator" on Craigslist can be had for $50, but once somebody puts a hole through the door in exactly the WRONG place, it becomes a "kegerator" and is now worth $200? Go figure.

Click to expand...

I see that all the time on craigslist. There's a $400 one near me for an old brownish-tan "kegerator" and even SWMBO laughed when she saw the price. I would also be wary of the guy who turned 21 and doesn't see a reason to homebrew anymore.

jds said:

You can sometimes find good deals on Craigslist. You also have to watch out for the Craigslist Inflation Effect, where every doofus thinks their particular crap is worth more than everyone else's. I've picked up great deals, but passed by a lot of $200 "complete brewing setup" posts consisting of everything you can buy new at the LHBS for $150.

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My thoughts exactly.

If you can catch someone upgrading or giving up on the hobby it can be a great find. Or they can be insanely overpriced. I think it's the beginners that overestimate the value of their stuff, as they probably told the SWMBO "just think of how much $$$ I can save on beer!" and so want to get some $$$ back.

My best CL find was $50 for two glass carboys, two buckets (which I use for water and sanitzer, big stirring spoons, a couple of cases of some great old Bud returnable longnecks in their original heavy returnable crates, two cases of euro bottles in crates (duvel maybe?), some pots I didn't need, a copy of JOHB I passed on to a friend, a wing capper, caps, thermo, hydro etc.

At least when they post the items they have, you can hunt down the individual items on homebrew sites and see if the price is comparable. It's a little work, but saves you in the long run. Then sometimes you get awesome deals but it takes years sometimes.

Estate and garage sales can yield amazing deals, but have to go to lots of them.

How about 70 brown Grolsch style bottles (16oz) for $1 a piece? - probably need new seals. That should be enough for two 5 gallon batches right?