Sheesh, finding deals can be tough. Oh, and I have questions.

Turkey fryer sets are cheap...if you like aluminum. And I don't.

So far I'm the high bidder on a 30-quart pot on eBay (don't outbid me!). It'll cost me, with shipping included, as little as $38 or as much as $50. I'm not bidding any higher than that. I still need to get a burner, though. I saw a post here of a burner that everyone seems to love; do I need a great one or will any ol' thing do?

Can propane tanks stay outside in the cold? I don't have room to bring it inside.

I still need to get a cooler, too. Does anyone have a preference there? I'll have to use some of the tutorials around here to convert it into a mash tun. I'm thinking of just using a hose braid as a filter instead of a false bottom. Anyone else use this method?

I was just going to use my old brew pot as a hot liquor tank and use a bowl to pour the sparge water over the grain bed. I don't have a nozzle on said brew pot so as to create a nifty sparge setup.

I've also decided to get an oxygen stone and air pump. How much power should the pump have if I'm aerating the beer in my kettle? I realize the pressure of the wort will increase with the depth at which I place the stone.

Most of my ideas are straight from this tutorial. Someone posted a great video yesterday of a guy doing an all-grain batch, but his methodology and equipment differed a bit from the tutorial I read.

Instead of a cooler i would buy a 16 gallon keg from the scrap yard for when you want to brew bigger batchs you already have the means.

yeah, your propane tank can stay out all winter.

BTW, i just outbid a guy on a 30 qt pot on ebay, i got it for 51 dollars. Is that a good deal?

j/k

Reverend JC said:

BTW, i just outbid a guy on a 30 qt pot on ebay, i got it for 51 dollars. Is that a good deal?

Click to expand...

Nice.

So use a keg as a mash tun? I take it its insulation properties are just as good?

yeah, search the word keggle.

It is SS so the insulation porperties are great. I wrapped mine with a blanket this saturday when it was 20 degrees out and in my garage mine stayed at 153 for an hour.

If you are on a budget, the Backyard Classic from Walmart can't be beat. It works just fine for brewing. Don't go by the one they list online. It has un-needed accessories and costs more. The one they tend to have in the stores is what you want.

I picked up the backyard classic from walmart a few weeks ago, it's great and cheap.. but aluminum.

As far as your propane tank, it is perfectly fine to leave outside, I would recomend putting a plastic bag over the valve so it does not freeze up.

With the mash tun, I actually leve my mash in the kettle. Last weekend 19º outside and in an aluminum kettle it held 152º for 45 min, then I just lit the burner again for 10 min. and it was fine after. Then I have a 5 gal. bucket with a spigot and I bought a "grease splash shield" for frying and used the screen as a false bottom. Works like a charm.

I think I will eventually be going to a keggle (16gal.) so If you feel that you may do this also, in the long run you will save money if you just get it (keggle) now.

Have fun!

I'd have to concur on the keggle. Definitely good for large OG or 10 gallon batches, plus they will last forever, and can be foudn for cheap - I got 2 for $45 (uncut)
As far as the burner - you're kinda stuck price wise if you refuse to use aluminum. I got two turkey fryers for $50 at Target ( I then heard of people finding some for around $10 and wanted to kick my own arse).
You may want to try Walmart, Target etc for some cheap prices and save on shipping.

Restaurant supply houses (and especially the ones catering to Mexican places) can have some good deals on pots.

I won the eBay auction. I got a brand-new 30-quart pot for $44 (that includes shipping). Now I just need to find a burner and put a mash tun together.

It's all falling into place...muahahahahaha!