Best Question Ever: What Do You Want For Your Birthday?

So my wife just asked me tonight the best question that only comes year around; "What Do You Want For Your Birthday?"

This is the first bithday I'll have while considering my self a "brewer" so I am still only brewing extracts.

So I told her I would think about it, but I know this year will be an addition/upgrade in my brewing equipment.

I'm brewing with a Better Bottle Starter Kit from Midwest Supplies using a Turkey Fryer for my brew pot. (My wife won't allow brewing in the house so I don't have much choice on a outside heat source)

I was thinking;
Corny Kegs
Kegerator
Keezer
Pieces to a Herms or RIM system (pumps, burners, frame, etc...)
Temperature Controller (I currently own a beer fridge)
Wort Chiller
Aeration System
All Grain Kit (SS or Kewler)

So I thought I would toss the question to the more experienced brewer.

"What was one addition to your brewing that realy stood out?"

I'm a newbie here, but I've found a wort chiller to be the best thing ever created

superjunior said:

I'm a newbie here, but I've found a wort chiller to be the best thing ever created

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Created?
**** I just built my Privacy Fence and thought I was God. I am no about to build something for my brewing; I don't put that much room for error into my love of brewing

I would say

#1 - Wort Chiller
#2 - Temp Controller
#3 - AG or Kegging Equipment

What's the budget? Are you kegging now? You said you had a beer fridge so it sounds like you are. If you aren't kegging, I suggest you get what you need to start.
Chillers are easy to make. Really.
Something you didn't mention and may already have is a big ass boiling pot.

Im actually getting my first beer kit (my bday is on the 5th of Aug). Its already been ordered an I cannot wait!!

Hoppus_Poppatopolis said:

What's the budget? Are you kegging now? You said you had a beer fridge so it sounds like you are. If you aren't kegging, I suggest you get what you need to start.
Chillers are easy to make. Really.
Something you didn't mention and may already have is a big ass boiling pot.

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I did say that I have a beer fridge but the only it encases is bottled beer. I put my brew in there (bottled).

But is Kegging an Extract like Driving a Bentley in a 35mph?

personally i would go with

1- 10 gallon kettle.
2- convert cooler for AG(this is cheap, not b-day gift material)
3- wort chiller (again not gift worthy though)
4- kegging
5- keezer

TBH i skipped the kettle upgrade(i use fermcap and a fan to achieve full boils). I am currently working on keezer and then i'll double back to kettle(keggle in my case) good luck, it'll be a tough decision.

ChiN8 said:

I did say that I have a beer fridge but the only it encases is bottled beer. I put my brew in there (bottled).

But is Kegging an Extract like Driving a Bentley in a 35mph?

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kegging has nothing to do with the finished product quality IMO, i prefer my bottle conditioned beers actually.

JNye said:

kegging has nothing to do with the finished product quality IMO, i prefer my bottle conditioned beers actually.

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I was considering Kegging because I have QUITE a bit of friends who enjoy a new batch of homebrew.

How long does Beer stay good in Keg?

Think big ... ask for a BRUTUS.

same as a bottle if you treat it right i believe. like you said keg beer doesn't seem to last that long anyways, i put the lighter stuff and such there(read drinkability) and it goes over well with everyone.

My Birthday is in 37 days. Me and the wife don't spend much on birthdays, but I'm hoping to end up with a Monster Mill after all is said and done.

ChiN8 said:

But is Kegging an Extract like Driving a Bentley in a 35mph?

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If that is the case, I proudly drive my Bentley @35 mph and wave to the poor souls who are walking or hitchhiking.

I would say
1) Bigger kettle (or you could just make a keggle)
2) Wort chiller
3) Refractometer

ChiN8 said:

I did say that I have a beer fridge but the only it encases is bottled beer. I put my brew in there (bottled).

But is Kegging an Extract like Driving a Bentley in a 35mph?

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There's nothing wrong with driving a Bentley at 35 mph...you do want to be seen driving it don't you?

I'm going for an Ipad.

Frankfurtvr4 said:

I'm going for an Ipad.

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The pads are under then bathroom sink.

temperature control and a wort chiller would be my choice before kegging equipment, temp control allowed me consitantly good beer, i bought kegging equipment first and in hindsight would have bout temp control first. just my .02

ask for a MIG welder, an angle grinder, and have a blast

Honestly I'd ask for a pair of AT4047's, but they're microphones and I'm an audio engineer. If I were to ask for brewing equipment for my birthday it would be a full size refrigerator or freezer and a thermostat for said fridge or freezer. It's a pain using a bucket of water and frozen water bottles.

Pint glasses with my home brew logo.

DromJohn said:

Pint glasses with my home brew logo.

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What does your logo look like

DromJohn said:

Pint glasses with my home brew logo.

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I got those already! Check out my pictures, they turned out AMAZING!!! (I Think I posted those)

I'm leaning towards a Temp controller, Wort Chiller, and a Kegging system. But only a 1 tap. I'll build a mount and handle myself.

Is there a certain Temp Controller brand that is better than other? Rancho a good one?

For a Kegging system is there anything I need to look at/be concerned about? or can I just order a system from Midwest or Austin?

keezer would be huge!

My opinion is that a wort chiller is not a worthy gift. No, instead you should just MAKE one. They are seriously easy to make. Save the gift for something like:

MASH TUN so you can go All Grain. OR,

Kegging equipment. You say you already have a fridge? Then you are halfway there!

Those are the big ones. And actually a mash tun is not hard to build, so I'm not all that sure it counts either.

Also, brewing books, like brewing classic styles, or Tasting Beer/Radical Brewing, or Designing Great Beer...

The turkey fryer is pretty good for brewing, but if she can find an empty keg somewhere, that would be a nice upgrade. Anything that gets you going AG will be nice. Not for better beer, but for more fun!

ChiN8 said:

Created?
**** I just built my Privacy Fence and thought I was God. I am no about to build something for my brewing; I don't put that much room for error into my love of brewing

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A wort chiller is a far simpler creation than a privacy fence. There's really not much for precision involved, just wrapping flex copper tubing around something of such diameter that it won't be too big for your kettle. You can solder hose ends on or (if you're lazy like me) use hose clamps to fasten hose lengths with the hose ends attached. okay, beyond just wrapping the copper tubing around you will also need to leave enough tubing at the end so you can bend one end up so that both ends of the tubing will be coming out of the top of the pot. Is it just me or was that sentence confusing? Check the DIY section of the site, lots of people have done this and posted pictures.

if my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I'm not sure my mind would immediately jump to homebrew equipment...

SauceBoss said:

Im actually getting my first beer kit (my bday is on the 5th of Aug). Its already been ordered an I cannot wait!!

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Congrats, your life is about to change forever.

JLem said:

if my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I'm not sure my mind would immediately jump to homebrew equipment...

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I was thinking the same thing.

I gave my wife the parts list for a brutus 10 build and said if she wants to buy me something pick from there i even gave her the suppliers to get them from LOL

JLem said:

if my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I'm not sure my mind would immediately jump to homebrew equipment...

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Exactly, once you secure other favors you can buy all the home brewing equipment you want.

joety said:

I was thinking the same thing.

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Gentleman, Gentleman... THAT is not a gift, that is a ENTITLEMENT!

I would LOVE a Brutus, Herm, or RIM system... but don't you think I need to go AG before that?

I would say cornies + kegerator if it was me, but I really hate messing around with all those bottles. You can build an IC wort chiller for pretty cheap, might not be as birthday present worthy

Question for all who have built Keezers....
Outside of the Chest Freezer, what is the average cost to build one.

JLem said:

if my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I'm not sure my mind would immediately jump to homebrew equipment...

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I don't have to wait for my birthday for that...