The next toy for a beginner brewer???

I have a starter kit of a primary bucket, better bottle secondary, and your standard spigot bucket. I want some advice on my next toy...

Should I pick up a 5 gallon keg setup, or should I consider buying some fermenters...glass, buckets...
WHAT SHOULD I DO??? I've got the itch going...

I would appreciate some guidance from experienced brewers that have been in my shoes...

ZAndersonOC - I would have to say go with a kegging system. It's may be a little pricy, but bottling is hell.
I still bottle beers, from the keg if I want to store some for longer terms, or rotate out the keg. Having options like being able to force carbonate, etc is worth the money if you can afford it.

I don't mind bottling...especially if you can get a bunch of 22/24 oz bottles. I'd recommend a turkey fryer setup, which comes with a burner and big kettle for doing full boils. The other option is to get a temperature control unit and find a cheap freezer/fridge on craigslist. Temperature control is one thing that really improved the quality and consistency of my beers.

I personally went with the kegging system at that point. I decided that I wanted to try and take as many tedious steps out of the process that I could so I can enjoy the brewing aspect as much as possible.

+1 to the turkey fryer. It will make the process soooo much easier. Next get a cooler and go AG. Its really easy.

Go with the draft setup. At least think about it while you bottle your next batch. I made mine out of a chest freezer, and can fit 3 cornies and a 25lb tank inside. total cost less than 400, but I bought the freezer new. Im new to this forum so Ill post all my gear soon.

jcarson83 said:

+1 to the turkey fryer. It will make the process soooo much easier. Next get a cooler and go AG. Its really easy.

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I'm with jcarson83 on this one. Kegging is nice, but it's all about making the best beer possible.

+1 on fingers. Get the turkey fryer and kettle. Once you start full boils, AG is mocking you till you get your first done. So you'll naturally go there. However, I agree that ferm temp control is more important than kegging. Read this and you can make a ferm chamber for under $20. Personally, I wouldnt hesitate doing the cheap ferm chamber. You'll make better beer.

I think the very next thing is to get a wort chiller. Once you can chill your wort quickly and get a good cold break, the beer gets better and better. Then, you can easily get a bigger pot and do a full boil, instead of boiling only 2.5 gallons of wort and adding water. Generally, even with extract, a full boil with a wort chiller will greatly improve the beers. My goal was to make the best beer possible (and I'm still working on that), before branching out into more "toys".

I'd go for another primary fermenter first. (I like glass, but plenty of others like the better bottles). If you're brewing ales, you don't really need a secondary most of the time, but you do need to ferment for 3 - 4 weeks before bottling. That's too long between brews. Then you should get a turkey fryer, kegging system, wort chiller, cooler with braid or manifold, and grain mill, and go all grain. That should keep you happy for a week or two.

-a.

I went the kegging route and regretted it.

+1 to the turkey fryer! Full boils outdoors and a big ol' kettle for cheap! This is one of my best brewery improvements.

For a really cheap improvement, I recommend an autosiphon if you don't already have one.

For a more expensive toy, I suggest a wort chiller.

There's my two silver rounds.

I'm about where you are and am getting annoyed at having to buy bottles or get places to save them for me. My next toy will be a keg setup. I am looking into getting a freezer to convert that will hold two kegs on tap, with two others in reserve. At first, I'll just have picnic taps on them, but eventually I'll build a collar and put in some real taps.

Edit: I brew in my apartment, meaning an outdoor turkey frier setup is no good to me.

YooperBrew said:

I think the very next thing is to get a wort chiller. Once you can chill your wort quickly and get a good cold break, the beer gets better and better. Then, you can easily get a bigger pot and do a full boil, instead of boiling only 2.5 gallons of wort and adding water. Generally, even with extract, a full boil with a wort chiller will greatly improve the beers. My goal was to make the best beer possible (and I'm still working on that), before branching out into more "toys".

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+1 on the wort chiller
(after you've started doing full boils)

i'd start with the kegging system. all-grain is an easy step up and you can do it piece by piece...but if you have the money, i'd get rolling with the keg first. that way you're all set up to dispense beer and it's a lot more fun brewing when you don't have to deal with those effin' bottles.

Definitely go with the chiller.

So many options...you guys are killing me.

+1 chiller. Makes brewing easier, cheaper, and tastier. It is essential equipment. You already have stuff that does the same as kegs and carboys.

What type of chiller is recommended for my 5 gallon set up? Steel or Copper? 25ft...50ft?

I was planning to start brewing outside and to bring it to yeast pitching temps, I was going to fill a bucket with ice water and also run the chiller... Is that method approved by other home brewers...? lol

Kauai_Kahuna said:

ZAndersonOC - I would have to say go with a kegging system.

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Kegging is a privlidge that should be earned. You'll never truly appreciate kegged beer until you've scrounged for bottles, scrubbed and delabeled, filled and rinsed and sanitized and cared for hundreds if not thousands of bottles for a few years...building a stockpile and always having a few empties on the counter and getting constant grief from the 'ol Lady.

I'd say get a good bench capper, wort Chiller, and in my house....the more primary fermentors you have....the better.

I'm an extreme newb and my next upgrade was more primarys. That will get your beer pipeline going and I'll be bottling for weeks to come! I got a big plastic tub from Lowes, put some water in it with the tshirts over the buckets, perfect temp control. 3 weeks is gonna be a long time to wait if you only have one primary.

If you ever plan on going AG get the turkey fryer setup. If you dont plan on going AG get the kegs

I went

1 wort chiller (cheap and crappy immersion home made from scrounged copper)
2 ferm temp control (fermenter in cooler)
3 turkey frier
4 MLT for all grain 5 gallon cooler I got free.

I been thinking what's next on my up grade list too
I'd like a bigger kettle, bigger MLT, fridge w/temp control for fermenting,a better thermometer, and of course a kegging set up.
But my beer is turning out pretty good so I have to weigh buying a piece of equipment with buying ingredients to brew more.

A 25' copper IC should do you fine for your 5G batches. You will also need a sink faucet adapter If you are brewing on the stovetop. The only advantage SS has is corrosion resistance and as a good brewer you will be washing and drying your equipment after use, right? Copper conducts heat better for faster cooling.

ZAndersonOC said:

So many options...you guys are killing me.

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All these options suggested are great and will lead to better tasting beer, but the first thing you should do is to get your fermentation process right, so I would suggest that you do something to insure that your fermentation tempertures are made consistant. Learn to make great beer first, then you worry about packaging it.
All this is void if you are loaded with the big bucks....... then I'd go with AG plus kegging.... Hmmm perhaps a HERMS or RIMS.

The next single thing you get should be all of the below:
-Kegging System
-Wort Chiller
-Temperature Controller
-Turkey Fryer Setup
-Additional Fermenter(s)



Aren't you glad you nailed that one down?

Me, my next major move will be kegging, but I have the wort chiller and multiple fermenters and, were I to want to use it, I have a turkey fryer set-up. Bought a 5-gallon round cooler for moving to partial mash and plan some three-gallon all grain batches (need a 3 gallon secondary, though). So, in your shoes, I'd go the wort chiller.

Rick