Beginner DIY Projects

Regardless of if related to brewing, I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on beginner DIY projects to boost my skill level that are apartment friendly?

I haven't worked on a DIY project since I moved out of my parents house, there I did a variety of stuff from fixing a guitar, to building a guitar, to helping my dad build a shed, and a few other things. I'm just scared I'm losing my touch so I was wonder what would be some good intro level stuff I can do without doing anything that's too big of a project (for space) and doesn't involve fire or anything that you can't use in an apartment. Some light work of that is acceptable if the project can be transported as I can go to my parents or my brothers for a day.

Any ideas are very appreciated. I just don't want my skills to diminish too much more.

Build a stirplate, involves basic wiring and you can do it on the cheap.

I recently built a dual boot Hackintosh/Windows 7 desktop POWERHOUSE. It can get a bit expensive but it was a lot of fun and there are plenty of ways to customize and personalize. In the end you have a great, fast new computer.

Awesome avatar, by the way.

This ladder ball set isn't entirely related to brewing, however it is a very easy do-it-yourself, and definitely can be played while brewing, also it makes you work with pvc, so I suppose it would help for making a manifold for a mash tun. All you need is a hack saw, drill, pvc pipe, pipe glue, golf balls, and rope.

http://justbuildstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/pipes.gif

I live in a condo...I'm always doing DIY projects. (Some including fire. )

I built a keezer with custom changable tap handles.

hop spider was my first DIY... if you can call attaching a muslin bag to a stainless steel InSinkErator sink flange and then to the side of my brew kettle with a binder clip, "DIY"

immersion chiller was next, followed by a mash paddle, then mash tun with CPVC manifold

Awesome ideas so far. Keep em coming. I may just do a stir plate that's a good idea. I haven't done any wire work in a few years and it would probably help to give it a shot again.

I would build a computer, but I just assembled a Frankencomputer so I have no desire to deal with that again haha.

I think the ladderball would be a good ideal, we like playing it in the summer and I believe that my dad saved my old hockey goal so I probably just use that for PVC and L connectors.

I'm thinking of doing a hop spider, I think it's a good idea and I have a nylon bag that doesn't work for BIAB that I use for hop additions now and if we my brother and I make our own extract.

I'm going to work on immersion chiller, but that's a project that my brother and I want to do cause he has a ton of copper piping at his house and I just need to assess it. Can you make an immersion chiller from any copper piping or does it have to be flexible. Note I'm not afraid to use a blow torch to get metal to do what I want.

Revvy said:

I live in a condo...I'm always doing DIY projects. (Some including fire. )

I built a keezer with custom changable tap handles.

Click to expand...

I'm about 90% sure I"d get dumped if I tried building a keezer in my apartment. That's waiting until my brother gets his stuff in order. Which is why I want to do some basic stuff. I have to go back to my parents to finish my guitar which needs about 20 more coating of clear coat and a hole drilled out of it.

Build a brew stand out of wood or strut. Build an electric kettle for those cold-ass days. Build a milling station.

First DIY was an immersion chiller, which then was magically converted into a counter flow chiller.

And a Mash Tun is easy too

The IC is a nice upgrade. Most people use flexible, not rigid.

I second the stirplate. It's a nice cheap and somewhat easy build and can make growing a yeast starter so much easier.

If you are bottling, I've seen a bottle drying "tree" made from a small ish plastic tote with holes drilled into the top. Just drop the bottles upside down into the holes and let them drip into the tote. The toe can also hold brewing supplies when not drying bottles.

First diy was a stir plate. This past weekend I made a mini-mash tun.

DavetheDog said:

I recently built a dual boot Hackintosh/Windows 7 desktop POWERHOUSE. It can get a bit expensive but it was a lot of fun and there are plenty of ways to customize and personalize. In the end you have a great, fast new computer.

Awesome avatar, by the way.

Click to expand...

I would love to hear about this build and pics, PM me?

Check out the sticky. There's a good guide to popular builds with degrees if difficulty.

My DIY's were as follows:

-IC for extract brewing.
-Stir Plate from fan and cigar box
-Hop Spider from all SS InSinkErator flange
THEN... Having never done a solo All Grain batch in my life I took the plunge and built...
-The Electric Brewery Found here at www.electricbrewery.com
-Keg/carboy/drum washer with a sump pump.
-Temp controller was in the midst of the brewery build.
-Multi-Temp ferm chamber
-Multi-TEmp controller
AND on deck is a 3 tap kegerator and also a DIY HopBack... Oh the joys of building! I "almost" enjoy the building part as much as the brewing part! lol...