Birthday Upgrades! Suggestions please!

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FirstAidBrewing

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Hey all,

So another year and another opportunity to upgrade my rig.

I'm fairly certain I've got all the essentials. That being said, I don't currently have the space in my townhouse for a single or three-tier system so no can do there. So at this point I'm wondering if I'm missing out on anything that would make my brew day easier or I should just consider upgrading my current setup.

Here's what I've got (5 gallon AG batches):

Yeast starters: Stir Plate & stir bars, 1L, 2L, 5L Erlenmeyer flasks
Mash tun: 10 gal rubbermaid cooler w/ stainless braid
- pH meter
Kettles: 8 gal megapot, 3 gal HLT
Burner: Bayou classic, 25' wort chiller
Fermentation: Johnson controller, 3 x 6 gal plastic fermenters with all the fixin's, 2 x 5gal glass carboys, auto-siphon

Like I said, I feel like I have a decent amount of the standard suggestions for upgrades (wort chiller, temp control, stir plates) so I am not sure where to go next.

I am thinking of either a grain mill or a chugger pump (but with no tier setup I am not sure that this is useful yet). Other than than, I am thinking upgrading my current equipment to an SS Mash Tun or a conical fermenter.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Beuller?
 
Stainless fermenter? Interested in going bigger? Bigger kettle? I just recently got a conical but haven't used it yet.

My next purchase will be a chugger also; recirculated mashes, whirlpooling and think i'm going to try setting up a recirculating dry hop to my conical.
 
Beer gun, 2nd keg, hop rocket, refractometer as a couple of additional suggestions for brewing.

If you're happy with your setup, brew length and process then is there anything else you fancy trying out ( non brewing) eg getting a smoker or cheese making equipment.

Cheers!
 
Chemicals, dropper, 10th gram scale, paid version of Bru'n Water.
 
More kegs. I have found five is a good number.

ETA: keg prices (used ones, anyway) are going up up up. Get em now while they're still cheap.
 
I'm just wondering if there is anything glaring I am missing (like last year my big addition was the temp controller). If not, I think I am on to upgrading my equipment unless:

a.) I want to save on grain and buy in bulk (hence the mill) or
b.) find some use for a chiller that I can't really think of since I am lacking a tier system
 
I'm just wondering if there is anything glaring I am missing (like last year my big addition was the temp controller). If not, I think I am on to upgrading my equipment unless:

a.) I want to save on grain and buy in bulk (hence the mill) or
b.) find some use for a chiller that I can't really think of since I am lacking a tier system


What about water chemistry?
 
I agree that you seem to have all of the basics, and since nothing is jumping to your mind as a "must have" then you're probably good.

How often do you brew?

I would focus on things that make your brew day more convenient:

1. Dedicated brewing area with storage
2. More kegs
3. Grain mill (only if your brew store is far away)
4. Pump (this will help your existing chiller be more effective with a whirlpool arm)
 
I second a gram scale and grain mill. Having the ability to mill your own grains is huge for consistency and brewing when you want, spur of the moment and not worry about getting to the LHBS for grains. Another factor is buying in bulk, I buy grains from a local brewery and get base malt for about .70 a pound.

You will then also need a pound scale too then.
 
I have a pound scale that also goes grams, but not tenths of grams. What is the purpose of that feature? Brewing salt additions perhaps?
 
I also say mill and bulk grains. If you want to stay horizontal a pump might be useful but I went simple and went 3 tier gravity. With your limited space look to create something that is stackable. One tier that nests inside another etc.

For me the next step is electric and moving indoors. Grainfather, Brewboss or custom Kal system. Need $$
 
For me the next step is electric and moving indoors. Grainfather, Brewboss or custom Kal system. Need $$

Yes Yes!!! Electric and indoors, doesn't need to be $$$, electric indoor can be inexpensive as well....it's about what you need, not what you want....

I take indoor electric ghetto over outdoor bling any day!!!
 
I have a pound scale that also goes grams, but not tenths of grams. What is the purpose of that feature? Brewing salt additions perhaps?


Water additions.

Gypsum, Calcium Chloride, pickling lime, baking soda, Epsom salt....all those additions will need to be calculated to the tenth of a gram. Also need a pipette for lactic acid additions.
 
Not a bad incentive. I've of course got a hydrometer; does a refractometer get you much else as far as useful data?

A refractometer is great before fermentation. It measures almost instantly with just a few drops instead of the large cylinder required for the hydrometer. It also doesn't require a long time for the sample to cool to get an accurate reading.

After fermentation it is better to use the hydrometer.
 
Cool, so thanks for all the advice and to @JonM for the heads up on the NortherBrewer promotion. Ended up going with the grain mill and getting a refractometer on the house. Also took advice from @normonster and got a 1/10 gram scale from Amazon.

Thanks all! Brew on! :mug:
 
A refractometer is great before fermentation. It measures almost instantly with just a few drops instead of the large cylinder required for the hydrometer. It also doesn't require a long time for the sample to cool to get an accurate reading.

After fermentation it is better to use the hydrometer.

A refractometer was a great addtion when I started doing all-grain. I can take SG readings throughout the sparge, pre-boil and post-boil all with just a few drops at each reading. You can do all that with a hydrometer of course, but you need a lot more liquid and it takes a lot longer to cool it down to get a decent reading. If you're like me, that's too much of a pain so it doesn't get done.
 
Cool, so thanks for all the advice and to @JonM for the heads up on the NortherBrewer promotion. Ended up going with the grain mill and getting a refractometer on the house. Also took advice from @normonster and got a 1/10 gram scale from Amazon.

Thanks all! Brew on! :mug:


Right on. Don't forget you can get pickling lime, Epsom salt and baking soda at Wallyworld for dirt cheap....gypsum, calcium chloride and lactic acid from the LHBS. A pipette for the acid is only like $5 I think.

Cheers!

Oah, what mill did you get?
 
You said you don't have much space for a tier system, I made one that is easy to assemble and disassemble, so you can set it up when you need it and comes apart for easy storage, you can check it out on YouTube, the link is, https://youtu.be/0ZECjMEKO5M

VIDEO0145_0000002423.jpg


VIDEO0147_0000003273.jpg
 
Based on various review and comparisons I read, I went with the Monster Mill with 3 rollers. Excited to get that thing up and running!


Great choice. I have the monster 2roller and it kills grain. I wish I'd gone with SS rollers though so I could mill straight into the MT.

Get that gap right! If you don't have feeler gauges (cheap as hell) a penny's width gets me around 70-80% efficiency. Also, when you adjust the gap make sure the roller is moving toward the other roller when you tighten the set screws (as you adjust it will move close then back...clamp as it moves closer).

Cheers!
 
Good choice. You provoked me to bite the bullet and go ahead and get my pump. Of course, I also had to spend another $250 on TC fittings, valves and hoses for it. Ugh.
 
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