Birthday gift(s) for husband who brews!

[mollybloom]

Hey y'all--I'd love to get some help picking out a couple of brewing-related birthday gifts for my husband. Apologies in advance, because I know that I am getting a lot of the terminology not quite right.

Some background: we live in a verrry tiny NYC apartment, so my husband brews 1 gallon batches. He does all-grain brewing and has been at it for about a year. (Homebrew starter kit was his birthday gift last year, actually, and he's been really into it ever since.)

We have all of the basic supplies that he needs (several big pots, two glass carboys, auto-siphon, racking cane, lots of bottles & caps & capper), so I'd like to get him a few more "advanced" things that might make the process easier and more fun. Budget is $100-200, would be fine to buy one big thing or a couple of smaller things.

He asked his parents for some kind of small mill (?) for his birthday, so that's out, but that's along the lines of what I'm thinking.

I know he has mentioned wanting a hydrometer, so any recommendations for a good one of those would be great.

He had also mentioned having trouble keeping his primary (?) at the right temperature, so is there anything I could buy to help with that? Preferably something small--again, tiny NYC apartment.

Any ideas, and especially links, would be great! I found a post like this from like 2009, but all the links were gone, so it wasn't too helpful. Thanks in advance!!

 

[aprichman]

Get him a small mini fridge with a temperature controller - finding a fridge big enough for a few one gallon jugs shouldn't be very hard. You can find temp controllers at homebrewing.org

 

[gezzanet]

+ 1 small fridge. If it's in the apartment see if you can get a glass front one. Better than looking at a fish tank🙊

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I say brew a batch with him (doing most of the work, not just watching and talking) along with a happy ending. You can call it "Good golly, miss Molly's BJIPA".


...or +1 on the fridge.

 

[btbnl]

He should certainly have some way to measure gravities, but since he's brewing small volumes a refractometer might be better than a hydrometer since it only require a drop of liquid rather than a half-pint.

He could keep his primary warm with a fermwrap and cool with a swamp cooler (though the latter doesn't require any special equipment), but if you have the space the mini-fridge and two-stage temperature controller (plus a heat source that could range from the fermwrap to a light-bulb in a can) would be the rock solid way of holding his fermentation temperature.

 

[mollybloom]

He should certainly have some way to measure gravities, but since he's brewing small volumes a refractometer might be better than a hydrometer since it only require a drop of liquid rather than a half-pint.

Hmm, that's interesting & really useful. Thanks!

Y'all are killing me with the fridge thing. It is a great idea, but we have 332 sq ft. I'm pondering if we can suspend it from the ceiling or something. Maybe we can make it an end table!

 

[Ski12568]

what about one of those insulating bags you put the carboy in with some frozen water bottles, that would help a bit with temp control. Im thinking the refractometer too.

You could also build him a son of fermentation chamber by clearing out some lower cabinet space.

 

[Pappers_]

Hmm, that's interesting & really useful. Thanks!

Y'all are killing me with the fridge thing. It is a great idea, but we have 332 sq ft. I'm pondering if we can suspend it from the ceiling or something. Maybe we can make it an end table!

How about a small wine fridge, could go on a counter, under a table, in a closet or on some shelving? You'd remove the wine shelves and would need to look inside and make sure the gallon jug he uses would fit. Fridges often have a bump or hump on the floor. I'm thinking about something like this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-Pre...fault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

I've never looked inside one but it might work.

I also brew and live in the city where space is a concern. I joined a club for folks like me, and the club has a brew house, equipment and temp controlled fermentation room. I'm in Chicago, might be worth exploring if there is such a thing in New York.

Actually, a local homebrew club membership might be a fun gift, with or without a brew house, getting together with other brewers made a big difference in my brewing.

Good luck!

 

[Pappers_]

what about one of those insulating bags you put the carboy in with some frozen water bottles, that would help a bit with temp control. e.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f41/new-product-cool-brewing-fermentation-cooler-296052/

 

[darby_ross]

The insulating bag would work well plus he would be able to fit multiple one gallon jugs in them. Plus when not in use they are pretty easy to fold up and store.

The refractometer would also be handy for him to use as well.

With both of those items you would be spending a little over a hundred dollars. Maybe even throw in a gift card to the brew shop so he could get ingredients to use his new toys.

 

[ol-hazza]

A mixed dozen of good beers would be a great treat, a magazine subscription, personalised labels ( waterproof ones exist i beleive), a trip to a brewery somewhere nice, some books....

Temp control made the biggest improvement to my beer though.

 

[brewkinger]

Refractometer
Membership to AHA
Flask, stir plate and stuff for making yeast starters.

The fridge is a strong suggestion, but if you have no space, then you may have to wait on that.

 

[mollybloom]

I also brew and live in the city where space is a concern. I joined a club for folks like me, and the club has a brew house, equipment and temp controlled fermentation room. I'm in Chicago, might be worth exploring if there is such a thing in New York.

Actually, a local homebrew club membership might be a fun gift, with or without a brew house, getting together with other brewers made a big difference in my brewing.

Good luck!

Oh, that is such a good idea! I just did some Googling and it looks like NYC has tons of local stuff (of course). Thanks!!

 

[mollybloom]

Refractometer
Membership to AHA
Flask, stir plate and stuff for making yeast starters.

The fridge is a strong suggestion, but if you have no space, then you may have to wait on that.

I just looked up the AHA membership--that's a definite possibility.

I also just tried to look up the yeast starter thing, but I think my lack of knowledge in this area is proving to be an insurmountable barrier. Did learn the word flocculate, though.

Would it make sense to use a starter with the small volume that he's brewing? (I'm looking at gigantic flasks, though I suppose smaller ones exist.)

 

[BrewSavage]

I got tired of cheap hyrdrometers breaking on me and spent $48? bucks on an "unbreakable" one. It was on sale when I purchased it so maybe shop around is the link below is listing it at $90! The cheap ones at a home brew shop/web stie are $10? range, so maybe wiser to just purchase several of those.

Note: when you buy hydrometer you have to make sure they are in a suitable range for brewing. And of course you would need a test jar. Cheap plastic works fine for a test jar.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LIV2EEK/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[beergolf]

Does he have a good thermometer? If not a Thermapen would be great. It also is good to use in the kitchen. I use mine all the time for cooking and brewing.

 

[dave5155]

If he is going to stick with 1 gallon batches then making starters isn't going to be necessary, there is plenty of yeast in a vial or smack pack for that. I agree with the refractometer and the thermapen though. The small apartment makes it tough for temp. control. maybe just a cooler than can fit a jug or two. The issue with that and most other temp control solutions is you have to have the room to freeze 2 liter bottles or something similar, to put in it.

 

[BierGut]

1. Refractometer
2. Membership to local brew club
3. Gift card to local home brew supply shop

 

[BrewSavage]

I thought I should supply a link to a cheap $7 hydrometer.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064O94I0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[mollybloom]

Does he have a good thermometer? If not a Thermapen would be great. It also is good to use in the kitchen. I use mine all the time for cooking and brewing.

Mmm, a Thermapen is like my dream splurge--this would be a gift for myself, lol. (I am an extremely avid cook & baker.) We have like ten thermometers already, so I'm not sure I can justify this one, sadly. Thanks for the suggestion though!!

If he is going to stick with 1 gallon batches then making starters isn't going to be necessary, there is plenty of yeast in a vial or smack pack for that. I agree with the refractometer and the thermapen though.

Okay, thanks so much for the info! I hope to God he is planning to stick with 1 gallon batches while we're in this mini apartment, haha.

 

[BierGut]

Ha! In his head you two are sleeping on the couch and he has a Blichman three tier tower of power churning out 10 gallon batches every weekend in the bedroom

 

[bobeer]

You could get him some grain to go along with the mill. morebeer.com has free shipping for orders over $60. You could get him some 2row because, just about every american beer has 2row in it, some crystal malt, vienna, munich, roasted barley, pretty much whatever. You could pick out some hops too. Ingredients are always welcome! Or just a gift card to the local homebrew shop.

If he's going to mill his own grain does he have a scale to weigh the grain out? Or an extra bucket to mill the grain into? I know I use my wife's baking bowls to scoop the grain out of the sack and I use another of her bowls to weigh out the grain. She would appreciate me buying my own plastic bowls since she's an avid baker too.

The refractometer is a good one too. All the ideas on here you can't go wrong with. The AHA membership is pretty awesome.

 

[simejack]

You would always get him a few month subscription to 'beer and brewing' or 'brew your own' magazine. Lots of good books out as well - 'Mastering Homebrew' by Randy Mosher and 'IPA' by Mitch Steele (Stone's head brewer) are my favorites at the moment.

 

[mollybloom]

You would always get him a few month subscription to 'beer and brewing' or 'brew your own' magazine. Lots of good books out as well - 'Mastering Homebrew' by Randy Mosher and 'IPA' by Mitch Steele (Stone's head brewer) are my favorites at the moment.

I was just thinking that, especially after looking up the magazine that comes with the AHA membership. Gifts that arrive throughout the year are so fun! Anybody have any opinions on which magazine would be best, if I picked one?

You guys, this has been SO fun and helpful. I really appreciate how cool y'all have been!

 

[petey_c]

Maybe a gift certificate to Brooklyn Brew shop (I don't know what borough you're in). http://brooklynbrewshop.com/
Tickets to the Spring beer fest at Nassau Coliseum http://www.springcraftbeerfestival.com/ or the East End Beer Fest. Usually in Aug. I don't think they have the dates yet. There's usually wine there as well, if you're not a beer type of girl.
I don't know many people from the city who use "y'all"

 

[mollybloom]

Maybe a gift certificate to Brooklyn Brew shop (I don't know what borough you're in). http://brooklynbrewshop.com/
Tickets to the Spring beer fest at Nassau Coliseum http://www.springcraftbeerfestival.com/ or the East End Beer Fest. Usually in Aug. I don't think they have the dates yet. There's usually wine there as well, if you're not a beer type of girl.
I don't know many people from the city who use "y'all"

Ha, you got me--I'm a Southern transplant, been here just a couple of years.

I love the ideas for the beer fests! We've done something like that before, but not since we moved here. We both have to work the weekend of the first one, but we'll keep an eye out for the end of summer one. Thanks so much!

 

[Psylocide]

Ha, you got me--I'm a Southern transplant, been here just a couple of years.

I love the ideas for the beer fests! We've done something like that before, but not since we moved here. We both have to work the weekend of the first one, but we'll keep an eye out for the end of summer one. Thanks so much!

Hey... if the whole husband thing doesn't work out, let me know.

My wife gave me a picture frame for my Birthday. It was a 'fancy' one, but still...



Good luck with the gift-giving. If it has to do with beer, you really can't go wrong.

 

[watermelon83]

If he were I, I would love to get a candle lit dinner. Followed by a tasting of several fine nano's. Followed by whatever a fashion show of whatever lingerie my love found most... intriguing. I have, however, been married for twenty years.

 

[andy6026]

If he's making 1 gallon batches then I don't think a stir-plate would be all that handy since he won't be having trouble with pitching rates.

Given your apprehension about adding a small fridge to your tiny apartment, I'd say the refractometer is the best suggestion so far. It's small and will allow him to take gravity readings without wasting beer from the small batches.

 

[nwbeer]

Wort chiller

 

[andy6026]

Wort chiller also crossed my mind, but then again with 1 gallon batches it can't take that long to get the wort down to pitching temps with an ice bath.

I'm not sure what he uses for bottles, but I also considered recommending just picking up some really nice beers in 500ml bottles that he can both enjoy drinking and then reuse the bottles for home brew.

So far though I think the refractometer is the most practical tool for his purposes and space limitation.

 

[petey_c]

So Molly, waddya wind up getting him? (I grew up in Queens. Every so often I try and spell words like I pronounce them..) Pete