Equipment thoughts for a new brewer

[guntadri]

Hi all. First post here but I've been a lurker for some time. Love the forum and thank you all for the info I've gotten here.

I'm a new brewer. Just one extract batch under the belt but I know for sure I want to continue this hobby. It was one of the funnest things I've done and I know it will only get more fun once I branch out to all-grain and fermentation temp control etc.

I know I'll be coming in to some extra cash come the holidays, and I have a few ideas as to what I can do with it. Any opinions on what you think I should go for would be great.

- Wort chiller. Used ice on my first batch. Although cost is minimal for that and it worked well enough, I'd like the peace of mind knowing that a wort chiller, properly used, won't infect my batch. Also, no continued cost once it pays itself off compared to ice.

- Stir plate setup. I've read that getting a healthy pitching rate is one of the best things you can do to up your brews.

- Larger kettle. I'm using a turkey fryer aluminum pot (7.5g) currently. Definitely thinking I'll go the BIAB route when first going AG, so obviously I'll need a much larger kettle. Was probably looking to go with the Bayou Classic 82 quart. Plenty of space for large grain bills BIAB or even 10+ gallon batches.

I plan on grabbing some carboys, as I currently have only one plastic fermenter and I'd like to get a pipeline going, so those are a definite. I also think I'm going to build a Son of Fermentation chiller fairly soon so I can lager in my house and get proper temp control.

I'd like to know which of these you guys would go for versus the others. Any other ideas would be extremely helpful as well. Thanks for any input. Glad to be a part of such a great community.

 

[beerman0001]

Do you have a fermentation chamber yet?

 

[guntadri]

I don't. I do plan on building the Son of Fermentation chamber for that fairly soon. Bocks are my thing so I definitely want to get lagering capability soon. I think I can get the equipment for it fairly inexpensively and it would work well with my apartment floorplan. Fairly minimal space requirements and easy to do.
If you're not familiar with it, here are the plans: http://home.roadrunner.com/~brewbeer/chiller/chiller.PDF

 

[beerman0001]

Sounds like you have all the important stuff planned out. The million other things you can get is just gravy. With being in an apartment it would be tough but it is nice to be able to ferment in the chamber then lager in a fridge.

 

[CykoAGR]

I'm also fairly new to the hobby with only 3-4 batches under my belt.

One thing that I would reccomend is that you already mentioned BIAB and all grain so make sure that you scale kettles etc to be able to hold the volumes that you need. Since you are already thinking about these I would reccomend starting with large enough equipment to handle and then build up until you are ready to go full AG/BIAB.

Check out the DIY section, if it is something that you need for brewing chances are someone has built themselves. Much cheaper than going to LHBS and buying everything. Of course this only works if you are capable/comfortable and willing to do the work yourself.

I really think once I get my mash tun and larger kettle purchased for AG setup I will try to find a ferm chamber so I can precisely control temps.

Another thought for additional equipment is a grain mill. Mills allow you to buy grain in bulk which can save $$ but more importantly you will have a consistent crush which will allow you to dial in on your brewhouse effeciency so hitting your OG will be much easier.

 

[beerman0001]

Ya grain mill, scale, vacuum sealer, a pump to put ice water through your ic(helps during the summer). lol once you start it never ever stops.

 

[scoundrel]

I think the wort chiller is an immediate purchase. I have the kettle you mentioned. I love it. You can do 10 gallons of a 9% beer and even 15 gallons of a low gravity beer. I think it's a smart purchase and you won't regret it. I have picks on my website, if you want to see it in action.

 

[guntadri]

Awesome advice, guys. Thank you. I figured the wort chiller would be probably one of the more important things. Looking into making my own. Doesn't seem to be too hard so I may as well give it a go.