How easy is it to make my own equipment?

[Man-O-Leisure]

So, from lots of researching equipment i see that down here in Brasil its just too expensive to buy good brewing equipment, so as i am starting out why not try and make my own right!

Basically i mean, just buying some largish aluminium (stainless maybe) pots and the valve and thermometers and try to install them myself..

My question is basically that, just how hard is that? I guess the pot only will need 2 holes drilled for the valve/tap and the thermometer to go in, and then are they just soldered in to stop leaking?

I wanted to have something similar to one of those Blichmann Kettles that have the valve at the bottom and the thermometer just above it, but a 50 litre one of those here in Brasil are over $1000!! (Each)..

 

[paperairplane]

I have an old 16 gallon beer keg that I put in a valve and use as a boil kettle. I assume you can get kegs there?

I used a weldless bulkhead fitting, so no soldering or welding required.

 

[Hamaki]

Making your own equipment is not that difficult but I'm surprised at the cost you mentioned, assuming that was US $. Is there some tariff or something that makes importing so cost prohibitive?

There's a good thread on SS soldering at https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/soldering-stainless-steel-155782/. Then again you can go with weldless fittings and not have to worry about it.

 

[ChefRex]

Welcome to the addiction, to answer your question is dependent on how handy you are.
You can produce good beer without ever drilling a hole, check out BIAB, one pot and a bag and your on your way.
You can pour your liquids depending on size. And yes can drill and solder if you wish and weldless is another option if available.
I don't think your question was valid, depends on how far you wish to take it and your capabilities .

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

I have an old 16 gallon beer keg that I put in a valve and use as a boil kettle. I assume you can get kegs there?

I used a weldless bulkhead fitting, so no soldering or welding required.

Available id say yes, but the ones i have seen are way too expensive here, so il just go with pots.. but that fitting that you said sounds perfect for it (Assuming it will also work on a normal pot)

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

Making your own equipment is not that difficult but I'm surprised at the cost you mentioned, assuming that was US $. Is there some tariff or something that makes importing so cost prohibitive?

There's a good thread on SS soldering at https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/soldering-stainless-steel-155782/. Then again you can go with weldless fittings and not have to worry about it.

Brazil has the highest taxes on anything imported in the world.. anything at all imported here is stupid expensive.

Weldless sounds perfect, ill check that out

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

Welcome to the addiction, to answer your question is dependent on how handy you are.
You can produce good beer without ever drilling a hole, check out BIAB, one pot and a bag and your on your way.
You can pour your liquids depending on size. And yes can drill and solder if you wish and weldless is another option if available.
I don't think your question was valid, depends on how far you wish to take it and your capabilities .

Handy i am, with metal i dont know much.. but have plenty of places i can get it done here. I want to put in the valve cause i like the idea of a pump to transfer between pots.. i want to try and make something thats as automatic as i possibly can

 

[GCGBrewing]

I have a keg I recently acquired that had no fittings welded. I just used a step drill bit to drill a hole for a weldless valve, and plan to drill another for a thermometer. As long as you get the oil to go with it, its not to hard. Takes a little patience, and its extremely loud, but not too hard.

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

I have a keg I recently acquired that had no fittings welded. I just used a step drill bit to drill a hole for a weldless valve, and plan to drill another for a thermometer. As long as you get the oil to go with it, its not to hard. Takes a little patience, and its extremely loud, but not too hard.

Sounds good.. One good thing in Brazil is the cheap labour, so the equipment i want is taxed so high its expensive as, but i can get a metal work place to do the hard work for me for next to nothing, which ill do as i have no drills or equipment. Any particular weldless valves that i should be looking for?

 

[mrboz]

I got startered with a $40 turkey fryer kit from Home Depot. It was a 4-gallon aluminum pot and a propane burner set up. I also got a $15 food grade bucket and lid from my local home brew shop for fermentation. Start out with extract brewing, as learning how to manage sanitation, wort transfer and fermentation (temperature control) are techniques you'll have to learn no matter what system you are working with.

Part of the fun of brewing is devising your system and processes, but once the bug bites ... be careful, the sky's the limit As you go, you'll beging to learn (and taste) the pro's and con's of different gear and techniques ... As you grow your system, I would suggest putting more resources into the "cold side" equipment (temperature control, chest freezer, kegging, etc) rather than cool looking Blichmann pots that can cost several hundreds of dollars.

 

[ChefRex]

Look at Bobby's stuff, should give you lots of ideas.
http://www.brewhardware.com/valves-69

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

I got startered with a $40 turkey fryer kit from Home Depot. It was a 4-gallon aluminum pot and a propane burner set up. I also got a $15 food grade bucket and lid from my local home brew shop for fermentation. Start out with extract brewing, as learning how to manage sanitation, wort transfer and fermentation (temperature control) are techniques you'll have to learn no matter what system you are working with.

Part of the fun of brewing is devising your system and processes, but once the bug bites ... be careful, the sky's the limit As you go, you'll beging to learn (and taste) the pro's and con's of different gear and techniques ... As you grow your system, I would suggest putting more resources into the "cold side" equipment (temperature control, chest freezer, kegging, etc) rather than cool looking Blichmann pots that can cost several hundreds of dollars.

Thanks for that.. i agree with most of what you said also!! Extract brewing i did years ago, with a simple little kit.. i want to get into AG now. I am a professional Chef, so the following a recipe and sanitation are things i am used to having to do daily, and a dabble alot in molecular gastronomy and the science side of food, the only part i am mildly worried about is the fermentation side as you said. Its hot down here where im living so i am looking into doing something about that before i get brewing. The blichmann i just used as a reference as i like the valve, thermometer and the level on the side that measures the liquid amount, the flashy look of it i dont care for at all.

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

Making your own equipment is not that difficult but I'm surprised at the cost you mentioned, assuming that was US $. Is there some tariff or something that makes importing so cost prohibitive?

There's a good thread on SS soldering at https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/soldering-stainless-steel-155782/. Then again you can go with weldless fittings and not have to worry about it.

Its in Portugues, but you can see what i mean, R$1999 is basically US$1000 (depending on the exchange rate).. And this one is like ebay prices.. cheaper than stores down here!!

http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/...eira-blichmann-57-litros-aco-inox-cerveja-_JM

 

[mrboz]

The simplest AG setup is to rig a 10 gallon cooler (the canister looking ones you can get at Lowe's or HD, although plenty of folks are using chest-type coolers and getting excellent results) as a mash tun. Pop the plastic valve out and re-install SS or brass valve. You'll need to get a false bottom or bazooka screen so that you can lauter.

If you are not mashing in a pot, but heating water and boiling wort, you don't really need to drill valves or thermometers ... the issue is how large a pot of hot liquid you might be trying to dump into your mashtun or into your fermentation bucket (this is when a valve can come in handy for you). I got my son-in-law going all grain on a system like this, and he's making very good ales with it. Pot - burner - cooler - bucket/lid. You can check mash temps and water temps with a handheld thermometer (which is actually better in some cases because you can probe around in different parts of the mash). You'll also need a hydrometer and an airlock for your bucket/carboy.

One note on carboys ... purists will prefer that you use glass carboys because the surfaces don't scratch as easily (and harbor bacteria) and they don't allow as much oxygen into the beer. However, after breaking a couple of them and googling gruesome injuries from carboys ... I've gone pretty much exclusively to buckets and have never had an issue with infection/oxygenation. They are easier to handle, safer, easier to clean, easier to top crop yeast. As for O2 issues, when I'm making beers that need a long fermentation time, I rack into a corney keg and let them condition/secondary there. With these, I can purge O2 and seal them air-tight. (just be sure to burp the CO2 peridoically).

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

The simplest AG setup is to rig a 10 gallon cooler (the canister looking ones you can get at Lowe's or HD, although plenty of folks are using chest-type coolers and getting excellent results) as a mash tun. Pop the plastic valve out and re-install SS or brass valve. You'll need to get a false bottom or bazooka screen so that you can lauter.

If you are not mashing in a pot, but heating water and boiling wort, you don't really need to drill valves or thermometers ... the issue is how large a pot of hot liquid you might be trying to dump into your mashtun or into your fermentation bucket (this is when a valve can come in handy for you). I got my son-in-law going all grain on a system like this, and he's making very good ales with it. Pot - burner - cooler - bucket/lid. You can check mash temps and water temps with a handheld thermometer (which is actually better in some cases because you can probe around in different parts of the mash). You'll also need a hydrometer and an airlock for your bucket/carboy.

One note on carboys ... purists will prefer that you use glass carboys because the surfaces don't scratch as easily (and harbor bacteria) and they don't allow as much oxygen into the beer. However, after breaking a couple of them and googling gruesome injuries from carboys ... I've gone pretty much exclusively to buckets and have never had an issue with infection/oxygenation. They are easier to handle, safer, easier to clean, easier to top crop yeast. As for O2 issues, when I'm making beers that need a long fermentation time, I rack into a corney keg and let them condition/secondary there. With these, I can purge O2 and seal them air-tight. (just be sure to burp the CO2 peridoically).

Some great info there, thanks alot! Those coolers that you are talking about arent around down here in Brazil, so thats why im looking at aluminium or stainless pots. Plus, i want to build a reasonable system to expand to bigger batches soon hopefully. I also havent seen the glass carboys down here so plastic it will be.. one question there, ive seen a bunch or reasonably prices plastic conical fermenters here, whats the benefit/point or a conical fermenter?

 

[Flboy]

I should have a kick back for the amount of times I recomend this book

 

[mrboz]

Wow - really surprised that coolers would be hard to find in a hot place like Brazil. So, for sure you can go with a couple of pots, but it actually becomes a bit more complicated, both in terms of system design and in the brewing process (much easier to hold a stable mash temp in a cooler).

Brewers aint nothing if they aint an adaptable bunch though, and you'll find that there are many ways to skin a cat.

As for the conicals ... yes, if you can get your hands on them for what you feel are a reasonable price, well then ... by all means.

At the homebrew scale, conicals offer marginal value ... mostly the ability to drain yeast/trub out of the cone ... and they sort of look cool . The design has more to do with larger commercial brewing where the pressure from high volumes of beer (and the pressure from the CO2 that is produced) can cause autolysis (ruptured yeast cells at the bottom of the fermentation container) which will affect taste (I'm simplifying a bit, because technically autolysis is when the enzymes of the yeast begin eating themselves, but pressure is part of the equation and reducing surface area through the conical design makes a difference).

Anyways ... interesting to hear that you can get your hands on conical fermenters, but not Igloo coolers.

Just keep in mind with any cold side plastic (buckets, fermenters and such), you don't want to scrub them with abrasive materials. Use a brewing wash (PBW, Oxyclean) that will loosen and dissolve the yeast and then wipe with a soft sponge. You want to avoid scratching the plastic and creating places for bacteria to hide.

One final thought on a boil pot ... try to get a size that's 20% more than the batches you will make. You want to avoid having a boil pot that is full to the top ... boilovers can be a sticky mess, so leave some headroom. You can top off volume by adding boiled (sanitized) water into the fermenter (keep in mind this dillutes your gravity ... some as it does if you add to the boil pot).

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

Wow - really surprised that coolers would be hard to find in a hot place like Brazil. So, for sure you can go with a couple of pots, but it actually becomes a bit more complicated, both in terms of system design and in the brewing process (much easier to hold a stable mash temp in a cooler).

Brewers aint nothing if they aint an adaptable bunch though, and you'll find that there are many ways to skin a cat.

As for the conicals ... yes, if you can get your hands on them for what you feel are a reasonable price, well then ... by all means.

At the homebrew scale, conicals offer marginal value ... mostly the ability to drain yeast/trub out of the cone ... and they sort of look cool . The design has more to do with larger commercial brewing where the pressure from high volumes of beer (and the pressure from the CO2 that is produced) can cause autolysis (ruptured yeast cells at the bottom of the fermentation container) which will affect taste (I'm simplifying a bit, because technically autolysis is when the enzymes of the yeast begin eating themselves, but pressure is part of the equation and reducing surface area through the conical design makes a difference).

Anyways ... interesting to hear that you can get your hands on conical fermenters, but not Igloo coolers.

Just keep in mind with any cold side plastic (buckets, fermenters and such), you don't want to scrub them with abrasive materials. Use a brewing wash (PBW, Oxyclean) that will loosen and dissolve the yeast and then wipe with a soft sponge. You want to avoid scratching the plastic and creating places for bacteria to hide.

One final thought on a boil pot ... try to get a size that's 20% more than the batches you will make. You want to avoid having a boil pot that is full to the top ... boilovers can be a sticky mess, so leave some headroom. You can top off volume by adding boiled (sanitized) water into the fermenter (keep in mind this dillutes your gravity ... some as it does if you add to the boil pot).

Yeah, Coolers are all over the place here, but they are just thost polystyrene boxes with a lid, not those plastic ones like you have in the US and i had back in Australia. I should really edit this, they ARE avaialable in some places in Brasil according to a www search, but they are not around much like the polystyrene ones, and from a quick search, a 20 liter one costs more than i can buy 3 15 gallon aluminuim pots for!

With the boil pot size, is there any issue if i get say 15 gallon pots, and just do 3 or 5 gallon batches to start with? i want to have bigger equipment than i need now to cater for future plans..

The fermenters i see here for a decent price i think, i saw a 100 liter one for around US$200

 

[marc06]

As for the conicals ... yes, if you can get your hands on them for what you feel are a reasonable price, well then ... by all means.

At the homebrew scale, conicals offer marginal value ... mostly the ability to drain yeast/trub out of the cone ... and they sort of look cool . The design has more to do with larger commercial brewing where the pressure from high volumes of beer (and the pressure from the CO2 that is produced) can cause autolysis (ruptured yeast cells at the bottom of the fermentation container) which will affect taste (I'm simplifying a bit, because technically autolysis is when the enzymes of the yeast begin eating themselves, but pressure is part of the equation and reducing surface area through the conical design makes a difference).

.

A heed of warning, beware of Miss Information. First, of all I dispute the statement that conicals offer marginal value at the homebrew scale. While I do not have a conical myself, there is a reason that there are employed at every professional brewery. They are easy to clean, can dump unwanted trub easily, and can harvest, and reuse, yeast very easily. While that was a personal discrepancy, published research has also suggested this design to be ideal for fermentation (Maule 1986). Many of the HBT community have crafted conicals for cheaper than it would cost to purchase an equivalent sized conical
I also must disagree with your statement that increased pressure causes yeast autolysis. While increased fermentation pressure may cause some yeast autolysis, the scientific community suggests that yeast autolysis is caused by the death or aging of yeast cells, not by the fermentation under pressure (Braniyak et al 2005). The fermentation of yeast under pressure often will suppress off flavours that occur, allowing for fermentation under higher temperature with similar results (Landaud 2001). Furthermore, it appears that several of the commercially available conicals are not able to hold more that 5-10psi, but a few can.

My intention in this post is not to be pretentious, but rather highlight I often see people misrepresenting information and that everyone should be aware of what information they are representing to a person new to the hobby, the stage of the hobby, or a specific equipment.

D.R. Maule. 1986, A century of fermenter design. J. Ins. Brew. 92:137-145.

Branyik. A., A. Vicente, P. Dostalek, and J. Teixeira. 2005. Continuous beer fermentation using immobilized yeast cell bioreactor systems, Biotechnol. 21: 653-663.

Landaud, S. E. Latrille, and G. Corrieu. 2001. Top pressure and temperature control the fusel alcohol/ester ratio through yeast growth in beer fermentaion. J. Inst. Brew. 107:107-117

 

[mrboz]

A heed of warning, beware of Miss Information. First, of all I dispute the statement that conicals offer marginal value at the homebrew scale. While I do not have a conical myself, there is a reason that there are employed at every professional brewery. They are easy to clean, can dump unwanted trub easily, and can harvest, and reuse, yeast very easily. While that was a personal discrepancy, published research has also suggested this design to be ideal for fermentation (Maule 1986). Many of the HBT community have crafted conicals for cheaper than it would cost to purchase an equivalent sized conical
I also must disagree with your statement that increased pressure causes yeast autolysis. While increased fermentation pressure may cause some yeast autolysis, the scientific community suggests that yeast autolysis is caused by the death or aging of yeast cells, not by the fermentation under pressure (Braniyak et al 2005). The fermentation of yeast under pressure often will suppress off flavours that occur, allowing for fermentation under higher temperature with similar results (Landaud 2001). Furthermore, it appears that several of the commercially available conicals are not able to hold more that 5-10psi, but a few can.

My intention in this post is not to be pretentious, but rather highlight I often see people misrepresenting information and that everyone should be aware of what information they are representing to a person new to the hobby, the stage of the hobby, or a specific equipment.

D.R. Maule. 1986, A century of fermenter design. J. Ins. Brew. 92:137-145.

Branyik. A., A. Vicente, P. Dostalek, and J. Teixeira. 2005. Continuous beer fermentation using immobilized yeast cell bioreactor systems, Biotechnol. 21: 653-663.

Landaud, S. E. Latrille, and G. Corrieu. 2001. Top pressure and temperature control the fusel alcohol/ester ratio through yeast growth in beer fermentaion. J. Inst. Brew. 107:107-117

Easy friend ... one of the values of these forums is to share insights and experience with each other, so that we can all become better brewers and advance the hobby. To come out throwing blows by suggesting mis-information is a bit heavy handed, especially when I'm not sure what we disagree on. I pointed out that the primary value of conicals on the homebrew scale was separating yeast from beer. I also made the point that on a commercial scale the value is greater, largely because the volumes (and production schedules) are orders of magnitude greater. Keep in mind, however, that not "every" commercial brewery uses cylindro-conical fermenters as many use square fermenters, barrels, coolships, and other types of contraptions.

I pointed to reduced autolysis as a potential benefit of conicals (and qualified that this is more of an issue on a commercial scale). I also pointed out that I was simplifying what autolysis was, as this was not the topic. On that point, I was correct in disclaiming that autolysis was technically the process of the yeast's own enzymes beginning to digest the cell itself. I was also correct in pointing out that pressure was a factor in this ... one that is relieved somewhat by conical design (conicals have often been referred to as "unitanks" because the design enables the beer to sit on the yeast longer and condition - without autolysis occurring). This is a problem homebrewers seldom encounter, even when aging a beer for extended periods. In fact, oxygenation is more of a concern in homebrewing fermentation than autolysis.

This, however, is not a discussion about autolysis; rather, a discussion about creating a home-brew system - not on the cheap, per se, but with a mind toward making the initial investment in equipment that pays the most dividends.

To this point, my experience has been that the beer I get out of my $15 buckets is every bit as good as the beer that I'm pulling from my $450 conical. My point remains the same, if you can get your hands on a conical for what you consider a reasonable price ... go for it. However, poll the preponderance of response from homebrewers and you see that the value is marginal and that it mostly plays into the "cool" factor.

https://byo.com/stories/item/524-cylindroconical-fermenters-advanced-brewing

 

[mrboz]

Yeah, Coolers are all over the place here, but they are just thost polystyrene boxes with a lid, not those plastic ones like you have in the US and i had back in Australia. I should really edit this, they ARE avaialable in some places in Brasil according to a www search, but they are not around much like the polystyrene ones, and from a quick search, a 20 liter one costs more than i can buy 3 15 gallon aluminuim pots for!

With the boil pot size, is there any issue if i get say 15 gallon pots, and just do 3 or 5 gallon batches to start with? i want to have bigger equipment than i need now to cater for future plans..

The fermenters i see here for a decent price i think, i saw a 100 liter one for around US$200

Gotcha on the coolers. If you can get pots, then have at it. You can certainly brew smaller batches (you might worry a bit about scorching given the ratio of liquor volume to bottom surface area ... just keep stirring to be sure that any sediment or additions (hops) remain in suspension).

Given that you feel you can get pots at a price you consider reasonable, and that they are 15 gallon ... I would encourage you to go ahead and drill (or punch) a hole and install a valve to simplify transfer. It's a pretty simple task ... especially if you can get your hands on a step bit. Most will say that SS is preferred over aluminum (and you can scour the forum for arguments on both sides ... in general, aluminum is not as durable and can react with various cleaning products and brewing salts). But hey work with what you've got.

As I mentioned before, the bigger challenge you will have is in maintaining your mash temperature. Pots aren't as well insulated an your temperatures will drop more readily. Also, when you heat the pots, your temperature will of course be warmer at the bottom of the pot - closer to the flame. So, then you stir to distribute the heat, which can release tannins from the malt husks.

I use pots myself, and this has not really been a significant issue for me. I actually get better efficiency when I stir my mash. Just do so gently, with more of a lifting from the bottom action rather than a whisking action.

Another advantage with the pots is that you will be better able to do step infusions (warming the mash through various rest temperatures), which aid in enzyme production and result in more complex sugar profiles in your wort (which translates to more complex flavor in your beer). Finally, the larger volume that you are describing (15-gallon) will aid in stabilizing the mash temperature.

There are variations you can introduce to your set up (Google HERMS and RIMS systems) for temperature control, but in general, the pots will require you to stay on task a bit more to control your temperatures, whereas the coolers allow for set it and forget it single infusions where you stir your malt into a volume of pre-heated water and come back in an hour ... experiencing very little drop in temperature over the time. This too, enables a bit more consistency from batch to batch as managing the heat in your pots is not an exact, or precisely duplicable process.

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

Gotcha on the coolers. If you can get pots, then have at it. You can certainly brew smaller batches (you might worry a bit about scorching given the ratio of liquor volume to bottom surface area ... just keep stirring to be sure that any sediment or additions (hops) remain in suspension).

Given that you feel you can get pots at a price you consider reasonable, and that they are 15 gallon ... I would encourage you to go ahead and drill (or punch) a hole and install a valve to simplify transfer. It's a pretty simple task ... especially if you can get your hands on a step bit. Most will say that SS is preferred over aluminum (and you can scour the forum for arguments on both sides ... in general, aluminum is not as durable and can react with various cleaning products and brewing salts). But hey work with what you've got.

As I mentioned before, the bigger challenge you will have is in maintaining your mash temperature. Pots aren't as well insulated an your temperatures will drop more readily. Also, when you heat the pots, your temperature will of course be warmer at the bottom of the pot - closer to the flame. So, then you stir to distribute the heat, which can release tannins from the malt husks.

I use pots myself, and this has not really been a significant issue for me. I actually get better efficiency when I stir my mash. Just do so gently, with more of a lifting from the bottom action rather than a whisking action.

Another advantage with the pots is that you will be better able to do step infusions (warming the mash through various rest temperatures), which aid in enzyme production and result in more complex sugar profiles in your wort (which translates to more complex flavor in your beer). Finally, the larger volume that you are describing (15-gallon) will aid in stabilizing the mash temperature.

There are variations you can introduce to your set up (Google HERMS and RIMS systems) for temperature control, but in general, the pots will require you to stay on task a bit more to control your temperatures, whereas the coolers allow for set it and forget it single infusions where you stir your malt into a volume of pre-heated water and come back in an hour ... experiencing very little drop in temperature over the time. This too, enables a bit more consistency from batch to batch as managing the heat in your pots is not an exact, or precisely duplicable process.

Thanks again! Yes i have been looking into the whole RIMS and HERMS setups, i am wondering what is best to make the brew easier and cheapest for larger volumes.. Electricity or Gas..

A question about the cooler MT, when you say it maintains the temperature better, and can set it and forget it, is that cause of the lid? I assume you close the lid to keep the temperature from dropping? Keeping the lid on a pot must help a fair bit also id guess..


I spent a bit of time last night oline checking out some pots, Aluminium and SS.. couldnt believe the price of SS down here.. a 60 liter Aluminium pot costs approx US$50, the same size in SS is around US$400!!

 

[mrboz]

Yes - both keeping the lid on the cooler and its insulative properties. Certainly keeping the lid on the pot will help ... still not as efficient however as you'll lose about 2 degrees in the cooler and 10 degrees in the pot. Also, the heat exchange between the walls of the pot and the cooler air outside will render the mash around the edges cooler than in the center. Again, a matter of applying heat, stirring, watching.

Yes, SS pots can be pricey ... I can get 60qt pots for about $125 in US, then drill my own holes in them (by the time you add valve and thermo - about $175 - $200). At your prices, I would stick with aluminum ... again, beware cleaning products and how they may react.

HERMs and RIMs are fun and dudes come up with pretty creative systems ... but I would tinker with a very simple system in order to get acquainted with the process, plug into the brewing culture a little, gather insights, decide what kind of process you are into (and what beers you want to make) and go from there.

I recommend that folks starting all grain get a burner, a pot, a cooler tun, and a couple buckets and get to making beer. You'll gain insights along the way that will inform how you want to upgrade your system without being overly invested. But its a question of whether you want to be making beer, or making a brewing system.

Burner = $60 (assuming you have propane tank, if not add $60 and $22-$25 per fill. I get about 4 batches per tank ... so $5-ish in propane each brew)
** Electric is a cool option, but you have to be sure you're getting enough juice per the volume you are brewing ... sucks to have to wait an hour to get a few gallons of liquid to boil ... if at all.
Pot = 15g - (with valve and thermometer) $200
Cooler Tun (fitted with false bottom and valve) - $80-$100
A long handled spoon = $8
3 Buckets/lids = $45
Hydrometer = $10
Airlocks = $6
8 Ft of silicon tubing for transferring hot wort - $15
Racking cane = $12
Sanitizer = $20
*US prices


Soon, you'll want to get your hands on a wort chiller ($80 - $125 ... you can spend less, but you'll only save $30-$40 and they are far less effective - remember, you are basically buying copper and by paying less you are buying less. Since the heat exchange is a matter of surface contact, more is better) and a used chest freezer that you can control fermentation temperatures with (perhaps a Johnson Controller, or other temperature controller)

Rejoining the conical vs carboy debate, consider your ability to control ambient temperature (you will want to maintain approx. 65-75 degs for most ales and 40-55 for most lagers). Buckets are easier to immerse in water, place in closets, or into coolers/freezers/fridges.

Another advantage of bucket fermenters is that if you get into brewing, you might find yourself not wanting to wait for a batch to finish before you have the bug to brew again - that, or you get into a pattern of having a few beers ready at once ... so a few cooking at once. This means you will want to have 3-5 fermenting vessels ... cost becomes a factor.

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

Yes - both keeping the lid on the cooler and its insulative properties. Certainly keeping the lid on the pot will help ... still not as efficient however as you'll lose about 2 degrees in the cooler and 10 degrees in the pot. Also, the heat exchange between the walls of the pot and the cooler air outside will render the mash around the edges cooler than in the center. Again, a matter of applying heat, stirring, watching.

Yes, SS pots can be pricey ... I can get 60qt pots for about $125 in US, then drill my own holes in them (by the time you add valve and thermo - about $175 - $200). At your prices, I would stick with aluminum ... again, beware cleaning products and how they may react.

HERMs and RIMs are fun and dudes come up with pretty creative systems ... but I would tinker with a very simple system in order to get acquainted with the process, plug into the brewing culture a little, gather insights, decide what kind of process you are into (and what beers you want to make) and go from there.

I recommend that folks starting all grain get a burner, a pot, a cooler tun, and a couple buckets and get to making beer. You'll gain insights along the way that will inform how you want to upgrade your system without being overly invested. But its a question of whether you want to be making beer, or making a brewing system.

Burner = $60 (assuming you have propane tank, if not add $60 and $22-$25 per fill. I get about 4 batches per tank ... so $5-ish in propane each brew)
** Electric is a cool option, but you have to be sure you're getting enough juice per the volume you are brewing ... sucks to have to wait an hour to get a few gallons of liquid to boil ... if at all.
Pot = 15g - (with valve and thermometer) $200
Cooler Tun (fitted with false bottom and valve) - $80-$100
A long handled spoon = $8
3 Buckets/lids = $45
Hydrometer = $10
Airlocks = $6
8 Ft of silicon tubing for transferring hot wort - $15
Racking cane = $12
Sanitizer = $20
*US prices


Soon, you'll want to get your hands on a wort chiller ($80 - $125 ... you can spend less, but you'll only save $30-$40 and they are far less effective - remember, you are basically buying copper and by paying less you are buying less. Since the heat exchange is a matter of surface contact, more is better) and a used chest freezer that you can control fermentation temperatures with (perhaps a Johnson Controller, or other temperature controller)

Rejoining the conical vs carboy debate, consider your ability to control ambient temperature (you will want to maintain approx. 65-75 degs for most ales and 40-55 for most lagers). Buckets are easier to immerse in water, place in closets, or into coolers/freezers/fridges.

Another advantage of bucket fermenters is that if you get into brewing, you might find yourself not wanting to wait for a batch to finish before you have the bug to brew again - that, or you get into a pattern of having a few beers ready at once ... so a few cooking at once. This means you will want to have 3-5 fermenting vessels ... cost becomes a factor.

Thanks again for the helpful info!! Im going to try starting with a simplish system, that i can also do a few larger batches soon if i want.

Looks like Gas must be expesive for you guys up in the US! Here i pat (at home) approx $20 per 13kg bottle of gas and it lasts around 3-4 months.. Thats cooking every day and what not.. Im a Chef, and did a street food stall at a festival recently, the same Gas bottle lasted me 7 Days without running out, that was running a burner basically non stop for around 8 hours each day!

 

[mrboz]

Good luck with the brewing, it quickly becomes an addiction. Sorry for the long posts in response ... answering questions is part of MY learning process, gets me thinking through things. Also, I credit this forum and other online resources for helping me get up to speed quickly ... I always appreciated a bit more of the "why' in response to my questions.

 

[Man-O-Leisure]

Good luck with the brewing, it quickly becomes an addiction. Sorry for the long posts in response ... answering questions is part of MY learning process, gets me thinking through things. Also, I credit this forum and other online resources for helping me get up to speed quickly ... I always appreciated a bit more of the "why' in response to my questions.

No worries at all! I appreciate all the info for sure!

 

[GCGBrewing]

Sounds good.. One good thing in Brazil is the cheap labour, so the equipment i want is taxed so high its expensive as, but i can get a metal work place to do the hard work for me for next to nothing, which ill do as i have no drills or equipment. Any particular weldless valves that i should be looking for?

I think any SS one will work fine.