cms
Well-Known Member
I have some birthday dough to spend on upgrading my brewing equipment and need to be smart about it. I currently have the basics:
+ 5 gallon pot
+ Fermenting and Bottling buckets
+ 5 gallon glass carboy
+ The other essentials that came with my kit
Like many, I would like to move in an all-grain direction.
I feel like I have a good environment for fermenting ales, my basement never varies out of the range of 64-70° all year round so I believe that there would be only minimal benefit in getting a deep freezer, temp controller, etc. at this stage.
I don't have enough money to get everything I want (who does?) but I want to make sure I don't buy a bunch of stuff that isn't going to help. So, for example, it probably doesn't make sense to buy/make a MLT if I can't boil more than 4 gallons in my 5 gallon pot. And if I get a huge boil pot and a propane burner, then I really have to get a wort chiller since I won't be able to do ice baths any more.
Keggle ($200)
Big immersion chiller ($120)
Cheap(?) Burner ($80)
Spare propane tank, longer spoon to reach the bottom of the keggle, a thermometer able to measure the liquid without burning my arm off (I currently use one of these), etc. ($50)
Does that seem reasonable or will I be disappointed because I forgot something, didn't spring for a Blichmann burner, got an immersion chiller instead of a plate chiller and march pump, etc.?
Seems like if I get that, then all I get out of it is that I can do full boils until I build a MLT (and a HLT, or could I use my 5 gallon pot, if I install a valve at the bottom?)
I sure wish I got all this stuff when I was single and didn't have to answer to anybody.
EDIT: I'll add that I don't mind bottling, so keezer and kegging is not on my radar at the moment.
+ 5 gallon pot
+ Fermenting and Bottling buckets
+ 5 gallon glass carboy
+ The other essentials that came with my kit
Like many, I would like to move in an all-grain direction.
I feel like I have a good environment for fermenting ales, my basement never varies out of the range of 64-70° all year round so I believe that there would be only minimal benefit in getting a deep freezer, temp controller, etc. at this stage.
I don't have enough money to get everything I want (who does?) but I want to make sure I don't buy a bunch of stuff that isn't going to help. So, for example, it probably doesn't make sense to buy/make a MLT if I can't boil more than 4 gallons in my 5 gallon pot. And if I get a huge boil pot and a propane burner, then I really have to get a wort chiller since I won't be able to do ice baths any more.
Keggle ($200)
Big immersion chiller ($120)
Cheap(?) Burner ($80)
Spare propane tank, longer spoon to reach the bottom of the keggle, a thermometer able to measure the liquid without burning my arm off (I currently use one of these), etc. ($50)
Does that seem reasonable or will I be disappointed because I forgot something, didn't spring for a Blichmann burner, got an immersion chiller instead of a plate chiller and march pump, etc.?
Seems like if I get that, then all I get out of it is that I can do full boils until I build a MLT (and a HLT, or could I use my 5 gallon pot, if I install a valve at the bottom?)
I sure wish I got all this stuff when I was single and didn't have to answer to anybody.
EDIT: I'll add that I don't mind bottling, so keezer and kegging is not on my radar at the moment.