upgrading to all grain

[GurGinator28]

I'm planning on upgrading from extract to all grain and came across what I believe to be a great deal on some used equipment.

All the following for $900. Should I pull the trigger?!?!

7.5 Gallon Blichman Brewpot (With Thermometer, Sight Glass, Stainless Drain Spout)
Blichman Hop Blocker (Installed in kettle)
Propane Burner
6.5 Gallon Glass Carboy
5 Gallon Glass Carboy
8 Gallon Conical Fermenter (Conical includes thermometer, sampling ball valve and yeast removal ball valve)
Grain Mill (Manual hand crank - a drill can be attached where handle is to make crushing grain faster)
Two hydrometers
One Floating Thermometer
Brewing Paddle
Counterflow Wort Chiller
10 Gallon Mash Tun Cooler
10 Gallon Hot Water Tank for Sparging
Sparging Arm Kit
3 Growlers & 3 Mini Kegs
Assortment of bottles (12 oz standard cap bottles, 16 oz flip top bottles, 1 liter bottles)
Additional flip top bottle caps and gaskets
A large amount of standard bottle caps and a bottle capper
Auto siphon
Bottle filler
Large Funnel
Airlocks for fermenters

I attached some, but not all the pics I have.

 

[scottm1]

Looks ok to me.

 

[res291que]

Looks like a decent deal, I would offer $775 see what happens.


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[GurGinator28]

additional photos

 

[barnaclebob]

7.5 Gal Kettle Seems Small For A 5 Gal To The Keg Batch. If It Were Me Id Pass. Stupid Phone And Its Caps.

 

[BansheeRider]

7.5 Gal Kettle Seems Small For A 5 Gal To The Keg Batch. If It Were Me Id Pass. Stupid Phone And Its Caps.

I agree. I would go with a minimum 10 gallon boil kettle and 7 gallon kettle to heat up sparge and strike water. Also do you really need all this equipment? Moving from extract to AG is easily achieved with little equipment upgrades. All you need is a larger kettle and mash tun. Having a grain mill is nice but most HBS can mill for you. You should have most stuff already if you've been brewing extract.

 

[doug293cz]

I agree. I would go with a minimum 10 gallon boil kettle and 7 gallon kettle to heat up sparge and strike water. Also do you really need all this equipment? Moving from extract to AG is easily achieved with little equipment upgrades. All you need is a larger kettle and mash tun. Having a grain mill is nice but most HBS can mill for you. You should have most stuff already if you've been brewing extract.

If you decide to try BIAB, you don't even need a mash tun. You do want at least a 10 gallon kettle to do 5 gal batches.

Brew on

 

[GurGinator28]

Short answer, no I don't need it all. Thinking the extras would be nice to have down the line. My primary interest is mash tun, kettle, burner, miller, and maybe the flip tops. It may also be wise on my part to ease into it with a few BIAB batch to start.


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[BansheeRider]

Short answer, no I don't need it all. Thinking the extras would be nice to have down the line. My primary interest is mash tun, kettle, burner, miller, and maybe the flip tops. It may also be wise on my part to ease into it with a few BIAB batch to start.


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BIAB is the perfect way to start AG brewing, although I converted a cooler into a mash tun.... https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheap-easy-10-gallon-rubbermaid-mlt-conversion-23008/ and bought a second kettle and I was ready to go. I already had everything else, such as fermenters. I was able to upgrade for around $200, you definately don't need $900 worth of gear right now.

One tool I would recommend getting is a refractometer. One can be had from amazon for $26.

 

[RonPopeil]

Looks alright. The M/LT's are small so that's a bargaining chip. I'd also say that you're not interested in buying used bottles because, well, do you really want to pay for old bottles?

But the kettle, mill, and burner combined should be worth about half of what he's asking. Figure another $50 per for glass carboys, $80 for the fermenter and around $150 in odds and ends. $700-800 would be fair.

 

[LateraLex]

If you spend $900 on gear and are still bottling, you will want to kick yourself later. All of this gear is very high end, which you don't need. Also, I really love BIAB and am able to create 11 gallon batches of IPA with no top up water. I'm not saying you need to do that, but suggest you research BIAB first. [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiLAI5JW2zc[/ame]

 

[GurGinator28]

I was able to renegotiate to $450 to split up the lot:

10 gal mash/lauter tun
10 gal HLT
sparging arm kit
7.5 gal blichmann w hop blocker
Propane Burner
Grain Mill
Counterflow Wort Chiller
16 oz flip top bottles

Even if I'm not using the tuns right away and do some 3 gal BIAB I think it's a good deal. And since I'm saving a lot I can think about a bigger kettle and kegging down the line

If you spend $900 on gear and are still bottling, you will want to kick yourself later. All of this gear is very high end, which you don't need. Also, I really love BIAB and am able to create 11 gallon batches of IPA with no top up water. I'm not saying you need to do that, but suggest you research BIAB first. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiLAI5JW2zc

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[GurGinator28]

Thanks for the advice brewers

 

[k1ngl1ves]

IMO, $450 for what you're getting is a pretty decent deal. What he was selling for $900 is not. Where you're at in your brewing process, you won't use that conical for a while... if ever.

 

[GurGinator28]

True, the conical would have either taken up space or I would have tried to sell it.

IMO, $450 for what you're getting is a pretty decent deal. What he was selling for $900 is not. Where you're at in your brewing process, you won't use that conical for a while... if ever.

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[stevehardt]

You did good. Got some very nice stuff. Is it in as good of shape as it looks in the picture?

 

[madscientist451]

You can brew 5 gallon batches with that 7.5 gallon pot. I agree an 8 or 10 would be better.
Cost out all that stuff new before you spend $900. I brew all grain indoors in my kitchen and have maybe $300 in everything, so $900 just seems like a lot to me. Try to talk him down.

 

[GurGinator28]

You did good. Got some very nice stuff. Is it in as good of shape as it looks in the picture?

Pics are from the sellers ad so I haven't seem them first hand yet. He claims everything is in great condition. I have arrangements to pick it up next week.


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[icebob]

7.5 gallons kettle will probably not cut it for recipe that call for a 90 mins boil, my system required about 8.5 gallons pre boil volume to get 5.5 in the fermenter... my 8 gallons kettle is now strickly used for heating up mash and sparge water...