What piece(s) of equipment to buy/make next?

[EmpiricalBrewer]

A long lost brewer here seeking some help from an amazing community. I started brewing 10 years ago on a set up I got from a friend who went pro. A couple years ago, I lost all of it due to some unforeseen circumstances. That being said I received the Brew Share Enjoy Homebrew Starter Kit for Christmas. The box included the following items:

Block Party Amber Ale recipe kit
6.5 gallon fermentor w/ lid & Bubbler airlock
Bottling Bucket w/Spigot assembly
Fermenter's Favorites™ Bottle filler
5 Gallon Stainless Brew Kettle
21” Stainless Spoon
Auto Siphon, 5 ft. Siphon Tubing & Siphon Tube Holder
Cleaner/Sanitizer - Fermenter's Favorites™ Oxygen Wash
Bottle Brush
Royal® Crown Bottle Capper & Caps (60ct.)
20% OFF coupon code for use on a subsequent purchase

The claim is that it comes with everything you need to brew a batch of beer right out of the box. I decided to put that to the test, and brewed the recipe kit in accordance with the directions provided. Having brewed previously, I realize there were some important gadgets and equipment missing that changed the process slightly. The ale is currently on it's second week in the fermenter. I will be bottling on Sunday. (I will let you know how it turned out)

However, I am well aware that I am in need of some additional equipment and I am seeking your input. What should I purchase/make next? I am looking to improve my brewing process and quality of my beer. I am currently on a tight budget, so please keep that in mind. I am leaning toward a propane burner since brewing on my electric stove top was a lengthy process and a good boil was unachievable. I also need, a way to measure gravity, thermometer, wort chiller, etc... I am starting out as extract but transitioning into AG or BIAB as I acquire more equipment. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[Dirt_McGirt]

More experienced brewers may give more informed answers, but as someone who's just a bit further along than what you describe, the hydrometer and a reliable thermometer are a must, perferably one you can clip to the side of your kettle to monitor steep and sparge water temps, as well as the wort cooldown process. Those aren't pricey.

The propane burner sounds like a good idea (is your pot flat bottomed?) if you're having trouble getting the job done without it. The wort chiller helps a lot if you cooling in the sink with ice-water isn't getting it done quick enough, but you can arguably live without it for a while depending on what your other options are. Since you're on a budget, keep your eyes peeled on craigslist or other online classifieds. Even here in Utah where it's full of non-drinking mormons, I still see tons of brew equipment for sale for cheap.

Since your kit didn't come with any sort of 5 gallon carboy with limited headspace, you might want to look for an inexpensive plastic carboy (around $30). That said, unless you want to dry hop or add certain fruit adjuncts, you don't need to do secondaries, at all.

Other than that, I'd suggest thinking about planning your move to all-grain to be based on a Brew-in-a-bag approach, so that you'll just need to get a decent sized brew kettle and can possibly forego paying for/adapting large coolers for the mash and lauter tuns. That's what I'm hoping to do in the next couple months.

 

[CJ-3]

I would like to throw in some way to control fermentation temps.

 

[Peruvian802]

I'd recommend an extra 5 gallon, food grade bucket or two (great for mixing star san, pouring water, etc. and cost $3 each), a Bayou Classic SQ14 LP burner - about $50, and an immersion chiller - about $50. If you are filling your pot from a hose, definitely buy a food grade hose when they are on sale for $10 or so.

As for next steps, consider buying a 10 gallon pot which will allow you to do full volume boils. Next step....BIAB.

 

[Nagorg]

A burner would be good considering the desire to get off the kitchen stove. Then, I'd say focus on fermentation temp control. Several options exist for various budgets and I think most will agree that it's the best single thing you can do to improve your brew process.

 

[dwhite60]

Get a hydrometer and a refractometer. Refractometer is good for pre-fermentation gravity measurement. You don't have to wait for a hydrometer sample to cool down to take a reading. Cannot use it post fermentation as the alcohol skews the reading.

Down the road you will want a grain mill. You'll get there.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[Jim_Holmes]

keep your eye on craigslist for a cheap used refridgerator to use as a fermentation chamber eigther regular size or mini that you can build a cabinet onto. controlers are fairly cheap. a hydrometer would be my immediate next purchase as you really dont know for sure when fermentation is complete without a reading ( yes you can wait for it to stop bubbling but you dont know for sure that its not just stalled and might restart when you go to bottle and wind up with bombs). as for not being able to get a good boil on your stove you could do partial volume boils with BIAB and then just top off then when you get the extra money get the burner and a wort chiller (ice in the tub is a pain in the a** but it works and you just have the expense of the bags of ice) . hope this helps sorry its so long winded.

 

[EmpiricalBrewer]

I just ordered a Bayou Classic propane burner from Amazon that should be arriving tomorrow. I also went to my LHS and got a hydrometer and tube and StarSan. I was considering buying an e-BIAB system but can't justify the cost right now. I think when I go to buy my ingredients I will get an additional fermentor for the beers that I would like to rack onto ingredients. I am curious about an inexpensive way to manage my fermentation temperatures. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Next step: Mash Tun so I can go to AG.

 

[normonster]

There are a lot of ways to control temp but my preference is a fridge and controller.

 

[Rayi]

All the above first but once you start bottling your going to want a good bench top capper.

 

[EmpiricalBrewer]

There are a lot of ways to control temp but my preference is a fridge and controller.

I was thinking about a fridge. I would most likely be putting it in my garage. So I would need a controller for the cooling on the fridge. But must likely I would need some way to also heat the fridge as it is cold here in PA this time of year. Any examples of cheap set ups that would do both cool when its warm and heat when its cold?

 

[BeardedBrews]

I have found that the more reading I do before buying, the less I end up spending.

There are a ton of great threads here about simplifying your brew day, low cost part options, and easy techniques to increase consistency. You could also dig into other sites. Brulosophy spent quite a bit of time describing a streamlined process and the equipment to support it: http://brulosophy.com/

I will echo the support for BIAB, it is very simple and makes great beer while gaining a more flexible malt bill. Just be careful about how quickly costs will multiply. Adding extra fermenters is great, but don't feel like you have to transfer every beer to secondary.

If I were you:

1. Watch Craigslist until you can find an 8-10 cubic foot chest freezer for under $75, then add on a Inkbird Itc-308, and a light bulb heater. - $150 and you won't outgrow it.

2. Move to BIAB. If you stay with your current pot you will probably only be able to make a 2.5-3 gallon batch, but you wouldn't have to buy any additional equipment. It is harder to hit your numbers when you're dealing with a smaller batch, so pick recipes that are forgiving. $5-30 for the bag and you're done.

3. Bigger batches. If you're buying a kettle, go 60 quarts / 15 gallons. It is still small enough for a 5 gallon extract batch, but you have enough room for a high gravity BIAB too. Budget a large immersion cooler, a bigger brew bag, insulation if you BIAB, and a little extra tubing. $200-300 depending on how you like to shop.


After that I would make sure I've done at least 10 batches before I spent any more money. Take good notes and spend the time to get everything set up before you start, then think about what you like and don't like about your system the next day. I found that adding small things like an extra bucket or two for transfers, or some little tupperwares to set out my hop additions, or a nice card table to set up next to the kettle, made a MUCH bigger improvement in my brew day than any significant expense (going electric, adding a pump, etc).

 

[BeardedBrews]

Any examples of cheap set ups that would do both cool when its warm and heat when its cold?

Not sure where you live, so I'll wing it

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/app/5404485549.html $50
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011296704/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 $40
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XDTWN2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 $16

That heater is way overkill for what you will be doing, but if you aren't interested in rigging something up, it's cheap.

 

[Nagorg]

+1 to BeardedBrews suggestions. However, I'd recommend an upright freezer over a chest freezer. Its way easier getting things in and out of and likely takes up less floor space. Thats what I use along with an STC-1000 controller build and that same Lasko heater. Works great no matter what the external temp is. Literally set and forget.. (Though I confess to keeping an eye on it...)

That Inkbird looks like a great non-DIY alternative to the STC-1000 and probably costs less in the end!

 

[BeardedBrews]

I'd recommend an upright freezer over a chest freezer.

An upright is a good solution as long as the price is right.

Just keep in mind, some upright freezers run the coolant through the wire shelves. If this is the case then you can't take the shelves out to re-configure for fermenting.

 

[normonster]

I was thinking about a fridge. I would most likely be putting it in my garage. So I would need a controller for the cooling on the fridge. But must likely I would need some way to also heat the fridge as it is cold here in PA this time of year. Any examples of cheap set ups that would do both cool when its warm and heat when its cold?

I don't have a dual controller so when it's super cold outside and at the end of a fermentation I plug in a controller and two heatmats I had for plant propagation and it works like a charm. One day I'll get the dual and be able to leave both the heating and cooling ready to rock.

Many people here like the keezer idea and I have one as well, but I'll tell you, if I could go back I'd have two fridges and no freezers (have a freezer for serving and a fridge for ferment). A big freezerless fridge would be awesome! Any method of controlling ferm temp is better than none though.

 

[max384]

The next thing I would buy is a larger brew kettle. Unless you're doing small batches, you won't be able to move to AG with a five gallon kettle.

 

[Nagorg]

An upright is a good solution as long as the price is right.

Just keep in mind, some upright freezers run the coolant through the wire shelves. If this is the case then you can't take the shelves out to re-configure for fermenting.

The key is "frost free"; those don't have the coolant running through the shelves. I found mine on Craigslist for $50. (It was actually listed for $100 but the guy took my lower offer!)

 

[inkbird]

+1 to BeardedBrews suggestions. However, I'd recommend an upright freezer over a chest freezer. Its way easier getting things in and out of and likely takes up less floor space. Thats what I use along with an STC-1000 controller build and that same Lasko heater. Works great no matter what the external temp is. Literally set and forget.. (Though I confess to keeping an eye on it...)

That Inkbird looks like a great non-DIY alternative to the STC-1000 and probably costs less in the end!

We also have DIY controller ITC-1000 which is Degrees Fahrenheit. Easily read.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXPE8U6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[SMICKSMICK]

All the above first but once you start bottling your going to want a good bench top capper.

What s the advantages of this. Sorry prob a silly question but I bottled my first attempt the other day using a run of the mill hand held and it worked fine "based on looks and feel"

 

[SMICKSMICK]

All the above first but once you start bottling your going to want a good bench top capper.

What are the advantages of this. I have run of the mill hand held seems to do the job.

 

[Dixon9717]

On a tight budget check Craigslist often and see what available at a decent price. Eventually you'll find something you can't live without.

 

[Duke145]

There are a lot of ways to control temp but my preference is a fridge and controller.

1. Watch Craigslist until you can find an 8-10 cubic foot chest freezer for under $75, then add on a Inkbird Itc-308, and a light bulb heater. - $150 and you won't outgrow it.

.

A chest freezer and a good dual temp controller can be had cheap and regardless of how create your wort you will always have to ferment it. IMHO and experience fermentation control it in the top two upgrades for consistent beer.