Most of us probably got started with a large cooking pot, and a bucket or carboy -- along with a capper, hoses, etc. Next might have been a wort chiller. After that the upgrades can get a bit expensive. What was - or will be - yours? A hight BTU burner? A dedicated fridge? A brew kettle with inlets and outlets welded into it? Something else?
What was - or will be - your first "serious" upgrade?
- Thread starter MrBJones
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A chest freezer for fermenting, which turned into a keezer and part time fermentation chamber. Then lots of kegs. Then another freezer. Then more kegs.
The cycle continues...
The cycle continues...
lawless317
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I agree with the freezer
Stillraining
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Yep temp control here too.
My temp control has always been pretty simple even if pretty reliable/stable. A large heat mat and a concrete floor in a cool room.. Its pretty easy for me to keep within my chosen yeasts sweet spot as I choose yeast to work within what that is. That being said I'm currently changing some of my fermentation over to enclosed chambers as I went to larger vessels to do so, which would be harder if not impossible to control core temps with just my old method.
I chose individual wine coolers for that purpose ...So far I have picked up 1 cheep and have a line on two others exactly like it pretty darn cheap as well so not that big of a deal or major investment really. I had to get 2 more temp controllers too. So maybe 300.00/350.00 total cost including the vessels. This is sized for 30 gallon batches. I will probably convert a upright fridge or freezer over some day as well.
My temp control has always been pretty simple even if pretty reliable/stable. A large heat mat and a concrete floor in a cool room.. Its pretty easy for me to keep within my chosen yeasts sweet spot as I choose yeast to work within what that is. That being said I'm currently changing some of my fermentation over to enclosed chambers as I went to larger vessels to do so, which would be harder if not impossible to control core temps with just my old method.
I chose individual wine coolers for that purpose ...So far I have picked up 1 cheep and have a line on two others exactly like it pretty darn cheap as well so not that big of a deal or major investment really. I had to get 2 more temp controllers too. So maybe 300.00/350.00 total cost including the vessels. This is sized for 30 gallon batches. I will probably convert a upright fridge or freezer over some day as well.
brewbama
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I've been slowly upgrading over time. I started fermenting in plastic buckets, I'm in stainless now. I started with ambient air now I am in dedicated temp controlled ferm, lager, and serving fridges. I started with a turkey fryer, I'm now on a Blichmann Toptier. I started with a cheap boil kettle and I'm now in a BrewBuilt kettle. I used to use Tap a Draft now I am in kegs. I've added a Brew Bag mash/lauter filter to the mash/lauter tun. ect...
I think my next upgrade will either be Tapright dual regulator or a Jaded Hydra chiller.
I think my next upgrade will either be Tapright dual regulator or a Jaded Hydra chiller.
My best upgrade so far was moving to kegs. I just recently built a fermentation chamber from a freezer. I have 2 cream ales and an IPA that have been in there for 2 weeks now. This is the first time using it. I am really looking forward to seeing if it makes an improvement. It has room for 2 more 5g batches for a total of 25g at a time.
Amadeo38
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A big ol' conical fermenter with glycol chiller wrapped around it
Erik_Mog
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I'm a member of the chest freezer as the first major upgrade club as well.
treacheroustexan
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Started out with a five and ten gallon pot and cooler mash tun. fairly cheap. Then to save room, bought a grainfather. My first major upgrade! I love it.
Forv me it was in steps. Gas burner, then a small freezer for temp control, then I got into kegging, which I think is the best upgrade i have done so far. I just got a grain mill this week that I cannot wait to use.
oceanic_brew
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In stages also but I've just today completed a stainless setup. Kettle, fermentor, and serving are all stainless.
Other things have been impactful but having everything stainless was important to me.
Other things have been impactful but having everything stainless was important to me.
Michigan_Wolfman
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Sometime in the near future I will probably be building a variation of the Brew In A Bag setup. Originally, I'd been debating going electric BIAB. But lately I'm leaning more towards a DIY, hands on approach. Thinking right now that I'll be purchasing a 10 gallon round cooler with a ball valve, an appropriate size BIAB bag, 10 gallon marked brewpot with a ball valve assembly, wort chiller, 14" propane burner, march pump to transfer strike water from the brew pot to the mash tun, and a Cereal Killer grain mill. My game plan is to build a two tier stand so that the cooler is above the brew kettle in order to drain the wort, and only having to use the march pump to transfer the strike water from brew pot to mash tun; saving my back from trying to lift a 10 gallon pot full of hot water. The reason I'm thinking of a 2 vessel BIAB approach, is simply that I want to have good control over mash temperature without having to wrap a bunch of blankets around the brew kettle, or risk overshooting temperatures by having to run the burner during the mash. Minus the cost of food grade tubing with the appropriate fittings for the marsh pump and the ball valve on the cooler, I'm looking at around $620 at Adventures In Homebrewing. 
Transamguy77
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My first upgrade was a bayou classic BG10 burner and 30qt pot, from there it was a 3 tier setup with keggles and capable of 10 gallon batches, then kegging and a kegerator and finally ferm temp control.
Photopilot
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I have a conical and found a smaller upright freezer for 40 bucks. You could probably find and build a temp controlled upright freezer for less than the cost of the glycol chiller.
That wine fridge and as brew bucket cost me 300. Just the glycol system for the brew bucket is almost that much. Can't see throwing that much on something you can do for cheap .
Dfitz
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My most serious investment will be one of my least expensive.
I have well water. Well water with a serious iron content. This being said, I'll run water from my home's utility room to the garage either 35 or 70 gal at a time. I just purchased four 35 gal barrels so I can use one to hold water from the softener and one to act as a sistern from the RO. I also have a 60 psi RV pump to supply a RO system. So, my next serious investment will be a 50 GPD RO system. That and a good PH meter.
I have well water. Well water with a serious iron content. This being said, I'll run water from my home's utility room to the garage either 35 or 70 gal at a time. I just purchased four 35 gal barrels so I can use one to hold water from the softener and one to act as a sistern from the RO. I also have a 60 psi RV pump to supply a RO system. So, my next serious investment will be a 50 GPD RO system. That and a good PH meter.
I was lucky to have a stockpot when I started brewing 1 gallon batches, I was lucky to soon borrow a propane burner and immersion wort chiller from friends who no longer brew, and I was also lucky to find a good deal recently on a larger stock pot so I can begin brewing 5 gal batches.
My first major upgrade is going to be the materials to build a fermentation chamber powered by a mini fridge I already have.
In the end I expect the material costs to be around $150 which will pale in comparison to the total amount of money I have already spent on ingredients and misc equipment.
So while I am making the largest investment, it still will pale in comparison to all the other related expenses to brewing.
My first major upgrade is going to be the materials to build a fermentation chamber powered by a mini fridge I already have.
In the end I expect the material costs to be around $150 which will pale in comparison to the total amount of money I have already spent on ingredients and misc equipment.
So while I am making the largest investment, it still will pale in comparison to all the other related expenses to brewing.
First upgrade was on the second batch and inexpensive. I used a large Sterilite storage box and made a swamp cooler to better control fermentation temperature. Since then there have been many steps. Turkey fryer. 2 ten gallon pots, another burner, three tier AG sculpture, corona grain mill, fermentation chamber cooled by a mini-fridge (it will hold 3 fermenters at a time.), kegging, utility sink and plumbing to the HLT on my brew porch, chest freezer for lagers.
Some day I would like to go electric and move all my brewing indoors in a dedicated brew room, with and adjacent bar room.
Some day I would like to go electric and move all my brewing indoors in a dedicated brew room, with and adjacent bar room.
After bottling my very first batch with two more batches fermenting, I realized how much I disliked bottling. So I found a kegerator on CL. It was an old school reach in cooler that someone fitted with a tower and single tap. I expanded to two taps and bought two 2.5 gallon kegs (cooler wasn't tall enough for 5's, and I had no idea about collars at the time).
After 4 extract batches on the stove, I bought a 10.5 gallon polar ware kettle and Blichmann Burner. Built a mash tun and moved to all grain after 12 extract batches. Built my own fermentation chamber shortly after that. Sold the old kegerator and built a 4 tap keezer.
Next up is a Jaded chiller and a 15 gallon Spike Brewing kettle. Then, I'm converting the space under my basement stairs, and behind my bar, into a small walk in cooler with 6, or maybe 8, taps and shelving for bottles, and redoing the bar area with all concrete counter tops.
After 4 extract batches on the stove, I bought a 10.5 gallon polar ware kettle and Blichmann Burner. Built a mash tun and moved to all grain after 12 extract batches. Built my own fermentation chamber shortly after that. Sold the old kegerator and built a 4 tap keezer.
Next up is a Jaded chiller and a 15 gallon Spike Brewing kettle. Then, I'm converting the space under my basement stairs, and behind my bar, into a small walk in cooler with 6, or maybe 8, taps and shelving for bottles, and redoing the bar area with all concrete counter tops.
SGTSparty
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First big upgrade was a 2 weld 8 gallon pot w/ a ball valve/barb, a thermometer and a false bottom. It really helped keep the kitchen clean which helped keep SWMBO happy and allowed me to brew more, that said it was gift so IDK if it counts. Then we moved and the new stove couldn't push an 8 gallon pot to a boil so I had to pony up for a 180000 BTU propane burner. At the same time I got my first kegging set up. From there it was more kegs, taps, shanks etc. got a fridge for a fermentation chamber for free so the inkbird and heating source were next but when you already have the fridge and you get the Inkbird on Amazon lighting deal its not not very expensive so IDK that it would qualify anyways.
Photopilot
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Does the 5 figures include the beer you have drank?
I've already pretty much got everything. Unless I want to add automation. Maybe add a manifold with valves for the kettles so I don't *ever* need to move hot hoses during brew day...
But the next upgrade will be a replacement more than an upgrade. My keezer died so I'm going to buy an upright freezer and turn it into a combo 6-tap kegerator / beer fridge.
View attachment 1467038528711.jpg
But the next upgrade will be a replacement more than an upgrade. My keezer died so I'm going to buy an upright freezer and turn it into a combo 6-tap kegerator / beer fridge.
View attachment 1467038528711.jpg
I don't think mine would qualify as an upgrade.
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My next upgrade will be a grain mill and buckets to hold grain...want to start buying in bulk...then will be the electric setup...both probably won't happen for awhile but hey those will be the next upgrades for me
I'm in over 10k in equipment (see link in signature for how). Over the years i'm probably in another 4k for ingredients.
Highlights:
Electric Stainless Steel System (mostly G1 Blichmann)
-20G HLT, 15G MLT, 20G BK
-2 March 815HS Pumps
-Fully QD equipped
-Therminator + Hydra (on its way)
-50A Control Panel. Temp control on HLT and MLT. Power control on BK.
-Stainless brewing table
-Stainless sink w/ commercial kitchen spray faucet (f'in awesome!)
12 kegs
2 CO2 tanks
2 chest freezers
3 spunding valves
The list goes on...
Photopilot
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Gulp. I have almost all you have and then some, except for the stainless sinks and tables. I have generally been frugal on each step but have been throwing $500 here and there for my most recent upgrades. I have been doing so many years that I can ignore the fact I have probably spent 5 figures on beer. Maybe even one more figure over a lifetime.
I would say I've been frugal, but also didn't cut corners for the sake of saving a few bucks or complicating my process. I bought nice stuff where it made sense.
Stillraining
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Very sexy looking woo pig
Me too. First major upgrade was a chest freezer. Got a second one later one for my keezer plus the kegs, so that's where all my money has been tied up.
I think my next big purchase is probably going to be a top tier. I love my Blichmann burner and want a second one, so figure a top tier may be for me.
From early on I read about how important temp control was so I had a Johnson Controller on a wine fridge to control temps. I started with Mr Beer so it was easy to put the LBK in the fridge and set the JC accordingly.
Once I moved on from MrB and moved to buckets/carboys with AG, that was my first major upgrade. From there, it was a move to an STC-1000 for more accurate temp control.
My most recent was upgrading to SS BrewBuckets. One mini (3.5G and one BrewMaster 7G version). I don't know how much of an impact to taste and quality they've made, but they sure are handy - and pretty!
Once I moved on from MrB and moved to buckets/carboys with AG, that was my first major upgrade. From there, it was a move to an STC-1000 for more accurate temp control.
My most recent was upgrading to SS BrewBuckets. One mini (3.5G and one BrewMaster 7G version). I don't know how much of an impact to taste and quality they've made, but they sure are handy - and pretty!
Clearbeer1
clearbeer1
I would say the #1 improvement has been the addition of a computer recipe (I use Brewsmith) program. It has greatly improved the consistency of my brews. #2 has been my stand-up freezer and temp. controller for fermenting. I am now able to reliably brew lagers that have turned out great.
