Equipment Advice

I'm looking for some advice for the future. I'm starting to acquire everything I need for a brew stand I'm the future but I don't want to overshoot what I'll need.

Right now I have a 15 gallon SS Brewpot and I use a 10 gallon cooler for a mash tun. I have one banjo burner and I brew 5 gallon batches right now with the ability to move to ten gallon. I use a whirlpool chiller with match pump to cool and I have a grain mill.

I recently got two sanke kegs and the plan is to turn one into a HLT. I also plan on having the second welded up to possibly use as a direct fire MLT in the future. Should I have that second keg welded up now that I'm doing the HLT at the same time or should I hold off? I only plan to use it in the future when I build a single tier stand or buy a Top Tier.

What's the next best purchase to make? I'm thinking a second burner for the HLT.

 

The purpose of nice equipment is either to exert more precise control over your process or to make tedious things less tedious. What do you currently find imprecisely controlled or tedious?

 

Heating my strike and sparge water! I currently heat the strike in my BK and pump to MLT. I batch sparge so I then heat up my mashout mater and pump and then drain into a bucket while I'm heating the sparge.

 

Well, there you go!