If you had to choose.....

If u had to choose between the "perfect brew sculpture" or the "perfect fermenter setup" which would you choose? For the sake of argument if u had to choose between morebeer's heated/cooled fermenter setup, and one of there brew sculptures of close to equal price what would u choose? Better wort manufacturing or better fermentation control

 

"Better wort manufacturing" :rockin:

My rational is a fridge is cheap and sometimes free on craigslist and a temp control unit for the fridge is like $60

 

Of those choices, I'd go with the fermentation temperature control setup. That's the next item on my 'brew gear' listing... I'll probably make my own setup though, so that it's sized as I want it. That way, I can make a second one and be able to ferment two different temperature ranges at the same time. Or, I'll be able to brew an ale, then a lager, without any worries about temperatures.

I figure I have a couple of months before temperature control becomes critical where I am. Then it's just a matter of finding the room to put the thing.

 

I'll take the perfect fermenter set up, who need the perfect brew sculpture when you're 21 and still have a good back

 

Brew rig.

Fermentation control can be far less than "perfect" and still do everything you need. Course so can your brewing setup, but the wow factor is higher.

 

Lol well spoken count_dookie. however I am 37 and have only 1.3 arms( lost 45% use of my right arm and i am right handed). Oh to be young and strong like bull.

 

Fermentation setup. I need one. I don't make the beer, the yeasties do. Happy yeast make good beer.

 

I'd rather be able to keep the fermenting wort within a 2-3F range, than be at the mercy of the weather. It's been all over the place this winter. Hell, it was over 50F yesterday, then dropped to single digits last night.

Of course, I'd also want an aging chamber/area with a stable temperature, or a ~5F variance over the course of the year... Since I'm still living in an apartment, that's not going to happen... Since I also don't have the space for the brew sculpture, it would be pointless for me to have one.

When I eventually have a house, then I'll make a Fermentation Room... A place where I'll be able to make both beer and mead all I want... :rockin:

 

+10 to that!! Keep them happy and they make better magic juice for us... :fro:

 

Fermentation setup. You can make great wort on a simple partial boil extract pot in your kitchen. Put that in a fermentaion center with bad temp control and you get lousy beer.

 

The fermentation set-up is more important to making great beer. You can boil and ferment in any number of inexpensive alternatives that have little or no effect on the final outcome of your beer flavor. If your fermentation control is not good enough to target and hold a temp within 2 or 3 degrees, it can have a sizeable effect on the final product.

Now you mention you do not have full use of one of your arms. This can make a brewing setup with minimal lifting very attractive in your case. This may be the deciding factor in your case.

Another option might be to look at some options outside of Morebeer. Their gear is very good, but a lot of times you can find deals used on Craigslist, EBAY, HBT, etc from people upgrading or leaving the hobby that may allow you to do an upgrade in both of these areas for the same cost as buying a brand new upgrade in a single area. As some others have mentioned a used refrigerator, chest freezer, or even large coolers filled with water can provide fairly decent temperature control of a fermentation.

 

+1 fermentation setup

 

I live in the desert. Fermentation control is more important.

 

Now that's funny. (it really is, - but when you know what an L4/L5 extrusion is you'll stop laughing )

 

I'll take the perfect fermenter set up.

 

Depends on what kind of setup you have right now. What are you brewin' with?

 

I have a VERY similar situation and this is what I am planning...

- Obtain 1 industrial shelving unit that does not have the shelf rest on a plastic area and has 4 wire shelves. Found at Home Depot/Costco for about $150.00

cut the shelving into a brewstand and use the left over "Large peices" to build a fermentation chamber. The Ebay temp controller is 30. and dorm fridges are free or 20. I will remove the cooling parts and attach it to the ferm chamber.

I suspect I can get both for about $350 but that is a rough guess...


If I had to choose I would say brew stand. You can use a swamp cooler set up if need be for temp controls but hefting a bunch of stuff around is hard on the old spine...

 

I'd go with the fermentation chamber first as that's what I did, but I wouldn't (couldn't) spend the money it cost for one of those conicals.
I consider myself very fortunate that I could do what I did and that is. Bought a new 14.7 cubic ft. freezer $500, digital temp controller $100, extra kegs and better bottles $300. Now I can have many, many gallons of beer fermenting and aging in kegs ready to go into kegerator when one blows.

I spent all that money on fermentation and kegging equipment and still use a turkey fryer for brewing and Home Depot cooler for mashing because they still work and my beer comes out much better by being able to dial in the exact temp I want it to ferment at.

 

I would take the perfect fermentation chamber, but then again I live in a place where the temps INSIDE my apartment reach well over 100^F starting in April.