$1,000 to spend. What to buy

[jcwalsh]

OK, I just got an unexpected check for $1,000 and want to upgrade my home brewery. I have been brewing for several years and boil in a 15gal stainless, 1st in plastic, 2nd in glass then corny keg. I have a full size fridge in the garage and a True with towers so refrigeration is not an issue.

I really want a 15 gallon Conical, but also would like to get into full grain.

How about a nice plate chiller between the kettle and conical?

What would you spend it on.

 

[Haputanlas]

Get the conical. It will take up most of that check, so i would suggest starting with BIAB (since you've already got a big pot). You can upgrade the other equipment with time and still make great batches in the meantime.

But that is just me


Merry Christmas!

 

[dwarven_stout]

You can easily do a conical, 30 plate chiller and a cooler mash tun with that money, and still have plenty left over to buy ingredients. You'd probably even have enough to get a good barley crusher.

 

[remilard]

If your goal is to make good beer, the priorities are something like this:

1. Fermentation temperature control
2. All Grain.
3. Vacation to Europe
4. ???
5. Profit
6. Conical

 

[dwarven_stout]

If your goal is to make good beer, the priorities are something like this:

1. Fermentation temperature control
2. All Grain.
3. Vacation to Europe
4. ???
5. Profit
6. Conical

I took this

I have a full size fridge in the garage and a True with towers so refrigeration is not an issue.

to mean that he already has temp control.

 

[r8rphan]

Find another few hundred and buy yourself a reliable used quad and a small cooler.. then fill the cooler with home brews, and take the quad out in the woods.. It will immediately improve the taste of the beer because of the ambiance...... There's room for two on those things so your wife can go too...

That's what I'd do...

 

[crash1292]

you can buy me a membership

 

[Beerrific]

If your goal is to make good beer, the priorities are something like this:

1. Fermentation temperature control
2. All Grain.
3. Vacation to Europe
4. ???
5. Profit
6. Conical

Well put. A conical would be way down on my list unless I was trying to do >10 gallon batches.

I would very much encourage the OP to look into all grain. To me, it is the part of brewing that is most enjoyable to me. With that amount of money you can get a real nice all grain set up: 10g cooler mashtun, hlt with HERMS coil, boil kettle, pump, plate chiller, etc.

 

[arturo7]

It's Christmas

the season of giving

buy ME a conical!

 

[Haputanlas]

A conical would be way down on my list unless I was trying to do >10 gallon batches.

That's true. It just sounds awesome to me. Looking forward to a conical one day. :rockin:

 

[jcwalsh]

The thing is I can always spend a few dollars here and there without too much flak from the S/O, but this is my one opportunity to get the big ticket items.

 

[rcrabb22]

The thing is I can always spend a few dollars here and there without too much flak from the S/O, but this is my one opportunity to get the big ticket items.

Are you saying the $1000 has an expiration date? Take a breath, the evaluate what you have in the way of equipment and where you want to get to to.

If it was me, I'd be working towards Kal's electric brewery rig. The $1k wouldn't get me there but it would be a start.........

 

[jcwalsh]

Are you married? Yes the 1K has a expiration date. I need to spend it before she determines it should be diverted to our scheduled kitchen renovation or some other non beer project.

 

[ZooKeeper]

If it was me, I'd be working towards Kai's electric brewery rig. The $1k wouldn't get me there but it would be a start.........

That is my end goal.

Are you married? Yes the 1K has a expiration date. I need to spend it before she determines it should be diverted to our scheduled kitchen renovation or some other non beer project.

Do what I did, open a 2nd checking account for play money.

 

[Beer_Maker]

Go all grain! you could have a nice semi automated set up for about $1K.

 

[Dogphish]

i would suggest you spend every penny on an all grain 3 tier rack system.

 

[curlyfat]

I would say to build a three tier system like
<---- that! Cost about $800 including pots/burners. I've since added a plate chiller and an electric rims that are not included in that cost.

 

[rcrabb22]

Are you married? Yes the 1K has a expiration date. I need to spend it before she determines it should be diverted to our scheduled kitchen renovation or some other non beer project.

Been married 30 years and counting. I keep a cash slush fund for those special purchases.

 

[Fritztheelephant]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f16/single-tier-system-1000-cincinnati-oh-213341/

 

[theonetrueruss]

go all grain... not much more to buy than what you already have... ice chest, spigot and a screen... then a chiller of some sort and you're set. Forget the conical.. it's not needed ever.. though we all want them... it's a luxury. Then spend the other $800 on probably get some aeration stuff and maybe some yeast starter equipment like a big flask and a stir plate... basically get everything under the sun available for brewign before bothering with a conical...

just my thoughts. I'd get a high powered microscope to start doing yeast counts and such before buying a conical.

 

[mikeysab]

Build yourself a MLT.....then buy your wife something nice with the remaining 960 dollars.