I'm looking to buy some new equipment so that I can stop using the old, rather sketchy stuff that I've been using. I'm in the market for a new brewpot and a new 5 gallon carboy.
Since the beginning, I've been using stuff that I got from my grandparents, but it isn't meant for brewing. I have a pretty big lobster pot that is coated with enamel or something (I know aluminum pots and generally anything that's not stainless steel is a big no-no) and it's extremely unwieldy and starting to get kind of warped due to the fact that I'm assuming it wasn't meant to be heated at such high temps for more than the time it takes to boil lobsters.
Should I be looking for one with a multi-layered bottom? Riveted handles? Stainless steel? How many quarts for when I'm making 5 gallon batches (with no real plans to expand into bigger batches in the future)?
My carboy is either a 6 or 6.5 gallon glass jug that I spotted sitting in a dark corner of my grandparents' basement. It's certainly usable, but the bottom has always been questionable, since it has got some surface cracks that I certainly don't want spreading. I tested it with water before putting beer in it, and have brewed several batches with it so I know the innermost layers of glass are okay. My biggest problem with it however is that since I brew 5 gallon batches in a bigger carboy, the krausen foam doesn't come out of my blow off hose; it just sits on top then settles back in, and the foam crusties are an outrageous hassle to clean out when I'm done.
Seems that most carboys are more or less the same, but does anyone have any advice on brewing in glass vs things such as a "Better Bottle?" I've read up on why plastic isn't advisable for fermenters, but those were generally about buckets.
Sooo, to get to the point, I was looking for some advice on what to look for in buying. I'm not looking to spend a fortune, but I don't want to buy this stuff from my local brew shop, since I believe last time I checked, their stainless steel brewpots were about fifty bucks, and I just found ones online for about ten...
Advice?
Since the beginning, I've been using stuff that I got from my grandparents, but it isn't meant for brewing. I have a pretty big lobster pot that is coated with enamel or something (I know aluminum pots and generally anything that's not stainless steel is a big no-no) and it's extremely unwieldy and starting to get kind of warped due to the fact that I'm assuming it wasn't meant to be heated at such high temps for more than the time it takes to boil lobsters.
Should I be looking for one with a multi-layered bottom? Riveted handles? Stainless steel? How many quarts for when I'm making 5 gallon batches (with no real plans to expand into bigger batches in the future)?
My carboy is either a 6 or 6.5 gallon glass jug that I spotted sitting in a dark corner of my grandparents' basement. It's certainly usable, but the bottom has always been questionable, since it has got some surface cracks that I certainly don't want spreading. I tested it with water before putting beer in it, and have brewed several batches with it so I know the innermost layers of glass are okay. My biggest problem with it however is that since I brew 5 gallon batches in a bigger carboy, the krausen foam doesn't come out of my blow off hose; it just sits on top then settles back in, and the foam crusties are an outrageous hassle to clean out when I'm done.
Seems that most carboys are more or less the same, but does anyone have any advice on brewing in glass vs things such as a "Better Bottle?" I've read up on why plastic isn't advisable for fermenters, but those were generally about buckets.
Sooo, to get to the point, I was looking for some advice on what to look for in buying. I'm not looking to spend a fortune, but I don't want to buy this stuff from my local brew shop, since I believe last time I checked, their stainless steel brewpots were about fifty bucks, and I just found ones online for about ten...
Advice?