So much great info in this thread and I just wanted to chime in and say thanks to all that have shared!
I just recently started brewing again after a few years off with a 10.5 AF (two batches) and decided on it for several reasons, so far it's delivered. I'm coming from a serious overkill basement setup, and although it was awesome it was a ton of work. My expectations for efficiency with the AF were low and I'm already at or exceeding them so pretty happy with it, I can only expect improvements as I get it dialed in. I will be adding a Spincycle for faster cooling and I'm on the fence about a valve to regulate flow during recirculation. And thanks to reading on this forum I bought a Brew Bag right out of the gate. Other than that, don't see any immediate needs.
Besides the AF itself my biggest investment was a dual fermentation stand. I'll be brewing in the garage here in SC so temp control was critical especially during the summer months. Thanks again for all the info here!
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