Best brewing Christmas present under $30

[kingmatt]

Hey everyone,

My girlfriend and I are saving money to get married within a year (plus she just lost her job) so we put a $30 cap on what we can spend on each other for xmas this year. She knows that I love brewing and wants to get me a brewing gift but isn't sure what to get so I was hoping to give her some ideas on the best gift for under $30 that will help me in my brewing.

I am an extract brewer and don't plan on making the jump to all grain for awhile (I need more space and don't want to invest in the upgraded equiptment right now). My equipment so far is:

5 gallon stainless brewpot
3 gallon aluminum brewpot
Plastic "Ale Pail"
Plastic bottling bucket and various bottling equiptment
6.5 gallon Better Bottle
5 gallon Better Bottle
Assorted tubing, air locks, stoppers etc
Johnson Control for my kegerator/fermentation chamber
Aquarium heater for temp control in winter
Hydrometer and meat thermometer
1L flask for starters
Starsan

What do you think would be the most useful thing I should ask for that would be $30 or less? Digital thermometer? Brew Belt? Refractometer?

I was just thinking of asking for a kit under $30 but then was thinking that maybe a piece of equipment would be smarter...

 

[Revvy]

A refractometer. But you/she has to shop around. You can find many deals under 30, I think we even had a thread on here where a store was selling them for 15 bucks. I paid 29 I think 2 years ago around this time. But Ive seen them priced higher as well. But just a generic automatic temp controlled one can be had for that price range.

 

[buzzkill]

A used corney keg. I used mine as a bright tank for a year before I got my C02/reg. best secondary you could have.

 

[BendBrewer]

A propane burner.

 

[user 19629]

stir plate?

 

[knotquiteawake]

is the auto siphon under $30?

 

[Revvy]

is the auto siphon under $30?

10 bucks I think

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Racheal Rays $40 a day grilled cheese maker!

Is it too much to ask?

 

[kingmatt]

is the auto siphon under $30?

I've already got an autosiphon...sorry forgot to list it.

 

[Revvy]

Racheal Rays $40 a day grilled cheese maker!

Is it too much to ask?

This doesn't have anything to do with THIS thread does it? I caught my dad with my GF

You want to stick your "manwhich" into her "creamy velveeta" don't you, you dirty bastage, you.

 

[Bobby_M]

A bench capper.
A bottle tree with a vinator on the top.

 

[jbrookeiv]

The parts for a wort chiller. That's my next purchase.

 

[Chipster27]

stir plate?

Check out Brewer's Hardware, they have a plate for $45 or so and a kit for even less than that. Plus Darren has been great to work with!

or a refratometer. I bought one on eBay from Hong Kong...still waiting for shipping but for $30 I think it will be better than my hydrometer.

 

[Hartski]

Can never have too many cool t-shirts or signs for the man cave.

 

[philrose]

cool glassware is a great gift

 

[millworkman]

Grain for a brew...

 

[buffalobrewer]

ingredients, or something from victoria's secret....

 

[jpoder]

sounds to me like you are pretty well set equipment-wise for the time being...there are always more toys or enhanced gear for brewing, but they don't (by themselves) make better beer.

Personally, if I were you, I would ask for a gift card for my LHBS or an online retailer for ingredients. Not as cool as unwrapping something, but better IMHO.

I also like the Victoria's Secret idea...

 

[DrawTap88]

Refractometer. Hands down the best money I've spent on brewing equipment, including the kegerator (should've gotten a keezer). I got the eBay special for right around $25.00.

 

[the_bird]

Check out Brewer's Hardware, they have a plate for $45 or so and a kit for even less than that. Plus Darren has been great to work with!

+1 on this. If you've got the flask, go ahead and get the stir plate. You could put one together yourself for less than the $42 it costs to buy one, but it's kind of a PITA project. I know it's over the $30 budget, but it's worth the couple extra dollars.

Refractometer is cool, but it's redundant with the hydrometer. Stir plate will make you better starters, which should directly benefit the beer.

EDIT: Wort chiller seems like the next "big" thing you need, but with copper prices being as absurd as they are, I doubt you can get much of anything for a chiller (or even just the materials) for anywhere near $30.

 

[Hartski]

or something from victoria's secret....

Winner! As long as it's for her to wear.........:rockin:

 

[bmud0314]

Vote #1: Victoria's secret
Vote #2: Wort chiller parts

 

[Homercidal]

A refractometer would be pretty nice, but you can already measure gravity with the hydrometer, must a bit of a PITA to use IMO.

I think you should focus on the importantest aspects of brewing...

1. Temp Control. Make sure you ferment at proper temp using swamp cooler or controller.

2. Yeast health. Stirplate is nice, but not really necessary. You can get the job done by swirling the flask by hand a few times a day as you walk by. If you don't have a flask, they are nice BTW. And you can BUILD a stirplate for a few dollars... (if you have computer parts handy...

3. Chiller. Maybe the best idea yet since you don't have one. Not so much for the time factor, but because I think they are easier to use than a sink of ice water (and faster too...) But cost may prohibit you from even building one.

It's hard to decide. I've collected many small items that have proven useful to have, but you have the basics already. The refractometer may be the best choice at this point since it can be had online for less than your max price and really can take some effort out of the brewing process. You can even use online calculators, or excel spreadsheets to measure fermented gravity with it.

 

[the_bird]

Read his list, though, he's got a fermentation chamber, a temp controller, and an aquarium heater for the winter. Chiller to me is a non-starter because I don't see how you can come close to making one for less than $60. Refractometer doesn't make the beer any better, it just makes one measurement a little easier. More important for AG brewing than extract anyway, AG you really want to be able to check preboil gravities but that's a nonissue for extract.

To me, that leaves the stirplate as the best option, either the parts to build it (<$30) or $42 to just buy it. Stirplate is going to help get a viable starter a lot better than just shaking once or twice a day, of the items discussed that's the most likely to have a real impact on the beer.

Plus, name me something cooler than watching a yeast starter's vortex on a stirplate

 

[GoNova]

BAM!

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/for/2058962196.html

This is my vote if you live in the Philly area!

 

[the_bird]

Ftw!

 

[kingmatt]

BAM!

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/for/2058962196.html

This is my vote if you live in the Philly area!

I may have to forward the link on to SWMBO, though I doubt it will last long...

For those who are suggesting Victoria's Secret, trust me she has plenty already Also, I am looking for something to improve my brewing not distract me from it!!!

 

[the_bird]

Not to mention, if you aren't careful, *that* hobby can get pretty damn expensive!

 

[brewingkitty]

condoms or birth control (preferred)

 

[ian-atx]

What about brewing books?

I have received a few as gifts and really enjoyed them. Especially Radical Brewing and the Belgian beer books (farmhouse ales/wild brews/brew like a monk).