Decisions on what to buy

LittleRiver · Mar 5, 2019

CascadesBrewer said:
...there is a lot of attention on "brew day time"...gotta get that brew day down to 3 hours!...

I admit to being someone who is chasing the goal of a 3hr brew day. I'm not quite there, but very close. The reason I'm doing it is so I can enjoy the hobby more. That may sound contradictory at first, but it's not.

If I have my process so efficient and effective that I know I can do a brew in 3hrs, I know I can brew on a weekend morning then go meet a friend for lunch and do something else the rest of the day. I know I can do an after work brew without having to rush or stay up late. It gives me the freedom to brew more.

I always have the option to turn what could be a 3hr brew into a 6hr brew session if that's what I feel like doing.

...I could see where money into stuff like shelving, storage containers, a cleaning station, etc. might be worthwhile investments.

Absolutely.

I don't think I've ever posted that I was jealous of someone's brew rig, but I have definitely posted some things about being covetous of the big sinks some folks have.

McKnuckle · Mar 5, 2019

It's true about the brew day length and general ease of use.

In fact with all of the cool unboxing and brew day videos on YouTube, I can't recall a single one that shows the clean-up process at the end. Every time I see a room full of massive stainless vessels, several pumps, and yards of tubing, that's what I think about - and no thanks!

Bobby_M · Mar 6, 2019

A lot of people discount temp control by saying their basement is cold enough or whatever. What I really mean is a dedicated fridge running on an Inkbird along with a heat wrap for around the fermenter. I'm talking about absolute control regardless of ambient temp movement, seasons, or fermentation vigor. As mentioned, something like a Barleywine with an adequate yeast pitch can make 12F over ambient temps. Absolute control let's you brew Saisons in the middle of winter. Late ramp your ales and lagers for less Diacetyl and Acetaldehyde problems. Cold crash your IPAs to get them off the dryhops faster.

There are a lot of ways to incrementally improve your beer, but this is the one that I feel you'll appreciate the most and right away. I honestly think a mill is the least useful unless you already have a problem getting your grain milled at the shop you buy from.

After that, since you already have access to CO2, no-oxygen transfers to the keg is a very close second... maybe even a tie but it's hard to quantify. Both will make a noticeable improvement.

CascadesBrewer · Mar 6, 2019

Bobby_M said:
What I really mean is a dedicated fridge running on an Inkbird along with a heat wrap for around the fermenter.

I would note that there is a difference between fermentation temp control without a dedicated fermentation chamber vs just sitting your beer out at room temp an letting it rip. There are fairly cheap and simple ways to manipulate the temp of your fermentation chamber by 5F or more. Yeah, it is more work to put your fermenter in a tub of water and add ice water to keep the initial fermentation temps under control vs setting the temp on your chamber. I see the value in a fermentation chamber, but you can brew very good quality ales without one.

My kegging system was probably the single biggest quality jump in all my brewing equipment. The ability to dial in carbonation is massive. I am sure the reduced oxygen exposure impacted it as well, though oxygen gets more attention these days.

Moving to a Propane burner was a massive jump over stovetop and shaved a solid hour off a brewday...not sure if the quality of my beer improved or not. I am trying to think how I brewed before my 10 gal pot...I guess I was using a large enamel canning pot that I could stretch across 2 stove burners for a long time.

My grain mill was right up there toward the top of improvements. Without it my efficiency values were all over the board between which pre-milled brand I got at my local store or which mail order vendor I used. I have a lot more control over which base malts I use and I can ensure they are milled fresh.

lump42 · Mar 6, 2019

CascadesBrewer said:
I would note that there is a difference between fermentation temp control without a dedicated fermentation chamber vs just sitting your beer out at room temp an letting it rip. There are fairly cheap and simple ways to manipulate the temp of your fermentation chamber by 5F or more. Yeah, it is more work to put your fermenter in a tub of water and add ice water to keep the initial fermentation temps under control vs setting the temp on your chamber. I see the value in a fermentation chamber, but you can brew very good quality ales without one.

Agreed, Instead of ice bath, I've been using a Yooper Lagerator (link) Its a custom foam lid for a large square "ice cube" style cooler. I can easily hold beer temps inside at 50F (air temps are 40-45F), with ice swaps two to three times a day. Plus the original lid still fits on so I can use it camping.