DIY priority list

[Matthias]

At this point in time, I am currently doing extract / specialty grain partial boil brews. My list of successful DIYs is short, a fermentation chamber and a self made heater for that chamber. I have also hobbled together a letting system that sits in a fridge that I'm not allowed to drill. So here is my current priority list, is there something out of whack that you all think needs to be reorganized? Maybe something I'm completely missing? I'm open to ideas. And will create walkthroughs of future DIY projects.

1. Stir plate

I want to get this going primarily because I have the spare parts laying around.

2. Bottle/bucket/carboy/keg/beer line cleaning system.

I still bottle because I share a lot of my beer. I hate cleaning bottles.

3. Wort chiller

Colder, faster, can't go wrong.

4. Keezer / kegerator build

I currently have room for one keg, I would like to have a 4 tap system in place for a variety of beers to be readily available. This is the most costly and labor intensive of the diy ideas to this point...

5. Begin to design and slowly build necessary equipment for an all grain build.

Is there anything I'm totally overlooking in importance here?

 

[bondra76]

I'd do the stir plate and wort chiller first, just because they are the easiest. I made a DIY stir plate though and I didn't like the computer fan DIY model. I just bought a lab-grade stir plate for $80 off an auction instead. Check out proxibid.com they have some bargains on there for homebrewers. You may have also some other auction sites in your area that sell stuff cheap (restaurant auctions have been a GEM for me).

Wort chiller you can get done in one night and a trip to Lowes/Home Depot. I literally finished my wort chiller DIY in about 60 minutes max. And I'm a rookie at this stuff.

Bottle cleaning system vs keezer build - I would just go ahead with the keezer build. I know that's the most expensive and intensive in resources, but I skipped the whole bottling era and went straight to kegging and I'm extremely happy I did. If you've got even more time to plan out your keezer I would highly advise for it. I thought I planned out mine semi-well and just rebuilt it again. From what I can tell, everyone goes to a keezer build eventually anyhow in some, way, shape or form...ditch the bottles and make the jump...or at least concentrate on getting the pieces and starting down the road. My keezer was a hell of a lot more work and needed more planning than I ever anticipated.

 

[MedicMang]

It really depends on priority. Wort chiller is a must. If you have the shtuff for the stir plate, build it. Most of this stuff can be done in an afternoon. All grain stuff isn't very expensive or difficult either, depending on what you currently have. Fermentation chamber?


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