equipment upgrades you wish you had from the start

[GeekBrew]

Some great info here. Seems like a big pot is the most common answer when putting all the responses together.

I'm super new to brewing, but after only a short period of time, these are my observations on choices i made thus far.
-glad I went with morebeers kit that came with an 8.5gallon pot with two welded ports and included a ball valve. Kind of wish there was a 10 gallon option though.
-love the fermonster with spigot attachment.
-really happy i started with a wort chiller from day 1, but now you have me looking at the hydra
-after my first batch, i purchased a thermometer i could put in the other port on my kettle. the thermometer that came with my kit was almost useless to me.
-for my first batch i debated a lot about how much to spend on a burner. i did end up buying a blichmann hellfire and am happy i did. While it cost more than other options, i think the ability to control the flame, and heat fast is actually something that is making me being a beginner easier. for my second batch i did purchase the extended legs and am glad i have those now.

I think at this point, my biggest variable is the temperature of fermentation. I am looking into the options for controlling fermentation temperatures and that will probably be my next investment.

Also thinking my next batch may be one of the 3 gallon BIAB northern brewer kits to try out the BIAB method and see where that takes me.

Thanks for all the great info!

 

[mongoose33]

The problem when one is starting out is that one doesn't really know for sure if one will like brewing. Do I wish I hadn't spent money on the system I bought, and directed that money toward a better system? Yeah.

But at the same time, I wonder if I learned how to brew better because I had to learn about workarounds and deal with equipment not quite as nice as that to what I later upgraded.

• No ferm chamber. Had to learn to use a swamp cooler.
  
• Slow chiller. Recognized why fast was better (usually).
  
• Smaller kettle. Now I know why bigger in this case is better.
  
• Only had a hydrometer. Now I know why a refractometer makes sense.
  
• I bottle conditioned; it helped me learn the value of kegging, and a keezer.
  
• I used my water out of the tap (if your water tastes good you can make good beer!); it helped me learn the value of an RO system.

I have, now, easily a couple grand or more in equipment--and I don't have any pumps, or electric brewing, or fancy control panel, or anything like that. If you had told me I should have all that stuff I've got at the outset, I wonder if I would have learned as much, or even been motivated to figure it out.'

Or even begun at all given the apparent high cost of beginning homebrewing.

Just a thought...

 

[bigdawg86]

I should have spent 200 on a SS Brewtech brew bucket instead of Craftabrew Catalyst.

 

[SlitheryDee]

My big one is the larger brew kettle. I bought a 5 gal, 10, gal, and now a 20 gallon. Each one has pretty much rendered the previous one useless. I could have saved some dough by jumping straight to the 20 gal, but how was I to know that I would want it in the beginning? Some things you just can't help I guess. At least I think I can probably use the 10 gallon as a HLT when I get going with an electric setup.

I wish I had gone all 6.5 gallon plastic buckets for my fermenters. I've gone through a couple of carboys at this point and I keep going back to my lone bucket every time it's not occupied by a beer because it's so much easier to deal with. I also should never have bothered with glass fermenters. Everything I have now is plastic, and it's so much less nerve wracking to move around. Of course if I had fermentation chambers from the beginning all my early beers would have been that much better as well. The wort chiller is another big one. I feel like being able to get the wort under 170F fairly quickly is a big help when it comes to turning out a consistent product.

 

[SlitheryDee]

double post

 

[Kwitty]

Self education! All of these things mentioned make a difference, & some more than others. For me a temp controlled fermentation chamber made the most drastic immediately noticeable difference as far as equipment. But for me reading everything I could and listening to good homebrew podcasts taught me so much before I got too deep. It kept me from spending needless money and wasting time. Toys are nice, but ometimes simple can produce better in the hands of someone with knowledge. And not just with beer!

 

[Kwitty]

The problem when one is starting out is that one doesn't really know for sure if one will like brewing. Do I wish I hadn't spent money on the system I bought, and directed that money toward a better system? Yeah.

But at the same time, I wonder if I learned how to brew better because I had to learn about workarounds and deal with equipment not quite as nice as that to what I later upgraded.

• No ferm chamber. Had to learn to use a swamp cooler.
  
• Slow chiller. Recognized why fast was better (usually).
  
• Smaller kettle. Now I know why bigger in this case is better.
  
• Only had a hydrometer. Now I know why a refractometer makes sense.
  
• I bottle conditioned; it helped me learn the value of kegging, and a keezer.
  
• I used my water out of the tap (if your water tastes good you can make good beer!); it helped me learn the value of an RO system.

I have, now, easily a couple grand or more in equipment--and I don't have any pumps, or electric brewing, or fancy control panel, or anything like that. If you had told me I should have all that stuff I've got at the outset, I wonder if I would have learned as much, or even been motivated to figure it out.'

Or even begun at all given the apparent high cost of beginning homebrewing.

Just a thought...

I like the way you think!

 

[processhead]

For me it was stainless fermenters, should have got them from the get go.

While a stainless fermenter is a great piece of equipment to have, I don't really think it meets the criteria spelled out by the OP.

You can ferment great beers in a wide variety of vessels, many of which are cheap, and some of which are free.

But IMHO, a good kettle with a drain is right at the top of the list of essentials, followed by a wort chiller.

 

[z-bob]

My best upgrade so far was a Hot Rod immersion heater (1650 watts) It makes all the difference in the world when I'm boiling indoors on the kitchen stove, and saves a bunch of propane when I'm boiling outside.

 

[jalc6927]

Without question

The grainfather

Used one this weekend and it was awesome

 

[hezagenius]

Things I wished I just spent the money on upfront:
1. Bigger kettle. I use a 15g from Spike now for 5g batches. No concern about boilovers.
2. Fermentation chamber. I started with no control at all, then went to swamp cooler, and now use a kegerator fridge with an Inkbird.
3. Kegs with MFL connections and nice faucets. Man alive, it is nice to have beer on tap and not mess with cleaning and filling bottles.
4. Some type of quick disconnect system. I use camlocks on my kettle to switch between pump and drain. And I use them on my chiller to easily connect and disconnect from my water hose.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

The only purchase I made over was my digital scale, you couldn’t see the weight of the bucket because the bucket covered the readout.

A thick book can lift up the bucket so that you can just about see the readout, but I'd agree, some scales where you don't have to do that are a good idea, either have a bigger platform or a display that is somehow visible when there's a bucket on. I've seen parcel scales that would be ideal, albeit bulky, I guess in this day and age there's no reason you couldn't have a Bluetooth transmitter to show the weight on your phone?

Most important bit of kit when brewing - pen and paper, obsess over planning and recording your brews.

Some software is very useful to that end too, even if it's something a bit clunky (but free) like Brewtarget or the online tools.

Most water utilities (certainly in the EU) have online tools to give you a water analysis for your postcode - it's a great place to start in getting your water dialed in without spending money on an analysis of what is actually coming out of your tap.

Something I don't think anyone's mentioned is heatproof silicone gloves - invaluable for handling HHHOOOTTTTTT!!!!!!! BIAB bags and also allows you to sterilise your "hands".

1-2 surplus 5gal buckets are really useful to have around, whether for keeping Starsan in, putting waste grain in whilst you do other stuff, giving you somewhere to put your wort when you discover you've just put it in a vessel with a leaky tap - and just using as somewhere to tidily store your gear, which definitely helps domestic harmony. I also have a storage box for keeping all my water adjustments and other small bits in.

Extra smaller fermentation buckets - I find myself increasingly doing split batches, I'm always playing with new hops or yeast or whatever. Lots more experience for minimal extra work.

Extractor fan for the brewspace if you're indoors.

A connector for the chiller that actually works without leaking

It''s definitely more advanced, and I've got an advantage in having wrangled yeast for work although it's not that difficult, but if you're into different yeasts then getting set up for doing slants etc is definitely worth it. Not something to worry about until you've got the basics sorted though.

 

[PADave]

While a stainless fermenter is a great piece of equipment to have, I don't really think it meets the criteria spelled out by the OP.

You can ferment great beers in a wide variety of vessels, many of which are cheap, and some of which are free.

But IMHO, a good kettle with a drain is right at the top of the list of essentials, followed by a wort chiller.

Sure it does. He asked which upgrades YOU wish you had from the start. I started with a Better Bottle, upgraded to a Fermonster, upgraded to a Spiedel, then upgraded to a Brewbucket. Would have saved me money by not buying the first two, and saves me headaches because the Brewbucket is much easier to clean. Yes you can ferment in all kinds of vessels, but that is what I wish I would have got from the start. I personally don't care for plastic. Most of my other equipment I bought good stuff from the get go, so haven't needed to upgrade yet.

 

[processhead]

Sure it does. He asked which upgrades YOU wish you had from the start. I started with a Better Bottle, upgraded to a Fermonster, upgraded to a Spiedel, then upgraded to a Brewbucket. Would have saved me money by not buying the first two, and saves me headaches because the Brewbucket is much easier to clean. Yes you can ferment in all kinds of vessels, but that is what I wish I would have got from the start. I personally don't care for plastic. Most of my other equipment I bought good stuff from the get go, so haven't needed to upgrade yet.

Yep, in your particular instance, maybe the fermenter was the one item.
Glad to hear your other first choices were the right ones, and you are still happy with them.

 

[Vandulus]

In no particular order here are the things I really wish I had starting off:
- A nice stainless brewing kettle
- Starsan and PBW
- Wort chiller
- Tilt hydrometer
- Fermentation chamber + temp controller
- Grain mill
- High quality digital thermometer

 

[springinloose1]

My answer doesn't depend on brewing style and won't produce "better" beer, but definitely makes brewing more fun: 3 tap kegerator. I started with a large chest freezer that doubled as a fermentation chamber. Due to size constraints, after I moved into kegging I couldn't use the chest freezer as a fermentation chamber anymore so I bought a kegerator, which is super awesome, and I get to lager again. Bottle day is tedious so moving to kegs was a godsend.

 

[mongoose33]

The only purchase I made over was my digital scale, you couldn’t see the weight of the bucket because the bucket covered the readout.

As an FYI for those looking for a scale where the readout isn't covered, I have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FSWB9K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The front panel is removeable and connected to the rest of the scale by a cord, so you can put larger objects on it and still see the readout. It runs on batteries or you can buy a transformer, but I've had mine for several years and I'm still on the first set of batteries.

I'd buy this scale over again in a second. It's one of those items I *don't* wish I'd done over.

 

[IslandLizard]

As an FYI for those looking for a scale where the readout isn't covered, I have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FSWB9K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The front panel is removeable and connected to the rest of the scale by a cord, so you can put larger objects on it and still see the readout. It runs on batteries or you can buy a transformer, but I've had mine for several years and I'm still on the first set of batteries.

I'd buy this scale over again in a second. It's one of those items I *don't* wish I'd done over.

I would be looking for a scale that can be used when filling (corny) kegs, so it needs to be at least 50-55 lbs capacity.

Your scale will probably do that, with a 1 ft square piece of plywood on top. The detachable readout is a nice touch!

 

[mongoose33]

I would be looking for a scale that can be used when filling (corny) kegs, so it needs to be at least 50-55 lbs capacity.

Your scale will probably do that, with a 1 ft square piece of plywood on top. The detachable readout is a nice touch!

It'll do that. I also use it for weighing alloy for casting bullets.

I haven't really thought about using it while filling kegs....I should probably try that. Usually I'm filling kegs with cold-crashed beer so I just follow the condensation line on the outside of the keg.

 

[eric19312]

I was all ready to put up fermentation fridge but then reading the thread saw kegging. Yes I wish I hadn't taken 50 batches to pull the trigger on kegging haha.

 

[portguy]

I was all ready to put up fermentation fridge but then reading the thread saw kegging. Yes I wish I hadn't taken 50 batches to pull the trigger on kegging haha.

I just got permission from the wife to use a 12 yo freezer as a fermentation chamber! YAY... Too bad it is a vertical one with a monster middle shelf with coils built in. I can't unbend it because it will clear not enough space.

Just bought some 2x20 liter plastic boxes that fit between the shelves and allow 30 liter batches to ferment.

So: i stand with you. I wish i had some mini kegs now !

 

[ddibbern5]

This a great topic! Many have said that they wish they purchased the best they could afford from day one...
This seems like a good spot for this newb question-

What should I purchase? (& more importantly why)
Hellfire burner $150 (& stand)
Amcyl 15 gallon brew kettle w/ weldless thermometer & ball valve $190 (or other kettle?)
Total $340
Or
Bayou classic burner ~$60
10 gallon ss pot ~$60
Total $120
I’m new to home brewing & want to move to all grain.
Ultimately I will want the ability to produce 10 gallon batches but have no need to do that today.
The cheap solution will be my next step but the better option will probably be my final kettle & burner..?
Worst case if I never get the hang of brewing all grain & only brew a few batches I should be able to sell the good stuff for $250? Right?
Where the cheap stuff will probably get $20 maybe $40? So the loss of $’s will be comparable...?
Any advise & guidance for this newb would much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[paulshe]

By nature a mizer so take this for what it's worth. I brewed a long time ago and then restarted about 4 years ago. My restart was conditioned on a couple things:
1. all grain
2. Keg (no bottling)
But I don't think you can get there without some slow trial and error and deciding if you are in for the long term. But my short list of what I'd buy if I had known....
1. Kegging and decide on ball vs. pinlock and go to the used market (i chose pinlock cuz i can get 4 for about $120) but I do have some ball lock because I did not do my homework before. I hated bottling.
2. Big pot, 10 gallon if you are doing 5 gal. Don't need any of the bling. I chose aluminum and still use it.
3. Good burner. I was lucky i had one
4. Fermentation control. Ok this is a bit advanced but this is the ONE big thing that improved my process. I also bought spiedels but know that I could just as easily stuck with plastic buckets. Don't worry so much about the fermentation vessel.
5. Good chiller, I use IC that I homemade. Looking back should have bought the nice jaded hydra.

One more thing, to really answer you need to decide if you are a tinkerer and get pleasure from the DIY building aspect of the hobby. That is a big part of what you might prioritize.

ddibbern, if it was me do the bayou option. Although I'm getting seduced by the other kettles as I look for a 15 gallon pot and have a little more money then I should to spend on this.

 

[ddibbern5]

Thanks for the feedback paulshe!
I’m working towards all grain not quite there yet... but I do have a 4 keg keezer plus a fermentation chamber “under construction” (I picked up the craigslist chamber freezer yesterday.)I am a tinkerer for sure with an electronics & automation background.
I was planning on picking up a 100’ of copper tubing for a diy chiller. Is that not the best plan?

 

[mongoose33]

This a great topic! Many have said that they wish they purchased the best they could afford from day one...
This seems like a good spot for this newb question-

What should I purchase? (& more importantly why)
Hellfire burner $150 (& stand)
Amcyl 15 gallon brew kettle w/ weldless thermometer & ball valve $190 (or other kettle?)
Total $340
Or
Bayou classic burner ~$60
10 gallon ss pot ~$60
Total $120
I’m new to home brewing & want to move to all grain.
Ultimately I will want the ability to produce 10 gallon batches but have no need to do that today.
The cheap solution will be my next step but the better option will probably be my final kettle & burner..?
Worst case if I never get the hang of brewing all grain & only brew a few batches I should be able to sell the good stuff for $250? Right?
Where the cheap stuff will probably get $20 maybe $40? So the loss of $’s will be comparable...?
Any advise & guidance for this newb would much appreciated. Thanks!

Part of the issue is sitting there 6 mos from now having "invested" $120 in equipment that now no longer meets your needs or wants, and having to set it aside or sell it at a great discount.

I would suggest that you consider a kettle with welded fittings and ditch anything that has "weldless" fittings. While some report success with the "weldless" fittings, I had a kettle with them and they never seemed to want to seal quite right. It's not as robust an approach for tapping into a kettle. Welded fittings does = pricier.

Also, it might be helpful to think of the cost as $220. You've already decided to do something, so you're already willing to spend $120. The difference is $220, not the $340 you note for the more expensive setup.

I have a Hellfire, bought the leg extensions, so I know that burner very well. It's pricey, yes, but it helps do something I've been working on, to wit:

Shorten my brew day!

I do Brew-in-a-Bag and I have to heat 7.25 gallons of strike water and then do a boil of 6.5 gallons or a bit more. It takes time to heat that up! I'm sure the Hellfire (140,000 BTU) saves me 30 minutes every brew day in speed, compared to my old 54,000 BTU burner. The thing is a beast.

As far as the height, unless you want be bending down to work w/ your kettle, you'll want the leg extensions. They're about $40 or $45 or something (can't recall exactly).

But no way would I want this thing on the ground w/o the leg extensions. I can rack/drain right from my kettle into a fermenter w/ the kettle on the Hellfire w/ leg extensions. I'd have to lift that kettle to a bench or table. No way.

Now, maybe you can build a small table or some such out of 2x4s or similar, put a fireproof material on the top (ceramic tile?) and that would work to hold the Hellfire. I considered that but again, the cost wasn't $45 for the leg extensions, it was what the cost of the table would be versus the leg extensions, since I was going to do *something* to elevate that burner.

In the end, it makes the burner plus leg extensions almost $200. That's hard to swallow at the beginning (believe me, I know). I used Christmas money plus cash raised by selling my old setup to get it and the Spike 10-gallon kettle I have now.

***********

If you wanted to sell these items, I'm going to guess you might get 60-70 percent of the kettle costs (I wouldn't be a potential customer because of the "weldless" fittings), and maybe 70-75 percent for the hellfire, depending on condition. Bayou Classic burner? $30-35.

***********

This is the burner I sold to upgrade to the Hellfire: https://www.walmart.com/ip/King-Kooker-CS14-25-Portable-Propane-Outdoor-Camp-Stove-CS14/10661038

The nice thing is it already has legs and it will allow one to drain from the kettle. It is 54000 BTU. The BayouClassic is only...what...55,000 BTU? If that's wrong and it has higher BTUs, then probably the BayouClassic is a better deal.

***********

Anyway, some thoughts on this. I'm sure it just complicates things for you but those are some other considerations.

 

[Miraculix]

A bench capper.

 

[jekeane]

I am a firm believer in buy once cry once. That being said unless you know its a hobby for you its hard to say you should just dump $4,000 and be done with it.

That being said I believe you will be more apt to love the hobby if you make good beer right away and I think that starts with a chest freezer and temperature control.

Lots of new brewers here i Florida jump into the hobby without considering the need to deal with the heat here and they aren't brewing for very long because their beers suffer from lack of fermentation temperature control.

 

[Rairdog]

I started with a gifted 8 gal turkey fryer...upgraded to 15 gal Spike and Hellfire. Saved time/propane and much quieter.

My first batch was kegged. Used pin locks gave me headaches due to the posts were dinged up and leaked liquid inconsistently. I would go with ball locks.

A cheap used mini fridge, plywood/foam box extension fermentor was definitely a big improvement in flavor.

I still use a cheap 25 ft chiller but have cool well water so a Hydra isn't a high priority.

I haven't checked my gravity in a year. I make all my own recipes with 10-12 lbs of grain. I don't need to hit a target OG and the smell test of fermentor always lets me know it's doing it's thing....but thats just me being lazy and cocky.

I still use plastic buckets but am considering the Anvil SS buckets cause I know they will last forever and I don't care for siphoning.

A good thermometer made a difference...I was off 10 deg on my mash temps but the boil temp was always on so I figured it was accurate.

I didn't notice much difference with better scales but they're not expensive.

A brew/wash station was a big timesaver and lot less work with hoses, storage and lifting. It made the day go much easier and more enjoyable. I finally quit researching the ultimate rig and went with the workspace first using recycled material. The Hellfire sits on concrete blocks which will soon be tiled.

 

[ancientmariner52]

A big utility sink. Mine has two bowls, holds about thirty gallons each side. I can wash my 6.5 gal. Big Mouth Bubblers on one side while soaking 60 bottles on the other.

The thing is made of some kind of grey plastic, seems to hold up well. Came with legs, utility faucet and spray hose, about $100 at local farm supply. Wish I good go SS, but "Poor folks got poor ways".

 

[mj1angier]

A big utility sink. Mine has two bowls, holds about thirty gallons each side. I can wash my 6.5 gal. Big Mouth Bubblers on one side while soaking 60 bottles on the other.

The thing is made of some kind of grey plastic, seems to hold up well. Came with legs, utility faucet and spray hose, about $100 at local farm supply. Wish I good go SS, but "Poor folks got poor ways".

Of if like me, you don't have room/ hook up for a sink, get one of these:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tuff-stuff-products-tuff-round-tub-25-gal

I just run my first chiller water into it- nice and hot/ warm and add some PBW. As the wort is chilling, I am cleaning EBIAB basket and other stuff