Equipment Upgrades

[Hojo3322]

howdy home brewers

so recently I won 2 fantasy baseball leagues and came into some extra cash. I have only brewed 2 extract kits so far and going for #3 this weekend. Like so many noobs out there i was instantly addicted to brewing. I would like to upgrade my equipment. This summer i bought a deluxe starter kit from northern brewer w/ glass carboys. http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/marketing-categories/landing/deluxe-beer-starter-kit.html. I also have a 5 gallon stainless steal pot

I eventually want to go all grain but still have lots to learn before I can make that leap. I am interested in doing partial mashes as a stepping stone to all grain.

The question I have is what would be the best equipment investments to improve the quality of my beer? I got $700 from my fantasy baseball winnings and willing to spend it all on brewing equipment/kits

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[mredge73]

Lots of threads that cover this topic.
Most will lead you to a good wort chiller, temp control, and upgrades to your bottling/kegging system before going all grain.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/just-starting-what-other-equipment-should-i-get-254379/

 

[kingmatt]

Wow, you can get a lot with $700. I would recommend investing in some type of wort chiller (immersion or plate) and a way to control your temperature during fermentation (mini fridge/freezer w/ temp control) right away since you are still brewing extract for awhile.

Then start investing in things you can use in both all-grain and extract brewing. A bigger boil kettle, a propane burner.

After that, depending on how much $ you have left, start buying stuff in anticipation of going all-grain. Mash tun, paddle, barley crusher etc. If you are as addicted as you say, you WILL want to go all-grain in the near future.

Other than that I'd say, load up on some hops and deep freeze those suckers.

Congrats on your win BTW

 

[two_hearted]

Fermentation temp control is the best thing you can do to improve your beer. Get a temp controller ($60-$70) and a chest freezer($50-$100 on craigslist). Then I would look into a kegging setup or get some AG stuff.

+1 on plate chiller!

 

[Rob_B]

-Larger kettle for full boil capacity
-Good wort chiller (love my Therminator)
-More fermentors so you can keep more brews going at a time
-Fermentation chamber
-Kegging set up

If you get the kettle and chiller you are pretty much there with equipment for All Grain when you are ready. Depending on the kettle you can do Brew In A Bag, or for pretty cheap you can build a mash tun.

 

[stratslinger]

Assuming the starter kit and the pot are the only pieces of equipment you have so far, I'd recommend the following, in the order listed:

1) Temperature control for your fermenter. If you've got the space for it, a chest freezer and a temperature controller for it are ideal for this. There's very few things you can do that will improve your beer more than maintaining ideal fermentation temperatures!

2) A wort chiller. You're doing partial boils in your 5 gallon pot right now, and ice baths do a decent job of getting those down to ideal pitching temps fairly quickly. But when you eventually make the step to AG, you're going to be handling full boils. Ice baths CAN still work for full boils, but a wort chiller will be far faster.

3) More fermenters - assuming you've got only a single pair of carboys (5 and 6.5 gallon), you'll benefit from having at least one more primary fermenter, so you can get a pipeline going. Keep this in mind when sizing out the freezer from #1 above: you'll want a freezer (or other form of temp control) that can handle multiple fermenters!

4) A bigger pot - 8-10 gallons. Even still doing extract, there are benefits to doing full boils - better hop utilization being one of them. Also, having this second, larger pot, can make it easier for you to do partial mashes, if you want to avoid the straight up BIAB approach.

 

[LVBen]

Some suggestions:

Stir plate
fermentation chamber with temperature controller
aeration system
Kegging setup

 

[nanop]

Fermentation chamber w/ dual temp controller (heating and cooling).

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I would wait until you study up on all grain brewing and get a few more brews under your belt before you start blowing that money. The main things to consider right now are how big of batches you plan to brew in the future and where you will be brewing. If have the space indoors somewhere then figure out what your ideal set up would be and then start rounding up equipment. If you're a DIY kind of guy, $700 should go pretty far.

 

[Misfit]

why not look at building a keezer? that should blow about half of your money right there.

 

[Hojo3322]

wow, thanks for all the suggestions. can't believe the quickness of the responses. you guys rock :rockin:

So far it sounds like temp control freezer is the #1 suggestion. I will have to do some smooth talking with SWMBO on this one but i think I can pull this off. Any chance it could could as a kegerator? (beware newb question )

in the meantime it sounds like a wort chiller, 10 gallon brewpot, and a propane burner would both improve my beer and make some necessary steps toward all grain brewing. I have only delt w/northern brewer and found these three, thoughts? too pricey? overkill?

wortchiller http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewi...andard-chiller-3-8-x25-with-vinyl-tubing.html

burner http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/burners/blichmann-floor-burner-1.html

10 gallon pot http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/brew-kettles/megapots/10-gallon-megapot.html

 

[LVBen]

Save some money and get an aluminum stock pot:
[ame]http://www.google.com/search?q=aluminum+stock+pot&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a#q=aluminum+stock+pot&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=shop&source=og&sa=N&tab=wf&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=802f362a244b50a5&biw=1280&bih=865[/ame]

 

[solbes]

I'd save the $70 for the Blichman burner and get the Banjo burner. The other ones look fine. If you're handy, you can build a immersion chiller with 1/2" x 25, vinyl tubing, and a faucet connection for $35 to 45, saving you another 35 bucks. Fun project that only takes an hour.

If you have a small 4 or 5 cu foot fridge, I'd start building a kegerator (or keezer w/ temp controller) with remaining fundage. Go for 2 Perlick taps and buy 3 used corny ball lock kegs (keep spare for cleaning and refilling while other 2 are on tap). The prices keep going up everywhere, but NB still has them for $40 (and you can sometimes get 10% off).

 

[Hojo3322]

I'd save the $70 for the Blichman burner and get the Banjo burner. The other ones look fine. If you're handy, you can build a immersion chipper with 1/2" x 25, vinyl tubing, and a faucet connection for $35 to 45, saving you another 35 bucks. Fun project that only takes an hour.

are there any advantages to having a Blichman burner (wind protection, fuel efficiency etc..) or is it just a matter of the materials used and paying for the brand name.

also, I have seen a few burners that are 2 feet or so off the ground? Is there any advantages to that?

thanks for the help

 

[simtel20]

are there any advantages to having a Blichman burner (wind protection, fuel efficiency etc..) or is it just a matter of the materials used and paying for the brand name.

also, I have seen a few burners that are 2 feet or so off the ground? Is there any advantages to that?

thanks for the help

Blichman claims better fuel efficiency. BTU rates fuel used, not heat transferred to the pot according to their videos iirc.

I use my home stove for 5 Gallon batches so I cannot confirm nor deny this.

 

[mredge73]

It is nearly the same as a banjo burner, except that it is stainless.

In order to gravity drain your kettle it will need to be above your carboy/etc.
18" tall or more would be preferred.

 

[flyfisherwes]

Bro, I recently started as well. I had a propane burner from a turkey frier. It was like 30 bucks all together. Totally worth buying cause it moved me outside. I have decided to make a keggle. This was recommended to me on this forum in a similar thread. Easy to make and cheap. Makes a 15 gallon kettle. Useable in most any brewing situations. I have also decided to start BIAB instead of traditional all grain after extract brewing You should really look into it.

My next few reusable purchases will be:

Wort chiller. Prob a DIY project.
Keggle. DIY. I got a free keg.
Grain
Multiple fermenters (I don't secondary this will save time. I also found 5 gallon foo grade buckets for cheap. I think I will do 8 gallon batches In my huge keggle and split the fermenters.
A way to control temps. Right now it's cooling down and I think I'll be using a basement but I plan to get a chest freezer to control temps. Used of course.


If I spend 400 bucks on all this stuff I will be disappointed. And even if u did it would leave u 300 for ingredients. Look into Biab. If u can brew extract you can Biab IMO. Look into it. If u buy stuff for Biab then you'll be able to use it for traditional ag.

If u can look for threads I have started or participated in I'd say some of your questions have been answered there as well. I was impressed with the responses I got.

 

[solbes]

are there any advantages to having a Blichman burner (wind protection, fuel efficiency etc..) or is it just a matter of the materials used and paying for the brand name.

They build a quality product that is easily recognized by home brewers. The burner itself is either very similar or the same. The stand for Blichman looks to be a little better if that's important to you.

I've seen both in use, and they both blow away the standard turkey fryer burner that I currently use. Looks like I could shave off 15-20 minutes of time to boil with either the Blichman or Banjo. It's on my "to buy" list.

 

[stratslinger]

As a couple folks have pointed out - check out Home Depot and Walmart for turkey fryers. Most come with 7 gallon (or so) aluminum pots that can _just_ handle a 60-minute full boil if you use some fermcap-S (says the voice of experience). Go much past that 60-minute mark and the volume isn't big enough to account for boil off.

But you should be able to knock out the propane burner and pot together for $40-$50.

Also - while you _could_ use the same freezer for a keezer and ferment chamber, it'd likely involve constructing a couple separate compartments within the freezer and figuring out a way to actively heat the fermentation chamber side, since you'll want to keep your beer much colder than your fermenters. Probably best to figure out a way to use separate fridges/freezers for the two purposes. Start watching Craigslist, and you should be able to walk away with a decent chest freezer for $100 or less.

 

[LandoLincoln]

1) Fermentation chamber of some kind (chest freezer + temp controller is easiest)
2) Big ol' pot or kettle with a ball valve, thermometer and sight glass (8+ gallons for 5 gallon batches, 13+ gallons for 10 gallon batches)
3) Propane burner for doing big outside boils fast
4) Giant cooler for doing all grain batches
5) corny kegs, CO2 tank, CO2 regulator, kegerator or keezer and other kegging equipment will drain your money like nobody's business

 

[kingmatt]

With the price of copper so high, it is actually now cheaper to get a stainless steel chiller:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/stainless-steel-immersion-wort-chiller-w-garden-hose-fittings.html

I have this exact one and LOVE it. It is built to last a lifetime and I can chill my 6 gallon boils down to under 70 in 15-20 min without a problem...

 

[Pilotpip]

Like you, I just brewed my second batch. Like you, I'm addicted.

I'm lucky in the respect that I have a turkey fryer and a kettle capable of doing a full boil from the start. I've been looking at all the toys and upgrades I can do (kegging, all grain, etc) but I think I'm going to chill, make a few batches of extract and get the process down. With the first batch only bottled this weekend, I don't even know what I have just yet.

Based on my observations and wishes, I think the first things I want in order are:

A couple more carboys so I can have a couple batches going
A DIY immersion chiller (I have a wash basin that cools 5 gallons in 30 mins with effort)
A high quality pot with a ball valve
Better burner (maybe a banjo)
All grain equipment (I'll probably DIY this too)

I have an APA and a wheat at different points in the aging process and will probably do an oatmeal stout for the winter months within the next couple weeks. After that I may start over, do the same kits again just to see how the final product turns out after becoming more familiar with the process. Then I'll start making the investments.

 

[Dan]

You didn't mention if you are a DIY kind of guy but being a brewer I'll bet you are.. the two just seem to go together. This is going to be a long response.

Brewpot
Brewpots can be very expensive or relatively cheap. If you can get your hands on a keg, make it a brew pot. There is info on this site and youtube on how to do that. All you really need is something to cut out the top and drill a hole or two. I bought an angle grinder and a step drill bit kit from Harbor Freight for around 30 bucks total, just for the project. But I had a keg. Bought a kit from a vender on this site Bobby_M that included a sight glass/thermometer. I don't remember the exact price but it was very reasonable and works perfectly. Also a $35 stainless steel, weldless 1/2" ballvalve from Morebeer. http://morebeer.com/view_product/19793/102220/Weldless_Spigot_-_Stainless So somewhere around 100 dollars and a few hours of time for a stainless steel 15 gallon brewpot.

Burner
The burner you showed is very nice and seems like a good price. I don't think you would be dissapointed with it. Bayou classic turkey fryers are cheaper and I never had a problem getting my keggle up to temp with one, however I did have to build a frame out of an old metal bed frame to support the keg. It was not hard to do but metal bed frames are extremely tough. Cutting it was no problem with the angle grinder I used on the keggle but I drilled 28 holes and it just chewed up drilled bits. I don't think I'd recommend doing that. If you weld or know somebody who does and would do it cheaply it might be worth it. Bayou classic makes a burner http://bayouclassicdepot.com/kab6-kick-a-banjo-burner-plus.htm A decent price, a little cheaper than the one you are looking at though. I don't think you could go wrong with either.

Wort chiller
I built a counterflow using 20' of 3/8"OD copper tubing and a 5/8" garden hose. It works, but slowly. When I have the money I'm going to buy this http://morebeer.com/view_product/19533/102203/Chillus_Convolutus_Counterflow_Wort_Chiller It can gravity feed but I'll eventually buy a March pump.

Fermentation chamber
A lot of guys have suggested a fermentation chamber. If you can find an old frige or deepfreezer cheaply and you have the room for it, then you could buy a temp controller for about 50-60 bucks and make it a fermentation chamber. If you can't find a cheap frige or freezer or don't have the room for it, don't sweat it... not at this point. There are other ways to keep your wort fermenting at cool temps. Ie., A container large enough to put your carboy in; fill it with water and ice, frozen soda bottles that you can reuse. Throw a wet towel around the carboy that drapes into the water and have a fan blowing on it to help evaporate the heat from the wort. Not the prettiest thing, not fancy, but it will keep your wort cool and aside from a container large enough to put the carboy/bucket in you probably already have the rest of the stuff. Me personally, my two cents. You don't need to dedicate your money in a ferm chamber at this point. Others might feel differently but you have a 700 dollar budget.. later you can spend the money on one.. Just not a necessity right now.

Keggerator!!!!!
I would spend a bulk of the money on a keggerator and 2 or three ballock corny kegs. Pinlocks are cheaper.. I have some and they are a pain to get a good seal at the pressure in port. Just my 2 cents. I'm sure other people use them without problem. Don't buy a brand new keggerator, one of those small sized friges with a tower. I ordered one once; I think it was from beverage factory. Was about 400 dollars, free shipping. I ended up cancelling the order with no hassle from that company. I think it was BF but may be wrong. Anyway don't waste money on one of those things. Build your own keggerator. A good way to spend your money on a keggerator is to find a frige on CL or classified adds and then buy a kit something like this one. http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=330 I built a two tap keggerator from a frige I found very cheaply and a keggerator kit from Beverage Factory.. all in all I spent about 250 bucks on it.

When you decide to go all grain make your own mash/lauter tun out of cooler. Buy a refractometer they are really nice to have. You can take a sample of the wort... just a few drops needed to check the gravity.. Coolest thing ever. Also buy a grain crusher of some sort so you can control the crush instead of getting it pre-crushed from your local home brew store. Plus with uncrushed grain you can buy in bulk and store it until you are ready to use. I have a barley crusher with 7lb hopper. Very happy with.

Ok, I guess that's it from my experience. Congratulations on your winnings! Good luck on your brewery set-up! Please let everybody know what you decide to do.

Cheers!
Dan

 

[Hojo3322]

@ kingmatt looks like a solid alternative

@Pilotpip your 100% right on more carboys, defiantly going for 1 more

@dan holy crap that's a lot of info to digest. love all the DIY elements to this hobby. unfortunately time is always a factor for me. Gonna have to find a way to squeeze some of these projects in

just wanted to thank everyone for there input, I have a lot of info to digest here. This whole BIAB thing just blew my mind. I think the smart thing to do is get a propane burner, wort chiller, and 1 more carboy for now and don't force new equipment in. I'll be sure to follow up with pics and updates. Cheers!