First set of modern equipment

[kohalajohn]

Hello all.

I’m about to start this hobby again.

Currently have no equipment. So I’m about to buy a full set of equipment. And your thoughts appreciated.

Electric BIAB system from Clawhammer 10 gallon, 120V. Anvil 7.5 stainless fermenter. Kegerator from BestBuy, holding a couple of Corny kegs. Local homebrew store for the misc
things.

My situation’s a bit unusual. I’m not a beginner. I was seriously into it. But that was thirty years ago. I’m only now coming back into the hobby after thirty years away.

Back in college days it was plastic buckets, no money, everything was DIY. Malted barley was hard to find. Everything was hard to find.

And goodness the tech has changed. I open the page and I see these shiny jacketed conicals, automated glycol coolers. Easily available supplies of expertly malted barleys and advanced yeasts. I feel like a time traveller suddenly transported to a future where everyone has flying cars.

At this time in my life I can finally afford this stuff. And at first I nearly lost my mind and started ordering jacketed conicals and all the shiny things. Ports, ports ports! Ports on top of more ports!

But no. For now I plan to take the middle path and get the gear listed at the top of this post.

If after brewing I am still craving the jacketed conicals and glycol coolers, then I’ll go there.

So I guess my question is, in my situation, what do you think of the above setup, for me, and at this time?

 

[Broken Crow]

Please don't take this the wrong way: You're clearly in the thrall of Gear Lust. I can totally relate, but really: Slow down!
"Kegerator from BestBuy" for example sounds like something you'd regret: I haven't looked up kegerators on that site but my prediction is that they sell "Man Cave Kegerators", equipped with vinyl lines, plated-chome shanks and high-maintenence rear-sealing taps and a subpar regulator, equipped to serve Miller or Coors from sanke's. (An ideal homebrewers kegerator will use duotight/EVABarrier lines, have Stainless Steel shanks, forward-sealing SS Nukataps and a MicroMatic or Taprite regulator, preferably with 1/4"MFL output from an integrated on/off/check-valve and possibly secondary regulators depending on dispensing intent or at least a mainfold rather than split-lines.
120V means longer heating times but I still think you'd be better served with the brewhardware.com BIAB package as you won't get that dead space between the basket and the kettle wall, as well you'd get split-recirculation and more uniform mash temps. Is there any option of beefing up your electricity supply to 240V/30A?
While there's a lot of details to evey element of brewing to look at, rein in your gear lust and take your time. If it helps; Keep in mind that today many homebrewers are still winning awards brewing on the stovetop and fermenting in glass carboys and plastic buckets...It's not the gear, but how it's used. (But yeah: Stainless Bling!! ....much want!)
I'm glad you've got to a good place in life, but hey: Don't let one cent turn into a regret down the road. You're investment can last a lifetime, so take your time and keep us filled in.

 

[fluketamer]

welcome back . i started brewing back in the day also when AG meant 3 big vessels and therefore not for me. now i have a 9 gall AIO vevor and ferment in kegs in a mini fridge with inkbird.


i took a peak at the claw hammer that thing is sick.

do you really need all that? it seems like a big investment . i never thought of that system as a jumping off point but hey if you can get it why not?

my brewing needs (not wants) have to fit into the following parameters:

can i fit it ?

will it make my life easier?

will it make better beer?

the first one ususally has to do with fermenters fitting in fridges . i cant get another or bigger fridge ( the wife would kill me) so if i see some new fermenter that i really think would make life easier its got to fit in my current fridges.

if it doesnt make my current brewing setup easier i dont want it.

the last one is almost always no since i can make very good beer in a bucket with a kit.

(a hop bong with TC adaptor) is prolly an exception since this will likely improve my hoppy ales .

i like to try to keep it minimal with least effort. so if the above set up gets you beer ( it will most certainly be good beer) with the least amount of effort its a good choice for you.

 

[Skeeter686]

Broken Crow makes good points about the kegerator. The beer faucets I bought were pricey, but they're forward sealing stainless, work great, and are high quality that will probably last forever. I was just cleaning my lines last weekend and mentioned to my wife how happy I was that I didn't go cheap on the faucets. I don't have to worry about rear sealing faucets that get stuck, or the chrome peeling off, etc.

And I can say from experience that 240 is a lot faster than 120. But 120 is quite workable if that's your only option.

 

[Snuffy]

10 gallon batches make for a lot of potentially mediocre brew until you get your process dialed in with the equipment. If you don't have a lot of help drinking your beer, then that can spread out your brewing quite a bit too.

 

[Skunkape71]

Welcome back! I'm recently back from a 20 year hiatus..

I know how you feel... The game has changed, all for the better in my opinion! So much easier.. What killed it for me was the cost and bottling.

I'm small potatoes to a lot of these guys, but an Anvil Foundry and a keezer are all I need... for now!

 

[Willy]

I had a similar path - way back in the day, all extract on top of a stove ... And stopped when the craft beer craze began - so many new options and no work? But then I got tired of all the over hoppy IPA craze and wanted to brew styles I loved.

But everything has changed!
All in one systems are great ... I settled on a Brewzilla and love it. (Went 240v and so happy I went that way).

Read a bunch before I moved on from bottles. And for me, it made sense to do a DIY keezer using a large chest freezer with room for 8 corny kegs. I only have six taps but the extra space is awesome for being able to quickly swap out the next keg - already cold and already carbed.

Welcome back to the game of Suds. Good luck and go slow.

 

[wallyLOZ]

Must agree with all of the advice above. One that I feel should be emphasized is the 110v system. I've got an Advantco 110v induction burner. With a five gallon batch it's painstakingly slow. I've since dropped down to 2.5 gallon batches and it works great for that size.
Can't comment on the kegging aspect since I still bottle.

Good luck on your journey and keep us posted. Cheers!

 

[shoengine]

Welcome back to the hobby! I got into this a few years ago right at the zenith so I came into it with all the shiny stuff already there, but still worked up to it from the ol' Mr. Beer kit and buckets, which I think is good.

You've done your time, so if you have the cash and the will, do what you want. A few thoughts though.

Home brewing is on the decline. Still a lot of people doing it, but you would be really surprised the stuff you can get for cheap off the forum, FB marketplace, etc. Shiny stuff in good condition.

BestBuy's Insignia (if that is what you are looking at) line does include unexciting hardware. One tap but room for three cornies, comes setup for sanke, so you have to do a but it surgery. I upgraded mine with a three tap tower and better liquid lines. Still using the substandard chrome-plated brass faucets.

If you haven't yet, make a list of brewing features you want, and then compare all the devices and find what makes the most sense.

 

[fluketamer]

10 gallon batches make for a lot of potentially mediocre brew until you get your process dialed in with the equipment. If you don't have a lot of help drinking your beer, then that can spread out your brewing quite a bit too.

i was going to say that but i assumed the 10 gallon clawhammer is for 5-6 gallon batches. i use my vevor 9 gallon for 5-6.5 gallons.

 

[ncbrewer]

Besides changes in equipment, there has been a lot of progress in ingredients and process. You will benefit greatly from reading as much as you can find. Palmer's How to Brew, 4th Edition is the best that I'm aware of. It's from 2017, so not completely up-to-date, but it will help supplement your 30-year-old knowledge. (If you do decide to read it, I'll note that dry yeast manufacturers have changed some of their recommendations since that book was published.) Good luck.

 

[Snuffy]

i was going to say that but i assumed the 10 gallon clawhammer is for 5-6 gallon batches. i use my vevor 9 gallon for 5-6.5 gallons.

ok. I assumed that was the batch size. well. nevermind.