Got some moneeeey

[curtisj]

Working hard pays off...
I am a new-ish brewer from the Toronto area andI just came across a little bit of extra money I plan on using to upgrade from the basic starter kit that I purchased a year back.
I have to already grab some sort of burner (my new stove is weak as can be)
I am looking for other equipment you guys would recommend for me to grab to make my future in brewing brighter and better.

I am just going to start to get into all grain brewing.
Catching up to the big leagues


cheers

 

[JoeBronco]

* Turkey fryers are a great cheap way to get a big burner for cheap. If you get an aluminum one make sure it has not been used with oil...

* Aluminum kettles work well and cool faster than SS. But SS lasts longer and are easier to maintain (and cost more)

* Check Craigslist for an "Ice Cube" cooler. IMO they are cheap and work great for getting started into all grain.

* Carboys or Conical fermenters work better than buckets. I would invest in a better bottle.

 

[johngie]

If you are looking to go all-grain I suggest a grain mill like a barley crusher. I bought one about a year ago and it's indispensable.

I'm in Whitby too (Brooklin)

 

[SKMO]

Get a good boil kettle of at least 40 quarts / 10 Gallons, I guess metric would be 38 Liters?

Thats a minimum, you will be amazed how many 5.5 gallon batches start out closer to 7.5 before you start the boil. There are enough things to take into consideration without having to worry about whether your kettle will handle your recipe. Be done with it, and get a big one.

If you stay in it, you will never regret having "too large" a boil kettle, I promise.

 

[Ryan1003]

* Turkey fryers are a great cheap way to get a big burner for cheap. If you get an aluminum one make sure it has not been used with oil...

Why should it have not been used with oil? (total curiosity)

 

[trigger]

I would say that the best investment you can make at your stage is a 15 gal stainless pot. Whether or not you plan on doing 10 gal batches, you will eventually. A decent quality SS kettle will last you a lifetime, and at 15 gal it will grow with you and still be perfectly serviceable for 5 gallon batches. Like SKMO said, AG means full boils, and many times you will be collecting 7.5 gal. I have keggles, and would highly recomend them, as you can get the keg, weldless fittings from bargainfittings.com, and even the tools you need for less than the cost of a big SS pot without a pickuptube/sightglass/drain valve. On that note, the pickuptube/drain valve is indispensable and relatively cheap compared to doctor's visits and physical therapy for a herniated disc. If you don't want to go the keggle route I think you should look at the Penrose Kettle. That's not much more than building a keggle, and it looks like a quality product.

If you've still got money after a big kettle, get or make a wort chiller. You can search here for plans for immersion chillers or counterflow chillers, or you can buy a plate chiller. Personally I started with an immersion chiller and it worked well. I have since built 3 counterflow chillers, and each one is better and better. I know a lot of people swear by plate chillers, but I didn't want to deal with cleaning one. Whatever you decide to go with, this should be investment #2.

After these, look at fermentation temp control. Build a Son of Fermentation Chiller or buy and old fridge off craislist.

With all these remember to keep in mind that this is an obsession. You will get drawn in. When considering a purchase, think of the biggest thing that you will reasonably need and then get the next size up. You don't need the fanciest, blingiest, but you should try to avoid buying a piece of equipment that you'll be replacing in a year or two.

 

[JoeBronco]

Why should it have not been used with oil? (total curiosity)

Getting the oil out of the aluminum and oxidizing it is more of a hassle than the aluminum pot is worth.