help me prioritize purchases

[jimlin]

I've done a few MrBeer kits, and my 1st 5 gal batch has been in my bucket fermenter for a week now. I've found that the 5 gal batch brewed in the kitchen (according to my wife) stunk up the house too much.

So I'd like to move the process outside. We have a turkey fryer setup already, but that was primarily used to steam lobsters in the past, so the pot is no good for this. At least i have the burner though.

Of course, I'm trying to do things on the cheap, so a huge stainless pot is not ideal, financially. I'm not planning on going all grain any time soon, so it will be extract brews with steeping grains for a while. If I go to grain, it will likely be a partial mash, beverage cooler type of set up most likely. Maybe one of the larger coolers. But that's down the road.

If brewing extract recipes, it seems I'd be better to be able to brew the hole batch in the pot. Otherwise it means boiling water and cooling it ahead of time to have clean water for the fermenter. But going to a 6 gallon boil also means I'd need a wort cooler, right? Otherwise it would take forever to cool. For my Amber kit brew I did last week, I brewed about 2.5 gallons on the stovetop and prepped the bucket with 2 gallons of cold water to pour into. Cooling the smaller boil pot in the sink with an ice bath still took some time.

So, I'm thinking I should try to get a decent size (how big do I need to be able to handle a full boil for 5 gal batches? Do I need to go as big as 32 qt?)

Aluminum seems to be a bit of a debate on most brew forums. Some swear it's fine as long as you clean it the right way. Others say to go stainless to be safe and sure. Either way, I then need a wort chiller. I'd likely run it outside, using a garden hose to it and then from it (I could just run it off to a sprinkler to water the lawn).

I'm sticking to a bucket for a fermenter. Might eventually get a second one, given they aren't expensive, rather than getting a 5 gal secondary carboy.

Am I missing anything major for the moment? My basement will be cool enough in the spring to ferment (too cold in the winter months) so temp control is pretty manual (using different spots in the house depending on the temps, plus a large tub I can put the fermenter into, using water and/or ice or hot water bottles.

 

[Reelale]

You've got it right, IMO. 8 gallon pot for 5 gallon batches, full boil, and an immersion chiller. 8 gallon is probably the minimum size, and you still might get the occasional boil over. I did. Aluminum is fine, especially if you plan on upgrading in the future. Stainless is probably the best bet if you plan to use it indefinitely. You'll be making fine beer in no time. But beware, it won't stop there...

 

[iron_city_ap]

It sounds to me like you eventually might end up going all grain but right now it isn't doable. Sound about right?

Like most of us, I started out doing extract partial boils in the kitchen, then moved to the garage, then partial mash, then full boils, then all grain.... its pretty much shows how the addiction, i mean hobby, sucks you in. Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing, but I LOVE just sitting in the garage with some music going, knocking back a few while making its replacement. It just feels so much more fun than brewing in the kitchen. You'll love it much more.

That being said, I would recomend starting with the biggest/best stock pot you can afford. If you want to do full boils, then 32qts is the range you need to look in. Aluminum works fine, but I learned pretty early on that you are better off buying big and good the 1st time rather than buying small and cheap then having to re-buy things. Sometimes it means having to wait while you save up the $$, but IMO its worth it.

One of the reasons I say buy the pot 1st is because full boil beers taste a little better. Partial boils are fine, but full boils are mixed/blended better. The other reason I recomend the pot 1st is because you can use ice baths and things like that to cool the pot. If you buy/build a chiller 1st, what are you gonna chill? If you make it for your partial boil pot, it could end up being too small for your full boil pot. It would still work, but it would take longer to do. In my case with the chiller, I made my own and ended up spending the same as I would if I had bought one, BUT, I used 3/8" copper so its much bigger than the usual store bought ones. You could make one with 1/4" cheaper than you can buy it though.

I prefer to ferment in buckets. It seems like every time I use my better bottle to primary in, the beer ends up tasting off. I've put a black shirt over it while keeping it in a shut closet, I've soaked it in just about everything I can think of, nothing seems to work. It makes a great secondary, but I've just had bad luck with it as a primary. Plus, buckets are easier to clean, move, etc....

Sounds like you are on the right track with everything though.

 

[Fat_Bastard]

I'll chime in here with a 3rd on the pot.I have a 33 quart and it will boil over doing full boils if you don't watch it closely, so get one bigger if you can.It takes me 20-30 minutes to cool 5 gallons in an ice bath.I use a tub large enough to fit the whole pot and a metric sh@& load of ice.

The aluminum vs stainless argument is moot IMO.There's a hell of a lot of brewers using converted kegs.

 

[jimlin]

Ok, did a lot of research yesterday... if I want something that I won't feel the need to upgrade from should i continue to do this and eventually go all-grain, I'm looking at an 8 or 10 gal SS pot. If going that big, a ball valve might be a wise option to avoid lifting and pouring a big pot. Maybe a thermometer. Suddenly looking at $200 for a pot like that. Same pot (10 gal) minus the ball joint and thermometer is around $130. (MegaPots on northernbrewer.com)

Wort chiller around $60 with the hose fittings.

Already have the turkey fryer propane burner.

Considering my wife's reaction to the smell after I simply steeped some 130L caramel malt and boiled a couple gallons with DME in the house last week, moving the brew outside is the way I need to go should i want to keep doing this (peacefully). Doing full boils saves me from having to boil 3 gallons of water ahead of time to have sanitized cool water to put in the fermenter if doing partial boils.

Sold off a tweed deluxe amp that wasn't getting use to free up some brewing $$, so it's feasible. Just want to make the wise decision so I'm not having to upgrade in the not so distant future.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

[bullinachinashop]

Money spent on a chiller is well spent!

For your partial boils, why not just use 3 gallons of refrigerated spring water?

The bigger the better on the pot.

Also, if your move to full volume boils, make sure you adjust your bittering hops.

Bull

 

[jimlin]

Money spent on a chiller is well spent!

For your partial boils, why not just use 3 gallons of refrigerated spring water?

The bigger the better on the pot.

Also, if your move to full volume boils, make sure you adjust your bittering hops.

Bull

I've read people suggesting even spring water be boiled. Granted, I've done it that way for my mall (MrBeer) attempts. But if I've got to move to outdoors, partial boils on the stove top are not an option, at least most of the time. Figured if I'm moving outside and getting a brew kettle, I might as well just do full boil.

And thanks regarding the bittering hops. I'll be sure to use some kind of brewing software to calculate using full boils.

 

[Thundercougarfalconbird]

For all my extract brews heating and cooling that second thing of water was too much of a pain. So every brew I boiled 3 gal from the tap for the main boil, and bought 3 gallons of bottled spring water(chilled it) to speed up the process.
Of course taking it outside and doing a full boil is better. I'll be doing my first AG on the stove in 2 weeks(6 gal boil in a 7.5gal pot, god help me). I broke down and bought a wort chiller after 3 batches. I have no clue how I survived without it.
I'd say get a second bucket. Because although you may not need a secondary now, a day will come when that Dogfish Head 60min IPA is calling your name but you don't have the gear.
Don't overlook kegging either! if you have a spare fridge its beautiful. I started kegging, but bottle a 6 pack every batch I make for my dad, I dont know how people do it 50ish time a batch. Its miserable.
I'm in a similar position to you(slightly more progressed though) got the bigger pot/burner/kegging/fridge/chiller/Mashtun/mill. Next on the list is a 3rd fermenter so I can manage 2 batches that require secondaries, Perlick faucet setup, heatstick, stirplate. I think my spending is a bit out of control though, went from first brew to AG in 2 months.

 

[jimlin]

For all my extract brews heating and cooling that second thing of water was too much of a pain. So every brew I boiled 3 gal from the tap for the main boil, and bought 3 gallons of bottled spring water(chilled it) to speed up the process.
Of course taking it outside and doing a full boil is better. I'll be doing my first AG on the stove in 2 weeks(6 gal boil in a 7.5gal pot, god help me). I broke down and bought a wort chiller after 3 batches. I have no clue how I survived without it.
I'd say get a second bucket. Because although you may not need a secondary now, a day will come when that Dogfish Head 60min IPA is calling your name but you don't have the gear.
Don't overlook kegging either! if you have a spare fridge its beautiful. I started kegging, but bottle a 6 pack every batch I make for my dad, I dont know how people do it 50ish time a batch. Its miserable.
I'm in a similar position to you(slightly more progressed though) got the bigger pot/burner/kegging/fridge/chiller/Mashtun/mill. Next on the list is a 3rd fermenter so I can manage 2 batches that require secondaries, Perlick faucet setup, heatstick, stirplate. I think my spending is a bit out of control though, went from first brew to AG in 2 months.

I don't currently have a second fridge, and while I'd love the ability to keg, I'm looking at bottling for a while. Trying to pick up 22 oz bombers to try new, more rare beers, and keep them for bottling my own.

Might get another fermenting bucket OR a 5 gal carboy for a secondary. At this point I'm content allowing a brew to complete in a primary, avoiding the transfer to secondary and the potential for contamination, but I would need to avoid recipes that call for longer time in the tank. First up, though, will be the kettle and chiller. Just not sure if the ball valve and thermostat on the kettle is worth the extra... but down the road it would probably be the wise choice.

 

[4x4jeep74]

I found a wort chiller on Amazon for a good price. A 8 gal. SS pot works good for me and I just scoop out enough water with a pitcher/jug until the pot is safe to handle and pour the rest.

 

[malt_shovel]

I've done a few MrBeer kits, and my 1st 5 gal batch has been in my bucket fermenter for a week now. I've found that the 5 gal batch brewed in the kitchen (according to my wife) stunk up the house too much.

So I'd like to move the process outside. We have a turkey fryer setup already, but that was primarily used to steam lobsters in the past, so the pot is no good for this. At least i have the burner though.

Of course, I'm trying to do things on the cheap, so a huge stainless pot is not ideal, financially. I'm not planning on going all grain any time soon, so it will be extract brews with steeping grains for a while. If I go to grain, it will likely be a partial mash, beverage cooler type of set up most likely. Maybe one of the larger coolers. But that's down the road.

If brewing extract recipes, it seems I'd be better to be able to brew the hole batch in the pot. Otherwise it means boiling water and cooling it ahead of time to have clean water for the fermenter. But going to a 6 gallon boil also means I'd need a wort cooler, right? Otherwise it would take forever to cool. For my Amber kit brew I did last week, I brewed about 2.5 gallons on the stovetop and prepped the bucket with 2 gallons of cold water to pour into. Cooling the smaller boil pot in the sink with an ice bath still took some time.

So, I'm thinking I should try to get a decent size (how big do I need to be able to handle a full boil for 5 gal batches? Do I need to go as big as 32 qt?)

Aluminum seems to be a bit of a debate on most brew forums. Some swear it's fine as long as you clean it the right way. Others say to go stainless to be safe and sure. Either way, I then need a wort chiller. I'd likely run it outside, using a garden hose to it and then from it (I could just run it off to a sprinkler to water the lawn).

I'm sticking to a bucket for a fermenter. Might eventually get a second one, given they aren't expensive, rather than getting a 5 gal secondary carboy.

Am I missing anything major for the moment? My basement will be cool enough in the spring to ferment (too cold in the winter months) so temp control is pretty manual (using different spots in the house depending on the temps, plus a large tub I can put the fermenter into, using water and/or ice or hot water bottles.

All-grain brew-in-a-bag (BIAB)

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=11694

This is the cheapest all grain brewing you will do.

No money for a chiller? Then go the no-chill route.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=23742

We aussies have made a fine art out of making the best beer for the smallest investment.

Best of luck

 

[iron_city_ap]

A kettle with a valve would be nice, but I just muscle mine around (I have to take it inside to use my chiller during the winter). While not fun, it isn't all that hard either. Heck, if you can move an amp you can move a kettle. That being said, there is a big price difference between a 32qt pot and a 40qt. Really, a 32 is adequate. You just have to keep an eye on it when you first get a boil going and adding hops. Its not a big deal though. Also, [ame="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=ie7&q=32+qt+stainless+steel+kettle+with+valve+%26+thermometer&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7TSHB#sclient=psy&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us%3AIE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7TSHB&biw=1259&bih=606&tbs=shop:1&q=32+qt+stainless+steel+kettle+with+valve+%26+thermometer&aq=&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.1,or.&fp=d0dc410bca72fadb"]the google is your friend[/ame] when buying stuff.

You could also get one of these and then get a shop to drill and thread a hole for a stainless valve. I bought the 32qt model of the pot from these guys. GREAT price and the thing is a damn tank. If I ran it over with my truck, I'd put my money on the pot winning the fight.

 

[Big_Belgian]

I did this same research a few months ago, and have one good recommendation. This 32 qt. stainless steel brew pot is very sturdy, high quality (3-ply bottom), and at $82 w/free shipping it is (I think) the best deal on the internet: http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/update-international/sps-32/p5175.aspx

I looked into the valve thing, but decided to go with a good, basic pot instead. My homebrew buddies said they never used their valve (we do mostly extract, sometimes w/ a partial mash), and my local Northern Brewer store will install one for a reasonable fee if I ever decide I need it. Just did my 5th batch yesterday and so far this pot has been a great purchase and I've not had a moment when I wished there was a valve.

 

[Big_Belgian]

edit - just checking my link, it appears they may not have free shipping anymore. That would make it a decent, but not great deal and probably one that could be beat.

 

[jimlin]

Ordered a 35 qt stainless steel pot (w/cover) on overstock.com ($72 + $1 shipping!)

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/35-quart-Stainless-Steel-Stock-Pot/2999436/product.html

No holes drilled in it for ball valves or thermometers. Just using it as a pot for full boils with extract and steeping at this point. If I ever go all grain I'd likely get a cooler and convert it to a mash tun.

Also orderer JZ amd Palmer's "Classic Styles" book seeing that everyone raves about it and that they include extract versions of the recipes.

Hopefully by moving to full boils I can now concentrate on the basic process and try to get that nailed down.

Also just ordered a wort chiller, 2000 ml flask, and a long SS spoon from Northern Brewer. The $7.99 shipping made me go with their pricier chiller compared to some I found on amazon. So in a week or two I should have what I need to finally do a full boil AND make a starter. No stir plate, but that can wait... maybe I can make one down the road.

 

[RiverBirchBrew]

Watch Craig's List for garage sales or people getting rid of brewing equipment. I use the search word "beer". A couple weeks ago I picked up about $300 worth of equipment for $100. That included a 35 qt SS pot, 2 carboys, a wort chiller, and so on. Also watch Craig's list for people getting rid of refrigerators for cheap.

 

[jimlin]

I hear ya... been checking the area CL ads for a while. The few beer ads I've found have either been for starter kits (most of the pieces I already had), unused MrBeer kits, or kegging gear. I figure the best thing I could spend $$ on to make the biggest improvement was to go to full-boils, which require the bigger pot and a chiller.

Nice score for you on CL though!

 

[pablo1337]

I would get a big pot and a wort chiller at the same time... I do split boils and use a wort chiller and it really helps. I would recommend getting a ball valve on a big pot because moving 4 gal in a pot is somewhat annoying, but pouring it is the real *****.

 

[buckeye2011]

Assuming you cooled the beer down with a chiller, is there any downside to just siphoning the wort out into your fermenter? This would save you some money and you can always add the ball valve down the road.

 

[jimlin]

Assuming you cooled the beer down with a chiller, is there any downside to just siphoning the wort out into your fermenter? This would save you some money and you can always add the ball valve down the road.

The disadvantage to siphons or a tube from a ball valve would be I'd NEED some kind of aeration device. Right now I don't have one, so I intend to pour from a few feet above into the bucket. I may pour into my bottling bucket, then raise that a few feet above the fermentation bucket and open the spigot, letting the wort fall from it (no tubing). I can always use a sanitized pitcher to scoop wort if the full volume is too difficult to life and pour straight from the pot.

And yeah, I can always add a hole and a ball valve later.

 

[troub]

The disadvantage to siphons or a tube from a ball valve would be I'd NEED some kind of aeration device. Right now I don't have one, so I intend to pour from a few feet above into the bucket. I may pour into my bottling bucket, then raise that a few feet above the fermentation bucket and open the spigot, letting the wort fall from it (no tubing). I can always use a sanitized pitcher to scoop wort if the full volume is too difficult to life and pour straight from the pot.

And yeah, I can always add a hole and a ball valve later.

I was just about to suggest the siphon myself -- once it's chilled you can just siphon. And I don't see how aeration is any more difficult if you do this, you actually have a few options. What I did, that seemed to work fine, was to put the siphon output right up against the side of the neck of the carboy, so that it fanned out against the glass and then either ran down or fell to the bottom -- isn't the point to get as much surface area exposed as possible? I've also seen a technique where you poke a small hole (or series of holes) in the siphon tube so that as the beer flows by it draws air in through the holes which you can see as a series of bubbles flowing through -- this infuses the whole thing with these little bubbles. Or you can do what I do most often (and combine with the first idea of positioning the siphon output for maximum splashing and fanning) -- siphon a bit, splash and shake it around, siphon in some more, splash and shake, siphon, splash, shake all the way through. I've had nothing but vigorous fermentations so far, so in my opinion there seems to be nothing wrong at all with doing it this way.

 

[jimlin]

troub,
you're likely right. I'm still too new to say anything definitive. The idea of the holes poked in the tubing seems pretty interesting. I'm using buckets so I'd need to rig something to hold the tubing in place to get the wort flowing along the side of the bucket I guess. At this point I will likely just pour from pot to bottle bucket (from a few feet above to get lots of splashing) and then go from the bottle bucket spigot into the fermenting bucket. If that doesn't work or is too much of a pain, I can always try the siphon