How much did you spend on gear before you made a "great" brew?

[shanecb]

I'll also throw in that you can make great beer with even the most basic equipment if you're following sound practices. But if I had to pick something I guess I would pick the temperature control system we have for fermentation. A proper fermentation is so important to producing the best beer possible.

 

[unionrdr]

I def need a temp control system,this heat is murdering my brewing schedule. They have heating/cooling temp controlled blanket things for conicals. But why not for pales/cylinder shapes? They'd make a ton of money making them to fit more shapes of FV's. Not to mention,it would fit in the brew spaces we have already.

 

[PIGMAN]

I def need a temp control system,this heat is murdering my brewing schedule. They have heating/cooling temp controlled blanket things for conicals. But why not for pales/cylinder shapes? They'd make a ton of money making them to fit more shapes of FV's. Not to mention,it would fit in the brew spaces we have already.

I agree. It's in the 90's this week in NY. Time to brew saisons I guess.

 

[unionrdr]

Saison's can take higher temps,but it sounds like they'd have to age till next summer before being ready.? From what I've read on here,anyway...

 

[ayoungrad]

Just to agree with everyone else...

I spent $150-200 for my initial set-up and made great beer after a few lousy batches with no further expense. But the first great batch also came during the winter and cooler temps.

Since then, investing in a Johnson controller ($80) and a small frig ($50, used) enables me to get great beer almost every time all year long.

 

[asterix404]

Farm house ales do not. Make a 5% farm house ale. Beautiful beer.

While all grain may give you more control over the hot side, I think that great beers are made on the cold side: proper fermentation temps and yeast pitching. Work on getting the cold side down first.

I don't typically do this, but I can not disagree more. "Yeast make beer, humans make wort." It's a quote from Brewing better beer. Yeast temps do matter, having a lager ferment at 80 will give you a really terrible beer, however everything that is used by the yeast will be provided in the mash. The mash is what truly defines what your beer will be. As long as you keep your temps down, the yeast should have little to no impact on the beer itself, at least in an undetermined way. It takes the ability to make the input to the yeast to get a great and consistent output.

If you make a really terrible mash and use a great yeast strain, you will get a really bad beer. If you use a really bad yeast strain, you will generally get something drinkable if the mash was great. Both are very important, but I truly do believe that the wort is the biggest way people can improve in the short term. After that temp control of yeast strains, but that requires quite a lot of equipment, mostly refrigerators. Basically, you have very little control over what the yeast will do given the mash and a constant temp. You are totally free to act on what the mash will be.

Eventually when I buy a house, I will actually have a series of fridges that I can very accurately set the temps to and worry about yeast, until then, I will have to do the best I can and make the best wort possible.

 

[ayoungrad]

I think both wort and yeast are important and both are necessary for great beer.

The yeast component is determined by many things including yeast strain, temperature of fermentation, oxygenation and yeast stress (including pitching rate). You can (and I have) made suboptimal beer as a result of yeast conditions beyond temperature control. You do have more leeway with yeast health if you use dry yeast but you still need to be conscious of several yeast fermentation conditions.

Check out the book "Yeast" if you are interested.

 

[unionrdr]

What you're talking about "*" in regard to ferment temps,etc,is what he meant by "getting the cold side down 1st". I assume in regard to new brewers using extracts. Get a good process going in regard to brewing,sure. But,more importantly,getting the ferment process going well before going off the deep end with AG.

 

[SarahMatt]

I could easily spend $200,000 on a bigger house with more space! And a bigger kitchen...
All that aside after the initial purchase its not so bad. I think a propane burner is invaluable and am building a fermentation chamber this week (I live in Florida and need it).
Just want (need) a few more fermenters.
OP: I figured that it costs about $1.10-ish/beer doing extract & about $1.02-ish/beer doing BIAB (from my LHBS). It works out pretty nice looking at it that way.

 

[malweth]

Temp control is more or less important based on your house. I ferment in a basement bathroom. Summers down there are mid-60s (though in August maybe up to high 60s, requiring some sort of swamp cooler - I'll see soon). Winters hold steady around 52, so I'd like to try a Lager then (otherwise I use a brew belt for the 10-15 degree jump).

I can't say I've made "great" beers yet, but all have been very good using basic equipment so far (all carried-over from wine, with a few extra beer necessities). Recently I've made my biggest "purchase" of a 9 gallon SS pot, outdoor burner, and ugly DIY wort chiller. I only really paid for the chiller parts - the rest were all birthday presents (in the form of gift cards aimed at specific types of items for me to pick out).

I haven't tallied it all up, but I think I'm under $300 (out of pocket) in equipment. Maybe $5-600 total. Even the wine stuff was cheap -- spent about $100 (got 2 free carboys from my father who attempted wine once and decided it wasn't for him).

 

[scotched]

My first extract beer was mind-blowing.

This is one of the few (if not the only) hobbies where your first attempt at "do-it-yourself" comes out better than anything you could buy at the store for the same price.

The Big 3 expenditures are:

1. Temp Controlled Fermentation (keezer/controller).
2. Kegging Equipment (kegs/fridge)
3. Outdoor All-Grain equipment (large pots/burner)

My keezer + temp controller has made that biggest difference in beer quality.
I would spend $ in the fermentation department before spending on other things (imo).

 

[KevinW]

I did a quick financial "liability" survey and am shocked that I have a solid $600.00 invested in my low-end brewery!

I have 2 years under my belt and the two most important purchases were my fridge w/temp control and my stirplate and flask yeast starter setup!

I agree whole-heartedly with the concept of controlling the fermentation temp and the volume and quality of the yeast you pitch is key to making very good beer! (not that I make very good beer, but I like what I make)

 

[unionrdr]

I agree,save the kegging stuff for later. Buy whatever is needed to make good beer 1st. Temp control is the big one. I need that bad now that I have everything needed for both of us to brew at the same time.

 

[LKABrewer]

Farm house ales do not. Make a 5% farm house ale. Beautiful beer.



I don't typically do this, but I can not disagree more. "Yeast make beer, humans make wort." It's a quote from Brewing better beer. Yeast temps do matter, having a lager ferment at 80 will give you a really terrible beer, however everything that is used by the yeast will be provided in the mash. The mash is what truly defines what your beer will be. As long as you keep your temps down, the yeast should have little to no impact on the beer itself, at least in an undetermined way. It takes the ability to make the input to the yeast to get a great and consistent output.

If you make a really terrible mash and use a great yeast strain, you will get a really bad beer. If you use a really bad yeast strain, you will generally get something drinkable if the mash was great. Both are very important, but I truly do believe that the wort is the biggest way people can improve in the short term. After that temp control of yeast strains, but that requires quite a lot of equipment, mostly refrigerators. Basically, you have very little control over what the yeast will do given the mash and a constant temp. You are totally free to act on what the mash will be.

Eventually when I buy a house, I will actually have a series of fridges that I can very accurately set the temps to and worry about yeast, until then, I will have to do the best I can and make the best wort possible.

This is a forum, feel free to disagree! My point is that if you control the cold side, you can make a great beer from extract. If you do not control the cold side, the finest wort in the world will not make a great beer.

 

[unionrdr]

This is a forum, feel free to disagree! My point is that if you control the cold side, you can make a great beer from extract. If you do not control the cold side, the finest wort in the world will not make a great beer.

I agree with you. Tried to explain it,guess he didn't see that post.? But,I've always believed that a good extract beer can be made if the fermentation side of things is done right. Or any other style of brewing for that matter.
Or.like when I was racing,you learn real fast that it takes more than a car & a desire to win a race. You have to make sure everything is right,& your team is doing their jobs right.
So Everything from recipe to brew kettle to fermentation to priming must be done right. Or that $3K of Blichman's stuff isn't going to save you.

 

[Justibone]

The cold storage is an interesting point. I have several batches that are carbed up, and I have been storing them at mid to high 70s in the basement. I thought that they would condition better at those temps, but with the summer heat coming in now, am I better off refrigerating them?

Beers *carb* in the mid-70's. They *condition* better in the cold.

Do an experiment: cold-condition one six-pack for two weeks, and condition another six-pack the same way you have been doing. Refrigerate for at least 48 hours. Then do a blinded "triangle test" on yourself to see which is better.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_testing#Triangle

Even though I don't like to drink stouts cold, my stouts are in the fridge until I drink them.

 

[unionrdr]

You can't carb in the fridge,these are ales,remember. I still say 3-4 weeks at room temp (70F preferred) works great. then refrigerate. Do that for 5-6 days. It'll be clear,trub impacted to where you can nearly pour it empty. And good head with that upside down snow storm.

 

[Justibone]

You can't carb in the fridge,these are ales,remember. I still say 3-4 weeks at room temp (70F preferred) works great. then refrigerate.

Yes. As I said. But unless you drink all of it immediately, you'll have some to store for a month or more. Store it *cold*.

 

[Bobby_M]

I have no idea because I'm still trying to make that great brew.

 

[PIGMAN]

Beers *carb* in the mid-70's. They *condition* better in the cold.

Do an experiment: cold-condition one six-pack for two weeks, and condition another six-pack the same way you have been doing. Refrigerate for at least 48 hours. Then do a blinded "triangle test" on yourself to see which is better.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_testing#Triangle

Even though I don't like to drink stouts cold, my stouts are in the fridge until I drink them.

Thanks Justibone, that question has been bothering me for some time. I cranked up the garage fridge last night, and began stocking it this morning.

 

[osagedr]

I agree with you. Tried to explain it,guess he didn't see that post.? But,I've always believed that a good extract beer can be made if the fermentation side of things is done right. Or any other style of brewing for that matter.

My $0.02 is that you can't make a decent beer without careful attention to the cold side. Once you've got that down, you can't make a great beer without careful attention to the hot side.