Just won $100 at my lhbs - what should I buy?

[HappyFermentations]

I'm a fairly new Brewer and have been experimenting with wine, cider and am doing my first biab this weekend. Found out today that I just won a $100 gift card to my lhbs and was curious what I should get.

Here's my current equipment:

2 x 7 gallon buckets
4 x 5 gallon better bottles
4 x 1 gallon glass jugs
Auto siphon
Bottle capper
Brew kettle and Propane burner


I'm trying to decide on some combination of:
Glass carboy (not sure what size)
Floor corker (have 15 gallons of wine that are going to need to be bottled soon and I currently don't have a corker)
Wort Chiller
Keg System (obviously not enough for an entire setup, but would be a good start)
Bottling bucket with spigot


So - what do you think? What might give me the most bag for my buck? Also, anything I may not have thought of?

Thanks!

 

[jmcquesten]

I think a temperature controller and/or the wort chiller would both be great choices.

Don't buy a glass carboy, they really do break.

 

[menotu]

I'm trying to decide on some combination of:
Glass carboy (not sure what size)
Floor corker (have 15 gallons of wine that are going to need to be bottled soon and I currently don't have a corker)
Wort Chiller
Keg System (obviously not enough for an entire setup, but would be a good start)
Bottling bucket with spigot


So - what do you think? What might give me the most bag for my buck? Also, anything I may not have thought of?

Thanks!

Im really curious as to how youve been bottling if you dont have a bucket with a spigot? Ive got no experience corking bottles but read its not a ton of fun to do by hand so maybe the floor corker. Im a big fan of glass carboys just since i like to long term age in them 8-12 month min beers.

 

[Sailingeric]

My vote would be wort chiller. It is nice to be bring the temp down in about 15 minutes instead of hours. $100 is a good start towards kegging too. I don't use a bottling bucket with spigot when I bottled, I used a second bucket and racking cane. A spigot bucket would have been nice but you can do without.

 

[theheroguy]

Glass carboys are just a pain. The idea about them being unsuitable for long term aging because of oxygen permeability is based on superstition not experimentation.
Wort chillers are great. If they sell the cool brewing bag and you don't have ferm temp control then I would recommend that. I use the bag and it works well for me.

 

[Calder]

Wort chiller and a 50 lb bag of grain.

I have a glass carboy, and really like it, but it is heavy and fragile. HDPE is much easier for almost everything.

Im really curious as to how youve been bottling if you dont have a bucket with a spigot?

I guess I've been doing it wrong for 20 years.

 

[PGEduardo]

Transitioning to BIAB? Here are a couple of "must-haves" in my opinion to do it RIGHT.

Accurate thermometer and refractometer are a must IMO. You want to be fairly accurate with mash temps, and a refractometer is all but required unless you want to try to use a hydrometer with boiling hot wort/wort at mash temps (or wait forever to cool samples). The first time (especially) you go all-grain, you'll have no idea what your efficiency is. Without proper measurements of SG along the way (during mash, pre-boil, post-boil), you might end up way off. Either your IPA will be an ultra bitter session ale, or your blonde ale will come out as an extra malty imperial ale. Better to be able to make corrections pre-boil, during boil and hit your targets, adjusting your efficiencies for the next time...

Wort chillers are very nice to have, but I would prioritize that after the above two since there is a fairly large "no-chill" movement forming...

Beyond those 3, buy a grain mill and start buying base malts in bulk to save money.

 

[kh54s10]

Fermentation temperature control - your choice.
If you plan on doing much bottling in wine bottles I would recommend the floor corker.
Wort chiller when you start doing 5 gallon or more full boils.

NO GLASS CARBOYS larger than 1 gallon. Do a search on "Broken Carboy" and see what you find......

 

[gromitdj]

The best things I did for my beer were:
#1 Fermentation Temperature Control
#2 Starters

 

[CA_Mouse]

Fermentation Control is key, followed by an efficient wort chiller. Secondary fermenters are not seeded unless you are adding fruit of oak. After a chiller, I would look at grain mills and bulk grain purchases (this will same you money nearly immediately).

 

[Rhumbline]

bottling bucket and corker get my vote. spend the rest on ingredients.

 

[jwalk4]

1) Wort chiller. Easily one of the best purchases I made.

2) Bottling bucket.