Options for new equipment?

[killerhertz]

I'm a novice brewer (only a few extract brews under my belt thus far) and have some money to burn on new brewing equipment. Most of this was originally inherited but I did pickup a few cheap extras thus far.

Here is my equipment inventory:

01) 2 x 5 gal. glass carboys w/ airlocks
02) 1 x 5 gal. S/S brewpot
03) 1 x 6.5 gal food grade plastic fermenter w/ airlock
04) 1 x 6.5 gal food grade bottling bucket
05) 1 x immersion chiller
06) 1 x blow off hose
07) 1 x siphon hose
08) 1 x Fermtech auto siphon
09) 1 x floating thermometer (boil)
10) 2 x Hydrometer
11) 1 x Red Baron bottle capper
12) 1 x Strainer/funnel
13) 1 x Jet bottle washer

I'm only doing extract brews thus far, but I have a feeling I will want to start doing AG once I get more experience and some equipment. I think upgrading to a larger brew pot would be beneficial, since last time I had a nasty boil over (hop addition with a high gravity boil) due to not much room in my pot. Any recommendations on size/brand for a boil pot provided I will be doing mostly extracts for a while, but plan on doing AG later on?

Unfortunately, I also live in a condo, so I don't have a basement or garage to store equipment and ferment my beer. Typically I keep my fermenter in a closet by the front door, which is the coolest place in my unit. I was thinking maybe those neoprene carboy parkas would be nice?

Maybe I should also get 6.5 gal carboys for primary?

Any advice is much appreciated!

 

[david_42]

A new pot is definitely the way to go. 8-10 gallons. What are you using for heat?

 

[FSR402]

A larger boil kettel is what I would say is a must have. Go with a 10 gal or larger.
That way you will be all set once you go AG also.
Maybe find a chest freezer on CL for cheap and use that to control ferment temps.
Some 6 gal Better Bottles are nice to have also.
And then there is the cooler MLT.
And maybe a kegging system.

 

[killerhertz]

A new pot is definitely the way to go. 8-10 gallons. What are you using for heat?

The high burner on my gas kitchen stove. I'm in a condo, so propane is out of the question since I can't have burners on the balcony.

Man I dunno if I can put a chest freezer in my place. That'd take up a lot of real estate. Aren't they basically the size of a refrigerator turned on their side?

 

[RadicalEd]

I use a 15 gallon pot or a keggle straddling two gas burners on my stove. I don't get as much evaporation as I'd like, but it certainly gets up to boil .

 

[FSR402]

The high burner on my gas kitchen stove. I'm in a condo, so propane is out of the question since I can't have burners on the balcony.

Man I dunno if I can put a chest freezer in my place. That'd take up a lot of real estate. Aren't they basically the size of a refrigerator turned on their side?

They come in all different sizes.

The two burners on the stove is the way you will need to go. So a 10 pot is about all you will need or want.

 

[stevea1210]

What nobody asked, and you didn't share, was how much money are we talking about? Suggestions will be vastly different if we are talking about $50 or $500.

 

[killerhertz]

I'd be willing to spend up to $300. My g/f is looking for gift ideas for my birthday as well.

I'm still torn on what brand of brew kettle to go with. The Blichman pots look pretty impressive with all the features, but they don't have aluminum cores on the bottom, which the Megapots (on Northern Brewer) have. Who makes the Megapots anyway?

 

[BrianP]

I'd suggest better bottles instead of glass carboys. They're lighter, won't shatter like glass, and not much more expensive. +1 on the bigger kettle.

 

[Pez]

Looks like I'm in the same situation as you. My small kettle isnt cutting it and i'm considering a 7 gallon with fittings and a turkey burner. other than than I was considering stocking up on ingredients.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Don't forget morebeer has a new pot they're marketing. It replaces the italian kettles they used to have. Comes with 2 couplings. Yes, a chest freezer will take up a lot of space, but you can make it look like a piece of furniture....plus it dispenses beer. That's some hi-dollar real estate if you ask me!