Please help me decide!

[CanadianQuaffer]

Ok, so my wife came to me the other day and said for Christmas I could either have everything on my list (pretty much all the stuff I need to complete my all grain set up, about $400 worth of stuff) OR she'd buy me a Blichmann Top Tier with one burner shelf (I would have to buy the other burner and MT shelf)

What do I do?!?! lol

Go for the awesome Top Tier and still have to buy other the items myself, including a HLT and grain mill, or get all the stuff I need to complete my set up and "slum it' with two Bayou Classic burners and a folding table?

Help me! :cross: lol

Nick

 

[JohnnyO]

Get your gear. What's the point of having a Blichman Top Tier setup when it will just be a coatrack?

I would bet that about 90-95% of the people on here "slum" it as you put it.

I have two converted kegs as a HLT and boil kettle along with a rubbermaid cooler mash tun.

 

[TyTanium]

Simple...which option can you make beer with? Choose option 1.

 

[runningweird]

Get the gear. bling won't make you a better brewer.

I slum, but with temp controlled fermentation and six taps in my living room. spend the money where it makes sense.

 

[broadbill]

I don't understand the money issue here. Whether you she "buys" you the stuff and puts it under the tree or or you buy it on Dec. 26th....it is going to cost the same and the money will come from the same place.

Decide what you can afford and choose accordingly.

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

Get the gear and get your stand from us

 

[bmunos]

Ya you can buy or make a stand later....But good things come to those who wait??? maybe??

 

[Seven]

I don't understand the money issue here. Whether you she "buys" you the stuff and puts it under the tree or or you buy it on Dec. 26th....it is going to cost the same and the money will come from the same place.

Decide what you can afford and choose accordingly.

This is the same thing I was thinking.

 

[CanadianQuaffer]

I don't understand the money issue here. Whether you she "buys" you the stuff and puts it under the tree or or you buy it on Dec. 26th....it is going to cost the same and the money will come from the same place.

Decide what you can afford and choose accordingly.

If she buys me the gear I need, I am done (for now). I'll have everything I need to do all-grain.

If she buys me the Top Tier, I'll still need to buy the above stuff myself, but I'll have a sexy brew stand.

I'm leaning toward option 1, but the thought of having a Top Tier is *very* tempting.

 

[EarthBound]

Get the gear. bling won't make you a better brewer.

I slum, but with temp controlled fermentation and six taps in my living room. spend the money where it makes sense.

+1

Your #1 priority should be to complete your all-grain setup. After that, you should concentrate on fermentation and dispensing. You can't taste the bling.

 

[OG2620]

Personally, a top tier is not as sexy as a well thought out/constructed DIY rig. There are better ways to spend your money if your ultimate goal is to brew delicious beer.

 

[CanadianQuaffer]

Thanks for the input guys. I decided to go with completing my all-grain set up, which is what I was leaning towards anyway.

Thanks again for confirming that.

Merry Christmas!

Nick

 

[krenshaw]

good luck now you'll be able to customize the entire setup to have it fit your needs, not adjusting a top-tier to fit how you want to brew

 

[VladOfTrub]

The Blichman "Sexy Brew Stand" is almost 400 bucks. What you're calling the "Top Tier" is their burner. The burner is 130-140 bucks. The burner extension legs are another 30-40 bucks....Get all the basic stuff needed to brew all grain. To me, a good chiller, pumps, decent kettles and good burners are needed more than a brew stand. If you get all the basic needed stuff, I'd spend 400 bucks on a stainless fermenter, before buying a brew tree. Anyway, you always have next Christmas to get more stuff. Birthdays, too.

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

Lots of wow factor to conical fermenters, but they're big and bulky, you need lots of space for them. I sold the 2 I had...

 

[squirrelly]

My conicals are not really that bulky measuring 27" high and 30" wide. 3 fit in my chest freezer just fine, but they are the "stout" models. There are always temp controlled conicals.

As far as the system, I'm going with buy your basic gear first and learn to brew consistently. Then decide if you want to upgrade. I love our 1100, but if I didn't know how to use it or the basics of all grain it would just be kinda neat to have. After "sluming" it for a few years the fully digital system was the best investment I've made save for the house to brew, condition, and serve in.

 

[VladOfTrub]

"Lots of wow factor to conical fermenters, but they're big and bulky, you need lots of space for them. I sold the 2 I had..."
Unless, they were a gift. You had to know they were big before you got them. However, I could see someone selling them if their brew location was changed and the area became smaller. Otherwise, it wasn't a well thought out purchase. They work OK for me. I don't have space restrictions. In my case, there's no "wow factor." They're just more practical.