pool table or all grain setup

[BasementGrowler]

I currently have a bar room type slate top pool table in my garage. I am looking into setting up a basic, 5 gallon, gravity fed, all grain setup. The pool table would be nice to use during down time while I am brewing. Problem is, I don’t have the finances for the new setup.

Question is: Sell the pool table to finance all grain setup and save money to buy another pool table? Or do I keep the pool table and buy parts for the new setup as I get the money, while continuing extract brewing?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I know it is tempting, but you don;t have to go balls-out on an AG system to make good beer. A gravity frame is nice to look at but, at the end of the day, gravity don;t care is the tiers are made of stainless steel or of kitchen cabinets and chairs.

 

[BendBrewer]

I would factor in the 'cost' of moving 2 pool tables. Probably 'cheaper' to just buy pieces of equipment as you can. You'll find better deals that way. Start with a 39 dollar cooler from HD.

 

[broadbill]

Its your call--what are you thinking you need to buy to get into AG? You can go AG pretty cheaply...might be more work to brew, might be ugly, but you can do it.

 

[iijakii]

Spend $100-$150 (depends on if you get used, new, spigot etc) on a 15 gallon kettle/keggle, and then spend a couple of dollars on a bag.

Boom!


Search for BIAB, and go to www.biabrewer.info, there is a lot of great knowledge.

 

[BasementGrowler]

I know it is tempting, but you don;t have to go balls-out on an AG system to make good beer. A gravity frame is nice to look at but, at the end of the day, gravity don;t care is the tiers are made of stainless steel or of kitchen cabinets and chairs.

Frame is not an issue. I own a steel fab shop and the frame would be pretty much free.

 

[buzzkill]

gota keep the pool table for when the garage becomes the brew house with keggerater. and go ahead and pick up a dart board.

 

[BendBrewer]

Frame is not an issue. I own a steel fab shop and the frame would be pretty much free.

Well then make yourself some Pots.

 

[gomb]

I look at it this way, right now you can make beer and shoot pool. Sell the table for an AG setup and you can only make beer. Sounds like you lose in that one.

 

[KurtB]

Keep the pool table. It is not like you cannot make beer right now. You can piece together the AG setup, while still brewing and shooting pool.

If you are anything like me (and many of the others here on HBT), you may never save up the money to buy another pool table because you will always need something new and shiney for the AG setup - and that will keep eating into the pool table fund.

 

[IrregularPulse]

you NEED a pot a burner a cooler and a couple buckets for AG brewing. Keep the pool table. Start brewing AG brewing for ~$200 bucks then work towards a system.

 

[tnbrewer371]

i just went ag myself back in january and am so happy I did especially since I was able to do it for less than 125 dont have the exact numbers in front of me but went something like this:

60 qt igloo cube cooler on wheels from academy sports 24$
parts to fashion cooler with cpvc manifold and brass ball valve 15$
42 qt aluminum pot from academy sports 42$
58000 btu propane burner from academy sports 30$
spare propane tank (had it)
plywood, 2x4's and wood screws to build a nice brew stand (had em)

it can easily be done for less than 100 if you find the cooler and burner used on craigslist, or classifieds, brewed 4 ag batches and probably about halfway there to making up for the extra cost of buying extract, good luck and go for it, just piece it together as you can and DIY whenever possible

 

[rustbucket]

the big question is? about the pool table... is it a full size table.. or one of the smaller ones? second is... is it one that it made of nice wood or the particle wood with imitation wood layer on top?

i would say if its the cheaper of the two, you can easily pick one of those up later. but if its a real nice one, save it and the save your money and pick things up as you go.

i recently did my finances to figure out how much stuff i have boughten to do an all grain set up

my stand ~ gravity fed ~ is costing me about 150 to make
MLT ~ 60 dollars after the copper manifold was created 40- to the HD 10gal round
Kettle - keggle ~ free (even if you guy one assume 50 bucks)
burner 1 ~ with 7.5 aluminum turkey fryer was 50
and my second burner was 50 on amazon.
could buy a cheap grain mill too for like 30 dollars.

all said and done, you can do everything for less than 400 bucks.

much less than a pool table would be. if its not one of the cheap ones.

 

[tekknoschtev]

I'd keep the pool table too. I grew up with one in the house, and its awesome to have for when you're bored, or when you want to have some friends over. I miss not having it in my place now, but my parents have told me that once I get a place of my own, I can have it.

For me, the move to AG cost me $8 for some curtains, and a bribe to my sister to let me borrow her sewing machine. Voila, All grain. Then again, I've since bought a mill, lots of grains, a few extra toys and I'm considering a new brew kettle soon, so maybe that whole move wasn't so cheap.

I'd keep the pool table and piece together the AG setup were it me.

 

[MeatyPortion]

I wish I had a pool table.

 

[RM-MN]

you NEED a pot a burner a cooler and a couple buckets for AG brewing. Keep the pool table. Start brewing AG brewing for ~$200 bucks then work towards a system.

Nope. You don't need all those things to start brewing all grain. You need a good kettle and a paint strainer bag or 2 (might as well have two, they come 2 in a package) and you need to read up on "brew in a bag". I've done 4 half-size batches with only a 20 qt. kettle and a grain bag and I've done it on the kitchen stove. Notice that I didn't need a burner, a bigger pot, or a cooler to get going all grain.

I do have a bigger kettle now and a propane burner and as soon as the temperature is reliably above zero, I'll move outside and do some 5 gallon batches but so far, I can brew 2 1/2 gallon batches faster than I drink them.

 

[BasementGrowler]

gota keep the pool table for when the garage becomes the brew house with keggerater. and go ahead and pick up a dart board.

already have the keggerater and the dart board. Had a game room set up at my old house. The new house didn't have room so it is all in the garage. The garage will probably become the brew house this summer.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Nope. You don't need all those things to start brewing all grain. You need a good kettle and a paint strainer bag or 2 (might as well have two, they come 2 in a package) and you need to read up on "brew in a bag". I've done 4 half-size batches with only a 20 qt. kettle and a grain bag and I've done it on the kitchen stove. Notice that I didn't need a burner, a bigger pot, or a cooler to get going all grain.

I do have a bigger kettle now and a propane burner and as soon as the temperature is reliably above zero, I'll move outside and do some 5 gallon batches but so far, I can brew 2 1/2 gallon batches faster than I drink them.

Yes this is true. If you have a nice enough stove you can do 5 Gallon batches with BIAB as well. But yes, you did need a burner, yours just happens to be attached to your stove.

 

[RM-MN]

Yes this is true. If you have a nice enough stove you can do 5 Gallon batches with BIAB as well. But yes, you did need a burner, yours just happens to be attached to your stove.

True, my burner was attached to my stove but most houses come equiped with a stove, it isn't a separate purchase. My point was that the OP could go all grain and keep the pool table because going all grain doesn't require much investment. After a few batches of all grain brewed in a bag, the OP can afford to move to a brew sculpture with all the fittings just from the difference in brewing costs and can still have his pool table. :rockin:

 

[CidahMastah]

I am assuming you have considered BIAB? Cost = one sparge bag ($3), if you have a brew pot in the 7-8 gallon size range.

I say do both, just BIAB, until you can furnish your equip.

I am lucky because my buddy just bought a mash tun to add to the equipment at my house. But for now, BIAB has been working of me just fine.

 

[chapa]

+1 for brew in a bag! I haven't lugged out my single tier 3 vessel system in a while. I still however bring out 1 sq14 burner. Still, until I have a stationary spot for my brew rig, where I can just fire them up and brew, I love the convenience of biab!

 

[noggins]

biab rocks. I went all grain for $20: bought an 8 gallon aluminum pot, already had a cheesecloth bag, and was given a propane burner years ago.

 

[TrainSafe]

+1 for BIAB. I spent $30 on a keg, $6 on voile fabric. And its sooo easy.

 

[mfraier]

BIAB now, add onto the setup later and keep the table if you use it.