Unexpected Favorite equipment

[user 341102]

like many homebrewers, I’m constantly upgrading equipment or building new items for the brewery to make brew days easier, improve the quality of beer, or enhance serving. We all need a boiler and fermenter; I’m looking for nonessential items that now feel almost essential. In my ongoing quest, I thought I’d solicit everyone’s unexpected favorite equipment equipment.

For me, it’s a vacuum insulated SS growler with a swing top lid that I grabbed for $20 a couple years ago. I’ve never even used it as a growler. It holds temperature so well, that it’s now my go-to vessel for performing mini-mashes/creating starters or making a sour starter. An unsung hero of the brew day. Wish I’d grabbed a few more when they were super cheap

 

[Broken Crow]

Hands down; those plastic Kegland carb-caps. I first bought a pair to go with a fermzilla, but they're so useful for cleaning/purging/sanitizing tasks I don't think I'd get by without them now.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I’m looking for nonessential items that now feel almost essential.

Beyond the fast response digital thermometer, a cooking alarm thermometer / timer (I was gifted a ChefAlarm) with a longer (12") probe.

 

[Cameronl]

I wouldn't call it non-essential, but definitely a surprise how awesome it turned out to be:
One of those $25 Hot Water Heater Circulation Pumps.

When I built my eHERMS system, I bought a couple of (used) Chugger pumps. One was connected to the HLT to recirculate the hot water for even heating, and then for sparging, so it was on during the entire mash and it was so LOUD. Plus all the extra hoses. Got sick of it so I bought one of these little gems. Input attached directly to the output of the HLT, eliminating one more hose. Runs silent, with just enough flow rate to gently circulate the water and to sparge. And it won't break the bank if and when it craps out and needs to be replaced.

(I've reconfigured this since the photo, with the pump direct to the valve, then the Tee fitting with the temp probe on the pump output so it doesn't stick out so far).

/I've also replaced the other Chugger with a Riptide for whirlpooling and moving hot wort.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I wouldn't call it non-essential, but definitely a surprise how awesome it turned out to be:
One of those $25 Hot Water Heater Circulation Pumps.

View attachment 831685

When I built my eHERMS system, I bought a couple of (used) Chugger pumps. One was connected to the HLT to recirculate the hot water for even heating, and then for sparging, so it was on during the entire mash and it was so LOUD. Plus all the extra hoses. Got sick of it so I bought one of these little gems. Input attached directly to the output of the HLT, eliminating one more hose. Runs silent, with just enough flow rate to gently circulate the water and to sparge. And it won't break the bank if and when it craps out and needs to be replaced.
View attachment 831686
(I've reconfigured this since the photo, with the pump direct to the valve, then the Tee fitting with the temp probe on the pump output so it doesn't stick out so far).

/I've also replaced the other Chugger with a Riptide for whirlpooling and moving hot wort.

I use that same little pump on my mash tun lid ( insulted rectangular cooler). It's connected on the bottom drain valve then to the lid with a small spray head inside. I use it to recirculation the wort during the mash.

 

[Climb]

Here are several that I can think of.
1. Plastic soda bottles. Used to hold extra last running that I use for a yeast starter for my next brew.
2. Brown glass growlers. Used to hold yeast from the fermenter until it’s next use.
3. Spunding valve

 

[Closet Fermenter]

This was a purchase I never saw coming; a lift cart. As I upgraded to larger vessels to do larger batches, my old two tiered stand wouldn’t work because of dimensions of the taller equipment. Also, my ability to lift larger vessels with greater batches was not possible.
Then I saw a lift cart. Why not? It allows me to pour the strike water directly into the mash tun, the lift it up high enough to drain into the boil kettle. I can then lower the mash tun to empty and remove it during the boil, and place my fermenters there. After the fermentation, I can raise them up above keg height to do a gravity, closed transfer.
I just did a 10 gallon batch, and it was easier than my old 5gallon process.

 

[jamied]

I wouldn't call it non-essential, but definitely a surprise how awesome it turned out to be:
One of those $25 Hot Water Heater Circulation Pumps.

View attachment 831685

When I built my eHERMS system, I bought a couple of (used) Chugger pumps. One was connected to the HLT to recirculate the hot water for even heating, and then for sparging, so it was on during the entire mash and it was so LOUD. Plus all the extra hoses. Got sick of it so I bought one of these little gems. Input attached directly to the output of the HLT, eliminating one more hose. Runs silent, with just enough flow rate to gently circulate the water and to sparge. And it won't break the bank if and when it craps out and needs to be replaced.
View attachment 831686
(I've reconfigured this since the photo, with the pump direct to the valve, then the Tee fitting with the temp probe on the pump output so it doesn't stick out so far).

/I've also replaced the other Chugger with a Riptide for whirlpooling and moving hot wort.

can you please post the manufacture's name and model of this little pump? it exactly what I'm looking for!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

can you please post the manufacture's name and model of this little pump? it exactly what I'm looking for!

I got the exact same pump, it came from Amazon.
Bayite BYT-7A015 DC 12 volt solar hot water pump. $27.50, just checjed.

 

[Cameronl]

can you please post the manufacture's name and model of this little pump? it exactly what I'm looking for!

Here you go:
https://www.amazon.com/bayite-BYT-7...B01G305PK0/ref=rvi_sccl_1/147-0918794-4471904

 

[Closet Fermenter]

Here you go:
https://www.amazon.com/bayite-BYT-7...B01G305PK0/ref=rvi_sccl_1/147-0918794-4471904

What temperatures are you using this for; says 131°F max?

 

[Cameronl]

What temperatures are you using this for; says 131°F max?

I didn't realize it had a temp rating. I use it regularly circulate water as hot as 180F with no issues.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Mine is used at mash temps, 155 plus a little more. I have not had any issues. One thing I did for my use is add a filter on the pump input in case some grain particles sneaked through.

I have used mine for three years now.

 

[Skeeter686]

One of my favorite non-essential items is a little ball-lock keg. I think it holds a gallon and a quarter.

It's great for taking some beer to a party, or if I brew a very small experimental batch. But it's also super handy for running cleaner or Starsan through my equipment, and for cleaning my tap lines.

 

[day_trippr]

It took me awhile to come up with something that fits the question - and it's the glass rinser integrated into my drip tray. I've had one for years and use it before every pour without even thinking about it, but today I realized how I've come to rely on it chilling my beer glass while coating it to cut down on nucleation and keep the CO2 in the beer.

This is an older video of Keezer #2 with a separate rinser, but it still applies to the new one...



And this one is from my current Keezer #3 with a fancier Micromatic tray with integrated rinser...



Cheers!

 

[bwible]

- A nice accurate scale. Actually 2 of them. One that can measure out grains by the pound and another small gram scale for measuring minerals for water chemistry additions and exact hop measurements.

- An erlenmeyer flask for making yeast starters

 

[bwible]

I wouldn't call it non-essential, but definitely a surprise how awesome it turned out to be:
One of those $25 Hot Water Heater Circulation Pumps.

View attachment 831685

When I built my eHERMS system, I bought a couple of (used) Chugger pumps. One was connected to the HLT to recirculate the hot water for even heating, and then for sparging, so it was on during the entire mash and it was so LOUD. Plus all the extra hoses. Got sick of it so I bought one of these little gems. Input attached directly to the output of the HLT, eliminating one more hose. Runs silent, with just enough flow rate to gently circulate the water and to sparge. And it won't break the bank if and when it craps out and needs to be replaced.
View attachment 831686
(I've reconfigured this since the photo, with the pump direct to the valve, then the Tee fitting with the temp probe on the pump output so it doesn't stick out so far).

/I've also replaced the other Chugger with a Riptide for whirlpooling and moving hot wort.

I have the little pump that Anvil sells. They also sell it for recirculating the Foundry sytems. That little pump is great. So quiet I have to put my hand on it and feel it to make sure its running. And all it does is work.

 

[pvpeacock]

Stainless paint stirrer for my cordless power drill. Perfect for mashing in, general stirring and whirl pooling.

 

[Yesfan]

Hands down; those plastic Kegland carb-caps. I first bought a pair to go with a fermzilla, but they're so useful for cleaning/purging/sanitizing tasks I don't think I'd get by without them now.

I love those things. The Kegland Tees are great too. It let's me turn a 2L bottle into a keg. In a pinch when I wanted to fill a "growler", I'd have a carb cap on top with EVA line going to the bottom of the bottle. I put a Coke cap on the side of the tee, and I'd use it to burp the bottle so I could fill from the tap (kinda like Biermuncher's DIY beer gun). Once full, I replaced the Coke cap with another carb cab for the gas. It might be clunky, but I wonder if two stacked tees and some carb caps would allow a junky counter pressure filler for bottling. At least that could be thought of as a back up for your beer gun for whatever reason.

Other things.....

My 1 gallon Rubbermaid pitchers. I bought 2 of these for vorlaughing when I first started brewing. Now they have more uses even after getting a pump. I use them to weigh out specialty grains, as a scooper for base grains, hold small parts that soak in cleaner, flushing beer lines, you name it. Those small stainless steel infusing spheres are great too when cleaning small kegging parts.

I also have a cheap Inkbird folding thermometer that replaced my Thermopen. It has a magnet, is rechargable via USB, is backlit and cheap ($16). Four things the Thermopen lacked.

 

[YeastFeast]

My keezer line cleaner (pump & hose).

Toss that in a 2 gal bucket with a mix of water and liquid line cleaner.
I also connect it to my counterflow wort chiller to clean the beer side.

 

[MaxStout]

I do BIAB indoors on the stove when it's too cold (or hot) for me to want to brew out in the garage over propane. My unexpected fave is a 1500W bucket heater stick, similar to this one. Used in conjunction with my electric stove this brings 6 gallons of strike water to mash temps much faster than with the stove top alone. After the mash, I add some topoff water, and the stove + bucket heater bring the 6.5 - 7.0 gallons to a boil quickly.

I could go without the heater stick, but it would add a lot of time to my brew day.

 

[MaxStout]

My 1 gallon Rubbermaid pitchers. I bought 2 of these for vorlaughing when I first started brewing. Now they have more uses even after getting a pump. I use them to weigh out specialty grains, as a scooper for base grains, hold small parts that soak in cleaner, flushing beer lines, you name it.

I have one of those. At $20, not cheap, but worth the cost. I use it for measuring strike water, weighing grain, mixing chemicals like Starsan, pour-over sparging, etc. I should get a second one.

 

[Graham H]

A hand-cranked siphon pump. Ever since I got this, my autosiphons have been collecting dust.

 

[Beekeeper]

Trying to locate something like that. Do you have a brand name, or model number for the one that you are using?

A hand-cranked siphon pump. Ever since I got this, my autosiphons have been collecting dust.

I guess the key work is peristaltic...

 

[Graham H]

Trying to locate something like that. Do you have a brand name, or model number for the one that you are using?

I guess the key work is peristaltic...

Got mine from BrewEngineering on Etsy.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/988094733/

 

[Yesfan]

A hand-cranked siphon pump. Ever since I got this, my autosiphons have been collecting dust.View attachment 831828

That's awesome!. I may have to add that to my arsenal. That looks like EVA beer line on the keg side. How do you have that connected to the silicone tubing? Any oxidation issues? First thing I thought when seeing the video was EVA would be too stiff a tubing to use for the pump to work correctly.

Looks cool!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

That's awesome!. I may have to add that to my arsenal. That looks like EVA beer line on the keg side. How do you have that connected to the silicone tubing? Any oxidation issues? First thing I thought when seeing the video was EVA would be too stiff a tubing to use for the pump to work correctly.

Looks cool!

If you zoom in on the picture you can see a splice in the tubing, by the drip tray. You're going to need soft tubing for the pump to work.

 

[ba-brewer]

This an essential tool for me for doing siphon transfers.

I cram it into the end of the transfer tubing to get a siphon started then remove it when the wort/beer gets over the top.

I also use it in a more traditional way to get samples for taking gravity reading with my refractometer.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I bought a muck tub from the local farm supply ( Fleet Farm). I dump the spent grain into it from the mash tun. Also the crap left from the boil kettle goes in. After lugging the heavy tub I invested in a muck tub cart. Now I can easily haul everything out to a spot on my property. This winter I'm going to get another tub. That way I can fill the two before plowing through the snow drifts.

 

[Graham H]

That's awesome!. I may have to add that to my arsenal. That looks like EVA beer line on the keg side. How do you have that connected to the silicone tubing? Any oxidation issues? First thing I thought when seeing the video was EVA would be too stiff a tubing to use for the pump to work correctly.

Looks cool!

The pump came with 6’ of silicone tubing and a double-sided hose barb to attach to additional tubing. I already had my homemade transfer line (silicone tubing clamped onto Evabarrier) which I used to use when I had a fermentation bucket with a spigot. The hose barb lets me link the siphon hose directly to the transfer hose. I attach the QD to a Kegland plastic ball lock post (the carb cap style) to prevent any back pressure from interfering with the siphon. Once the pump is primed, I connect the QD to the keg and open up the siphon. It works very well. The only unexpected results were due to user error (don’t open up the siphon until the keg pressure is released via PRV or Spunding valve ).

 

[Yesfan]

The pump came with 6’ of silicone tubing and a double-sided hose barb to attach to additional tubing. I already had my homemade transfer line (silicone tubing clamped onto Evabarrier) which I used to use when I had a fermentation bucket with a spigot. The hose barb lets me link the siphon hose directly to the transfer hose. I attach the QD to a Kegland plastic ball lock post (the carb cap style) to prevent any back pressure from interfering with the siphon. Once the pump is primed, I connect the QD to the keg and open up the siphon. It works very well. The only unexpected results were due to user error (don’t open up the siphon until the keg pressure is released via PRV or Spunding valve ).

Thanks!

EDIT: Went ahead and ordered one. Figured what the hell.

 

[Graham H]

If you zoom in on the picture you can see a splice in the tubing, by the drip tray. You're going to need soft tubing for the pump to work.

Correct. The person who made the pump said that any tubing used had to be pliant enough for the planetary gears to be effective. He gave me a few suggestions for suitable sources. I went with Amazon and it was under 50¢/foot.

 

[Brushwood Brewing]

The beer line cleaning kit with hand pump from Kegland. It's made cleaning keg lines so much easier.

 

[user 341102]

The beer line cleaning kit with hand pump from Kegland. It's made cleaning keg lines so much easier.

Good to know. I’ve been avoiding buying one to save space (and prefer to use the brewing budget on beer production). Sounds like this would really help keep quality high and minimize effort of cleaning

 

[fluketamer]

i have to agree with a lot of others on this thread. carb caps and tee pieces are incredibly handy for so many things in the brewery.
i use them to keg in pet bottles.
i use them to clean lines.
i use them to transfer beer

so many uses.

 

[wsmith1625]

This...

No more stealing lines from kegs and having to leave the kegerator door open.

 

[Miraculix]

The Corona mill and the bottling stick and my speidel plastic fermenter.

 

[user 341102]

Glad I'm not the only one using a Corona mill!

The Corona mill and the bottling stick and my speidel plastic fermenter.

 

[Yesfan]

i have to agree with a lot of others on this thread. carb caps and tee pieces are incredibly handy for so many things in the brewery.
i use them to keg in pet bottles.
i use them to clean lines.
i use them to transfer beer

so many uses.

Good call! That video was what prompted me to buy the tee.