What else do you use your rig for?

[dbaker]

I'm just wondering what people use their equipment for, besides making beer. (Need to convince SWMBO that this isn't all useless stuff.) Here's what I'm doing:

Chicken Stock - Boil a couple months worth of saved chicken bones (freeze them of course) for at least an hour in 5 gallons of water. Now you have a couple months of excellent chicken soup. (Must clean well unless you like chicken ale)

Maple Syrup - In terms of hours of use, my rig does this more in one season than makes beer all year long.

Cider - Only the carboys and bottling equipment get to participate in this fun.

What else? I want to upgrade some stuff but must justify!

 

[Rick500]

My keggle doubles as a big shiny ornament on my deck when I'm not brewing with it.

 

[joejaz]

Chicken stock, that's sacrilegious! How about spaghetti.

 

[kornkob]

Being able to make a few gallons of spaghetti sauce, chili, stew or other sauces and soups in advance of freezing are some good alternate uses.

You could always have a fish fry for a whole host of folks. In fact, one of my neighbors goes to Canada every year on a fishing trip and they have a big fish fry for the neighbors when they return.

Is the old lady interested in canning? I imagine you can get a lot of jars in a kettle filled with boiling water.

 

[mr_goodwrench]

My SWMBO and I have an agreement:

I don't question her hobby(scrapbooking) and she doesn't question mine.

That said, personally I wouldn't use my equipment for anything other than beer making unless it were a dire emergency. Even my propane tank does nothing other than beer!

I wouldn't be bothered by the maple syrup (mmmmmmmm...), but would avoid the chicken fat. But that's just me.

 

[kornkob]

I have a similar agreement with my SWMBO but I also know that not all relationships can support such an agreement.





If I had more space constraints I think I'd use my brew gear for multiple uses. I'd jsut be careful about cleaning between changes of use.

 

[dbaker]

Being able to make a few gallons of spaghetti sauce, chili, stew or other sauces and soups in advance of freezing are some good alternate uses.

You could always have a fish fry for a whole host of folks. In fact, one of my neighbors goes to Canada every year on a fishing trip and they have a big fish fry for the neighbors when they return.

Is the old lady interested in canning? I imagine you can get a lot of jars in a kettle filled with boiling water.

Canning...There we go! I wonder about stacking them deep though. Can't get the first ones out first. I'll have to see how many fit in one layer. Hey use BK and HLT at the same time for this...

 

[mr_goodwrench]

Point well taken. I can definitely appreciate the situation...

 

[kornkob]

Canning...There we go! I wonder about stacking them deep though. Can't get the first ones out first. I'll have to see how many fit in one layer. Hey use BK and HLT at the same time for this...

You should be able to use a canning rack in your pot. With a little fabrication you could probably extend the handles of one and stack 2 canning racks in the same pot.

With 2 turkey fryers you could be blanching the food you are canning in one pot while prepping the jars in another.