What is Your Favorite Piece of Brewing Equipment and Why

[planker101]

Mine would be my TIG welder, because it makes other pieces of brewing equipment. However, for brew specific equipment I would have to go with the pressurized transfer lid I made for my fermenter because it is so much easier than picking up the fermenter and putting it on a table.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I love my glass carboys. It's where all the magic happens.

 

[PADave]

Fermentation chamber. Without temp control, you won't make good beer.

 

[Kharnynb]

i guess my auto-siphon was my "most improved" over the basic kit gear.

Other than that, my stc-1000 for temp control.

 

[mongoose33]

The bottle opener!

 

[oceanic_brew]

My iPhone 5c, since I use it 50 times a day to go on this forum and other brewing specific pages in order to learn how to brew. Without I would have made many many mistakes and bought some terrible equipment. But that's as silly as saying my eyes are my favorite since I use two of them to look at my iPhone.

My fermentation chest thats fed from a hole in the side of my kegerator is definitely a close second.

 

[DromJohn]

The stock pot. Without it the grains and water would spill all over the stove.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Fermentation chamber. Without temp control, you won't make good beer.

Your mom loves my beer!

 

[TANSTAAFB]

That's tough! I just got a Speidel 30L and I love it...Thought I was moving towards a SS Brew Bucket but when I can buy another 30 and a couple of 12L Speidels for the he same price? But fermentation temp control is what made the biggest impact on the quality of my beer. My Chugger keeps me from having g to lift stuff and saves my very damaged back. Same with my locking ratchet pulleys for BIAB. Just moved to a plate chiller as well and the speed with which it chills my delicious wort us fanfreakintastic! My very simple brew bag simplified my process and sped up my brew day by an hour or so...

 

[Dfitz]

My favorite is my electric 60 gal jacketed mash tun.

 

[mazultav]

Just built it today, my keg and beer line cleaner.

 

[MrBJones]

My kettle has mojo...boiling makes me a feel like an old-time brewmeister. It's so laid back, allows lot of time for socializing while tasting the last batch. And I love the smell of boiling wort as it fills the house.

 

[planker101]

My favorite is my electric 60 gal jacketed mash tun.

I want one!

 

[kh54s10]

My charcoal filter plumbed to my HLT. Without water you cannot make beer. I ran the line through the filter then a valve to the HLT. I never have to lift a pot of hot water to pour into another pot.

 

[Dfitz]

I want one!

Yeah, it's pretty sweet. A modified Groen steam kettle. Holds 4 3kw coils rating to about 144,000 btu. While not really necessary for a mash tun I say why limit yourself. It'll run on water or glycol. I'm ordering a 50 gal. boil kettle from spike next week to get me into 1 bbl territory. Life is too short to be brewing all the time. It seems like as soon as I get 10 gal brewed it's gone even before my next is ready. I'm planning my first brew with this system, a Modelo Negra clone.

 

[planker101]

Nice. I'm with you on going big, although for me that was moving to a 20 gallon kettle and doing 12 gallon batches. If I ever have the space I will definitely go bigger though! You have a picture of your mash tun? I've drooled over those groens a few times, way out of my budget just now though.

 

[Dfitz]

Nice. I'm with you on going big, although for me that was moving to a 20 gallon kettle and doing 12 gallon batches. If I ever have the space I will definitely go bigger though! You have a picture of your mash tun? I've drooled over those groens a few times, way out of my budget just now though.

For smaller batches (10 gal) I have a keggle eHERMs system. It's just too small to get me into more than one brew in the fridge at a time.
I'll still use it once I have established enough to drink then brew a few special batches.

I have to say though, my controller runs neck and neck with the mash tun.

 

[Murphys_Law]

My kegerator. Because I'm drinking beer!

 

[woo_pig]

The bottle opener!

Damn you i was going to say that

 

[mongoose33]

Damn you i was going to say that

Just because I said it first doesn't mean it's not your favorite piece of equipment. You can say it. Really. Go ahead and say it. Say It. SAY IT!!!!

 

[woo_pig]

Just because I said it first doesn't mean it's not your favorite piece of equipment. You can say it. Really. Go ahead and say it. Say It. SAY IT!!!!

I really cant say it. I use my wedding ring to open bottles. Tungsten carbide way better than gold.

 

[mongoose33]

I really cant say it. I use my wedding ring to open bottles. Tungsten carbide way better than gold.

You need one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K67UTRQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[atoughram]

Definitely my plastic conical - but it could be a stainless too - much easier to use and no "transferring to secondary"

 

[aprichman]

Kegs - so much better than bottles.

 

[jeremiah]

Gold

 

[youngdh]

Refractometer. Makes taking gravity readings quick and easy.

 

[planker101]

Definitely my plastic conical - but it could be a stainless too - much easier to use and no "transferring to secondary"

One of these days I'll upgrade to a conical. Currently using converted kegs and fermonsters. Would be SO nice to be able to catch trub and yeast though... one of these days.

 

[planker101]

You need one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K67UTRQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Just ordered 3! 1 for me and 2 for friends. So cheap even if they are trash it won't matter, haha