What should I get next?

[DannyG]

I have a birthday fast approaching, and I'm trying to decide what homebrewing goody to ask SWMBO for next. I figure I should turn to the pros for advice: you guys. Right now I've got the basic setup (two buckets, autosiphon, hydrometer, thermometer, etc) along with a homemade wort chiller. I'd love a second fermenter, but space concerns make that impossible for now. Budget for this thing is under $50; so nothing too fancy. Right now I'm leaning towards a bottle tree and Vinator bottle rinser, but that's pretty tentative. I'd also love to do some kind of more sophisticated temperature control than the setup I've got now (a wet towel draped over my fermenter and a fan running in the closet) but I figure that'll be tricky within my price range.

So, any suggestions?

 

[ksbrain]

I think a bottle tree is a great idea for you for $50. A temperature controller is $100 and the right fermenting fridge can be tough to select. A refractometer might be another idea if you like.

 

[Scruffy1207]

I use a freezer chest + temp controller for keeping my fermentor at the right temp, but that cost me $200. Wine theif, bottle racks are nice.

 

[shelly_belly]

I love my vinator. But I use milk crates instead of a bottle tree.

 

[NorthRiverS]

+1 on the Vinator. It cuts your bottling time in half.

NRS

 

[Nightbiker]

Likewise, add my vote to the vinator. But the bottle tree isn't a bad choice either -mine saw a lot of action (I got one that allowed you to screw another tree on top of it, doubling capacity) before I went to kegging. And it will still get some work from time to time.

 

[Pappers_]

Bottled last night and the vinator and bottle tree are very helpful.

 

[Erroneous]

IDK about your brewing setup, but I know I'd love a turkey fryer combo for my bday (or anniversary is 1st). Tired of that 20 qt pot.

You could get a bit close with a diy mash tun to go AG. Home Depot has the 10 gallon rubbermaids for $40. That and a basic cooler bulkhead from BargainFittings.com (~17+s/h) and a $5 toilet water supply line and you can brew AG!

 

[Erroneous]

Also, you could get her a vacuum sealer for her BDay!

*edit* Sorry, I keep thinking about what I want to get next. Beersmith is another <$50 thing to get. Give it a try if you haven't already. Other things would be an o2 stone and oxygen tank. Also I know my wife would like it if I had a shelf and jars to keep various chemicals and water conditioners so that I'd be out of her cabinet. The Electric Brewery recommends a SS Ikea shelf ($20) and airtight jars (4/$4).

Maybe go through the electric brewery's parts list page and see what kind of stuff interests you. Sounds like you're extract brewing atm so pH tester, grain storage, etc. might not be your thing. He does a good job at explaining why he likes one tool more than another in the next several pages. http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/parts-list-using?page=2