What would you do with $500?

[beergorila]

Let's say someone just handed you a $500 gift certificate to a big home brew supplier. Let's say you just got a fridge for free on craigslist, and have already begun assembling necessary items for a draft system. Other than that, you have minimal equipment in your HB arsenal ... NOW, what would YOU do with that $500 burning a hole in your pocket??

 

[Parker36]

Man I love spending other peoples money! Do you have the equipment for AG? Burner, huge pot, chiller, mill are all good investments. I'm assuming you keg? More cornies, regulators, nice perlicks, bigger CO2 tank, nitrogen system all could fill up your fridge. Other than that ome bulk grains, hops, maybe a nice starter system. Oh man I could go on for days.....

 

[JMSetzler]

Send it to Obama.

 

[Parker36]

Send it to Obama.

Dude, that is just stupid and unnecessary. Go back to the debate forum

 

[Tuzlo]

Man I love spending other peoples money! Do you have the equipment for AG? Burner, huge pot, chiller, mill are all good investments. I'm assuming you keg? More cornies, regulators, nice perlicks, bigger CO2 tank, nitrogen system all could fill up your fridge. Other than that ome bulk grains, hops, maybe a nice starter system. Oh man I could go on for days.....

Where can you get perlick's from now?

 

[Parker36]

All over. I see them in the Northern Brewer catalog all the time, I'm sure they aren't the only ones carrying them (or the cheapest either)

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

Dude, that is just stupid and unnecessary. Go back to the debate forum

agreed...

I would be happy to help. I would say lets start by talking about what you already have and how you are currently brewing.

-Are you brewing all grain or extract?
-What are your volume limits? ie 15 gallon pot vs. 5 gallon pot
-Do you have a grain mill?
-How do you chill your beer?
-How do you store your gear?

 

[beergorila]

Thanks for the input guys. My current setup is a cheap pot for 1.5g extract boils on the kitchen stove. I then chill in an ice batch in the kitchen sink. No aeration. Stick into a 6g glass carboy, transfer to a 5g glass secondary carboy. It's all no-frills but has been getting the job done for over a year now. I have a whole room in the basement to build out the brewery.

I've just bottled my last bottle batch (thank god), and have most of the draft system in place including a perlick.

I just don't know what to do 1st otherwise ... AG system? I just don't have more in the budget other than the $500 gift certificate, and don't want to go half-ass into a new step needing more than what that'll get me now.

 

[LIVETOBREW]

id upgrade bro, get yourself a 15 gallon kettle, wort chiller, propane burner, and some all grain equipment..... start there before you do anything else.... you wont be dissapointed when you can brew 10 gallons of that one batch everyone keeps drinking......

 

[Baja_Brewer]

WOW, okay, you can greatly benefit from this and.... AHS 50 state, if thats where your coupon is to.

Judging by what you (dont) have it sounds like this could help you make the step to AG no problem. Ill leave the serious advice to the people with more experience than me, but I'd say get a Immersion chiller for sure!! Especially if you buy a nice big shiny pot to start doing full boils!!

 

[CGengo]

I would definitely step to at least a system that will allow you to do full 7 gallon boils - so a large pot or keggle and a nice propane burner setup. Also, definitely get a chiller of some sort because cooling 5 gallons in an ice bath ain't happening. I would also spend some cash on something that will allow you control fermentation temps, like a Johnson controller. I might even purchase a stir plate for making big starters. Then I'd spend a good deal of it on ingredients or kits. I think I would just focus on making really good beer with stuff that can continue to be used when you're ready to move to AG.

Chris

 

[Edcculus]

$500! where to begin?

Wort chiller
speed burner
pot big enough for full boils
a few more carboys
extra hosing
10 gal converted mash tun cooler with stainless steel false bottom
some sacks of grain (based on some recipes you plan on brewing)
barley crusher
canning equipment (for sterilizing equpment to wash and culture yeast)
equpment for making yeast slants
equipment for making starters (erlenmeyer flask, stir plate, stir bar)
more carboys for long term lambic fermentation
more carboys for long term mead fermentation/aging
extra caps
floor capper
a convenient jug for holding and dispensing diluted StarSan solution

...just to name a few...

 

[polecreek]

1$ bills and a trip to the bar with the pole in it.

 

[Anthony_Lopez]

I'd go with atleast a 10 gallon pot. If you are ever going to want to do more than a 6 gallon batch, I'd get a 15 gallon kettle with a valve and thermometer. Ebay should help you out with that.

Next I'd get an igloo cooler (40 bucks at Home depot), false bottom (mine was from more beer ~40 bucks) and a cooler conversion kit from greatbargains.net. This should run you around 20-40 dollars depending on if you go stainless or brass.

With the rest, I'd get some toys. Immersion chiller will help you a ton. Gear for yeast culturing will allow you to save money down the road by re-using yeast. A march pump is nice, but it's a luxury as far as I'm concerned.

 

[mmb]

I'd go march pump, love controllers, burners and STC valves. I want a Brutus!

 

[Jeffro]

I would spend the money to raise my capacity, and lessen my physical labor.

So... I would buy the materials I would need to build a 3 tier system and plumb water to my shop/brewery.

 

[Irish1225]

trade the gift certificate for cash and put it toward my credit card. i'd love a cash hand-out during unemployment time

 

[nealf]

I would go AG with the money, get a pot, chiller, spend the rest of bulk grains and a few lbs of hops.

 

[jgardner6]

go with the ag while you have the money

 

[luvmy40]

$500 to spend anywhere:
Build a rack for my 3 tier system, instead of the laundry counter, bar stool and plant stand.
Nicer looking cooler/tun
Add a heat controller to my heat stick setup.

HBS Coupon:
Heat controller, nicer looking cooler/tun, bulk grain and leaf hops.

 

[jacksonbrown]

Yeah, what they said. Get a 48 qt cooler from WalMart, or wherever, for all grain (cheap). Get an immerssion chiller, a large brew pot (15 gal), and a burner. And you are set to go, sir! Fun times and good brews ahead. Whoot!

 

[CBBaron]

If it was me, I would put together a kegging setup. However it seems you already have that covered.
Next step is AG.

Good sized Brew pot
wort chiller
Grain mill
Burner
10gal or so cooler with bulkhead and braid

That should take care of most of your cash. Some extra fermenters and brewing supplies should take care of the rest.

Craig

 

[Runyanka]

I would do what I always do with my money.... Spend it on beer and women, and blow the rest!

 

[MashStirBrew]

Extra kegs ?
10 gallon pot (Polarware is U.S. made!) 150$
digital thermostat for fermentation fridge 100$(a "must have" for me)
wort chiller 50-100$
BREW SOFTWARE 20$
Grain mill 150$
ingredients with the rest if any

You can get a 5 gallon igloo cooler at walmart for 20$ and the hardware to convert for 20 bucks at a hardware store. And a turkey fryer burner can be found cheap.
You should be able to equip yourself very well to do AG with 500$

 

[nathan]

multiple pressure manifold setup! someone on here had the daisy-chained guages set up so they could have each brew at the right pressure. I'd do that, move my gas bottle to outside the freezer with a bulkhead fitting, and split it on the outside so I could have some connectors on the outside for sealing kegs, purging carboys, etc.

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

$500? let me see...

1. Big burner, if you don't have one yet buy 2!
2. Kettle big enough for 10 gallon batches
3. MLT big enough for 10 gallon batches
4. HLT big enough for 10 gallon batches
4. Counterflow Chiller

If any money is left over...TONS OF GRAIN!

 

[beergorila]

Thanks for all the ideas and input y'all! I think I'm gonna do as much as possible without yet getting any AG equipment. I'd like to outfit myself to make more kickass extracts for now, but have the basics ready to jump into AG the next time a windfall like this happens upon me.

Here's my plan:

8 Gallon Megapot w/ ball valve and thermometer ~$210
Hurricane Burner and Stand ~$100
Shirron Plate Chiller ~$90
2 more used cornies ~$70 (only got 1 now)
Aeration System ~$35

Seem like best bang for buck now?

 

[mmb]

Thanks for all the ideas and input y'all! I think I'm gonna do as much as possible without yet getting any AG equipment. I'd like to outfit myself to make more kickass extracts for now, but have the basics ready to jump into AG the next time a windfall like this happens upon me.

Here's my plan:

8 Gallon Megapot w/ ball valve and thermometer ~$210
Hurricane Burner and Stand ~$100
Shirron Plate Chiller ~$90
2 more used cornies ~$70 (only got 1 now)
Aeration System ~$35

Seem like best bang for buck now?

Any way to squeak that up the a 10G megapot? The 8G will be a little tight when you do get to AG. Some of my AG batches have 7.75 G preboil.

Otherwise, looks awesome!

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Design out your intended system on paper. Then start buying the most important pieces.

 

[beergorila]

Any way to squeak that up the a 10G megapot? The 8G will be a little tight when you do get to AG. Some of my AG batches have 7.75 G preboil.

Otherwise, looks awesome!

Great point on the preboil volume ... thanks!

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

- Stout Faucet (All SS) + extra straigtener and restrictor
- (2) 4" SS shanks
- Tailpieces
- (2) Stubby Handles
- In line secondary regulator
- Beer nuts
- SS Tee
- O2 Regulator
- 20cuft O2 tank

$230 Incl Tax and Shipping

Beyond that, I need to pick up some Ball Lock disconnects and a couple more Pin Lock disconnects. A couple check valves and I am good.

I am finally gonna expand to 6 faucets. Not that I need them, I just managed some un-expected cash. The rest goes into the bank (meaning the wife gets taken to dinner).

 

[TexasStu]

Don't forget an immersion chiller. If it were me I'd really dislike taking a hating to my shiney new pot because of moving it to ice down 5 gallons of scalding hot wort.

 

[Ryan_PA]

I would ensure you have an oxigenation system and fermentation temp control under wraps. They are the 2 quickest way to increase your beer quality.

 

[trimpy]

If any money is left over...TONS OF GRAIN!

Funny, I was just going to say 8 bags of pale malt, 4 pilsner, 2 wheat.