What's your best DIY brew gadget?

[wrench]

Definitely at the top of my list is the BIAB eKeggle and Ammo Can PID control box. That gets used every brew day.

I also just finished a 3 tap insulated keezer collar that gets used starting a few weeks after each brew day.

I'm finishing up a 90 degree heat stick that's going to let me heat water when I do want to sparge, or to boost my kitchen stove on the rare occasions I brew a small batch in the kitchen.

Next on the to-do list is a fermentation chamber that will circulate chilled glycol from the keezer. Oh, and I need to rebuild the cigar box (Kuba Kuba) stir plate that stopped working.

 

[NewBrewB]

Enjoyed building a kegerator into my wetbar (tonight I upgraded to Perlick faucets because my cheapies kept sticking)

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/fa...onal-wet-bar-1-wk-after-closing-house-259059/

I also made a pre-chiller with an extra wort chiller and a cooler... just fill it with ice water and run a hose through this and then over to the chiller that goes in the kettle at the end of a boil. Works like a champ. Hmm.. guess I never got around to taking a picture of it.

 

[roylee]

One of my favorites is a solar water heater... My brew room is in what was once the milking parlor of a small barn. From the water hydrant I ran a 100 ft of 1/2 inch tubing, coiling it on the south side of the roof, then terminating it with a faucet above the brew sculpture. On sunny days I start with water in the 100 to 105 range, which saves a lot of time and propane.

 

[TheBreweryUnderground]

One of my favorites is a solar water heater... My brew room is in what was once the milking parlor of a small barn. From the water hydrant I ran a 100 ft of 1/2 inch tubing, coiling it on the south side of the roof, then terminating it with a faucet above the brew sculpture. On sunny days I start with water in the 100 to 105 range, which saves a lot of time and propane.

You could also try painting the tubing black and put it in a case with glass facing south and some reflective surface in the background. Where I'm staying now we have a tank like this and it provides several hot showers even when it's chilly.

 

[kpr121]

One of my favorites is a solar water heater... My brew room is in what was once the milking parlor of a small barn. From the water hydrant I ran a 100 ft of 1/2 inch tubing, coiling it on the south side of the roof, then terminating it with a faucet above the brew sculpture. On sunny days I start with water in the 100 to 105 range, which saves a lot of time and propane.

Thats a pretty cool one! I am assuming copper?

 

[NewBrewB]

Found this thread... time for a bump. I'm sure there are lots of DIY projects out there that should get added to this thing.

 

[Dave_K]

Mine is currently my fermentation chamber.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f258/my-fermentation-chamber-build-473619/

And the stc-1000 controlling it, now upgraded with stc-1000+

 

[coreythomas5]

Probably my brew stand
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But my newest project was my sparge arm build.
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Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Eugenio]

For me it has been:

1. Cigar box stir plate...works wonderfully well, looks sexy in my kitchen, and people look at me as if I was way smarter than I am
2.Hose / Copper CFC - Significantly shortens by brew day
3. Recirc system with topsflo pump - further reduces the brew day and works great with the CFC.
4. Heatstick - I can now do full boils in my electric stove.
5. Brew Lab - save some yeast and save some $!

 

[Artifishal]

My custom fermentation chamber. I'm very short on space since I just convinced the wife I would sell one of my boats to make room for a ping pong table in the garage. I desperately needed a chamber but had no more floor space. Built this on the work bench so it can be taken down with lite effort when not in use. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1417568577.270302.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1417568604.701008.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1417568630.594089.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1417568646.317545.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1417568710.101802.jpg

Later got the Johnson A419 and plugged the heating pad into it. It's December in Michigan right now and I have two carboys sharing one heating pad and it is still off most times I check it.

 

[chainlife]

You sold your boat to make room for damn ping pong?!? Shame on you sir, shame on you!

My custom fermentation chamber. I'm very short on space since I just convinced the wife I would sell one of my boats to make room for a ping pong table in the garage. I desperately needed a chamber but had no more floor space. Built this on the work bench so it can be taken down with lite effort when not in use. View attachment 239503View attachment 239504View attachment 239505View attachment 239506View attachment 239507

Later got the Johnson A419 and plugged the heating pad into it. It's December in Michigan right now and I have two carboys sharing one heating pad and it is still off most times I check it.

Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Artifishal]

I still currently have 5 boats. No joke. Lol. I think I could afford to get rid of one.

 

[chainlife]

I still currently have 5 boats. No joke. Lol. I think I could afford to get rid of one.

Oh damn, well hats off to you! I have my hands full with my toon!

 

[dmarc85]

I built a control box to run three pumps and control two water solenoid (for filling my kettles) The box is unlabeled right now Labels are my next project.

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[w0732400]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1420236396.937037.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1420236450.206940.jpg

My grain mill.

 

[pigroaster]

I made this to transfer hot wort from mash tun to the next burner, No lifting. Move unit when it is on lowest setting.Simply crank it up to burner height and transfer keggle to burner. One set of casters turn. Aircraft cable used on lift with bearings and copper slides.

 

[thomasjr16]

Here's my sparge arm that I made from some leftover PEX tubing. I place a hose clamp in the middle and slide it in a slotted piece of wood that sits across the mash tun to adjust height above grain bed

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[bobeer]

My immersion chiller or my mash tun. Both were fun, easy, and relatively cheap to make.

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[dmarc85]

Function over form. I hope my dimmer dial doesn't melt

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[1977Brewer]

Depending on the amperage of that drill, I'd say it probably will. Nice rig though!

 

[kpr121]

Here's my sparge arm that I made from some leftover PEX tubing. I place a hose clamp in the middle and slide it in a slotted piece of wood that sits across the mash tun to adjust height above grain bed

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Love the sparge arm! I have some pex laying around I might have to try this! I think I've seen some people build manifolds out of pex too.

 

[dmarc85]

Display cooler ferm chamber:

I added a circuit and receptacle spliced inline with the AC power wires to control a heater and stir plate. This unit is what allows me to make any beer style year-round; invaluable.

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