Would you spend on kegging equipment or AG equipment?

[203PH]

I have 2 extract kits and 1 partial mash under my belt. Have caught the brew bug something fierce. With limited dough, should I spend $200 on AG equipment or $200+ on kegging?


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[lookwow]

Personally I would go AG. Thats what I did. Kegging would be nice and i hate bottling, but AG is so much more fun and you can really get creative with your reciples. Not to mention per beer its cheaper then extract.

 

[brewcephus]

imho, I would absolutely go AG first, but it's really a matter of personal preference.

Do you enjoy bottling? If so then keep doing that and start the venture into AG. If not, then you could invest in some Kegging equipment.

What is your current setup? Do you do full boils? If you are currently doing full boils, the only thing you need for AG is a mash tun and those can be built relatively cheap.

 

[peterj]

BIAB is a very cheap way to get into all grain as well. I would look into that. Or like brewcephus said, you can build a cooler mash tun for pretty cheap. Maybe you can have your cake and eat it too. Or make your beer and drink it too I guess...

 

[k1ngl1ves]

You can build a mash tun for about $60.

You could also just go BIAB. All you need is a paint strainer bag. $5.

If it wasn't for kegging... I probably wouldn't be brewing anymore. Bottling 10 gallons of beer takes forever, and it's not very fun.


Oh... I spent waaaaay more than $200 to get into kegging, and I built my own (nothing fancy) keezer, and craigslisted like crazy!

 

[evrose]

If you are currently doing full boils, the only thing you need for AG is a mash tun and those can be built relatively cheap.

If you are currently doing full boils, the only thing you need for AG is a nylon paint strainer bag. 2 for $5 at Home Depot.

 

[dobe12]

This is tough. AG is probably cheaper and gets you being more creative and have a much greater handle on your finished product, but I personally hate bottling.

What's your setup like now? Do you have a large pot (10gal or larger) and a burner? If so, just get a grain sack and move to BIAB. Way cheap and then you can go all grain and get a kegging setup.

If I had to pick, I'd say AG, but would quickly get a kegging setup going too.

 

[Braufessor]

I would go all grain.....

That said, maybe you can do both..... (depending on what you have for a pot right now).

What do you have for a brew pot? Get a 10-15 gallon pot and start with Brew in a Bag. Get the pot. Get the brew bag, and that is all you need to get going with all grain, 5 gallon batches. You can add more elements to this along the way if you want to move toward more traditional "sparge" set up. But, there are a lot of people making some great beer with the BIAB setup.

If you already happen to have a big pot...... you essentially need almost nothing to go all grain.

Plus, buying grain for your first few batches will begin to offset cost of extract pretty quickly.

Personally, I would recommend you do not skimp on your pot. Get a big pot, for full boil. Spigot for draining. Maybe a thermometer in it for monitoring mash temps (although you could do this in other ways too). This is one piece that you can use absolutely forever, and, if you ever decide you don't want to brew, it will have solid resale value.

 

[srice]

Go for the AG. $200 can get you well down the road for AG, $200 might get you into kegging - you'll want at least 2 kegs (so you can be drinking one while carbing the other) - that'll run you about $100. That leaves $100 to find a regulator, CO2 tank, faucet, shank, couplings, tubing and something to keep the keg cold.

Use the savings from AG to eventually fund your kegging setup.

If you don't have temp controlled fermentation, I would skip the AG and kegging and setup some type of temp controlled fermentation system - that is the biggest bang for the buck for the quality of your beer IMHO.

 

[brewcephus]

If you are currently doing full boils, the only thing you need for AG is a nylon paint strainer bag. 2 for $5 at Home Depot.

true enough, I wasn't thinking about BIAB since I never did that one. I went head first into the deep end and just went for the mash tun. I was gifted 3 keggles from various friends/family members so I jumped and never looked back.

 

[SpeedYellow]

$40 Coleman Xtreme 36-70 qt cooler
$10 braided toilet supply line
$10 misc tubing and connectors to braided line
-----
$60 total cost to go all grain

All-grain is far cheaper than a kegging system, will actually improve your beer quality, and will open up a lot of possible styles.

 

[ktblunden]

If you don't have temp controlled fermentation, I would skip the AG and kegging and setup some type of temp controlled fermentation system - that is the biggest bang for the buck for the quality of your beer IMHO.

This all the way. Controlling ferm temp is the single biggest improvement you can make.

If that is already squared away go for AG. As has been mentioned, it will be pretty difficult to get fully into kegging for $200 unless you already have a fridge or freezer to use.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Build a chest freezer fermentation chamber. Put a collar on it. When you get more money, you can convert it to a keezer.

I still use my keezer for a ferm chamber. Not a big deal to pull my kegs for it. What sucks is I don't have any of my beer for a few days... :-( I only have a 5cu. ft. keezer.

That'll fix one problem now, and give you a great opportunity later!!!

Craigslist always has cheap chest freezers. People buy them, then realize they really don't need all that frozen meat!!!

 

[EthanH]

I did about 25-30 partial mash batches before switching to BIAB AG and I wish I'd done it much sooner. The cost of my switch was actually right around $200.

Listed below is exactly the stuff that I bought to make the switch. Sometimes I wish I'd spent more on the kettle or the fryer (for various reasons), but I'm still pretty happy with the setup.

16 gal stockpot (was maybe 10-15 bucks cheaper when I bought it, but it's still pretty cheap) $160
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007V493PG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Outdoor fryer $40
http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/out...7747?color=Grey&N=578846088&Ntt=fryer&Ntk=All

Large mesh bag $7
http://morebeer.com/products/bag-29-brew-biab.html

1/2" NPT to 3/8" barb SS fitting $7.50
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/Beer/...s-Nipple-1-2-NPT-3-8-Barbed.html#.U7LEtY1dVH0

 

[wilserbrewer]

"Would you spend on kegging equipment or AG equipment?"

With limited resources I would suggest looking for either on the cheap, free, used basis. IME acquiring inexpensive brewing gear is a matter of keeping your eyes open and looking for good deals!

Craigslist can have some great deals on large pots, coolers, free / cheap fridges or freezers, kegs / kegerators, CO2 tanks. Choose your destiny from the left side of the menu rather than the right.

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/hsh/4537560780.html

http://newlondon.craigslist.org/hsh/4480578173.html

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/hsh/4497597985.html

 

[Braufessor]

Build a chest freezer fermentation chamber. Put a collar on it. When you get more money, you can convert it to a keezer.

I still use my keezer for a ferm chamber. Not a big deal to pull my kegs for it. What sucks is I don't have any of my beer for a few days... :-( I only have a 5cu. ft. keezer.

That'll fix one problem now, and give you a great opportunity later!!!

Craigslist always has cheap chest freezers. People buy them, then realize they really don't need all that frozen meat!!!

^^^^^ This is a really good point and idea...... depending on what your fermentation temperature situation is, this would be a good place to start. If you cannot control the temperature of your fermenting BEER (not the room, the beer)......you are hard put to make good beer - regardless of extract or all grain. If you have a place in the low 60's (basement) you can probably keep your beer in the mid to upper 60's...... but if you are fermenting in a 70-75 degree room - that is going to give you problems.

 

[Hello]

AG for sure.

 

[ja09]

Totally agree about temp control. I went temp, kegging, then AG. Temp control is the only one of those that significantly improved my beer.

If you're doing extract right, AG is not going to improve your beer as much as you think, if at all in the beginning. Tons of other variables with AG to learn and spend time on to do it right and consistent. It will give you more options, creativity, and a cheaper grain bill though. BIAB is an excellent way to start.

 

[203PH]

Appreciate the input. I do have a 5cu ft chest freezer someone gave me. Bought the STC 1000 controller. Just need to find time to slap that all together to get the fermentation chamber in play.

On another note, doing a kitchen renovation do the old fridge will be a part of the brewing equipment. But that is a little down the road.


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[203PH]

You can build a mash tun for about $60.

You could also just go BIAB. All you need is a paint strainer bag. $5.

If it wasn't for kegging... I probably wouldn't be brewing anymore. Bottling 10 gallons of beer takes forever, and it's not very fun.


Oh... I spent waaaaay more than $200 to get into kegging, and I built my own (nothing fancy) keezer, and craigslisted like crazy!

I bought the BIAB for the partial mash. Right now I have a 5 gallon Igloo water cooler that I use. Are you saying I can do AG with that set up? I thought I need a 10 gallon mash tun.

 

[Braufessor]

I bought the BIAB for the partial mash. Right now I have a 5 gallon Igloo water cooler that I use. Are you saying I can do AG with that set up? I thought I need a 10 gallon mash tun.

With brew in a bag you have one pot - it acts as both your mash tun and then, when you remove the grain bag and leave behind the wort, it becomes your boil kettle. So, the real question is - how big is your boil kettle.

 

[Braufessor]

This is a great overview of the BIAB process -

 

[203PH]

10 gallon on an outside burner.

 

[Braufessor]

10 gallon on an outside burner.

If you have a 10 gallon pot, the only thing you need to do all grain is a big brew bag that will hold enough grain for a 5 gallon batch. You may be hard put to do high gravity beers with a lot of grain in a 10 gallon pot. But, if you are doing 1.060 and under, 10 gallon would probably work just fine. Also, if you wanted a higher gravity beer - you could always add 2-3lbs of extract to crank up the gravity.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

10 gallon on an outside burner.

Sounds to me like you have just about everything you need! You can use the 5 gal cooler. Just do a batch sparge and you'll have enough room. All you need is a valve and bulkhead, and some sort of screen. You can use brass too if you want to go cheap. Check Amazon for 10g coolers, and the "related products" will pop up with everything you need for a mash tun. Seems everyone that is a cheap brewer searches Amazon a lot. Lol!

For the 5 cu. ft. freezer, I'd recommend a 2x10 collar. Then you can fit a pin lock or a low profile ball lock on the hump. Maybe my lazy ass will go take a pic of mine to show you. I don't know... I'm pretty lazy today...

Edit: MindenMan is correct. Fly sparge would work better. My bad. Cheers!

 

[MindenMan]

I bought the BIAB for the partial mash. Right now I have a 5 gallon Igloo water cooler that I use. Are you saying I can do AG with that set up? I thought I need a 10 gallon mash tun.

Lets say the average 5 gallon batch uses 12 pounds of grain, and at a 1.25 :1 ratio, so you add your grain to 15 qts of heated water, and you still have a little headroom in your cooler. Batch sparging would require a 10 gallon cooler.
Anyway, the grain absorbs about a pint of water per pound of grain, so 12 pints is 6 quarts, so your 15 quarts minus 6 is 9 quarts of first running to vorlauf, and put into BK. With (26 quarts) 6.5 gallons being the average required batch total for boiling a 5 gallon finished batch, you need 19 more quarts of (sparge) water to hit the 26 quarts needed for 6.5 gallons.

NOTE: I am writing this out to help eliminate confusion, for myself as well as anyone else. I do hope it helps.

With the 19 quarts of remaining water needed, you can do two easy fly sparge additions, draining each one into your BK as you go. I usually keep the runnings warm, so after the last sparge I can get to a boil faster. Since you already have a fermentation chamber, a larger cooler would simplify life a little, especially if you want to make a big beer.

 

[203PH]

This is great. I'll do a little more homework on fly sparge and I should be all set. Thanks for everyone's help.

BTW: Smuttynose Finestkind IPA clone in the primary and Brooklyn Summer Ale in bottles.

 

[strambo]

I'd keg, you can continue to partial mash and BIAB w/o any additional equipment. I have a nice 3 tap keezer and still do partial mashes and BIAB AG half batches since I don't have room for more gear. I love my keezer. A ferm chamber would be my next investment.


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[jimbrew_jr]

For someone who doesnt have a large kettle. I am going to spend the money on a new larger nice one. Another user posted this on this thread.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007V493PG/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Seems like 16 gallon is pretty large.

 

[mysteryshrimp]

Another +1 for temp control.

If you're not doing starters, that's another huge improvement waiting to happen.

The most important thing in brewing (in my opinion) is how you are treating the yeast. Temp control, pitching rate, and aeration are by far the easiest way to improve your beer immediately.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

I had this dilemma at the start of this year. After brewing extract for over a year, it was either get a kegerator or go all grain.

I went all grain. So glad I did. My beer has gone to a whole new level, far beyond what I was doing with extract.

I still want to keg very soon, but given the choice, I'd go all grain every time.

 

[Cyclman]

If I were to start again, my brewing priorities would be:
15G kettle, BIAB, Wort chiller, good thermometer.
Stirplate, O2 injector.
Temp Control.
Kegging, 2 kegs.

 

[kh54s10]

I didn't read all the way through this thread, but for me it was all grain first then kegging. And to do it again, the same.

 

[SteveHeff]

I've been brewing for just over 3 years now. As of June 28th of this year, I finally bought kegging equipment. I spent around 350 bucks on the kegging gear. I spent about 150 bucks on all of my AG gear. I think it's a great way to invest in the hobby; AG first then kegging. It gives you time to become a better brewer before jumping into the whole keg setup thing. Good luck to you and your brewing adventures.

 

[Jon_TWR]

I started brewing in the winter in an apartment where we kept the heat at 58°, so a water bath to help maintain temps and the right yeast strains were all I needed to treat my yeasties right, at least with regard to fermentation temps. One of my first purchases was a CL wine fridge, planned to be used for cool conditioning...it very quickly became used for fermentation temp control which I still use it for!). A kegerator and BiaB AG were next, but I'm not 100% sure which came first.

I was doing 2.5 gallon AG batches, but with the kegerator and kegs, I started doing 5 gallon partial mash + dme batches, eventually going to dual BiaB (2 paint strainer bags, a 16 qt enamel pot and a 20 qt cheap ss pot).

That progression worked very well, and didn't require a lot of expenditures (though when I started kegging, kegs were a lot cheaper), and it seems like a good progression.

So, first: fermentation temp control. Sounds like you've got that handled.

Second: BiaB/Kegging. If you've got the right size brewpot, all you need is a bag to go BiaB, and even the most expensive bag is cheap as far as brewing gear is concerned. Kegging can be expensive, but is completely worth it. Bottling sucks. And if you can get a free/cheap fridge/freezer, it gets a lot cheaper.

That all said, do whatever appeals to you the most first. This is a hobby, so your enjoyment (to the degree that fits in your budget) should be your top priority.

 

[KPaul]

I very recently faced the same question. I chose the AG route. To make matters easier I ordered up some more swing top bottles with my AG equipment. I find that the 32oz EZ Caps make bottling a lot more manageable and will hold me over until kegging is a reality for me.