Wish List

[newatbrew]

Hi, new member here. I am also pretty new to home brewing. I did my first one last month (ingredient kit pilsner extract brew). I recently finished a pear cider (also kit), and I am currently fermenting an extract mocktoberfest I got inspiration for from an online recipe.
I am still trying to find the best equipment for my budget/time commitment for this hobby. I think BIAB is going to be my next adventure. So, my question is:
If you could start over, what equipment would you purchase in what order? I need a wort chiller, keg/kegerator, and lagering equipment. Which ones will improve my beer the most? Is there something else that may be more important to final product quality? I have a decent 7.5 gallon aluminum kettle, 5 gallon carboy, siphon system, star san, hydrometer, etc.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[3 Dawg Night]

I wish I had bought a 10+ gallon first, instead of trying to make an 8 gallon kettle work. If I had it to do over, I'd go:

1a) 10-15 gallon stainless steel kettle
1b) Mash tun)
2a) Propane burner
2b) Immersion chiller
3) Fermentation chamber
4) Grain mill
5) Stir plate

I don't mind bottling, so I'm not in a rush to "upgrade" to kegging. I need to have a pretty significant garage clean-out before I can convince SWMBO to let me get a kegerator/keezer.

 

[newatbrew]

I wish I had bought a 10+ gallon first, instead of trying to make an 8 gallon kettle work. If I had it to do over, I'd go:

1a) 10-15 gallon stainless steel kettle
1b) Mash tun)
2a) Propane burner
2b) Immersion chiller
3) Fermentation chamber
4) Grain mill
5) Stir plate

I don't mind bottling, so I'm not in a rush to "upgrade" to kegging. I need to have a pretty significant garage clean-out before I can convince SWMBO to let me get a kegerator/keezer.

Thanks, 3!
What about the 8 gallon kettle made the 5 gallon batch hard to do? Too many boil overs?
Is a mash tun necessary if you use the Brew Bag method?
Got the burner
Great idea about the grain mill.
Stir plate is for yeast starter?

Thanks again, sorry for the many questions.

 

[rsquared]

For what will improve your beer the most, my first suggestion is always fermentation temperature control. Both having the correct temp as well as a consistent temp without huge swings between night and day are a large improvement to yeast performance.

For improving your brew day, you're definitely going to want to go big on the kettle. 5+ gallons of water, plus all the grain aren't going to fit in an 8 gallon kettle. Next, I'd go for the chiller. If you can swing it, go straight for a nice one like the Jaded Hydra. It will cut your time and water use by quite a bit.

Grain mill is a great suggestion if you want to brew a little more "off the cuff" so to speak. Sure, you can get by with buying exactly what you need each time and milling at the store, but buying in bulk and milling yourself opens you up to spur of the moment brew sessions when you have a free afternoon.

 

[3 Dawg Night]

Thanks, 3!
What about the 8 gallon kettle made the 5 gallon batch hard to do? Too many boil overs?
Is a mash tun necessary if you use the Brew Bag method?
Got the burner
Great idea about the grain mill.
Stir plate is for yeast starter?

Thanks again, sorry for the many questions.

Yes, boiling 7+ gallons in an 8 gallon kettle has resulted in too many boilovers for me.

I don't BIAB, so I can't speak to the necessity of a mash tun.

I calculated that the grain mill will pay for itself in a couple of years, because it allows me to buy my base malt in bulk.

Stir plate for yeast starters. Not a necessity, but sure nice to have.

 

[deuc224]

I got everything I wanted the first time. I just went balls out and didnt care. Never brewed a day in my life or read anything on it and went all grain, one thing I could say i wish I had done SOONER was probably build yeast starters and making a yeast bank. Ive got about 15 yeasts vials so far and planning on making a lot more so I will never be without.

 

[Tommydee]

I wish I had bought a 10+ gallon first, instead of trying to make an 8 gallon kettle work. If I had it to do over, I'd go:

1a) 10-15 gallon stainless steel kettle
1b) Mash tun)
2a) Propane burner
2b) Immersion chiller
3) Fermentation chamber
4) Grain mill
5) Stir plate

I don't mind bottling, so I'm not in a rush to "upgrade" to kegging. I need to have a pretty significant garage clean-out before I can convince SWMBO to let me get a kegerator/keezer.

I agree almost completely with this list, just lose the mash tun. I'm using a used bayou 16 gallon with wilserbag or brewbag, and its optimal size if you have a burner. Any bigger, unwieldy to clean, any smaller limits big beer capability. I can also push near 10 gallon lagers in this setup.

 

[3 Dawg Night]

I agree almost completely with this list, just lose the mash tun. I'm using a used bayou 16 gallon with wilserbag or brewbag, and its optimal size if you have a burner. Any bigger, unwieldy to clean, any smaller limits big beer capability. I can also push near 10 gallon lagers in this setup.

I couldn't convince myself that BIAB was going to be easier in my situation, since I don't have a convenient place/way to hoist a bag full of wet grains. Batch sparging ended up being easier for me.