What should I spend my money on?

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fury_tea

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I have about £500 put aside and I want to upgrade my brewing equipment. Looking for some advice on what people think is a good purchase.

I've been brewing for about 5 months and I've done around 15 different beers/ciders up to now. I feel I have a good (beginner's) grasp on brewing but my equipment is holding me back a bit. I currently do all my brewing on the stovetop in a 12L stock pot. I chill in the sink with ice water and ferment in my airing cupboard (which is a pretty constant 20c). I usually brew small batch all grain or 5 gallon partial mashes and I usually bottle my beer.

I've been researching and feel a bit overwhelmed with the options. I definitely want to move to 5 gallon AG, I would like to have a fermentation fridge and I'd like a kegerator but I can't afford everything at once (and don't really have the space). What's the first thing you think I should upgrade?

My ideas are one or a number of the following:

- Build an electric BIAB system from a buffalo boiler with a recirculation pump, false bottom etc.
- Build/buy an immersion/counterflow chiller.
- Buy an all in one system (leaning towards a karlstein - grainfather is a bit out of budget).
- Buy a fridge (I already have an inkbird temp controller) for fermenting.
- Buy a fridge/freezer and kegs for kegerator/keezer build (this is low on my list at the moment)
- Build/buy a stir plate and flask etc.

Any ideas that I've not considered?

Thanks
 
Might be worth having a think about what you're trying to fix.

How would you assess your own beers and ciders? Is there anything more you'd like from them? Where would you like to go next?
What is your most and least favourite bit of brewing?
What is more important to you - speed, efficiency, volume, strength?
 
Might be worth having a think about what you're trying to fix.

How would you assess your own beers and ciders? Is there anything more you'd like from them? Where would you like to go next?
What is your most and least favourite bit of brewing?
What is more important to you - speed, efficiency, volume, strength?

yes have a good think and also how handy you are at building things as you could build a good three vessel brewery
 
Personally I would say that a fermentation fridge is the best investment you can make. The really good news is if you manage to find a second hand one then even after an inkbird you should still have north of £400 left.

After that it’s really down to how you want to brew. I’m happy to do a bit of hefting stuff around, pouring etc so I don’t have a whizzy system and pumps etc, I just use a big pot and a couple of buckets on the brewday.

I’m quite a big believer that the cold side is more important but it’s less sexy and so gets less money spent on it.
 
Unless your stove is capable of boiling upwards of 25 litres you'll have to go for an induction heater or propane set up..outside/garage.
For your money you could get the Robobrew all in one system and a brew fridge...
Robobrew...£350
Fridge,Curry's...£110...I'd shop around or
get a used one for really cheap.
Inkbird...about £30..oops you got one!
Tube heater...about £16
 
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Personally I would say that a fermentation fridge is the best investment you can make.
I agree, best thing I did to improve the quality of my brewing, I also just bought a Brewster Beacon all in one because I wanted an all in one system and my redundancy pay out paid for it as I got a job straight away.
 
I would second that a fermentation fridge would be a good investment, along with a good fermenter. In my experience, if you get hops or malt wrong, you'll still have drinkable beer, but get fermentation wrong and it can be undrinkable. I'd recommend stainless steel as well if possible, it lasts longer as a kettle, mash tun, easier to clean and sanitise.
 
It seems to me that unless you want to brew lagers then you don't need a fermentation fridge as you've got ale type fermentation sorted (I ferment in my airing cupboard too).
If I were you I'd get a boiler - bigger than 30L if you want to do 23L brews. Ok, with a bit of fiddling you can do it in 30L but I always found I was risking a boil-over. Either electric, or a big stockpot and a big gas burner.
Stick to doing 23L BIABs and after a bit you may well find you have a better idea of how you want to progress.
 
I would go all out for a 50 litre brew devil or similar brand. You can do smaller 23 litres brews with the option of doing a larger brew. The rest you can get later on :cool:
 
Get a peco boiler for a 5 gallon biab. I paid about £88 for all the kit, chiller etc from HBC.
Get a second hand fridge locally.
Build a fermentation chamber.
Get a second hand cornie.
You will have plenty of money left for ingredients
 
Unless your stove is capable of boiling upwards of 25 litres you'll have to go for an induction heater or propane set up..outside/garage.
For your money you could get the Robobrew all in one system and a brew fridge...
Robobrew...£350
Fridge,Curry's...£110...I'd shop around or
get a used one for really cheap.
Inkbird...about £30..oops you got one!
Tube heater...about £16
Clint knows best.
 
It sounds like the brew kettle is what is holding you back from larger capacity.
Just get a second hand fridge as and when one comes up for free usually.
 
Might be worth having a think about what you're trying to fix.
I want to have the option to do 5 gallon all grain batches really.

yes have a good think and also how handy you are at building things as you could build a good three vessel brewery
Fairly handy but not really got the space for a 3 vessel system at the moment, kinda thinking all in one jobby.


I'm still a bit torn but after a lot of consideration I think I'm going to get a 35L Robobrew. If I build my own version with a buffalo boiler I could do it cheaper but for 350 quid for the Robo I get pretty much everything I need for 23 L batches.
I'm going to keep an eye out for a fridge on gumtree/eBay and will build a stir plate.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
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