Hi, just wondering what people s favourite pieces of equipment are and if you had a wish list what would you get. We ve no garage or utility room so all my gear is in the bedroom, haven't figured out how to make it more romantic just yet so am at capacity when it comes to gear.
i recently got the reconditioned kegs but they re dormant until we ve more space.
a kegerator is definitely something i d love.
as for my favourite bit of gear, it s boring but i d say the mash tun as i m fairly new to all grain and can t see myself going back to anything else.
Great topic :)
Kegerators really are the business whe you get the hang of them and its up and running. Everyone loves to pour their own pint and I love just giving my mates a glass and saying help yourself.
As far as home brewing gear goes its can be like choosing a favorite child. I made all my setup and am happy with it all. I really would recommend a refractometer and don't think i could go back to just a hydrometer.
I do live getting my bits and pieces and they quickly become my prize possession till something else comes along.
Of all the non essentials my auto syphon I think is the handiest. Makes transfer so much quicker and so much more hassle free.
Yeah but you dont get to "Sample" the first mouth full with an auto.
Was just going to say my auto siphon as well, though now that I'm starting to use pumps, they are rapidly taking over, having so many uses, expeccially for wort re-circulation. That said, I've managed to make some big messes with the pump, which has put quick disconnects next on the shopping list from aliExpress :)
As for my next toy, it's got to be some sort of 50L BK in stainless. BrewCon really got me thinking about safety and the 30L containers just aren't cutting it for me now.
Bottling wands are pretty handy, in lieu of an autosyphon.
But my favourite bit of kit is my beer engine. Just took delivery of a check valve for it, in order to upgrade my kegerator to a CASK-erator!
Whatever is easiest to clean, so probably a hydrometer
Brewpi, Chuggers and this guy
Crapity smacking expensive hobby
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/05/95786ebdbd05ca9738c70dd212ebd469.jpg)
My personnel pint glass :D
Have to go with Dempsey on this, the pint glass is absolutely vital. With out the glass it just wouldn't be worth it
Kegerator, good false bottom, refractometer, pH meter, brewpi in that order
BrewPi, AutoSyphon, Corny, Refractometer, Pint Glass
... & Phone (Help!, How did you say I was supposed to do that again?, What do I do next?, have you any ...)
STC and heat belt by far
My faithful old 3L jug. Never let me down yet for any brewing activities centred around jug use.
-Barry
My Thermapen. Highly reliable, quality thermometer. So much of brewing depends on being able to read accurate temperatures and I don't believe in messing around with cheap rubbish for something so important. Great investment.
If we're answering the question "which bit of kit has most improved your homebrew!" then I would have to point you all towards my bookcase full of brewing books!
A babysitter. Willing to work 8 hours straight :P
Extractor fan!
Temperature controlled fermentation fridge, pure CO2, stir plate, cornies and kegerator.
My keggle because I made it.
This Forum :)
Followed by Refractometer, and then my STC's
Quote from: Bubbles on June 05, 2015, 10:14:39 PM
My Thermapen. Highly reliable, quality thermometer. So much of brewing depends on being able to read accurate temperatures and I don't believe in messing around with cheap rubbish for something so important. Great investment.
Where's a good place to get one of these?
Bottling wand! 8)
Getting a decent digital thermometer that I can totally trust has been pretty pivotal for me.
-Barry
I should have also said Infrared Temp gun from ebay, amazingly accurate no contact for measuring temp in boiler before I pour into fv. Thanks to Mr. B Murphy for that pointer and for €10 best value for money kit I have.
Quote from: Ciderhead on June 06, 2015, 12:16:59 PM
I should have also said Infrared Temp gun from ebay, amazingly accurate no contact for measuring temp in boiler before I pour into fv. Thanks to Mr. B Murphy for that pointer and for €10 best value for money kit I have.
Is this the one you have CH?
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Non-Contact-LCD-IR-Laser-Infrared-Digital-Temperature-Thermometer-Gun-New-BT-/121362587740?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c41c6205c
Quote from: mr hoppy on June 06, 2015, 10:46:10 AM
Quote from: Bubbles on June 05, 2015, 10:14:39 PM
My Thermapen. Highly reliable, quality thermometer. So much of brewing depends on being able to read accurate temperatures and I don't believe in messing around with cheap rubbish for something so important. Great investment.
Where's a good place to get one of these?
Not sure where would be cheapest dude. I got mine in Nisbets. Shop local! ;)
Quote from: Ciderhead on June 06, 2015, 12:16:59 PM
I should have also said Infrared Temp gun from ebay, amazingly accurate no contact for measuring temp in boiler before I pour into fv. Thanks to Mr. B Murphy for that pointer and for €10 best value for money kit I have.
Surely this just reads the temp on the surface of the wort? To say nothing of the wort being stratified?
Or have I misunderstood summat?
Quote from: Bubbles on June 06, 2015, 02:24:00 PM
Not sure where would be cheapest dude. I got mine in Nisbets. Shop local! ;)
I'll shop local when they drop the paddy tax for punishing me to do so ;)
@Bubbles I have 9 different portable (Brewpi isn't portable) temp measuring devices, digital food probe thermometer, PID with K thermocouple, stc 1000 x2, digital elitech, mercury thermometer, mash thermometer, blichman dial thermometer, infrared and a cheap digital display from china, the last one is a complete piece of sh1t and is "under the sink".
Every couple of months I measure all at 20 40 60 and 80 in HLT and like a thermopen yep you are right with IR and others you are measuring just one spot, so in water its the first reflective surface which would be the bottom of the pot in cooling wort its the top. I measure lots of times and lots of places as measurement only takes 1 sec. Stratification is not a problem for those whirlpooling with a pump or giving the occasional stir ;)
IR comes in handy in 3 areas
1) Where I am cooling wort for lager yeast at 10 Degrees very important I don't shock the liquid yeast.
2) When I am cooling wort in an erlenmeyer starter in ice and again where I don't want to shock yeast.
3) Where I am fermenting 2 beers side by side with same wort but different yeasts and I am watching fermentation temp.
For some of the competition entries I have tasted recently it should be compulsory to actually measure the fermenting beer temp regularly and accurately :(
@ JC yep similar there are hundreds in that price bracket make sure its good to +/- 0.1.
Wow lots of good answers seems like lots of people appreciate the measuring gadgets, refractometers and the various temp devices ciderhead seems to have. It makes me wonder about the opposite question, have people bought stuff they just don t use or didn t find effective or maybe not worth it.
Quote from: tipp brewer on June 06, 2015, 04:21:09 PM
It makes me wonder about the opposite question, have people bought stuff they just don t use or didn t find effective or maybe not worth it.
OH YES. I just try to forget about that stuff.
SWMBOB has been known to read this forum so say NOWT!
Ye mean all that pile over there in the corner,naa never did. :'(
The homebrew I drink whilst making more xD
Have decided
FOOKING GLASS THERMOMETER THAT IS ACCURATE >:(
I love sponge
(http://www.wpclipart.com/household/chores/urethane_sponge.png)
Quote from: Bubbles on June 05, 2015, 10:14:39 PM
My Thermapen. Highly reliable, quality thermometer. So much of brewing depends on being able to read accurate temperatures and I don't believe in messing around with cheap rubbish for something so important. Great investment.
Mash thermometers aren't accurate and mines in the bin,(may have been all the up and down of the red), it was a clear 3 degrees out, neither are infrared, pids need calibration as do STCs, so invested in one of these thanks to above advice, 36 stg for discontinued colours so reasonably cheap for what I'm getting and the function it has
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Splash-Proof-SuperFast-Thermapen-Professional-Digital-Food-Thermometer-/371426259042?
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/31/45180094c44402d13a362bfa465987d7.jpg)
measures quickly and accurately and comes with a cert
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/31/4a490423234abb733e6b3299472a6835.jpg)
I'll save it for calibrating everything thanks for the tip Mr B
Quote from: Ciderhead on August 31, 2015, 02:37:57 PM
Quote from: Bubbles on June 05, 2015, 10:14:39 PM
My Thermapen. Highly reliable, quality thermometer. So much of brewing depends on being able to read accurate temperatures and I don't believe in messing around with cheap rubbish for something so important. Great investment.
Mash thermometers aren't accurate and mines in the bin,(may have been all the up and down of the red), it was a clear 3 degrees out, neither are infrared, pids need calibration as do STCs, so invested in one of these thanks to above advice, 36 stg for discontinued colours so reasonably cheap for what I'm getting and the function it has
I'll save it for calibrating everything thanks for the tip Mr B
Nice one fella! Money well spent there.
My calibration cert has been used as a bookmark in "Brew like a Monk" since I got it.. :)
Was boiling in the kettle and she wouldn't go above 99.4 and then I remembered I'm 600Ft above sea level.
waiting for the Radon comment from Shiny
What Radon comment?
See so, I do so read the small print so!!
Damn you WD and your amazing vision! :o
Nothing escapes an eagle eyed Welshman (particularly if its a fine looking sheep - Baaa!)
Quote from: Ciderhead on August 31, 2015, 02:37:57 PM
Quote from: Bubbles on June 05, 2015, 10:14:39 PM
My Thermapen. Highly reliable, quality thermometer. So much of brewing depends on being able to read accurate temperatures and I don't believe in messing around with cheap rubbish for something so important. Great investment.
Mash thermometers aren't accurate and mines in the bin,(may have been all the up and down of the red), it was a clear 3 degrees out, neither are infrared, pids need calibration as do STCs, so invested in one of these thanks to above advice, 36 stg for discontinued colours so reasonably cheap for what I'm getting and the function it has
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Splash-Proof-SuperFast-Thermapen-Professional-Digital-Food-Thermometer-/371426259042?
measures quickly and accurately and comes with a cert
...
Had been looking at these a while back, can't believe I've put it off so long for such an important piece of gear. Sold! Thanks for tip :)
I've discounted electronics to some extent, every time I get an electronic thermometer I end up cooking it and it fails on me very fast.
Glass thermometer all the way, they are reliable and cheap if you break one.
I really like the refractometer, again I'd stick with analog and not bother with digital, that said I'd happily try a digital one.
My favourite piece of kit is my 75l brouwland/brupaks modified boiler.
It's a beast.
(https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/40130_480011065745_6529621_n.jpg?oh=186ba9fd3affec816820bec237d6d8d1&oe=5669CA4B)
I know a few of ye's have missed this post in the GF thread:
So after a lot of work and vists to Beaumont the Great Grain Father has been fabricated.
There are 3 layers of 2mm radiator foam/foil under the 1.0 mm "Circle's SS outer wrapper sheet".
Why the brass bands? Why not!
The outside temp is now like 30C and the GGF is now a hell of a lot more thermally efficient :)
Just need to swap out the controller for one of my flashed STCs
Jaysus Will, that is a thing of beauty. ;D
Quote from: Will_D on August 31, 2015, 10:41:35 PM
Nothing escapes an eagle eyed Welshman (particularly if its a fine looking sheep - Baaa!)
WILL! You're better than that. I would like to distance myself from Will D's comments.
Quote from: Will_D on September 02, 2015, 10:05:36 PM
I know a few of ye's have missed this post in the GF thread:
So after a lot of work and vists to Beaumont the Great Grain Father has been fabricated.
There are 3 layers of 2mm radiator foam/foil under the 1.0 mm "Circle's SS outer wrapper sheet".
Why the brass bands? Why not!
The outside temp is now like 30C and the GGF is now a hell of a lot more thermally efficient :)
Just need to swap out the controller for one of my flashed STCs
I can't help but feel that this is a rather pathetic attempt at a mines a nicer shiny attempt after my previous post....but hey I suspect mines bigger.....:P
Quote from: Eoin on September 03, 2015, 11:35:16 AM
I can't help but feel that this is a rather pathetic attempt at a mines a nicer shiny attempt after my previous post....but hey I suspect mines bigger.....:P
Some "circles" for the weekend Sir? O0
Saw the following on a U.S. Homebrewers vid
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/05/32637cfd57f7b6a792779660980a8c98.jpg)
Great for cleaning stubborn spots on conicals or Carboys
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/05/34e74fb940578d304b37a66ca9fc77d8.jpg)
(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/05/4e6f8d8f037542765378244ef1955554.jpg)
Cannot make it out, is it magnetic and you toss one piece into the glass jar :-[
Indeed
Good idea - Theres something similar for fishtanks.
Got my thermapen and really pleased with it. Best buy in a while. Ridiculously fast, and turns out my stc-1000 was 0.6c out. Cheap amazon thermometer I was using before was at least 0.9c out if not more, it's hard to even get it to make up its mind in the ice bath. Definitely recommend the thermapen :)
Sweet I got a Thermapen recently as a present but haven't brewed with it yet. Hoping to try it out this weekend. Have absolutely no confidence in the thermometers I've been using so far.
My new 38.5l thermopot from Bergland. Holds the temp really well..
Hope you bought it direct from their ebay site, they are pretty good performers as MT's and nice and easy to work on, I have a 60 60 80 and a 6 for the herms
Post if you want any steers
Quote from: CH on September 15, 2015, 06:16:22 PM
Hope you bought it direct from their ebay site, they are pretty good performers as MT's and nice and easy to work on, I have a 60 60 80 and a 6 for the herms
Post if you want any steers
Thanks CH I will definatly have a few questions over the next few weeks. Still dont know what way i will configure it yet. Struggling with just using for mashing or sticking an element in to use in a biab setup.
yeah got them straight from them.