New Toy Thread

[D_Rabbit]

I think we all purchase new odds and ends that we can relate to brewing and thought it would be fun to have a thread of all the new toys we purchase for making beer. Whether its a new pot, new chiller, kegs or etc (the list is endless) we should share it so others may find it helpful and want to purchase that too down the road.

I will start, obviously.

I purchased a Nesco Vacuum sealer so I can buy hops in bulk and vacuum seal them for freshness. Obvioulsy this is a great little toy as well for buying bulk items for every day normal things such as steak. I found it on amazon and was trying to find one that had good reviews but wasn't also rediculous for cost. Between the Vacuum sealer and a roll of bags I spent $90. I always find something on sale somewhere once I determine what I want.

Also it works for sealing jars as well, in case you want to harvest yeast and seal it air tight. There is an attachment you would have to buy but my understanding is that the Foodsaver brand items work with this one as well. You can probably pick up the attachment at a local store that sells the foodsaver brand.

This is the one I got.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IUA ... hptrk_scth

Took them 4 days to process the order and ship it but looks like I should have this Saturday, which is great because I have some hops I used last week that could benefit from a good vacuum seal!

[Beer-lord]

Last year I got a sealer (a different brand) and use it all the time. Mostly for hops but for food too. I can't believe how well it keeps steaks and sausage!

I just purchased a chugger pump that should arrive soon and since my Ale Pale is old, I was going to get a new one but, even though I'm not 100% sure about it, I ordered a plastic Big Mouth Bubbler. They reduced the shipping to $4.99 so I also got the strap. It should fit well in my fermetation chamber and my Ale Pale will get used for storage purposes since it's been used enough that I worry about inside scratches (OCD).

[Dawg LB Steve]

Getting a chugger pump, many different ss camlock fittings, weldless sight glass, whirlpool arm, and dip tube in UPS Friday, sometime next week JaDed Cyclone cleanable counter flow chiller should arrive.

[D_Rabbit]

I need to do something about a whirlpool arm. Right now I just take the hose that is going from the chiller and either run it in the opening to the keg to recirculate while cooling or go right in to the carboy. Thinking of doing another weldless fitting near the top of the keggle and I can than just attach a camlock fitting to it in order to recirculate and whirlpool.

[Dawg LB Steve]

That is what I am getting from Brewhardware.com it is weldless ss setup with the whirlpool tube attached inside. Look under equipment, then keg,pot, cooler parts. Not bad prices from this company.

Update, Email this morning tracking # says the chiller will be delivered today also!

[D_Rabbit]

I'll keep that in mind. Brewhardware is such a dangerous store to browse! Bobby is great there and I have already given him quite a bit of business when I switched everything to camlocks. Best investment i've made still to this date!

[D_Rabbit]

Not an overly expense new toy nor one I can really put to good use often but I bought several of these 2L containers that seal air tight. Figured I can purchase a few more at $5.99 each. They appear to hold approximately 2-3lbs of grain in them so I will use them for specialty grains and fill them up whenever I need something at the LHBS. They also come in smaller sizes too so I can hold some lower quantities of stuff I rarely use if I want to. Figured I can use several different types of Crystal, Chocolate, Roasted, Black patent (since I like darker beers), flaked wheat to help add head, and what ever else I find I tend to use more often in recipes.

Grain Containers.JPG (153.33 KiB) Viewed 177 times

Also got my sealer in on Saturday and used them to seal up the hops I used last weekend. Will need to try and work on with a bit to understand how far it will need to be in there to vacuum seal it. The bags were too small and had too many hops left in them for me to actually Vacuum seal them so I just sealed them as close to the hops as possible. Should do the trick.