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I also picked up a new 6 gal S/S pot to use as a sparge pot (HLT if you will) for $55 on Amazon with free shipping. I have the same exact thing in a 9 gal pot that has been a great brew kettle. It's solid, good quality and a hard price to beat. I have a ball valve on the 9 gal kettle and I will be putting a ball valve and thermometer on the sparge pot. Of course I don't need or be using the steam basket, it just comes with.
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And last I am making the switch to glass carboys. Plastic buckets have done me well over the years but as I get more serious with my brewing the purity of glass is more and more appealing. Easy to clean and sanitize with no odors and less chances of potential problems. I admit glass scares the hell out of me so I picked up a carboy handle and the Brew Hauler harness for glass carboys. That will make picking it in and out of the chest freezer much easier. I always had a temp controller so to go along with the carboy I bought a carboy stopper thermowell to drop my temp probe into so that it's sitting in the fermenting beer. No more taping the probe to the side (which has also worked fine) but one less thing I will have to do.
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I guess Christmas came a little early but I don't have any other hobbies or spend my money on anything else. Having a wife who is very supportive of my brewing helps a lot too. These are just some upgrades I have been wanting to make for a while now. Time to break in the new gear and get brewing.