BeerBorg

Lately there have been a couple of threads about equipment, brewing can be full of gear. I started simple with a MrBeer kit and gear on hand. I slowly upgraded in steps, after five years I have nearly everything I want. I realistically might buy a better chiller and a better burner in the next couple of years.
What do you think your next buy might be? (Not including a working brew pub)

I have kinda maxed out in brewing things and gadgets. I've been eyeballing something like this to use with my new hobby.

I want a simple eBIAB device, something like Berryman has and just reviewed again.

I could afford to buy one like he has, but I really am holding out hoping someone makes a shorter/fatter one. Because I like to work on my countertop and most all of them are too tall for that to be practical.

The only one that isn't too tall on the market right now is the 10L Braumeister, but at $1400 instead of $299, it is not quite in my worth the money ballpark LOL.

The "gigawort" 4.4 gallon ones that Northern/Midwest sell (if they are ever in stock) might be slightly better for me, as I don't care about topping up 5 gallon batches in the fermenter. But they don't have a basket so it makes BIAB less convenient. And they are still tall/skinny, vs. short fat. But at $199, they seem to be a decent deal if they work.

I'm really happy with my electric turkey fryer, but am considering getting an Anova to supplement or replace the turkey fryer's burner. Pie in the sky is always kegging equipment, but I've never pulled the trigger on that...

Converting my kettles to electric so I can brew in the basement in the warm Cleveland winters. That and I won't have to lug 6-12 gallons of wort from the garage to the basement.

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I'd love to go electric but right now I just can't justify the extra money. I'm not sure how much I would really benefit from it other than I just want one.

With all the fun stuff I’m doing I still doing have a S.S. conical. Would really love to get the Chronical.

Going electric would be a boon for me, too, since I hate and fear lugging 5 gallons of just-boiled wort down the basement stairs to chill it. Too pricey at the moment, though, and it will likely remain a pipe dream.

I did just purchase two new 3-gallon Better Bottles to replace the two older ones. Poor cleaning procedures on my part, I'll admit. I'm fortunate that my mother gave me a Northern Brewer gift card for Christmas, so my out-of-pocket expense was minimal.

I don't see much in line of a big purchase for me for awhile. I did a lot of equipment upgrades last year, but maybe a refractometer which I don't have or upgrading my wort chiller. Both would be good but not totally needed right now. I am still buying more SS fittings and high temp. hose to finish my system I'm using.
EDIT: I forgot, I do need a new bottling bucket, mine is quite old and not looking so good, but I keep forgetting to get a new one....

I want what D_Rabbit is building.


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Might invest in swing-tops to package my annual old stock ale / barleywine brew.
PET bottles aren't up to the task of long term aging.

HerbMeowing wrote:Might invest in swing-tops to package my annual old stock ale / barleywine brew.
PET bottles aren't up to the task of long term aging.

FWIW, I have had stuff in the O2 barrier 740ML PETs that Coopers sells for 2 years without issue.

But they are pricy compared to the thinner single walled regular ones and flip tops wouldn't be much more expensive at regular price.

But once in a while you can get them 50% off and then they aren't as bad.

HerbMeowing wrote:Might invest in swing-tops to package my annual old stock ale / barleywine brew.
PET bottles aren't up to the task of long term aging.

If you have a relationship with your local beer distributor, you may be able to get them from returns,I did.

mashani wrote:FWIW, I have had stuff in the O2 barrier 740ML PETs that Coopers sells for 2 years without issue.

I have MrB 1-L PETs.

Are you saying the Coopers product is different?

HerbMeowing wrote:

mashani wrote:FWIW, I have had stuff in the O2 barrier 740ML PETs that Coopers sells for 2 years without issue.

I have MrB 1-L PETs.

Are you saying the Coopers product is different?

Coopers has always sold 2 different kinds of 740ML Pet bottles. Since Mr. Beer BC times. (BC = Before Coopers)

One is thin and single walled and no better or worse then the 1L Mr. Beer PETs. If a 740ML bottle comes with a kit, this is what it is.

The other one is sold separately, and is specifically labeled "O2 Barrier" and those bottles are thicker walled (less squishy) and have an inner lining of some type. They in my experience are fine for 2 years of aging. I've not tried to go beyond that. I was using those bottles in BC times, because Coopers used to sell them on their DIYBeer site. I'm not sure if they do anymore or if you have to now get them from Mr. Beer (Mr. Beer for sure sells them now).

They are more expensive, but if they have a 40-50% off bottle sale then it's not so bad. That's how I got my latest batch.

The only down side to them is eventually (first set of them I had in BC times it took 5 years before it started to happen), the inner lining might start to bubble/separate. If that happens then its time to chuck them and replace them. I say might because it did not happen with every bottle, so it may just be that those bottles were abused by someone I loaned them to who had "meat hands" or "fists of rage" I don't know.

What I do know is that I've kept big Belgian Quads and Strong Golden ales in them for as long as 2 years without any issues. Just make sure your not using old caps that have already been used 10 times for such a beer. I tend to break out new caps for them.