I know that I’ve run into some good supplies and gear deals from time to time (typically by accident), and thought “I bet that there is a ton of homebrewers out there that have done the same”. What better than a forum to share and compile tips and tricks for getting supplies and gear for a great bargain, amiright?! So, here’s a couple I’ve come across:
Quick Disconnects: www.proflodynamics.com – cam lock QD’s that work great if you’ve got a rig with pumps / hoses. These could probably find themselves an application on an immersion / CF chiller!
Plate Chillers and ball valves: www.dudadiesel.com – great chillers at lower prices than you could get elsewhere!
I’m sure I’ve run across more of these types of deals, but can’t think of any others of the top of my head… I’ll revisit when I do!
We got a Thermopen earlier this year in the “open box sale”, saved some $.
Is it worth it? Maybe not for just beer, but it is also a great tool for cooking. I use it to check the temps in the mash vs. teh dial thermometer. We like it!
You can put together dirt cheap fermentation heaters (ala Fermwrap) from this Reptile supply store. He’ll assemble it, and make customized lengths depending on your carboy/ferm bucket circumference. Highly recommended.
So I took advantage of the brown thermopen discount since my third calibration thermometer recently got broken. Got it in the mail today with its fresh NIST certification.
Now my current (red) thermopen has been put through the ringer over the last two years. 30+ batches of beer plus duty as a meat thermometer plus it’s been used to measure hot oil at 350F for deep frying.
I ran a calibration test tonight with water at ~150F. Both Thermopen’s read the exact same temperature right down to the tenth of a degree. I honestly expected some variance, I was just hoping it was going to be small. It was pretty cool watching them tick off the exact temp in tandem.
Looks like the Brown discount is over, I looked at it a few days ago, even had one sitting in my cart for $79, but forgot to pull the trigger that day. Saw this thread so I went back to the site, the brown one was still in my cart but the price had risen back to $89, same as all the others. Bummer, missed it. Well, you snooze you lose on these deals, it seems. Just thought I’d pass it on.