Next piece of equipment..?

I have a b-day coming up and my wife is asking me what I may want.  I was thinking of some new piece of equipment, but I am not sure what might be the best thing to get.  Right now I have a 5 gallon carboy, 6.5 gallon carboy, 6.5 plastic fermenter, bottling bucket, immersion chiller, 5 gallon brew kettle, and all the basics (hydrometer, thermometer etc.)  As of now I do extract brews, steeping specialty grains.  I want to move up to all grain, but don’t quite have the room for the extra equipment (cooler mash/lauter tun).  Any suggestions?

Start with a big boil kettle and a burner, something around 15+ gallons.  That will let you do 10 gallons at a time with a full boil, and you can keep doing extract until you decide you have the space for all-grain.

Or since space is a concern, an 8+ gallon pot so you can do full boils on 5 gallons.  You’ll probably want a burner for that too unless you have a serious stove.  You’ll need a bigger pot when you move to all grain anyway, but it’s not wasted with your current setup.

Either that or fermentation temperature control would be my picks.

+1 on the temp control for fermentation, actually I would start there, and then go to a bigger boil.

If you decide on the new pot definitely try to go for at least a 10 gallon one.  Like Tom said 15 gallons would be better.  Just gives you more flexibility down the road.

Something to take care of fermentation temperature control would be my first place to start

+1 Then a good roller mill. A little cheap 'n easy later, you’re an all grainer!

So… how do you guys control your fermentation temperature?

I currently use the method of putting my carboys in a water bath w/ an aquarium heater.

I have a 7.5 cubic foot chest freezer equipped with a digital temp controller.

Exactly what I do.

Mine never seem to need warming but rather cooling down.  I do that with a variation on the “son of fermentation chiller” thingy

OK.  I figured that was a somewhat common method.  :slight_smile:

Dedicated fermenting fridge with Ranco controller and fabbed thermowell utilizing a carboy cap. One port for the thermowell, one for the airlock.

No room for a cooler, but room for a fermenting fridge? ;D

Looks like I was answering Beer Monger’s question. You know, thread drift, stream of consciousness posting, etc. … Also looks like I replied to the OP earlier on. So,  :P  :wink:

Sticking to your story? ;D

OK, perhaps something that will fit.  I can’t recommend more highly getting a bottle tree with a sulfiter on top.  Makes bottling fun.

I couldn’t imagine bottling without one.  After power-spray cleaning my bottles, that tree & santizer sprayer make it so easy.  Just pull it over next to you and grab each bottle as you need it.

Earlier I was going to suggest a kegging setup, but didn’t because this might involve a small fridge. However, bottling would largely become a thing of the past.

I truly believe that kegging saved my home brewing career.  I hate bottling.

I bottled a batch last December.  1st time in 4 years. I guess I’d forgotten how hard it was?  It took almost 2 hrs just to clean/sanitize the bottles before I even started to bottle.  Plus, I didn’t wear gloves and between the water, sanitizer, and cold weather my skin cracked so bad they almost bled.  Never again! 
-J.K.L.