Help with my Xmas list! :)

[Jimmy M]

I want to get into all gain brewing now and need help listing out everything I'll need!
I want to start with biab, I know I'll need the following:
Chiller.
Large pot ( how big is tooo big?) think I'll prolly only be doing 23l batches.
Burner.

Anything else I should be adding to my list? Biab almost seems to easy.

Thanks guys,


Jimmy.

[Jimmy]

15g pot from Ontario Beer Kegs is a good sized & great priced pot. It will allow you to do 5g batches easily, and 10g batches if need be. You can also add a cooler if you want to do a higher gravity 10g batch.

You can make your own chiller or buy one. A 50' 3/8" copper immersion chiller from hopdawgs is about $90. There's also the option of a plate chiller or counter flow, but I don't have experience with either. I like my immersion chiller for the simplicity of cleaning.

As for the burner - you can get a decent burner for anywhere from $60 and up. Kent has a great burner for $59.

[Jimmy M]

I think the girlfriend has already picked up the blichmann burner for me, I wanted to get the things I needed this weekend and she's like noooo! Lol

I kinda wanted to get the 20g blichmann pot but 479$ seems like alot, think its worth it?

I Just don't wanna cheap out and then want something new the next month..

[Jimmy]

I think the girlfriend has already picked up the blichmann burner for me, I wanted to get the things I needed this weekend and she's like noooo! Lol

I kinda wanted to get the 20g blichmann pot but 479$ seems like alot, think its worth it?

I Just don't wanna cheap out and then want something new the next month..

I'm sure the blichmann pots are nice, but $479 is a lot to spend on a pot. Personally, I'd spend the money on something else that you might not have (ie: fermentation chamber, kegging setup, kegerator, etc.) but that's just my opinion.

Oh, and 20g may be excessive. I'm guessing the thermometer on that wouldn't be submersed for a 5g batch, so it (the thermometer) would basically be useless. That's why I went with the 15g pot vs the 19g.

[canuck]

I've never had a Blichmann pot, but I've heard nothing but great things about them. Of course, you are paying a steep price for them too. I've got one of the OBK stainless steel pots and think that it's a fantastic pot for the money. You really can't beat it. They have 19 gal pots for $149.99 available for pre-order. http://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/19_Gallo ... -2weld.htm

[Jimmy M]

Yeah Jimmy your prolly right on the thermometer.
Do you have a fermentation chamber now? Does it help that much?
And all you need is a chest freezer and thermostat right?

[Jimmy]

Fermentation temperature is huge for quality beer. You want the proper temperature, as well as a consistent temperature. You can do everything else correct, and if fermentation temperature is off you can end up with a totally different beer. A ferm chamber will also allow you to do a proper lager.

You can use a fridge or a freezer for a fermentation chamber - I use a mini fridge just to conserve space. A chest freezer or a larger fridge will allow you to ferment more beer at once. Yes, all you need is a temperature controller and fridge/freezer. Just plug the fridge into the temperature controller and it will control the on/off cycle of the fridge.

[GAM]

15g pot from Ontario Beer Kegs is a good sized & great priced pot. It will allow you to do 5g batches easily, and 10g batches if need be. You can also add a cooler if you want to do a higher gravity 10g batch.

You can make your own chiller or buy one. A 50' 3/8" copper immersion chiller from hopdawgs is about $90. There's also the option of a plate chiller or counter flow, but I don't have experience with either. I like my immersion chiller for the simplicity of cleaning.

As for the burner - you can get a decent burner for anywhere from $60 and up. Kent has a great burner for $59.

I know a guy who can hook you up with a BIAB bag!

Sandy

[Jimmy M]

Do you need a heat source for the fermentation chamber? Like a heat pad?
Way to many questions! Haha

[Jimmy]

Do you need a heat source for the fermentation chamber? Like a heat pad?
Way to many questions! Haha

I don't need one because where I keep my beer it's naturally warmer than fermentation temperature. If you have a colder spot, you can use a heating pad to keep temps up.