1st Time Brewer, Could you look over my equip?

[cadeucsb]

So I took on some used items and plan to cook my first batch this weekend. I have read a TON on this site and others, but wanted to run my setup by you guys to make sure I dont get back from the home brew shop and realize I needed more...

Cookpot: full 15gal keg coverted, threaded thermometer mount and a spicket.

Wort Chiller (i think): converted chest cooler, with cooling line run through it and hose attachment on outside.

Fermenter 1: 6gal glass carboy with handle

Fermenter 2: 5gal glass carboy with handle

Bottling Bucket (I think): 6gal food grade brew bucket with spicket

Propane Burner

I know I still need: funnel, strainer, hydrometer, siphon, airlocks, carboy caps/stoppers, no rinse cleaner.

I am planning a partial grain batch using a primary and then secondary fermenters.

 

[jaytizzle]

Using an ice chest as a wort chiller? Not sure the ice chest will stand up to boiling liquids. You're better off getting an immersion chiller or counterflow chiller or plate chiller... basically any one of the commonly used chiller methods.

Otherwise looks pretty good. You know the stuff you still need. You'll surely find more stuff you need/want after every batch.

 

[iambeer]

I didn't see anything about a mash tun. You say this is your first batch--have you ever made beer before? This looks daunting as a first brew, and all grain to boot is balls to the wall! Good luck!

 

[eastoak]

the chest cooler sounds like a mash tun to me, you'll mash your grains in there.

 

[sweetcell]

yeah, i'm not sure how your chiller works... can you explain more? maybe post a picture of it?

be aware that those handles that bolt on to the neck of carboys are only meant to carry empty carboys. do not use the handle when the carboy is full of liquid. necks have been known to be shorn off, and you end up with handle + broken neck in hand and shattered carboy + 5 gallons of wort on floor.

 

[cadeucsb]

Yea, ill post a picture tonight. After seeing it, the first thing I wanted to buy was a copper wort chiller and hopefully chill right in the cookpot with the thermomter.

I am only attempting a partial grain brew. Still going to use extract with a few specialty hops/grains.

I will take some pics tonight and hopefully you guys can help me make some sense of it all. There is also an upright gatorade cooler with a spicket and some sort of metal mesh disc at the bottom...pics to come tonight.

 

[abarhan]

Haven't seen the cooler method work but I could see where it would work.

I would make a yeast starter if possible, good strong fermentation helps a bunch of things.

A pair of glove that will hold up to the heat. I am assuming the chiller uses gravity to get wort from the kettle?? Its nice to be able to handle the kettle when it is hot and full of wort.

A dip tube will help you get the most out of the keggle. Dont forget something to filter hops (SS pot scrubber)

Im sure I am missing some things but this is a start PM me if you need me to do some more looking.

 

[cadeucsb]

This is exactly what my gatorade cooler looks like:
http://www.forrestwhitesides.com/node/20

This is a what I think my chest cooler looks like:
http://www.ipass.net/mpdixon/Homebrew/MashTun.html


from the google, appears both are mash tuns...so i am not sure why 1.)there are 2 and 2.)why there is no chiller

 

[cknittle]

Make sure to get sanitizer not just a cleanser, and the cooler sounds like its a jockey box, does it have taps on the outside?

 

[amandabab]

get rid of the carboy handles.

Even carrying them empty, people get sloppy with them, not paying attention if its swinging, hitting walls and then complaining glass if fragile.
eventually people get stupid and try to use it to pour with.

 

[airdog_47]

the only thing I notice that you are really missing is a wort chiller. By the sounds of that cooler it's a converted mash tun. The most important thing your missing though is a book. The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian this will answer a lot of your questions. I seem to read it about once a year to get my brewing style back into check. Also, it will give you a good cheap bleach diluted ratio for a sanitizer. I know many stay way from this but I used it quite a bit when starting out. Grab yourself a notebook dedicated to homebrewing to keep recipes and notes, I don't know how many times i reference notes on temps, water amounts, etc especially if you want to recreate/change something next time. Also, i use a cheap oxy-clean knock off from the $1 store for my cleanser, try to find it without the blue little crystals in it. The mesh strainer bags are also nice to have for your hop additions but not totally needed.

 

[cadeucsb]

the only thing I notice that you are really missing is a wort chiller. By the sounds of that cooler it's a converted mash tun. The most important thing your missing though is a book. The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian this will answer a lot of your questions. I seem to read it about once a year to get my brewing style back into check. Also, it will give you a good cheap bleach diluted ratio for a sanitizer. I know many stay way from this but I used it quite a bit when starting out. Grab yourself a notebook dedicated to homebrewing to keep recipes and notes, I don't know how many times i reference notes on temps, water amounts, etc especially if you want to recreate/change something next time. Also, i use a cheap oxy-clean knock off from the $1 store for my cleanser, try to find it without the blue little crystals in it. The mesh strainer bags are also nice to have for your hop additions but not totally needed.

i do have the book and copied a bunch of the beginner/intermediate chapter pages for easy reference

 

[cadeucsb]

Here is my major equipment components: (for some reason my last post never made it past admin approval...had links to others pics). Def looks like i have 2 mash tuns.

 

[chrisdaman77]

Look like my stuff when I got it. I had to clean it up pretty good. +1 for the oxiclean. That stuff works great. I got the green top kind and soaked everything for over an hour then cleaned it up. As others have said watch out for the carboy handle. I only use it to slightly tip the bottle so I can grab it and carry it in a better position. Have fun!

 

[unionrdr]

Also,the 5 gallon carboy would be better suited for use as a secondary,as it doesn't have the head space needed for use as a primary fermenter. You def have 2 mash tuns there. Just clean it all up & rinse well. Sanitize with starsan before storing/using. They stay smelling a bit better.

 

[cadeucsb]

Look like my stuff when I got it. I had to clean it up pretty good. +1 for the oxiclean. That stuff works great. I got the green top kind and soaked everything for over an hour then cleaned it up. As others have said watch out for the carboy handle. I only use it to slightly tip the bottle so I can grab it and carry it in a better position. Have fun!

Yea, I grabbed some oxi clean last night and thanks everyone for the warning on the handle, not something I would have liked to find out the hard way.

Also,the 5 gallon carboy would be better suited for use as a secondary,as it doesn't have the head space needed for use as a primary fermenter. You def have 2 mash tuns there. Just clean it all up & rinse well. Sanitize with starsan before storing/using. They stay smelling a bit better.

Thats my plan...cook in the keg, primary in the 6gal for headspace with a lock, then move to the 5gal to remove sediment and not need much head space.

What is good timing to move from primary to secondary...using the hydrometer?

 

[unionrdr]

Yes,always test with the hydrometer to make sure you have a stable FG before racking anywhere. Unless you're oaking or adding fruit,etc,you really don't need to secondary just to clean it up. It'll settle out just fine in primary. I & others get clear beer this way. Less chance of oxidation or infection,& no loss of beer from racking.

 

[cadeucsb]

Yes,always test with the hydrometer to make sure you have a stable FG before racking anywhere. Unless you're oaking or adding fruit,etc,you really don't need to secondary just to clean it up. It'll settle out just fine in primary. I & others get clear beer this way. Less chance of oxidation or infection,& no loss of beer from racking.

Ok, that makes sense...i may just go primary then.

My current struggle is wanting to cook this weekend and not having a chiller now. I know there are plenty of 'no chill' advocates but given the size of my cookpot, I wanted to do a full boil.

I can get a 25' chiller locally for around $75...but online I could spend the same money and get a 50' which would be more ideal in the long run for bigger batches in the 15gal cookpot.

 

[unionrdr]

Or buy a 50' coil of copper tubing & make one. Might save a few bucks that way.

 

[abarhan]

The coolers pictured are Mash Tuns used for mashing grain and extracting wort, not chilling. Not needed for partial mash but needed for all grain. I would try all grain since you already have a mash tun and pick up a wort chiller and a HLT.

 

[cadeucsb]

Or buy a 50' coil of copper tubing & make one. Might save a few bucks that way.

yea, any experience making them? how hard etc? I am off to search and read up.