Next homebrew investment

[acreid]

What should my next homebrew investment be??

I currently brew in a 15L pot and do partial/mini mash brews. So what’s next? Should I buy an all in one brewing system or start kegging my beer and build a kegerator. What have you guys done?

 

[cushyno]

What a dilemma. Whichever you choose means you have to also choose the other too, right?

Brewzilla first means you'll brew more and have a greater need for the kegerator.
Kegerator first means you'll need to keep it stocked, not easy doing 15L a time. So you'd need the Brewzilla!

Brewzilla first, no point in having an empty kegerator

 

[moto748]

I'm seriously considering buying a second polythene bucket!

 

[acreid]

What a dilemma. Whichever you choose means you have to also choose the other too, right?

Brewzilla first means you'll brew more and have a greater need for the kegerator.
Kegerator first means you'll need to keep it stocked, not easy doing 15L a time. So you'd need the Brewzilla!

Brewzilla first, no point in having an empty kegerator

Iv been doing 20L brews. Small mash with around 3kg of grain then top up with DME in the fermentor. Cheers for the reply

 

[UKSkydiver]

I now have both

If you're on a budget, you can bag the "erator" bit pretty cheaply. The "keg" bit is the part that stings.

I guess it also make a difference how you're currently brewing.

The ease that getting a BZ brings to the table is, to my mind, what has made my brew days a little easier. So I'd plump for one of those if I had to choose one.

You can still brew beer and bottle it.

If your existing process is a pain in the bum then getting a kegerator is not going to make that part any easier / better.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Kegs. Every day of the week. You can brew many styles of beers in normal fermenters without the need to be able to do closed transfers (which in my opinion is the biggest pro for the Brewzilla). Kegs will improve all of your beers.

EDIT - I was referring to the Fermzilla in my post. Brewzilla would be a good purchase, but biab will produce just as good a beer.

 

[Begbie]

It is a difficult one. Assuming you've only got the budget for one and not both at the moment, and unless you enjoy bottling, I would get a keg first.

My next investment is going to be a 35L Brewzilla. However, as has been said above, that will lead to the need for a keg, as I hate bottling, and the thought of having to bottle 40-odd bottles with every brew doesn't fill me with joy! So, I'm also going to buy a reconditioned Corny keg. Saved up enough for both, so just waiting on my first tipsy night online to drunk-buy them! (the wee angel on my shoulder keeps telling me to hold off and keep doing BIABs! )

 

[chillipickle]

Has to be kegs first, you are already doing stove top brews.Once you see how easy it is to fill and empty kegs, then you spend more money on brewzilla.

I don't regret buying brewzill or the keg set up.

What ever you decide it sounds like your on a slippery slope, before you know it fermzilla's and larder fridges closed transfers etc etc

 

[Moe]

Personally I would do the kegerator. And this is what I did when I got all of my stuff.

You can make nice beer on any equipment, but the kegerator will save hours and hours bottling, meaning you can brew more often. The kegerator also means that you have draft beer at home, which really increased my enjoyment (and consumption ) of home made beer.

The major advantage of the Brewzilla is convenience on brewday.

I do agree with the comments above though, get one and start saving for the other

 

[Pezza24]

Kegerator and a bigger pot. Or make a very strong wort in your smaller pot and liquor it back.

 

[Binkei Huckaback]

That depends how much you want to spend. Temperature control for fermentation is possibly the best investment.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Kegerator first - Summer is coming!

 

[acreid]

That depends how much you want to spend. Temperature control for fermentation is possibly the best investment.

Already got that sorted, noticed a huge difference in quality.

 

[moto748]

Second polythene bucket now bought! Production will be ramped up!

 

[-Bezza-]

If you're already doing 20L batches, kegerator. The faff of bottling will be a distant memory.

Plus mates will be impressed by a kegerator; less so with a bit kettle.

 

[DavidB]

If you've got the fermenting fridge, then agree with most people's posts about choosing the kegs/kegerator option.

This will give you something immediately back - less bottling, beer on draught, something to show your mates.
Nothing wrong with buying the Brewzilla, but if you are comfortable with your current brew set up and producing decent beer then no doubt the Brewzilla will make it easier, but will it really be much of a change?

Plus making it easier to produce will just mean more bottling! Seriously it's a lot easier to store kegs than hundreds of bottles (as long as you don't tell the Mrs how much kegs cost!)

Unfortunately it's a chicken and egg scenario. Easier production vs easier dispensing. Let's face it you are going to end up buying both eventually!

 

[clyne]

Both are an investment though. You'll easily sell your kegs for the same price you paid for them - probably more in my experience. And likewise with the Brewzilla, you'll easily be able to sell it on for close to what you've bought it for but think of all the fun you've had in the process. Think of them more like gold than a new car :)

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

The question is better quality beer or cold beer (being cold will hide lack of taste) - concentrate on brewing properly with equipment where you can fine tune the mash

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Second polythene bucket now bought! Production will be ramped up!

You'll need to ramp up production to use all that malt you have bought!

 

[labrewski]

Buy the brewzilla most expensive item then be smart find a fridge for free or 2nd hand buy 2nd hand cornys all good once cleaning is done properly and pick up the other bits bit by bit