Like many, I've always brewed in buckets. I've had my fun with oxidisation, although as per previous threads, I thought I'd got round that, but tonight spotted that the top had popped off my latest NEIPA and so that's oxidised (I'll try and save it best I can, but I've not even got round to dry hopping yet - might just dry hop it in the morning and cold crash immediately then bottle on Saturday)
I've read up much on the 3 options I got to, so advice and other options might be useful. Probably need to decide by the weekend.
I'm open for new or secondhand, but bear in mind where I live, no-one lives near me (I've still no idea where I'm going to get anything that resembles reasonably priced CO2). I'm 20-30 minutes drive from Southampton if that helps.
So.....
Option 1. Corny Keg.
Pro: Cheap enough. Can get for £50 delivered with newish seals. I'll buy at least 2. My fridge is big enough and I have the skills to make a kegerator. Will need to buy all the fittings and bits and bobs. Hard to heat.
Cons: I bottle as I don't drink fast enough. Difficult to see what's going on inside. Hard to dry hop.
Option 2. Fermzilla. My preferred option.
Pro: £130 for the starter kit that has everything. Although I'll end up buying the brew belt too, but that's OK. Ability to dry hop and also take the trub out.
Against: Can only afford 1. Would entirely fill my fridge when cold crashing.
Option 3. Chubby.
Pro: Nearly as cheap as a corny. In fact, it might be worth doing Option 1 + 3 and servicing from Corny.
Against: Again, doesn't seem an obvious way to dry hop.
Thoughts? I saw the thing about using neodymium magnets and I've a 3D printer, so could easily fashion something up that I could store and release hops. The beauty of 3D printers is that bizarrely, the filament you usually use for domestic projects is organic, made from corn starch or sugar cane!
If someone could suggest ways to dry hop, it could change my thoughts. As always, I don't necessarily want to do it the cheapest way, but cost comes into it.
I've read up much on the 3 options I got to, so advice and other options might be useful. Probably need to decide by the weekend.
I'm open for new or secondhand, but bear in mind where I live, no-one lives near me (I've still no idea where I'm going to get anything that resembles reasonably priced CO2). I'm 20-30 minutes drive from Southampton if that helps.
So.....
Option 1. Corny Keg.
Pro: Cheap enough. Can get for £50 delivered with newish seals. I'll buy at least 2. My fridge is big enough and I have the skills to make a kegerator. Will need to buy all the fittings and bits and bobs. Hard to heat.
Cons: I bottle as I don't drink fast enough. Difficult to see what's going on inside. Hard to dry hop.
Option 2. Fermzilla. My preferred option.
Pro: £130 for the starter kit that has everything. Although I'll end up buying the brew belt too, but that's OK. Ability to dry hop and also take the trub out.
Against: Can only afford 1. Would entirely fill my fridge when cold crashing.
Option 3. Chubby.
Pro: Nearly as cheap as a corny. In fact, it might be worth doing Option 1 + 3 and servicing from Corny.
Against: Again, doesn't seem an obvious way to dry hop.
Thoughts? I saw the thing about using neodymium magnets and I've a 3D printer, so could easily fashion something up that I could store and release hops. The beauty of 3D printers is that bizarrely, the filament you usually use for domestic projects is organic, made from corn starch or sugar cane!
If someone could suggest ways to dry hop, it could change my thoughts. As always, I don't necessarily want to do it the cheapest way, but cost comes into it.
