What piece of equipment has become invaluable that you wouldn’t expect?

[Leard]

Looking for some ideas on useful bits of equipment that you generally wouldn't think of.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I wouldn't be without my little bottler probably the best thing you can buy if you intend to bottle.

 

[Richie_asg1]

A torch that I can stand next to the bottle I am filling, so I can see the level rise in dark brown bottles. Without it I wasted a lot more.
And a short piece of pipe with the tap valve attached. This is then put in the syphon pipe to get things going, then the syphon pipe lowered to get the beer to the same level as the FV level- taken off and bottling wand attached. this means I don't spit in my brew and keeps things sanitary.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Bottling wand best few quid I ever spent

 

[mattrickl06]

Blichmann Beer Gun v2 and custom built 3 tier brew stands.

 

[Drunkula]

Awaits something puke-worthy like "My little daughter helping me stir the mash."

But for me the refractometer. I thought I'd just use it a bit like a hydrometer but nope, it so cool seeing how things are going at every stage.

Richie - I do exactly the same thing with the torch. I balance it on an upturned pint glass. Those fekkin Bengal Lancer bottles - jesus, they're inscrutable.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I forgot to add this to my earlier post -

I don't have a bucket with a hole for the little bottler so instead use the wand part in the end of my syphon tube.

 

[the_quick]

auto-syphon - use it to transfer beer, bottle beer and such. So much better than just normal tube :)

 

[marshbrewer]

My little daughter, helping to stir the mash.

Actually, its a plastic seat / stand thing that she used to use in the play when she was a toddler. She's not interested in it now, but it's exactly the right height so if I have a keg in the sink, and the FV on the draining board stood in the plastic seat, the height is perfect for syphoning the entire brew into the keg. Being plastic, it's easy to clean and keep sanitary.

 

[labrewski]

Bottle rinser to sanitize bottles before filling 250ml can do 50 bottles maybe more my bottle of star San will last me years

 

[Drunkula]

@labrewski they had those on offer for £3.50 once when I did a big order and I forgot to add it. Urghhh.

 

[The Baron]

bench capper such a improvement on the 2 handled cappers, have not had a bottle that can't be capped and no breakages

 

[Brew_DD2]

Brew bag. Costed pennies and I genuinely don't feel the need to move to a fancy all-in-one nor 3-tier system. I do still get a hankering for something shiny though...

 

[chrisb8]

A cheap wilko baster for taking gravity samples and starting the siphon

 

[Nicks90]

My wife's bra laundry bags! Perfect for putting the hops in the boiling wort.

Oh and the bottling wand...

 

[Rodcx500z]

Brew bag. Costed pennies and I genuinely don't feel the need to move to a fancy all-in-one nor 3-tier system. I do still get a hankering for something shiny though...

Hi DD2, I look at shiny stuff all the time then I think na i'll stick with the bag although I was very tempted with the klarstein 35L at 209 quid, I will cave in one day

 

[Leon103]

A bag of cable ties, excellent for keeping swmbo and kids out of the way during brew day

 

[Horners]

A big shallow blue basket that Tescos grocery deliveries come in that I accidentally retained when a largeshipment of turbo cider ingredients and Ashbeck arrived about 18 months ago. Turned upside down it's nice and low and stable to put kettle or sparge heater on whilst still being able to get a jug under the tap for recirculation etc.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Hi DD2, I look at shiny stuff all the time then I think na i'll stick with the bag although I was very tempted with the klarstein 35L at 209 quid, I will cave in one day

I've been very tempted by the exact same Klarstein. Whilst many on here bemoan their spouse's lack of enthusiasm for their brewing purchases, my wife would heartily encourage me to buy it. I can't justify to myself, spending £200 on something that wouldn't really change or improve my brew day though. Still very tempting.

 

[johncrobinson]

The only thing i have made a profit on is a hair cutter.
Saved me a fortune at ten quid a time (more now????)
I dread to think just how much over the last quarter century.