# Whats Your Most Useful Brewing Gadget?



## Truman42 (14/3/12)

Whats one of your most useful brewing gadgets that you find very useful in your brewery?

Ive recently brought an Infrared thermometer and find it very useful especially for measuring cooling wort when making starters etc and checking wort in a cube for pitching. I even use it to check the temp of a beer Ive just taken from the lagering cupboard into the freezer to see when its cold enough to drink..


Apologies to those who might feel the need to post a link to where this might have been asked before, but people change and so do gadgets...


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## Camo1234 (14/3/12)

I have a feeling this thread will cost me money!


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## Truman42 (14/3/12)

Camo1234 said:


> I have a feeling this thread will cost me money!



Haha.. yeh well thats what Im thinking too...


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## DJR (14/3/12)

My fermenter :icon_offtopic:


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## yum beer (14/3/12)

Truman said:


> Whats one of your most useful brewing gadgets that you find very useful in your brewery?
> 
> Ive recently brought an Infrared thermometer and find it very useful especially for measuring cooling wort when making starters etc and checking wort in a cube for pitching. I even use it to check the temp of a beer Ive just taken from the lagering cupboard into the freezer to see when its cold enough to drink..
> 
> ...



Bubble popping coming on...sorry.

Generally those infrared thermometers only take a surface reading and as such can be very innaccurate at giving actual temp of the liquid underneath.
I certainly wouldnt be trusting one for important measurements, how hot the wall of the house is, fine, what temp the mash is at, no bloody chance.


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## yum beer (14/3/12)

For the last twelve months the wiltshire can opener was my best friend, and only opener in the house that would open kit tins,

it doesnt work so good on grain bags.

My old esky is the perfect height for sitting on when bottling, if it was bigger it would make a great mash tun, but you cant have it all. :icon_cheers:


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## manticle (14/3/12)

Hydrometer
thermometer
Still getting used to the refractometer.

What's gadget entail and what does it exclude? Esky? Kettle? test tube rack? Fridge? Cube? Spray bottle?


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## pyrosx (14/3/12)

Bunnings wireless probe thermometer thingy

Though, i probably should point out, that the thermometer part is almost entirely useless..... but I use the non-thermometer end of it as a stopwatch while mashing and boiling, which makes it pretty handy


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## Cocko (14/3/12)

Not really bought or a gadget but I love my draining table I built:






Sorry, did I miss the point here?


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## Tony (14/3/12)

Vacuum sealer


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## pokolbinguy (14/3/12)

my kitten...for my airlock ofcouse


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## pokolbinguy (14/3/12)

seriously though probably my vacuum sealer as I can use it for brew and non-brew related things


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## Truman42 (14/3/12)

Cocko said:


> Not really bought or a gadget but I love my draining table I built:
> 
> View attachment 53067
> 
> ...


No mate not at all. What do you use it for? To drain bottles after sanitizing or for something else?


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## Cocko (14/3/12)

In use with bottles:


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## Charst (14/3/12)

Since fermenting in cubes I've found my wine thief is great for taking samples.
and the Auto Siphon for $20 is bloody great. Never a drama with getting the siphon going.


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## kelbygreen (14/3/12)

my pump. If I got it in the first place I would not have to go to the chiropractor every week


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## Truman42 (14/3/12)

yum beer said:


> Bubble popping coming on...sorry.
> 
> Generally those infrared thermometers only take a surface reading and as such can be very innaccurate at giving actual temp of the liquid underneath.
> I certainly wouldnt be trusting one for important measurements, how hot the wall of the house is, fine, what temp the mash is at, no bloody chance.


Yeh I've read that too hence why I don't use it for mashing. But before I brought it had to stick a thermo in my cooling boiled water or wort and cover with gladwrap to check when it was cool enough. Now I just point the laser.


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## Truman42 (14/3/12)

Cocko said:


> In use with bottles:
> 
> View attachment 53068


Awesome..shits all over my ghetto upside down bread crate.


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## pokolbinguy (14/3/12)

Cocko said:


> Not really bought or a gadget but I love my draining table I built:
> Sorry, did I miss the point here?



Nice idea.....but dude ....get kegs!!!!


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## Cocko (14/3/12)

pokolbinguy said:


> Nice idea.....but dude ....get kegs!!!!



HAHA!

Was from years ago - still proud of her!

But yeah, kegs! - I know..




Shoosh!


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## bignath (14/3/12)

Not really a gadget, but for me it is probably my dedicated brewery laptop (netbook).

Small, powerful, only used for brewing related stuff.

Recipe formulation, brewday process and figures, and also doubles as brewday entertainment with tunes and wi fi.

If its not that, id have to say either my vac sealer, or my little brown pump, or STC1000.


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## mxd (14/3/12)

Cocko said:


> HAHA!
> 
> Was from years ago - still proud of her!
> 
> ...




now get some taps

those 3 look lonely


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## Brewman_ (14/3/12)

My Pint Glass.

It is spectacular! It holds beer, and I can drink it!

Fear_n_Loath


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## Deebo (14/3/12)

I have a few that make my brewing a whole lot easier:
Cheapo ebay refractometer and pipette makes taking readings simple and quick
Electrical timer and stc-1000 to preheat strike water shortens brewday a whole lot
Stc-1000 on the fridge is also awesome for getting proper consistant fermentation temps
Vacuum sealer + cheapo ebay scale for grains and hops

Forgot the grain mill.. that sure comes in handy but dont know if you would call it a gadget


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## Cocko (14/3/12)

fear_n_loath said:


> My Pint Glass.
> 
> It is spectacular! It holds beer, and I can drink it!
> 
> Fear_n_Loath



Prick.


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## Brewman_ (15/3/12)

Cocko said:


> Prick.




Well hey, just being honest.  

I do like my Refractomer that reads in Brix & SG.


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## TidalPete (15/3/12)

My Jaycar rattlesnake magnets. lots of uses around the brewery including easily extracting stirbars from erlenmeyers & fermenters, using as spare stirbars, holding my voile bag of dry hops clear of the fermenter bottom (learnt that one last week). Best $5 I ever spent. :beerbang: 

TP


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## theb00f (15/3/12)

my ass... i sit on it whilst I drink beer and wait for the mash/boil to finish!

the only problem is that I have to get off it every now and then and do stuff - need me a slave!


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## stux (15/3/12)

Hop scales from eBay for like 7$ delivered

TempMate (or STC-1000) with fridge + heatbelt + thermowell = set and forget fermenting all year round


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## Wolfy (15/3/12)

Deebo said:


> I have a few that make my brewing a whole lot easier:
> Cheapo ebay refractometer and pipette makes taking readings simple and quick
> Electrical timer and stc-1000 to preheat strike water shortens brewday a whole lot
> Stc-1000 on the fridge is also awesome for getting proper consistant fermentation temps
> ...


^ That list matches exactly, just add another stc-1000 for the beer-fridge and little-brown-pumps that I assume will be useful when I start to use them.


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## freezkat (15/3/12)

I like this thingy






I just wipe my stuff down every time I need to touch anything near/in the fermenter. I just cut a small square of paper towel and voila! clean thermo...voila clean hydro...voila clean airlock etc...


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## slacka (15/3/12)

The tap on my kettle. Find it difficult to believe I used to brew without it.


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## fraser_john (15/3/12)

My portable steam generator, now discontinued, but it is brilliant for santising the counter flow chiller, hosing, tube fittings, conical fermenter, kegs before filling them with beer and just about anything that is not made of glass or cheap plastic! Small items I wrap in foil like my oxygenation stainless airstone and put the nozzle into the foil package and let it rip.

Nothing can survive being pressurized and steamed for 10 minutes, well, nothing that is going to infect my brew at least.


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## alfadog (15/3/12)

My cheap ebay refractometer. I take gravity readings all the time now, sometimes too often


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## Rowy (15/3/12)

The camp chair one of my sons made at school; perfect height for bottling.

The two 20l pails from bunnings one with holes in the bottom the other with a tap. Great for draining the bag and thanks to Lord Raja Goomba for the idea!


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## Vanoontour (15/3/12)

This Forum...


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## Rowy (15/3/12)

vanoontour said:


> This Forum...



I would agree with that big time.


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## mje1980 (15/3/12)

Temp controlled fridge. I did a barley wine in 2004 before I had temp control. You'd be amazed how much heat gets generated when you dump a big arse barleywine onto a whole yeast cake. 1.090 to 1.020 overnight, and 28c. Ended up at 1.008 I think, and was terribly solventy, even after 4 years.


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## pmastello (15/3/12)

I probably can't say Braumeister as I haven't got it yet. Ill post again next week.

At the moment, its my digital pH meter with auto temp corrrection.


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## QldKev (15/3/12)

I'll say the temp controllers (stc-1000 etc)

Controlling fridges, 
When I BIAB great easy to read digital thermometer
When I 3V, they control the HLT and RIMS



Also my mill
For how much trouble free crushing of the grain it has given me over the years.


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## warra48 (15/3/12)

My garbage bin, it took away the AIRLOCKS.

Really, lots of stuff, but the things which I value highly in my system are:

TempMate
MillMaster
3 piece SS ball valve.


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## Screwtop (15/3/12)

Refrac

Screwy


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## mckenry (15/3/12)

My most useful gadget is my brewing assistant.


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## InCider (15/3/12)




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## DU99 (15/3/12)




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## iralosavic (15/3/12)

My $1.50 spray bottle from Coles, which is full of sanitiser.


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## argon (15/3/12)

Beersmith


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## [email protected] (15/3/12)

TidalPete said:


> holding my voile bag of dry hops clear of the fermenter bottom (learnt that one last week). Best $5 I ever spent. :beerbang:
> 
> TP



That, dear sir, is a top idea!


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## stux (15/3/12)

60cm Stainless BIAB Mash Weapon. Probably my favourite toy


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## Malted (15/3/12)

Truman said:


> Apologies to those who might feel the need to post a link to where this might have been asked before, but people change and so do gadgets...



"Might have been asked before" sounds to me like you didn't even bother searching.
I see nothing wrong with reinvigorating an old thread. Yes people and gadgets change, but so too can threads...

Not trying to be nasty, just sayin is all.


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## Truman42 (15/3/12)

Stux said:


> 60cm Stainless BIAB Mash Weapon. Probably my favourite toy



Thats what I need Stux, where did you get yours from?


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## Truman42 (15/3/12)

Malted said:


> "Might have been asked before" sounds to me like you didn't even bother searching.
> I see nothing wrong with reinvigorating an old thread. Yes people and gadgets change, but so too can threads...
> 
> Not trying to be nasty, just sayin is all.



You right I didnt..Oh well.


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## hoppinmad (15/3/12)

Refractometer for hitting numbers on brew day and monitoring fermentation 

STC1000 for precise control of fermentation


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## Camo1234 (15/3/12)

Thats what I need Stux, where did you get yours from?
[/quote]

Hers is where I got mine: Masher


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## stux (15/3/12)

Truman said:


> Thats what I need Stux, where did you get yours from?



You can get them from kitchen/catering suppliers

I think I got mine from the hospitalitydepot (you can get a discount with an ABN), lots of other brewing "gadgets" to be had there too. There is probably a local place like it near you. Its like bunnings for kitchen stuff


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## stux (15/3/12)

Bunnings/BCF 2:1 Pulley for BIAB, will lift a triple batch.


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## MAH (15/3/12)

Opposable thumbs


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## brettprevans (15/3/12)

you guys have interesting ideas on what constitutes a gadget.


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## eamonnfoley (15/3/12)

Milwaukee pH meter. Wort/beer QC without needing a lab


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (15/3/12)

STC-1000,
Digital Thermometer (just purchased - makes hitting numbers not so much educated guesswork),
Tube for gravity feed of wort into fermenter from 2 big W pots
2 big W pots.
2 plastic 20L Buckets.


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## Nick JD (15/3/12)

My brewing rig can cook a Lamb Roast with potatoes, carrots, onions and sweet potato while making a batch of Belgian Dubbel.

It's a pretty useful gadget. Even has a timer that tells me with a bell when I have to add the next load of hops and a ducted fan to get rid of the steam.


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## Superoo (15/3/12)

4 Channel simultaneous heating and cooling controller (home made).
Controls fridge, fermenting freezer, mash temp with preset heat start time, and has a heating output to dry malt and hops.
works a treat, next step is to add some step mash features to the mash part.

Its probably a bit more than a gadget though


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## stux (15/3/12)

Nick JD said:


> My brewing rig can cook a Lamb Roast with potatoes, carrots, onions and sweet potato while making a batch of Belgian Dubbel.
> 
> It's a pretty useful gadget. Even has a timer that tells me with a bell when I have to add the next load of hops and a ducted fan to get rid of the steam.



So can my mash tun + vacuum sealer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sous-vide


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## matho (15/3/12)

my angle grinder with a 1mm stainless steel cutting disc :lol:


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## BlackRat (15/3/12)

HoppinMad said:


> Refractometer for hitting numbers on brew day and monitoring fermentation
> 
> STC1000 for precise control of fermentation



How did you connect this to your fridge? 
Do you need a sparky to do it if it needs its own mains power?

Cheers,
BlackRat.


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## 1975sandman (15/3/12)

Inspector Gadget


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## Truman42 (15/3/12)

BlackRat said:


> How did you connect this to your fridge?
> Do you need a sparky to do it if it needs its own mains power?
> 
> Cheers,
> BlackRat.



No the fridge just plugs into the stc1000. Search for it on here and there is a great thread on how to wire up the stc1000 with plugs all fitted into a neat jiffy box or similar. It's not that hard.


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## Yob (15/3/12)

Truman said:


> You right I didnt..Oh well.






Truman said:


> Search for it on here



^ choked and am now cleaning my screen.... Truman, mate, Ya gotta lay off the glue :lol: 

sorry man... youve done good by me but really... pot.. kettle.. something something...

and for the topic, Refractometer, only used it once thus far but damn I love it, really lets you know whats going on.

Yob


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## pk.sax (15/3/12)

My cider stirrer

Apart from that, my truck has hailed home plenty of awesome brew gear from garage sales


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (15/3/12)

iamozziyob said:


> ^ choked and am now cleaning my screen.... Truman, mate, Ya gotta lay off the glue :lol:
> 
> sorry man... youve done good by me but really... pot.. kettle.. something something...
> 
> ...



+1.

Tru, you're a great bloke, but remember where you were at less than a year ago. Pot, kettle, brewing apparatus.

That's the idea of us intermediates - remember what we were, acknowledge how much we have to learn, help those who are where we were once at, keep getting better at our brewing.

Goomba


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## Truman42 (15/3/12)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> +1.
> 
> Tru, you're a great bloke, but remember where you were at less than a year ago. Pot, kettle, brewing apparatus.
> 
> ...


Hang on a minute fellas. I didn't rant at the guy telling him not to be lazy and to search and all that like I've copped before on here. I told him how the STC works and also advised him to search for the thread where he would find lots of info. And if I wasn't on my iPhone would have posted the link too. 
So I think your both being a little harsh. Don't you think?

And Yob as for me not searching for this thread first I wanted to start a new thread about gadgets because I knew if there was one I haven't seen it since being on this forum and It doesn't hurt to start a new one. Fair enough if it was a common question about brewing that had been asked before. 
So you both owe me a beer.


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## pk.sax (15/3/12)

Stirred in cider?


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## Cocko (15/3/12)

:icon_offtopic: 


Starting new threads; I see it like this:

Truman's reason, and valid-ish point + think you, as it seems, you are genuinely a very nice person, is that versions/technology/testing/experiences change and thus a dormant thread may hold some posts that are no longer relevant due to further experience.... and so on... Great point.

BUT!

If you do a search on a topic and find a relative thread to your search topic, then wouldn't it be better to read through that one thread and find the current day experiences at the end of it? Rather than having to read 18+ threads with 6 or so posts in them? and if you went with the original threads opinion then it may now be out of date?

Sorry but I am pretty sure building a great resource of information here is about building walls, not a pile of rocks!


2c.


BTW: Porkspinning is a great way to let people learn how to..... well, its funny!


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## Truman42 (15/3/12)

Cocko said:


> Yo, DB, your main threads - Brewery build and keggin set up are critical to my drooling needs... but yeah, you should post for no reason more c&nt! - sorry, maybe more of a private gag.. h34r:
> 
> Anyways, Just to be clear, not a personal attack on truman by any means, just trying to express that building threads is as good as starting them...
> 
> ...


I see your point mate. I just thought people would rather see a new post than wade through pages and pages to find where the more relevant information begins. But I certainly agree with you that building threads is better than creating new ones and will make an effort to do that in the future. 
And no offence taken, you gotta be thick skinned to get by on here.


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## InCider (15/3/12)

practicalfool said:


> Stirred in cider?



I resemble that remark!


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## Cocko (15/3/12)

Truman said:


> I see your point mate. I just thought people would rather see a new post than wade through pages and pages to find where the more relevant information begins. But I certainly agree with you that building threads is better than creating new ones and will make an effort to do that in the future.
> And no offence taken, you gotta be thick skinned to get by on here.



Specific to situation issues, sure, but general everyday questions, I am sure wading through pages will help people find answers and more importantly, make them think about it in a 'brewers' sense.... Again, 2c, and no disrespect meant.

SO, lets get back OT then..

And my new most useful gadget in AHB is CHEAP 50L pots! Almost disposable at that price!

Cheers!


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## Fat Bastard (15/3/12)

Cocko said:


> Specific to situation issues, sure, but general everyday questions, I am sure wading through pages will help people find answers and more importantly, make them think about it in a 'brewers' sense.... Again, 2c, and no disrespect meant.
> 
> SO, lets get back OT then..
> 
> ...



My most useful brewing gadget is the status bar on the bottom of the screen on AHB!


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## hsb (15/3/12)

My BCS box, plug and play temperature control and I can step mash indoors on the phone.


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## Truman42 (15/3/12)

hsb said:


> My BCS box, plug and play temperature control and I can step mash indoors on the phone.


What exactly is a BCS box? Tried searching but found nothing


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## MastersBrewery (15/3/12)

Truman said:


> What exactly is a BCS box? Tried searching but found nothing



BCS is a controler similar to brewtroller but prolly less involved is setting up http://www.embeddedcontrolconcepts.com/. Aint looked at it recently but yeah you can run your Brewery from your Iphone


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## kelbygreen (15/3/12)

lol your bringing it back arnt you cocko!!! Least you got some one this time. 

TBH I couldnt be stuffed searching either but it amuses me the threads you think of truman, no bagging but how do you come up with some and to think there is always previous threads astounds me more. 

Your right you gotto be though skinned but you gotto see it from others eyes they been on here a while and seen what happens. I ran my own and moderated a forum once and yes it does start to piss you off when people keep repeating. But you wont stop it and then you get people that do bring it up and get shot down. People are like "man this is 3 years old and 18 pages long!!! and you come back now and add onto it?" then you get the people when you start a new one have a go at you so either way you will get shot down. And TBH you get the most responses from a new thread then a old one so prob the way to go. 

Oh cocko paid some guy like $5k to do that while he recorded it and beat himself off!!! just saying.....


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## Fish13 (16/3/12)

they are to expensive but i have this to be my best bit of brew gear http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-st...453#Description

which is the 20L willow water container's.

and these

http://www.techniice.com/2011/icepacks/ice..._heavy_duty.asp

great for trying to cool the fermentor when no fridge is available or even when you vacum seal the packs after rehydrating them you can use them to chill the wort if you use a pot and BIAB.


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## Truman42 (16/3/12)

kelbygreen said:


> And TBH you get the most responses from a new thread then a old one so prob the way to go.



Thats what I always thought, that a lot of people tend to ignore threads that are years old with hundreds of posts. But apparently not. Oh well.. life goes on..  

@ MB..Thanks for the link mate.


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## Fish13 (16/3/12)

cocko mate to stiff upper lips here mate.

my fav product is the techni ice packs. brilliant to cool the fermentor down and if you vacum seal them after rehydrating the gel you can usze them to chill your pot if you stove top biab.

http://www.techniice.com/2011/icepacks/ice..._heavy_duty.asp


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## kaspa07 (16/3/12)

My Vaccum sealer for sure....

I use it to pack my hops, also comes useful after a succesful fishing trip

Also the dehydrator I borrowed from my sister about 3 years ago is great for drying the wet hops


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## SJW (16/3/12)

My 20l Braumeister


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## mikec (16/3/12)




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## Amber Fluid (17/3/12)

My hoist would have to be one of the best things in my brewery.... lifts kegs into Obelix and bags out of the urn with ease. It has saved my back a few times now


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## BlackRat (17/3/12)

Amber Fluid - nice sig but i wouldn't be displaying your PIP for everyone to see.

I know a PIP is easy to get, BUT you have to search for it.

IMO displaying a PIP is just asking for DoS attacks.

Just my two cents.

BlackRat.

EDIT - Scrap that....its MY PIP being displayed!
No point launching a DoS attack on myself...I have a girlfriend for that!


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## Amber Fluid (17/3/12)

No probs


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## Mattress (17/3/12)

fish13 said:


> my fav product is the techni ice packs. brilliant to cool the fermentor down and if you vacum seal them after rehydrating the gel you can usze them to chill your pot if you stove top biab.




WHAT! Oh, you mean a pot on a stove. Got it now.


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## Spork (17/3/12)

refractometer.


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## Fish13 (17/3/12)

Mattress said:


> WHAT! Oh, you mean a pot on a stove. Got it now.



well you could use them to chill your cube. luandry tub and water and the ice packs


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