Ag Setup Or...

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

aj0081

Active Member
Joined
15/5/12
Messages
34
Reaction score
0
My lovely wife got me a brew on premise gig for my birthday this week. I was actually pretty stoked with the idea.

I am back in home brewing after a time out - and am still floating around doing extracts.

Now I have a look around on the web and it is clear if I want to do a BoP my only option is Bachus - and I agree. Fair call as they are the only AG guys doing it. Lucky me for being in Brisbane. As for the other BoP'ers I assume there would be a difference in quality of beers but probably not much from the beers I am doing now...

Question is, should I use the $$$ (say $300ish) to move toward a basic AG setup?

I would anticipate the basic setup would be the esky / kettle setup or building a single vessel setup. I would expect I would likely have to chip in some $$$ as well, but that would be subject to the budget review committee! So budget conscience is important. I have gas, but like the idea of electric so either does not phase me.

I have read a bit about BIAB. Not sure if it is the way that I want to go though - my current preference is no, but I have not completely closed off the idea.

What are your thoughts?
 
For $300 you should be well on your way to a nice BIAB setup.
Further down the track - if you decide you don't want to stay with BIAB, and want to invest more money in your brewery - the BIAB vessel can become your HLT if you want to go 3V.
... so that's where I'd be looking to spend the $'s
 
For $300 you should be well on your way to a nice BIAB setup.
Further down the track - if you decide you don't want to stay with BIAB, and want to invest more money in your brewery - the BIAB vessel can become your HLT if you want to go 3V.
... so that's where I'd be looking to spend the s

+1

great advice, I got into BIAB courtesy of the under $30 thread...now have a 50L keggle and a burner but still spent under $100 on AG equipment ....I also have a big tropicool esky lying round and occassionally think of trying my hand at 3v...but BIAB is so simple and makes great beer so havent been bothered to date.
 
Heck, for $300 you can setup an OK 3v setup using legal discarded commercial beer dispensing vessels, buy a 3 ring burner or install an element and a sack of malted grain, some hops and yeast and churn out a batch.
 
Go the biab rig.

A&J trading in the valley have some really cheap pots.

For $300 you should be well on your way to a nice BIAB setup.
Further down the track - if you decide you don't want to stay with BIAB, and want to invest more money in your brewery - the BIAB vessel can become your HLT if you want to go 3V.
... so that's where I'd be looking to spend the s
 
Go the biab rig.

A&J trading in the valley have some really cheap pots. Or get an aluminium one from somewhere.

Must've hit the wuote button by mistake?
 
reckon the BIAB and nochill is a great entry into AG

if you have some of the stuff around the house then you could kick off with very few $$ spent

then I reckon get yourself along to someone / s brew day to see a few options of rigs and then decide where you might head with equipment etc.
 
Ditto on the BIAB for under $30 thread.

But then you'll need a spare fridge, temp controller, recirculation 3V system, kegs...........lol this "hobby" is fast becoming a force unto itself. I work to live, I live to brew.
 
Thanks for all the responses - great stuff.

It is hard not to lean towards the BIAB with all that feedback!

I will be keen to check out A+J Trading. I think I would prefer a pot as opposed to an urn. 40 or 50 litre would be the most practical, yes?

What would people suggest as a heat source - electric element or a gas? I guess with electric (say keg king element) that is a mod I would need to do, where as gas is simple as rigging it up. What do other people do?

Ekul - any recollections on price of pots at A+J? Were they aluminium or stainless? Have seen prices at LHBS and others...

Maheel - good tip on the brew day, thanks. I missed the brewers choice one out at Ipswich way, will keep an eye out for others though.

Thanks again
:chug:
 
Heck, for $300 you can setup an OK 3v setup using legal discarded commercial beer dispensing vessels, buy a 3 ring burner or install an element and a sack of malted grain, some hops and yeast and churn out a batch.

+1

3V is where its at, everything else is a compromise! :p
 
Off course you would say that Frothie!!!

Forgot to add, if I go to A+Js in the Valley I can also go to the asian butcher. Mmmm, slow grilled ribs this weekend!

:super:
 
Craftbrewer sell a pre-drilled 70litre pot for about $140.00. If you get out of BIAB later there is one cracker of a HLT/Kettle.
 
Brew kits and spend $300 on keg setup :)

Seriously... for $300 you could get a 2nd hand pot or urn (40L min) , fridge + STC1000, BIAB bag, ball valves, silicon house, thermometer, starsan, scales, etc etc

Then save for a mill (~$150) and buy grain in bulk

Did I mention you will never stop spending :)
 
The 50L was $50-70 from memory and the 80L was $99. They are stainless, but really thin stainless. Suited my brewing for a very long time. People talk about scorching but it never happened to me, and i had a belting 32jet mongolian uner there.





Thanks for all the responses - great stuff.

It is hard not to lean towards the BIAB with all that feedback!

I will be keen to check out A+J Trading. I think I would prefer a pot as opposed to an urn. 40 or 50 litre would be the most practical, yes?

What would people suggest as a heat source - electric element or a gas? I guess with electric (say keg king element) that is a mod I would need to do, where as gas is simple as rigging it up. What do other people do?

Ekul - any recollections on price of pots at A+J? Were they aluminium or stainless? Have seen prices at LHBS and others...

Maheel - good tip on the brew day, thanks. I missed the brewers choice one out at Ipswich way, will keep an eye out for others though.

Thanks again
:chug:
 
Craftbrewer sell a pre-drilled 70litre pot for about $140.00. If you get out of BIAB later there is one cracker of a HLT/Kettle.

I guess would only be fair given I was thinking of going to their micro brewery... Choices, choices.

The AJ Trading one is a pretty good price, and I am fine to spec that up. I am thinking the extra $40 for the one at CB may be worth it though for the long haul.

As for your wise words seemax, I think I am in plain old trouble. This is the start of something really long and expensive!
 
my all garin setup cost me $150 i think. maybe more...

2x20L urns and a 1L pot some braid, 3 ss taps, 1 90 SS bend, All i need is 2 brown pumps and a 12v power source and i am almost finished...

526710_10150967503439684_1834018371_n.jpg


you cant see the mash tun in the pic but its a cheap setup. no waiting for it to boil like the stove top.


yes it has boiled over. I went and checked AHB while it was on the boil cycle with the lid on... I wont do that again. all over the floor and bench top a good 1L or so
 
Thanks for all the responses - great stuff.

It is hard not to lean towards the BIAB with all that feedback!

I will be keen to check out A+J Trading. I think I would prefer a pot as opposed to an urn. 40 or 50 litre would be the most practical, yes?

What would people suggest as a heat source - electric element or a gas? I guess with electric (say keg king element) that is a mod I would need to do, where as gas is simple as rigging it up. What do other people do?

Ekul - any recollections on price of pots at A+J? Were they aluminium or stainless? Have seen prices at LHBS and others...

Maheel - good tip on the brew day, thanks. I missed the brewers choice one out at Ipswich way, will keep an eye out for others though.

Thanks again
:chug:
if it helps sway your decision, i have been down the keggle and burner biab road but now use a 40ltr urn with exposed element (way easier to clean).
cheaper than using gas and faster than my old 3 ring burner, the s/s is polished so any gunk just falls off, i usually fill with water and a cap of unscented nappysan and thrown in my biab bag for a soak when i'm finished brewing.
the element is as clean as the day i bought it.
 
I'm looking at buying an urn as well... since the missus won't give the nod to a braumeister. (women)

What are the pros and cons of exposed element VS a concealed element? (sorry for hijacking the thread, but the info might be useful to the OP)
 
gotta agree with the others, BIAB is not my preferred method either but it's how i'm partial mashing at the moment while saving for a braumiester and it works well. almost anything you buy for biab will be re-useable in another system.

good luck

-Phill
 
Back
Top