Worst equipment purchases

[superstock]

Yes pretty sure. Wort level drops (inside outter tube) and doen't stay at same level as wort in fermenter. Once it drops all the way to the seal (end of inner syphon tube) it starts sucking air.
May try some lube on the seal or even a jiggler as suggested in some earlier posts.

Shoudn't be any wort in outer tube at all

 

[pcqypcqy]

Copper coil immersion chiller and a pond pump to recirculate ice water through it. Still sitting in the garage.

Beerbelly false bottom to make a lauter tun for a two vessel system. Fortunately somebody bought it off me but I took a $10 hit.

Oh and the raspberry pi. I think it's in the spare room.

Hi Bribie, interested in finding out why you don't like the immersion chiller? I just finally bought a coil of copper to make one, still in the packet though so I can always take back if you convince me

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Are you sure it is sucking air? Or is CO2 coming out of solution at the joint due to the difference in inside diameter? If slowing the flow helps this is what I would suspect.

I just cant get that pump syphon to syphon at all without violently pumping it about 10 times disturbing and aerating. Only tested it on water and nearly (violently) through it across the room haha. No instructions came with it either. I usually nut things out well so maybe mine is just faulty.

 

[mckenry]

Hi Bribie, interested in finding out why you don't like the immersion chiller? I just finally bought a coil of copper to make one, still in the packet though so I can always take back if you convince me

I'd imagine because he's an advocate of no-chill.

 

[Nizmoose]

Hi Bribie, interested in finding out why you don't like the immersion chiller? I just finally bought a coil of copper to make one, still in the packet though so I can always take back if you convince me

If it's any help conversely my immersion chiller is possibly the best thing I've ever bought for the brewery, I don't like the idea of no chilling for several reasons including handling hot wort, adjusting hop additions and buying cubes over buckets (all personal preference stuff) and an immersion chiller kicks the shit out of trying to use an ice bath, I went the stainless steel chiller option and love it

 

[yum beer]

If it's any help conversely my immersion chiller is possibly the best thing I've ever bought for the brewery, I don't like the idea of no chilling for several reasons including handling hot wort, adjusting hop additions and buying cubes over buckets (all personal preference stuff) and an immersion chiller kicks the shit out of trying to use an ice bath, I went the stainless steel chiller option and love it

Immersion chiller, maybe the best equipment purchase in the my brewery...worth every cent and gram of effort.

 

[Hpal]

Wort Refractometer. Never accurate so don't trust it anymore

 

[Danscraftbeer]

That's unfortunate on the refractometer. When I calibrate mine and dab a drop on it from the Hydrometer it is the same reading. So I take that as accurate. Two readings the same are better than , lots, of variables

 

[Black n Tan]

Wort Refractometer. Never accurate so don't trust it anymore

I was about to give mine away but have recently changed the way I use and find it much more reliable (I think I will keep it). Firstly take the sample with a syringe/pipette or similar and let it cool in there before dripping onto the refractometer (only takes a few minutes): this will avoid evaporation affecting the result. Secondly i found it best to make the sample before adding kettle finings as the clumps stuff up the reading.

 

[enoch]

Counter pressure bottle filler, Filter, a bruheat (or electrim) boiler. A lot of other things over the years.

 

[Mozz]

Copper coil immersion chiller and a pond pump to recirculate ice water through it. Still sitting in the

Mine works a treat. I need 10kg of ice in the esky with the aquarium pump to recirc. After 45L boil I run the normal hose through for 1/2 hour to get most the heat out then switch to the ice bath. Pitch at 18C. Max I get down to with Hose is 30+ C. Otherwise I'd have to use heaps of ice water from the fridge into the wort. Too paranoid about an infection.

Worst buy- one of those PET bottle counter pressure filler. Tried it once and went WTF. Just use a couple of growlers now.

 

[pcqypcqy]

Just been reading through this old thread. Anyone got anything to add?

 

[Rocker1986]

There hasn't really been anything I've bought that is no longer in use in some form in my brewery, with the exception of a hop bag that I bought back in my extract days. I wouldn't really call that a "worst purchase" though. One thing that I did buy that was an immediate failure was a small pond pump for pumping chilled/ice water through my flooded font. It took 400 years to get here, and when it did I took it out of the box, put it in the water, turned on the power and it fucked itself in about 2 seconds. Took it apart and found that the wheel/fan thingy wouldn't start spinning unless it was helped. Useless. Then the arsewipes wanted a positive feedback rating, piss off! :lol:

Went and got a bilge pump from Whitworths (no affil.. yadda yadda) after that and it's been working well ever since.

 

[damoninja]

I've not had anything that's been bad or a waste of money...

Maybe if I had to choose the worst piece/s of brewing equipment I've ever bought probably the el cheapo Chinese ebay stainless steel 1/2" fittings, they're handy to have a few sitting around for various things like testing configurations etc but generally low quality.

 

[billygoat]

Beer filter.
Used it a few times, found it a pain in the arse.
It hasn't been used for about 4 years and just takes up room in the cupboard.
If I want to make a beer crystal clear I use Gelatine.

 

[A.B.]

Bought a boiler from fleabay for my sparging, it was hopelessly exaggerated as to its volume, the seller swapped it for a bigger one, whose thermostat overshoots temps by 20degrees...

 

[neal32]

I'll come to the defence of the filter.

Firstly for all the people hating on it. I hear you and understand as I experienced all the issues and until recently mine was gathering dust, I hated it. It was clunky, leaky and I suspected was oxygenating my brews. I went to gelatin and although good, it's not perfect and IMO is not as clear as filtering (disagree with me if you want, I don't care. I've done both and know which one I prefer). However don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I now use a kegmenter and ferment under pressure for the entirety or the last portion of the ferment. Now I counter-pressure fill my serving kegs (using Thirsty Boys method detailed on one of the yank brewing forums) via the filter all under co2. It's so easy, effective and oh so cool.

Perfectly carbonated, filtered beer in the kegs without ever seeing oxygen until it's in my glass. Pretty chuffed. Thanks Thirsty boy if you're still around/reading this. That and QldKevs whirlpool technique have been the best things I've picked up process wise from the forum.

Also I love my kegmenter. I thought I would use my glass carboys forever and had no reason to change, but I'm glad I did.

 

[Coodgee]

I filter most of my beers. it's not too hard really. I like the result.

 

[JDW81]

Stuff to build a keezer collar, 3 days before the freezer blew up.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Plus 1 for buying a heat pad whilst living in a hot climate (goose!).

Pumped out a bunch of evil fusels on the first batch, went in the cupboard never to used again.