What are you buying?

[MrC]

A recent auction for a stainless conical fermenter has made me ask myself some serious questions about what I should buy next for my 'Brewery'.

So here's a hypothetical question. If you were going to spend, say, $200 - $500 on beer gear, what would you buy?

I'd be looking at the beginnings of a kegging setup.

[James P]

Hmm, I may be interested in some W34/70 and US05 at those rates!

I may have to get my sealer back!

[JoKing]

Dude - that price list is unreal! W34/70 is one of the best yeast strains available. It is the saome strain as wlp830 and Wyeast 2124.

That 500g pack has enough yeast for 25 pitches of 1.055 beer! That's $6.20 for a 20g pitch - and you dont even need to grow the culture up as you would a smack pack, or vial of from White Labs.

One of those packs would be worth splitting up amongst 5 - 10 fellas. I'd be keen to split up some of that US-05! It would work out to be $1.80 for a pitch! Damn thats cheap brewing!

[Dale]

I'm happy to go pickup and to go in with a group to share but would send to one of u guys to do the splitting up.

[Mike Neilson]

Yeah imagine how cheap it could be, $14 Malt ADM + Specialties, $3.60 Yeast, $17.60 a Brew + labour most people probaly earn no less than $14 an hour 5hr brew day + 2 hour incidents = $84
+ cost of gear gas elc etc = $5 a brew

= $4.60 a litre

Thank goodness our labour is priceless for our own beer!!

[James P]

Mate if freight between WLG and CHC wasn't too f'n expensive I'd have you contract brewing for me! :)

[Mike Neilson]

Hahaha couple people mentioned it before to!! Yeah frieght is a killer!!

[jt]

That's got me interested. What's the best way to handle dried yeast when opened ?

[James P]

This could be a problem...

"Opened sachets must be sealed and stored at 4C (39F) and used within 7 days of opening."

From fermentis website tech spec for US05 here (pdf)

[jt]

I'd be better off applying my shabby techniques to a Wyeast smack pack then !

[MrC]

I'm looking at buying a temp controller for a chest freezer. I know they have them at Craftbrewer but is there anywhere in NZ that sells them?

[studio1]

there is a kit set variation at jaycar. or look out for and PID controller - some floating around on trademe

[James P]

Mr C, not at a comparable price. There is the RANCO ETS111000 or Johnson A419 thermostats, however the tempmate or fridgemate from CB are probably cheaper and have more functions including the delay protection to ensure the freezer's compressor does get burned out too quickly!