Equipment

This page describes my equipment as it currently exists. I will try to update this page as I get new equipment or improve upon my existing equipment. 

MLT: A 5-gallon cooler from Home Depot serves as my MLT for 3 gallon batches, and a 10+ gallon cooler for 5-gallon batches. Both have been modded with a set of bulkhead fittings and 1/2" ball-valve. I've built a manifold out of CPVC pipe similar to the one here.

Measuring Temperature: I use a "Big Daddy" thermometer I got from the LHBS. I've calibrated it a couple of times by letting it sit in a glass of ice water and adjusting if necessary.

Heating: I now have a Bayou Classic SP10 which works very well for heating the wort, and can keep 7.5 gallons or so at a good boil even on the low setting.

Kettle: I have a 5 gallon kettle for boiling the wort and a few smaller pots for heating sparge water, etc. I also now have a large 10 gallon pot. Both are aluminum and have weldless bulkheads with 1/2"ball valves.

Cooling the Wort: I use a Wasp immersion chiller from Jaded Brewing, with a recirculation arm. Then, I use a March pump to recirculate wort while cool water is running through the chilling tube.

Transferring and Aerating Wort: When I started brewing, I just poured the cooled beer into the fermenter. That is inconvenient and risky, and often results in a lot of trub and hop junk in the fermenter. So now I have an auto-siphon.

Fermenting: I have several 3/5/6 gallon Better Bottle type carboys. I no longer use plastic buckets for fermenting.

Temperature Control: I use ambient air temps, sometimes an ice-water bath, and a temp-controlled chest freezer.

Bottling: I have a 6 gallon plastic bottling bucket with a spigot and bottling wand.

Bottles & Caps: I have a whole bunch of 12oz bottles, around 15 x 16oz bottles, and 12 x 22oz bottles. My plastic wing-capper came with the kit.

Kegging: A standard ball lock kegging system with a pre-built kegorator. I have two 5-gallon kegs and one 3-gallon keg.

Sanitizing: I use Star-San, which is great because it can be stored and used over several batches, as long as it's pH doesn't get too high.

Cleaning: So far I've used only One-Step from LD Carlson to clean and to de-label bottles.

Yeast Starters: Sometimes I make yeast starters with liquid yeast. I'll make the starter in a 2 liter Erlemeyer flask.

Storage: The basement, where it's relatively cool - mid to high 60's in the summer and between 55F-60F in the coldest part of the winter.