Project Simplicity

[thunderchild]

Group,

A thought I would like to explore. How do you work your setup to maximise brewing while minimising, cost, moving parts, need for an engineering degree etc.

I think it beneficial to share these things for those considering joining the AG revolution but could be a bit daunted by some of the more technical setups.

After all the brewers in the 1600's had none of our toys.

For me, I use gravity as my friend, Racking canes rather than risking my skills on a defenseless Keg and risk a leak and avoide the exhorbitent cost of SS fittings. Sanitised frozen bottles to achieve the cold break and of course my trusty esky.

How about others?

 

[dpadden]

Couldn't agree more thunderchild......

 

[thunderchild]

It's like you snuck into my house and took a picture!

I'm just using a racking cane to get the wort from the kettle becuse I am sh*tscared of drilling a hole in my keg and wrecking it. Living in a unit at the moment so the brewing needs to dissapear when not in use to maintain marital peace!

 

[dpadden]

It's like you snuck into my house and took a picture!

I'm just using a racking cane to get the wort from the kettle becuse I am sh*tscared of drilling a hole in my keg and wrecking it. Living in a unit at the moment so the brewing needs to dissapear when not in use to maintain marital peace!

I was lucky enough to pick the kettle up with the plumbing already done, otherwise I would be doing the same :icon_cheers:

 

[jonocarroll]

I actually found going to AG itself to increase the simplicity, especially in cleaning - all the equipment needs is a splash with the hose and it's ready to go for another batch. Spray of starsan at most. None of this messing up the stove, washing pots, strainers, jugs, spoons, carrying, messy goo tins, and so on.

As for minimising cost and effort (and without trying to invite the argument back) ... no-chill. At the end of the boil I can just siphon off into a cube, seal, and get on to cleaning up. $20 for the cube (plastic jerry can).

One of my favourite pieces of equipment is my bottle washer - the one where you hold the bottle over the spout, push down, and it squirts no-rinse into the bottle. Can't imagine doing it any other way.

Nothing wrong with free gravity either! Doesn't hurt that my father-in-law built the frame for free (outta uni-strut of all things - each bolt is about $1 to buy individually so he says. Helps that this was all 'off-cuts' from work... need 500mm from a 3500mm bar? that's 3000mm of off-cuts right there! :beer: )

 

[thunderchild]

No flamsuit required here for the no-chill. I used it for my first AG (Belgian Trippel) which I am cracking tomorrow night. I used the frozen bottle method for an APA I did a few weeks ago. Not to lyal to either method yet but definitely agree about the cleanliness of no - chill.

Loving the word Free!

 

[clean brewer]

Love my set-up, easy and not complicated.. :beerbang:

 

[Bribie G]

One vessel, one skyhook :icon_cheers:
skyhook was five dollars for the pulley and four dollars for the rope

 

[raven19]

As I am a renter, I will be brewing my AG in my mates shed, and use gravity for sure.

Simpler to use his shed, as I dont have one (yet)!

 

[Justin]

One of the easiest ways to keep it simple and to keep costs down is to accept smaller batch sizes.

Smaller sizes means you can buy smaller pots (which are a lot cheaper), use a smaller esky or insulated bucket, boil on the stove, chill in the pot sitting in a sink full of water with some ice once it's cooled a bit. Using smaller volumes means you dont need a nasa and things like chilling in the sink are feasible. Also dont rule out the value of 20L HDPE buckets and/or aluminium pots.

The brew day also goes a lot quicker because the time taken to heat water, bring to boil etc is lessened as well. Of course the down size is that you dont end up with as much beer but the up side is you get to brew more often and brew more different types of beers.

 

[blackbock]

Simple is best I reckon. Fewer parts to clean, fewer leaks to worry about, less stuff to store (brewing gear takes up almost as much space as my tool collection..) Gravity also works hard for me, although I must admit I have secretly considered pumps, plate chillerw and other gadgetry, my minimalist instinct always wins out.

I'm just waiting for Tupperware to bring out the collapsible fermenter now.. :unsure:

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Simplicity takes many forms, in my view. Sometimes we are just shuffling around complications.

I tried to avoid drilling a hole in my boiler, but once I did, I realised that syphons just made my day more difficult. So, the simpler syphon is ditched in favour of the more complicated ball valve to make getting the wort out of the boiler easier. I learn how to clean the ball valve and overall I am happier.

Each time I introduce another complicating element into my brewing process in an attempt to make things simpler, better or easier, I usually discard it after a while in favour of simple.

I can understand how some people might like to build a very complicated brewing machine, which makes their brew day simpler (among other goals) and I have played with the beginnings of such stuff, but I'm currently most happy with simple.

Simple is as simple does...