What’s in your toolkits?

[TheRealMrMessy]

Evening all.
Been reading and reading and reading on the site for some time now, and it occurred to me I can’t see a thread on tools and equipment that serve as support to the main game here, little things that help make some of the harder tasks easier. Ignoring the core stuff of fermenters, stills etc. I thought I’d list a few I have and maybe it’ll be a conversation starter? What about you lot? :D

——-

I’ve found a refractometer a useful tool for checking ABV when an alcometer just won’t work. Similar vein, electronic ph metre is great for checking over generations - I haven’t been brave enough to ph buffer yet (eg sea shells).

I love my little MKII style pump (25w) with stainless head upgrade meaning I can transfer boiling liquid with it. The original plastic pump is the one I use for messy stuff like rum washes. Plenty of power, 15L a minute, gives time to think and react. Not a whole lot of head available, but enough for normal use.

I’ve got the corny keg style stainless floats with filters that normally draw from the top of the keg. Great for dropping in a fermenter and drawing off. This along with my pump let’s me know hen I’ve hit sludge, then I change to a secondary fermenter to settle for another week. By the time I’ve got a couple of racked washes like this I’ve got enough for another strip run.

Cordless drill and paint mixers make short work of mixing and dissolving things in your wash. Take it easy on anything that already has yeast in it though.

I keep sodium benzoate for some of the cocktail preservatives, liquid lecithin for anything that fights me on staying in solution, and all the usual cleaning and sanitising stuff - but a small pressure washer is great to have too.

——-

My Wishlist items are some corny kegs and to replace 3 of my fermenters with heated stainless ones, and that’s really about it. SWMBO is giving me a whole lot of side eye whilst expanding recently as the bank account has definitely been going down, and has told me no on 100L milk can boiler :cry: (50 will do), but doesn’t complain at the sight of the bar! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Having the original bottles saves printing labels, right?

AAE9D8F9-E54B-40F4-9C6D-FBE1504C8769.jpeg

[The Stig]

What’s in my tool kit ?
Anything I damn well want :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:
Except for time ~x(

[TheRealMrMessy]

Except for time ~x(

Truth sucks eh? So does sober October by the way x_x

I did forget one type of item. Ratchet straps and a small chain block. Very handy when this stuff starts getting heavy…

[Wellsy]

A ladder, definitely a ladder to help me reach the RC controls.

Oh and a locked shed is a big bonus, just me and whatever I want to listen too as my beauty does her thing.

[GrantB]

I’d be keen to know a bit more about a reasonable quality pH tester.

Bought one off eBay (for around $12) and it doesn’t read the same measurement twice.

What would, say $50 buy? Seen them for as much as $250 and higher etc, but that’d be well out of my reach.

Cheers

[TheRealMrMessy]

Grant I can’t say it’s perfect but jaycar 70 bucks job seems fine. Comes with the calibration solution so you can recalibrate it. Works well enough for me, YMMV.

https://www.jaycar.com.au/hand-held-ph-meter/p/QM1670

[GrantB]

Grant I can’t say it’s perfect but jaycar 70 bucks job seems fine. Comes with the calibration solution so you can recalibrate it. Works well enough for me, YMMV.

https://www.jaycar.com.au/hand-held-ph-meter/p/QM1670

Thanks Mr Messy, I’ll check it out

[RC Al]

Most of the above plus
Garden lime
Spray bottle of detergent - cleaning and checking my gas connections.
Fire extinguishers
Overst coffee funnel from ikea - one of my most used items, has an awesome mesh filter.
A few other cheapo ss funnels
Corneys are too small for me, 50l kegs are cheaper anyways. Will check out the mentioned filter :handgestures-thumbupleft:
An uncomfortable chair
Scales that can take more weight than your fermenter (and the means to move said fermenter when full lols)
Get the 100l boiler, size is a game changer

[TheRealMrMessy]

Fire extinguishers
Overst coffee funnel from ikea - one of my most used items, has an awesome mesh filter.
A few other cheapo ss funnels
Corneys are too small for me, 50l kegs are cheaper anyways. Will check out the mentioned filter :handgestures-thumbupleft:
An uncomfortable chair
Scales that can take more weight than your fermenter (and the means to move said fermenter when full lols)
Get the 100l boiler, size is a game changer

Think my Wishlist just expanded bloke!

Those funnels look like a top idea and I’m on my way to ikea when I leave work! I’ve got some stainless funnels and measuring cups generically also, but actually want some larger ones. Fine for under the spout but only JUST.

Good point on cornys, I am looking for storage and aging vessels. Would like a 25L Demi with a tap for neutral, but maybe a keg with tap will do? Definitely want one keg for rum feints, see what I land on for oaking, aging and storing. I’ve just been using jars and anything I can find up to now with neutrals - or drinking like a fish.

Scales and moving full large fermenters is something I usually do with my chain block, can weigh with them (roughly) and I use a barrel clamp. Will have to rethink that when I get stainless fermenters - clamp will damage them…

Fire extinguisher is a good one, I picked up a freebie 250L flammable cabinet that was rusted and not up to code anymore, but good enough for me. Might even try and hook up a cooling sprinkler for it sometime. Haven’t got a solution for a still fire beyond cutting the power and hitting it with the hose in an effort to cool and/or dilute the fuel (more likely spread it).

https://www.oztrail.com.au/big-boy-arm-chair-black~2290 Got mine from tentworld for $75.

100L boiler… yeah am keen but then every “problem” is multiplied haha. More fermenting, more intermediate storage for feints, more aging vessels… ahh who am I kidding, none of these are problems and maybe I’ll click on the wrong one. Oops, right? :obscene-drinkingdrunk: ahh wait I’m doing sober October and have to move house :violin:

[RC Al]

Hoses are actually great for a still fire, it dose cool but more importantly it dilutes (unlike a petrol fire), reducing the available fuel quickly.

A black band fire extinguisher will cover you for electrical fire as well, where a white band or your hose isn't appropriate if that happens.

That chair looks wayy too comfortable lols

[TheRealMrMessy]

Meant to link in the last.

https://www.kegland.com.au/fermzilla-ss ... r-kit.html

That’s the little floating filter I was referring to. Neat little thing that lets me ignore surface junk and lees until the very last.