I have been brewing since 2005 and I have gotten to the point where I need to progress past the “stovetop and bucket” phase and complete my metamorphosis into an intermediate-level homebrewer.

I have done a partial mash using Mike’s equipment, but it’s time to step up and purchase more supplies. My wife was very nice and bought me a 9 gallon kettle with a spigot for Christmas. So, to go along with the kettle I need:

  • A propane cooker. I definitely can’t get 6+ gallons of water to a vigorous, rolling boil on the stove. I need some major BTUs!
  • A wort chiller. I need to be able to bring a lot (see volume mentioned in last bulletpoint) of really hot wort to fermentable temperatures really quickly. I am thinking I will purchase an immersion style chiller since they are the cheapest and Mike’s works well.

There are other things that I want to get, but these are the bare minimum items if I want to brew the special Porter I am planning for this coming holiday season. Once I do some research, I will post again and let you know my plan.