35 replies to this topic

[cavman]

Still have my original mash tun(52 qt Coleman extreme with a braid and brass ball valve) though I built 2 more later. Some original carboys, buckets and small stuff. Definitely not my og hydrometer.

[MyaCullen]

Still have my original mash tun(52 qt Coleman extreme with a braid and brass ball valve) though I built 2 more later. Some original carboys, buckets and small stuff. Definitely not my og hydrometer.

I've gone through at least 5 hydrometers

[3rd party JKor]

what year?

'97

I have most of my stuff is at least 7-8 years old. Some of my kegging stuff is probably my oldest equipment. Early aughts.

[MyaCullen]

'97

I have most of my stuff is at least 7-8 years old. Some of my kegging stuff is probably my oldest equipment. Early aughts.

yup, still using my original regulator and that first keg from '04, started brewing in '02

[MakeMeHoppy]

I still have everything except for the Mr Beer I started with. I used it for a while for starters and one exploded all over it and I decided to just throw it out.

[brewman]

I still have my first bottle caper from 93.

[positiveContact]

I still have my first bottle caper from 93.

 

a lot of you guys have been brewing since before I could legally buy beer.

[3rd party JKor]

I got a Mr. Beer for my 21st birthday from my step dad.  That was the beginning.  I never even used the Mr. Beer.  I started doing research when I got it which sent me to the local homebrew shop, where I bought I real starter kit.  Within a few months I was working at the homebrew shop.  

[positiveContact]

I got a Mr. Beer for my 21st birthday from my step dad.  That was the beginning.  I never even used the Mr. Beer.  I started doing research when I got it which sent me to the local homebrew shop, where I bought I real starter kit.  Within a few months I was working at the homebrew shop.  

 

my brother made a mr beer batch.  he followed the directions exactly despite my warnings to change a few things to hopefully end up with a better product.  the result was swill.  some of the worst homebrew I've ever tasted.

[porter]

I've gone through at least 5 hydrometers

 

 I have, too. Well, my wife broke all but one of them. I have a refractometer now and much happier.

[MakeMeHoppy]

my brother made a mr beer batch.  he followed the directions exactly despite my warnings to change a few things to hopefully end up with a better product.  the result was swill.  some of the worst homebrew I've ever tasted.

the real problem with Mr. Beer is typically the extract and yeast are very old. I used mine to brew a 2 gallon batch once and the beer had no idea it was in a Mr. Beer fermeter instead of a glass carboy and the beer came out fine.   I don't know how Mr. Beer can resolve this problem because if they direct you to a LHBS to get the yeast they are going to lose that customer.

[Deerslyr]

I don't consider my initial foray via Mr. Beer as my "original equipment", but I think my BIL has that little "keg".  

I still have my original buckets, although only one of them is suitable for fermenting.  The other has broken plastic and just holds stuff.  Although I have two cappers (one came as a freebie with more buckets), I prefer the original.  I still use the big plastic spoon.  

As with many, I've broken my hydrometer... as well as the tubes.  I think I'm on my third or fourth.  I've mentioned this before, but worth repeating again... never hold the hydrometer between your teeth from the small end.  

[Poptop]

At 65 batches I still use everything I've made and purchased except a false bottom

[djinkc]

An old canning kettle I did  stovetop extract/steeped grain partial boils in is still around.  That was around '82.  That's about it.  The rest was either given or thrown away.

 

Oh, still have my original hydrometer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

not  

[gnef]

I don't have anything from when I first started brewing, mostly because I was using borrowed equipment! I had bought a 5 gallon pot, but I eventually sold that off after I had transitioned to keggles. All my carboys I sold as well, and my buckets never last that long before I repurpose them.

 

I do still have the first kegging equipment I bought. I don't know which pieces are what at this point, but I know I didn't sell any of the regulators, manifolds, kegs, etc. Kegging was about a year after I first started brewing though.

 

Definitely broke hydrometers, but I don't know how many at this point. haha.

[chuck_d]

I have a glass carboy I got back in 2000.  I got it in Connecticut.  It has moved with me from CT, to Seattle, to San Diego, to New York, to rural Georgia, to Atlanta.  I have 2 glass carboys that are really old.  I can't remember if I got both of these at that time, but I vaguely remember giving one of the them away and buying myself a new one a year or so later.

 

I also have a few cases of these ancient quart bottles that I got at the same time.  I had lost an eBay auction that I really wanted to use to expand my gear at the time.  I was in college just starting out.  So I contacted the winner to see if he wanted to part with some of the gear.  He had to drive to my town to get the stuff, so he swung by where I lived and just gave me like 90% of the haul, there were only a couple of things that he actually wanted.  I threw the guy some money that he almost got away with refusing to take.  But I couldn't let him pay the auction price, do all that driving, drop off the gear and not get something for it.  Those quart bottles are cool though.  They came in these sturdy wooden crates and had dust caked on them.  I wonder if that guy has any idea that his generosity spurred a young kid to keep brewing and eventually make a career out of it.  He's one of the many who have had a hand in my growth as a brewer.

 

It seems the more breakable a piece of homebrew gear is the less likely I am to break it, except for plastic autosiphons or racking canes.