I'm gonna put together a 5 gallon system to brew on. I'm torn in my choices... electric or gas; carboys or conical; gravity or pumps, HLT or on demand water heater.
I really don't want to deal with pumps so I'm leaning towards gravity fed, but that's harder to do if I use a conical.
Carboys are a pain in the butt to clean and I like using a conical and have an easier ability to harvest yeast.
I like the idea of automation with electric and I need to learn how to do some of those things, but gas is so simple and easy.
I'm not sure what my budget is yet, i'm more likely to spend money on a conical and controlling fermentation than I am the brew house. Push comes to shove I could put together a nice simple brewhouse for under $200.
I need to start brewing more styles and keep my skills up, especially in the IPA and Belgian realm. I feel like I can brew delicate beers like lagers and german ales really well, but I really haven't brewed a ton of IPA's besides DCRIPA. I want to try and focus on old school IPA using cascade and some other more readily available hops and see how it really compares with all the new fangled crazy hops out there all the younungs seem to like.
And push comes to shove I want to be able to drink my fecking beer on my taps at home for a change.
Make an argument for the direction I take this.
GO!