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What's your oldest bit of kit?

Post #1 made 15 years ago
by hashie
This is my oldest bit of kit, it's almost as old as me :)

I inherited this from my Grandfather. He obviously didn't do big beers, as it only reads up to 1050.

It was purchased in 1969 for the princely sum of $1.73
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"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #2 made 15 years ago
by BrickBrewHaus
That is really cool. It's amazing how some technology comes and goes, but something as simple as a floating glass container can stand the test of time.

I can't compete with anything that old as all my stuff was purchased less than a year ago :) , but my parents said (although I've never seen it) they have a floor capper that their parents and grandparents used to bottle root beer.

Post #3 made 15 years ago
by redlegger
Does it still measure accuratley hash?
"I like beer. On occasion, I will even drink beer to celebrate a major event such as the fall of Communism or the fact that the refrigerator is still working.” – Dave Berry

Post #4 made 15 years ago
by hashie
As a side by side with my modern hydro - yes it does.

If anything it's more accurate because of it's scale (1000 - 1050). Sometimes it's difficult to tell on the modern hydro (scale = 970 - 1150) whether a beer is 1010 or maybe 1011, with the old one it is very definite.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #5 made 15 years ago
by PistolPatch
hashie, what a brilliant post. I'd have that in a glass display case as I'd be way too scared to use it. Love the fact that you have the documentation as well.

I have a 90 year old hydraulic jack from my grandfather but I haven't worked out how to use it in brewing yet :scratch:.
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Post #6 made 15 years ago
by wizard78
Rig it up to squeeze the bag :lol:
[center]"All right, brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer."
[/center]
[center]Homer Simpson[/center]
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Post #7 made 15 years ago
by stux
My oldest stuff only dates from 1996

When I got one of the bucket-style Cooper's kits :)

I had to throw out the fermenter... it started tasting plasticcy :(

and SWMBO broke the hydrometer recently :( (my fault of course!)

and I broke the spoon (makes a nice short one tho!)

and the little bottler broke too...

but I still have a bench capper (its crap ;)), and a sugar measure :)

The other bits I bought to go with it, metal-backed thermometer, diet scales, etc, are all still going strong.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #8 made 15 years ago
by EoinMag
PistolPatch wrote:hashie, what a brilliant post. I'd have that in a glass display case as I'd be way too scared to use it. Love the fact that you have the documentation as well.

I have a 90 year old hydraulic jack from my grandfather but I haven't worked out how to use it in brewing yet :scratch:.

Make a cider press.
Last edited by EoinMag on 12 Nov 2010, 17:20, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #9 made 15 years ago
by stux
EoinMag wrote:
PistolPatch wrote:hashie, what a brilliant post. I'd have that in a glass display case as I'd be way too scared to use it. Love the fact that you have the documentation as well.

I have a 90 year old hydraulic jack from my grandfather but I haven't worked out how to use it in brewing yet :scratch:.

Make a cider press.
+1 :)
Last edited by stux on 12 Nov 2010, 19:14, edited 5 times in total.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #10 made 15 years ago
by Pat
hashie, I fear that you have outdone everyone here (BIABrewer.info is a young forum) and that no one will have anything to respond with that beats your hydrometer.

I'd personally be fascinated to see if anyone could beat your hydrometer on other forums either so I have three questions for you...

1. Would you mind re-posting your first post here on your local forum? (In your case, I think it is AussieHomeBrewer.)

2. Would you mind others here starting threads on their local home-brewing forum? Perhaps they could start threads titled, "Is anyone's brewing gear older than this?" and then copy or link your thread.

3. What I, and I am sure all others here would really enjoy though, is, if the above results in anything really interesting, that those posts are copied or linked back to this thread so as we can read them in this thread.

As far as I know, BIABrewer.info, is the only brewing forum that is internationally focussed. It might be young and small but I think one advantage of this is that quality threads like yours get noticed and this helps in such quality threads not getting lost.

I hope you don't mind me posting here but I have never seen a thread such as this and I don't think it will get the full response it deserves here or on any other forum. Here though, may end up being a collation point of some things that might pop up across the world and that certainly belong in, at least, a 'virtual,' brewing museum.

So, great thread hashie. It should be on every brewing forum though I doubt you will get much competition.

:clap:
Pat
Are you a "Goodwill Brewer?" Pay forward and Buy Some BIPs ;)

Post #11 made 15 years ago
by hashie
Thanks for the kind words Pat, I'm humbled by your response.

I have posted the OP on AHB, will see what sort of responses it receives there.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #12 made 15 years ago
by jmbingham
hashie that is really cool

I just bought some equipment off craigslist and the lady threw in her grandfathers bottling press , she said he used it to his homebrew I tried to talk her into keeping it but she said she felt better knowing it would be used. Thought it was really cool to add a piece of equipment with that much history to my brewery

Also just got a 10 gallon corney keg from my stepfather. He dug it out of his brother's pile of junk in his backyard, not that old but, going to make a great fermenter

Post #14 made 15 years ago
by Pat
hashie wrote:I have posted the OP on AHB, will see what sort of responses it receives there.
Thanks for doing that hashie. Hopefully some others will do the same. Any good responses yet? (What's all this humility stuff? :lol:)
jmbingham wrote:I just bought some equipment off craigslist and the lady threw in her grandfathers bottling press...
Would love to see a picture of this if you have time Jim. Very good of you to tell her to keep it etc. How old do you think it is?

Cheers,
Pat
Last edited by Pat on 17 Nov 2010, 18:16, edited 5 times in total.
Are you a "Goodwill Brewer?" Pay forward and Buy Some BIPs ;)

Post #15 made 15 years ago
by PistolPatch
LOL wiz, EM and stux!

hashie, I just thought of something that might contribute here. They are drinking vessels that I inherited, not brewing equipment. If you don't mind, I'll investigate their likely date as best as I can, take some pics and post them up here. It might take a few days but I reckon everyone will like them.

Thanks, cheers,
PP
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Post #17 made 15 years ago
by hashie
This is the best reply to date from AHB.
Dring & Fage "Improved Saccharometer" circa 1850's. Measures in pounds of extract per beer barrel (there's a conversion for that).
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Last edited by hashie on 18 Nov 2010, 04:58, edited 5 times in total.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #18 made 15 years ago
by PistolPatch
Wow! That one might actually beat yours hashie!!!

You'd need a big hydrometer jar though ;)

I just googled sacharometer and found this link. It looks as though we aren't the first people to be interested in brewing :roll:.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 30 Nov 2010, 22:08, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #19 made 15 years ago
by Beachbum
When I lived in Maryborough Queensland thirty years ago I got a load of sand delivered for a DIY patio job and found a stone hand axe in it - the sand came from Boonooroo on the shores of the Great Sandy Straits and the axe could have been 200 years old or 20,000 years old. You could hold it in your hand and it fitted so perfectly to the palm that it brought shivers up my spine and every hair stood up. The blade part was sharp as.
I donated it to QLD Museum (probably in a drawer with a label on it haha) but I should have kept it for whacking crystal malt :smoke:

Post #20 made 14 years ago
by PistolPatch
Okay, I have just scored my new oldest bit of kit :)

My brother has just given me a booklet of approximately 100 pages called the "Carlsberg Bryggerierne" (The Carlsberg Brewery). It was published in 1927 and is a history of the Carlsberg Brewery. It's a cracker!

Here's the first page...
Unsorted073 - Copy.jpg
I can only see a single vessel below. BIAB? :P
Unsorted074 - Copy.jpg
Looks like they did well in the international beer comps...
Unsorted075 - Copy.jpg
And they looked after the workers...
Unsorted076 - Copy.jpg
It's actually a fascinating read. What my brother and I can't work out is why Dad gave it to him as he is into wine not beer :lol:.
PP
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Last edited by PistolPatch on 10 Nov 2011, 17:38, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #21 made 14 years ago
by stux
I've seen people BIABing in electric wash coppers :)
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #22 made 14 years ago
by hashie
I like the sentiment in the first page "Regardless of immediate profit, to develop the art of making beer to the greatest possible degree of perfection."

Sadly, you would struggle to find a brewery that doesn't put profit first these days.
Last edited by hashie on 11 Nov 2011, 04:18, edited 5 times in total.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #23 made 14 years ago
by Yeasty
hashie wrote:I like the sentiment in the first page "Regardless of immediate profit, to develop the art of making beer to the greatest possible degree of perfection."

Sadly, you would struggle to find a brewery that doesn't put profit first these days.
Or anything else in this world of ours..it was a sad day when the bean counters got to be in charge.
Last edited by Yeasty on 11 Nov 2011, 04:48, edited 5 times in total.
Why is everyone talking about "Cheese"
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Post #24 made 14 years ago
by hashie
Yeasty wrote:
Or anything else in this world of ours..it was a sad day when the bean counters got to be in charge.
Sorry for going OT, but there is a mining company that operates in Western Australia that has placed an order for ~150 driver-less mining trucks, trucks that will drive themselves on a predetermined path and operated remotely by a single person. The excuse they give is that there is going to be a shortage of labour. I'm sure the real reason is, "see how much money we will save in wages!"

Aint capitalism grand :think:

Back on topic...
Last edited by hashie on 11 Nov 2011, 05:14, edited 5 times in total.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."
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