Reddit mentions of DuPont WFPFC8002 Universal Whole House Carbon Wrap 2-Phase Cartridge, 2-Pack

I suppose I should have done that initially, lol.

3x - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VZ2O0Q/

1x - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JRDT96/

1x - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007IJ1GVI/

1x - https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VZ2O1U/

Then just whatever copper/PVC/PEX fittings you need to make it happen. I guess a bit over $100 but the filters drive that cost up a little and last ~3 months each so each pack is a half years worth.

I plumbed mine with a bypass too so I could bypass the filters for maintenance or if I had problems of if I'm doing a lot of outside watering (power washing).

EDIT: Pic here https://imgur.com/7ukQ9p4.jpg

GIT GUD SON!

Seriously, attention to detail will drive your beer from ok to good.
Control will take it to great.

Water: This is most of your beer, if your water sucks your beer will suck. At the least use a carbon filter or campden tabs to kill the chlorine/chloramines coming through from the tap. Below are links to a filter setup. Plumb the outlet to 1/4" OD tubing. This will slow down the flow a lot. Slower flow = better contact time = better water. Get this much done on the cheap, if you want to play with RO and pH do it later. Get this level of consistency down first.


Filter body: https://www.amazon.com/Hydronix-HF3-10CLWH34PR-Housing-Pressure-Relief/dp/B01CFOGH32/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1494856726&sr=8-4&keywords=10%22+filter+body


Filter:https://www.amazon.com/DuPont-WFPFC8002-Universal-2-Phase-Cartridge/dp/B007JRDT96/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494856764&sr=8-2&keywords=dupont+carbon+filter


Make sure you are getting a good boil. Target 1gal/hour of boiloff. This will help your drive off undesirable compounds in the wort and up your hop utilization.


Hops: Make sure they are fresh, frozen, and under vacuum (if you can't manage vacuum double ziplock making sure to push out as much air as possible)


Yeast: Manage your pitch rates, use the calculator over at brewunited. If you don't have the resources to manage yeast starters stick to dry yeast and learn how to rehydrate them. More and more strains are emerging on the dry market and the dry yeast offers a great deal of consistency.


Ferm Temp: This one will make you a hero. This one is not as expensive as it seems. It is May, dorm fridges should be flooding CL, snatch one up for cheap, pick up an ITC-308 from amazon for a temp controller, and also pick up a 17W seedling heat mat. If you are careful all this could be had for less than $100.


Post Ferm: Once the beer is done fermenting minimize contact with oxygen. Since you are focusing on pale ales reducing the oxygen contact with the wort will easily improve your quality. Check out the sterile siphon starter over at brulosophy and note how they have it directly hooked up to the keg post instead of dropping the tube through the open top.

Feel free to PM me if you have further questions.

You can make the same thing for less money if you have some plumbing knowledge.

Housing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VZ2O0Q/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3GPTD5IY4PUZ3&coliid=I29TBOOJZKNKD9

Stage 1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VZ2O1U/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3GPTD5IY4PUZ3&coliid=I3UH3UQDY1YG9G

Stage 2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007IJ1GVI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3GPTD5IY4PUZ3&coliid=I2WPUSYXAAJ6PS

Stage 3: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JRDT96/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3GPTD5IY4PUZ3&coliid=I2DR3294UM5E6K&psc=1

Just run them inline with whatever piping you're comfortable with, pex, galv, or copper will all work. 2 galv nipples between the three units and then an adapter to your other line will probably be cheapest.