Sabco Chill Wizard?

Has anyone bought one of these? How well does it work?






Brew-Magic Chill-Wizard by Sabco

I thought it might be EXPENSIVE!

The question isn't who owns it. The question is at $829 who can build it and for how much?

Yeah, I had one, but the voice was just so annoying that I scrapped it within a week.

OMG!

Haaaahaaa!!!!!

But Sabco says right on the site; Side note: Looks easy to build yourself? It's really not. Cheaper if you build it yourself? Surprisingly not.

Without thinking about it too hard, I see maybe 500 dollars worth of stuff all bought brand new, and staying with stainless.
It is a great looking lil set up, all held together. Would beat fumbling around with my CFC. I have never used a plate chiller, but would like to. I might have to get one after I build my sculpture.

It looks like a big pill to swallow for us DYI'ers but IF I can shave an hour off a brew day and waste less water I think it'd pay for itself over a few years.

Well, with the inline infusion stone that's where I'd have problems. Hooking up a pump to a plate chiller would be an easy project. Just buy a stone and O2 in the fermenter.

I really like how the chiller water lines sit directly over the electric motor. For oxygenating its as easy as this. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/inline-o2-injector-76613/
If you really want one sabco ones it would be easy to build and cheaper. But why dedicate a pump to only chilling?

Thanks Beerthirty!

We'll go with $170 for the pump. $200 for the chiller. $25 for Beerthirty's Inline O2 stone. Add a generous $100 for a mount and fittings and you've got it for under $500. Seems doable to me. Though I agree with not wanting to confine a pump to this singular application.

AHBS has the March pump for $139 and the Blichmann Therminator for $195.

I could do without the diffuser and thermometer. So that is $334 without tax and shipping.

Miscellaneous stuff probably run a few $$ more.

Anyone actually throw out the dosh for the Sabco unit?

Pump $140
Therminator $200
Thermometer $ 40
diffuser $ 25
Misc SS $50

It's gonna approach $500 all said and done. I think I'll pass on this one.

I guess we are paying nearly $400 for labor (assuming shipping & taxes factored in already). Wow.

Thanks guys.

Probably a little more. Sabco I'm sure doesn't pay list price for the pump, chiller, thermometer, diffuser or fittings. That is where they get the idea that we can't build it for less.

That's right. I forgot about Sabco paying wholesale prices and no sales tax or shipping. I think most of Sabco's stuff is considerably overpriced. Good stuff, but too expensive for my wallet.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-new-wort-chilling-station-73900/

That's what I would do.

Boerderij_Kabouter said:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-new-wort-chilling-station-73900/

That's what I would do.

Click to expand...

That is a nice setup and I think I posted in it what a nice job was done. But it still dedicates a pump just for chilling. I think an improvement would be to combine JohnBeere's box and olllllo's box. In olllllo's design the inlet and outlet are outside the box. It could be hard plumbed with valves to divert flow to the chiller inside or just have hoses with QD's coming through the wall of the box for the chiller.

Personally, I don't see the point of the chill wizard. Quick disconnects are easy to use and then you can use the pump for everything. The only reason this would be nice would be for portability.

Not for nothing but why is it than when somebody asks people on this board their opinion on a product, any product, the answer is always you can build it cheaper yourself? Some of us would generally like to now if other people have used these products and what their personal experiences are with them. Not all of us are mechanically inclined. A simple review or opinion by somebody that owns one would be nice every once and awhile.

Because the hive mind doesn't want you to throw away at least $300? Because no one owns one because it costs $300 more than what it would cost to make?

It seems like you could build something like this (maybe not the exact configuration) if you are able to figure out how to brew beer in the first place.

I got one with my BM.

I think it's great.

sanibel14 said:

Not for nothing but why is it than when somebody asks people on this board their opinion on a product, any product, the answer is always you can build it cheaper yourself? Some of us would generally like to now if other people have used these products and what their personal experiences are with them. Not all of us are mechanically inclined. A simple review or opinion by somebody that owns one would be nice every once and awhile.

Click to expand...

Amen, I personally am sick of building "things". I've built 3 houses in the past 10 years in addition to working full time. I just spent the last year building a brewing room, i'm freaking diy'ed out. Also it's far easier to bash something than offer something constructive, i'm guilty as hell on that one. I personally think Sabco is an innovative company. If they had an all electric setup that I could afford, I would have been the first one in line.

I don't own one but I have used one a couple of times. It's a nice and compact arrangement. And has some nice features that not everyone uses, like the port for the oxygen stone. It does make a good dedicated chilling station but if you intend to use a pump in other parts of of your brewing I would go a different route or add a few tees and valves to use the pump in other applications.

devilishprune said:

Because the hive mind doesn't want you to throw away at least $300? Because no one owns one because it costs $300 more than what it would cost to make?

It seems like you could build something like this (maybe not the exact configuration) if you are able to figure out how to brew beer in the first place.

Click to expand...

Again, you completely miss the point.

devilishprune said:

Because the hive mind doesn't want you to throw away at least $300? Because no one owns one because it costs $300 more than what it would cost to make?

Click to expand...

Throw away? Who are you to judge how I spend MY money? Tell you what. You worry about your finances and I'll manage mine. Mkay?

devilishprune said:

It seems like you could build something like this (maybe not the exact configuration) if you are able to figure out how to brew beer in the first place.

Click to expand...

I could also figure out how to build a TV set, a motor vehicle, or computer too. But I'd much rather just go buy one of those, have it working out of the box, and guaranteed if something sparks or smokes.

Speaking of,

Did you build your own PC? If no, then please refrain because assembling a PC would be 10X easier than cloning one of these. And cheaper than store bought too.

Here is a DIY one I did

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-diy-chill-wizard-knock-off-167620/

I spent a little more than half of what Sabcos cost. When you're running a 25 gallon rig this is really is worth its weight.

all i need for mine is the aeration.