Deciding to Buy

I am looking at buying the control panel from TheElectricBrewery.com due to the fact that I dont have the time or the tools to build it. I am wondering if anyone has had any problems with it. If so what are they and is the system worth the price tag?

Can't speak for the prebuilt ones, but I built mine following kals instructions and part list. No major problems. I blew my amp meter, which then I blew the tranformer twice and gave up trying to make it work. I was having temp float on my hlt due to a faulty xlr connector. All is great now. If you have any issue, I am sure Kal and Mike will help

I built my own from Kal's plans and meterial recommendations. Given the time and material costs his price is well worth it IMO.

I too blew up a transformer & amp meter

Is anyone familiar with the Brewmation INC.? I am wondering if i should go with their setup vs. kal's.

http://www.brewmation.com/

I'm in the process of building a modified kal clone as a second generation of my panel. I put in 10 hours of wiring this past week and that accounted for 1/4 of the total work. If I had to do it again I probably would buy direct from Kal, especially if you don't have the tools. I'd also go Kal over Brewmation. Really looking forward to having integrated timers and alarms.

I bought the kit from Kal and assembled it myself, It was nice having everything show up on one box. I didn't want the hassle of tracking down all the parts.

I think what he charges for an assembled control panel is fair and would not hesitate to buy one if you want something ready to go.

Modeled my system after Kal's as well, and blew both the amp and volt meters to boot But if you are really not inclined to DIY, and have no interest in the automation provided by the computer based alternatives (BCS & Brewtroller) then I think this is the best option. It's a seriously well thought out design, and you could not ask for better customer service considering all the info he provides for FREE. In regards to the previous point, take a look at his post in regards to the computer based systems to clearly weigh the pros and cons of of a cpu vs hard wired electrical system, it's definitely food for thought.

What is the cost of a BCS or a Brewtroller system?