Why go with a home factory for your homebrewery?

I've been acquiring the the odds and ends needed to move from very basic 5 gallon all grain brewing to a more streamlined system I can brew 10 gallon batches on. I'll probably end up with a pump to recirculate my immersion chiller water, but sticking with manually controlled burners and gravity.

So coming from the opposite end of the technology spectrum as so many folks here, what's the big appeal of having a home beer factory as opposed to a more hands on approach? I'm not talking about lifting kettles, just having to open valves, adjust flames, and maybe stir the mash a little. I feel like I want to sculpt my beers, not make them with a CAD lathe.

Consistency for one, if it is the same process every time it is easier to duplicate previous successes. Plus, as you alluded, it's just easier to use a pump.

jhoyda said:

Consistency for one, if it is the same process every time it is easier to duplicate previous successes. Plus, as you alluded, it's just easier to use a pump.

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I disagree, I think you can make perfectly consistent beer with a more "manual" setup. I would say its easier to make consistent beer on a automated setup.

OP, keep in mind that people aren't likely to post their ghetto, manual systems on here....the people who post the fancy rigs are posting because they are fancy. My conglomeration of pots, pans and coolers don't make for good brewing pron. I would wager that my beer is just as good as the ones coming off of the the arduino controlled, RIMS system with custom control panel system. Its just a big more work to do it my way. To each their own.

I kept my system at the bare minimum to keep costs down. I'd love to go electric and automate it, but I just can't afford it. Once you get your process down and get a handle on the variables like heat loss, dead space, efficiency, etc you can definitely achieve consistency. Using good software will help out immensely as well.

broadbill said:

I disagree, I think you can make perfectly consistent beer with a more "manual" setup. I would say its easier to make consistent beer on a automated setup.

OP, keep in mind that people aren't likely to post their ghetto, manual systems on here....the people who post the fancy rigs are posting because they are fancy. My conglomeration of pots, pans and coolers don't make for good brewing pron. I would wager that my beer is just as good as the ones coming off of the the arduino controlled, RIMS system with custom control panel system. Its just a big more work to do it my way. To each their own.

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This...

And also, some of the people who get into brewing are equally into fabricating, building ect...and creating their brewery is as much fun for them as brewing, so they go overboard.

broadbill said:

OP, keep in mind that people aren't likely to post their ghetto, manual systems on here....the people who post the fancy rigs are posting because they are fancy. My conglomeration of pots, pans and coolers don't make for good brewing pron. I would wager that my beer is just as good as the ones coming off of the the arduino controlled, RIMS system with custom control panel system. Its just a big more work to do it my way. To each their own.

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Hahah- that's true!

I HAVE posted my ghetto stove top setup before, the one I used for years and years:



Note the fancy nail polish to mark the volumes!


And here's my system today:


Is the beer better? Well, no, probably not. But the beer brewing is easier, that's for sure.

I realize mine is still ghetto-ish, as it has no fancy stand, or other bling factors going for it. But it's so much easier on my back! I (rarely) burn myself anymore by misadventures. My stove doesn't need to be taken apart each time I boilover, and it allows me to do bigger batches. I don't think I will even want something automated, beyond what my PID does to heat water for me. But if others do, I think it's great.

I said it is EASIER to get consistency with an automated system, not you couldn't be consistent without!

TNGabe said:

I've been acquiring the the odds and ends needed to move from very basic 5 gallon all grain brewing to a more streamlined system I can brew 10 gallon batches on. I'll probably end up with a pump to recirculate my immersion chiller water, but sticking with manually controlled burners and gravity.

So coming from the opposite end of the technology spectrum as so many folks here, what's the big appeal of having a home beer factory as opposed to a more hands on approach? I'm not talking about lifting kettles, just having to open valves, adjust flames, and maybe stir the mash a little. I feel like I want to sculpt my beers, not make them with a CAD lathe.

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If that is the way people want to make their beer what difference does it make?

TNGabe said:

. . . not make them with a CAD lathe.

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CAD lathe? :cross:





But seriously, I agree. My system is all electric, but HLT, MLT and boil are all manual temperature controlled and gravity fed. I like being able to spot check my mash in different locations and make the adjustments. Makes me feel like I'm doing something rather than watching something. This is one of those, "to each his own", things.

The ultimate automation . . . buy your beer.

The question I would answer is, "What's the appeal of having a home beer factory as opposed to a more hands on approach?"

My answer is that I want my brewing to be more convenient, more consistent, and because I really dig the building portion of the upgrade.

Convenient as in using a pump to move wort (you admit that is one convenience you want too), electric heat so I don't have to light a burner or worry about running out of fuel, or have to listen to the mini jet engine noise that my burner makes when I am using it.

Consistent because I do not get a consistent mash temp when I strike in. If I brewed more often I probably could do that, but as it is I don't. Also with a PID to control the mash temp I can just type in a number and the system maintains it, all while recirculating the wort, helping to clear it.

Building the system because I have built a grain crusher, cooler MLT and I enjoy the design and building factor. I also do not like spending a lot of $$ so in order for me to get the first two points so I am building it.

Will I get a better beer from all of this? Maybe. But there is no reason to think that being more consistent will necessarily make the later stages of brewing, fermentation and packaging, any better, so there is still room for error. But being familiar with a system and repeatedly doing the same things the same thing each time will be easier with some automation. And I can see how it will help me tweak recipes if I am confident that the brewing process is consistent.

I know a few brewers who brew with minimal equipment and make very good beer. Some of them upgraded fro convenience, some of them see no reason to change. They have their system down and it works very well for them.

Xpertskir said:

And also, some of the people who get into brewing are equally into fabricating, building ect...and creating their brewery is as much fun for them as brewing, so they go overboard.

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This! As somebody who spends all day in front of a computer, it's very rewarding to physically create something with my own two hands, whether it's actual beer or the equipment to brew it.

I've only got a five-gallon mash tun under my belt at this point, but I'll need a ten-gallon tun and probably a chiller before I can brew the all-grain batch I'm planning, and I've got dreams of an automated fermentation chamber to replace my swamp cooler. Gawd only knows what projects I'll come up with once all the "easy" ones are done...

Homercidal said:

I know a few brewers who brew with minimal equipment and make very good beer. Some of them upgraded for convenience, some of them see no reason to change. They have their system down and it works very well for them.

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I have a good friend that helped me get into this hobby. He has been doing it his way (cooler MLT, big electric hot plate, and a few big pots) in his basement for like 20yrs! He bottles everything. Only brews in the fall/winter so his fermenters stay cool in his basement. I ask him all the time if he ever plans on upgrading. He says "Eh, I like it the way it is"

I think that the question comes down to two things:
1) Do you enjoy brewing the way you are doing it?
2) Are your beers turning out the way you want?

If either is a no (or yes, BUT...), fix that.

The first four years, I accumulated gear and worked on automating the process. Eventually, I realized that I wasn't enjoying brewing as much and took the system apart. Back to one burner and more hand-on.

Note to self: you need to sell the March pump.

Homercidal said:

Convenient as in using a pump to move wort (you admit that is one convenience you want too).

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Nope, I said I want a pump to recirculate for my wort chiller I don't waste so much water. Planning to let gravity take care of the wort transfer for the time being.

I can tell that 'the build' is a big part of what of what the gear heads like, nothing wrong with that. I was pretty happy to have the tops cut out of my keggles and still have all nine, er ten, fingers.

I didn't mean to imply that there is anything wrong with having a computer making your beer for you (hahaha, I'm just kidding) in my original post. After all, that's how most commercial breweries operate. Just thinking about all the fancy rigs poeple post while brewing yesterday and it occured to me how the fancy electronic one tier rigs are like little factories.

Of course, I've got plans for a coolship and maybe a nice square stone fermenter in the basement eventually, so to each his own.

Just a note... I find automation as much fun (tinkering with equipment) as actually brewing. For a lot of people the brew stands are an extension of the hobby itself

TNGabe said:

Of course, I've got plans for a coolship and maybe a nice square stone fermenter in the basement eventually, so to each his own.

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AHA! I know what your playing at!

Can't wait to see your historically accurate brewing system!

Homercidal said:

AHA! I know what your playing at!

Can't wait to see your historically accurate brewing system!

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What can I say? My idea of bling involves open fermenters and barrels.

If I had the time, money, space and technical knowledge, I would operate a fancy automated system. Sure, it would take away some of the "I made this with my hands" feel but it would benefit my beer in the long run by making consistency and reliability more probable from batch to batch. I could dial in my processes to near perfection. That said, I don't mind my ghetto set up.