Colorado System vs. HREMS

I have been contemplating going to an automated system,and have been going back and forth between buying the equipment for a HERMS system,specifically a Blichmann Tower of Power and Top Tier stand and associated kettles, and.a Colorado Brewing Systems single vessel system. Any advice either way would be appreciated. The Colorado system would be a bit cheaper, but would the beer produced be as good in quality as produced from a traditional 3 vessel system?

Ron

I was discussing something along these lines last night at a gathering with some other home brewers. The majority of us said full volume no sparge is the way to go. That could be 2V BK and MLT or BIAB. You might loose a bit in efficiency but for the ease it's worth a few lbs of grain.

Now a bit off topic.
One of the guys there is trying to open up a brew pub and said he wants to do a 2V setup like he has at home but use a tank less water heater straight to the MLT. All u have to do is add some recirculation to that with RIMS and then when you drain do a fly sparge from the water heater.

I was planning on building a EBIAB rig but might change my plans so I can do back to back brew days.

Ive brewed on every type of system, I build systems for fun just to test and all have made good beer but my best tasting consistent beer has been on a 3 vessel rims system to date. I did brew bib for years and had inconsistent results, I cant say this is the best way to brew because I believe each is to its own and should find out for them selves what works best for them

Most brewers I know who make great beer are making it in a big ass pot and a cooler, or a big ass pot and a bag. The quality of the beer will come down to you, not your system. Make/buy an automated system because it's fun, because it'll save time, for consistency, or just because it's sexy, but I'm willing to bet that if you're making bad beer in a pot on a burner, you'll make bad beer on any automated system you buy or build.

I make very good beer right now. I'm not expecting the system to "fix" any flaws or anything like that. I'm saying, all other things being equal, will the quality of the beer produced from a single vessel system be the same quality as beer produced ffrom a 3 vessel system.

oleoneeyebrewery said:

I make very good beer right now. I'm not expecting the system to "fix" any flaws or anything like that. I'm saying, all other things being equal, will the quality of the beer produced from a single vessel system be the same quality as beer produced ffrom a 3 vessel system.

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Yes.

jlongstreet said:

Yes.

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A little verbose but to the point.

I love the simplicity and efficiency (77-82%) of my Biab-full-volume system which is max. 16 liter (3-4 gallon). My beers taste excellent, and I'm considering upgrading to a cobrewer 20 gallon Nano system, I hope to use the same controller I use now to do automated brews with the Nano as well.