Brewmation: An amazing turnkey brewery (not a Brew-Magic vs B3, but with comparisons)

I am writing this review for all those who are considering a turnkey brewhouse/brew sculpture like a Morebeer B3 Sculpture, a Sabco Brew-Magic, etc. who are interested in amazingly high level of automation and function. I will start by saying that my review is a bit preliminary since I don't own one yet and have not gone through the every nook and crannie, but I did visit the Brewmation shop a couple days ago and spent about 4 hrs going over this amazing system with it's builder. You could consider that I don't own one yet to be a plus, though, since most people think their system is the best as a way of justifying their purchase..... well, I haven't spent the money. I am not affiliated and will be purchasing this system at retail $. Also, sorry for being so long winded but I wanted to be thorough to give newbies in particular like me a head start on all of the research I've done over the past several months as a way of saving them time and as a 'thank you' to this great forum. You can go to www.brewmation.com to see videos of the semi-automatic system at work, but there really is nothing on his site about the full-auto functionality other than a paragraph, which is why I'm writing this review. It is simply "set-it-and-forget-it" brewing and should be distributed by Ronco. I do realize that I will sound like a salesman for this guy, but I just appreciate good engineering, especially when it comes from the 'underdog'. I am not a veteran brewer (yet) but have worked in quality commercial alcohol production and sales for several years, making wines, hard ciders, and running a flagship distillery in New York and I have several friends in the commercial brewing business and enjoy their advice. So, while you can consider me a newbie and dismiss my thoughts if you wish, I am not a total newbie and have a reasonable grasp of the fundamentals, enough to review this brewhouse.

I have not personally owned a B3 or a BM, but I have researched a bunch and feel I have a good idea of the plusses and minuses of both systems. This review is based on my months of research in contemplating spending money on those turnkey systems and also trying to take plans to a welder to build a stainless steel brutus clone, which was a dead end considering price and time to completion. I looked at brew-magic and decided that it was of course an incredibly nice system but just too much coin for me, so I never really considered it, but still researched as much as I could to make an informed decision. Also, I thought it interesting that sooo many people (newbs like me) think that it's the only game in town (as evidence of all the posts you see on this forum) for 'reference quality' mini-brewhouse not in the least because of the well-played and well-circulated marketing effort of the Sam Calagione and DogFish Head story- it has been very effective for them. Then you look at the B3 sculptures and the fantastic list of breweries who use that brewhouse for a pilot. Equally impressive (Stone, Rogue, etc.). Personally, my hat tips ever slightly to the B3's design which I was going to purchase until I found the Brewmation. I love the sturdy B3 kettles and the fact that you can use the same structure with double size kettles down the road if you wish. I also think that the soft (B3) vs. hard welded piping (on the BM) is a good debate, and one that for me would tip in the favor of soft tubing so you can see thru the lines and remove them to clean easily but - 'too each their own'. For the money, you can go with a B3 and upgrade to the digital automation later, eventually spending somewhere around the same money as a BM which requires you to lay that down up front. Both would offer equal repeatability and consistency, again..IMHO.. One is HERMS (B3), one is RIMS (BM). Both use gas and should be operated outdoors. There are those who would say that electric breweries are 'dangerous' and who brew in a basement with propane and an open window (and no pilot lights) and they are kidding themselves. You'll die from carbon monoxide poisoning or blowing up your house the same as electrocution (and might take someone else with you). Also, propane doesn't float up and away into the air, so I personally would never feel that a commercial kitchen hood setup for using a propane rig indoors is my cup of tea, for safety reasons, and probably not up to code. Some guys brew in a garage with the door open, and I can see doing that, but I'd have a blower in there as a backup, not to mention carbon monoxide detectors. That's just my personal opinion, not that these don't work for others. If you haven't researched electric brewing, the debate about low density water heater elements scorching your wort has been settled- they don't. And, electric breweries are far quieter, much cheaper to operate per brew, don't require refilling propane tanks, do require you to have a 220V plug to use, and offer you the ability to brew indoors in frigid northern winters and not have to fight the elements for heat loss (which was a huge consideration for me... it's frickin freezing Mr. Bigelsworth).

If, however, you want the same level of automation B3 and BM and want to spend less money than either of those 2 great systems and run an all electric rig with slightly bigger kettles, you might do yourself a favor and check out the Brewmation semi-auto system. Great value. If you want to spend the same money for a full digital SMART B3 sculpture, and enjoy even more automation than either the B3 or BM provides, the full-auto is sweeet. As of right now, the hierarchy of cost goes Brewmation semi-auto @ $3650 (delivery included), the Brewmation full-auto rig @ $4200 (delivery included), the B3 1100 full dig. rig @ $4200 (delivery not included) and the BM @ $5590 (delivery not included). All are very nice systems and will make great bear. One belongs on the USS Enterprise. Of course, you have to not have some hang ups about a few things with the Brewmation. Namely, if you have a problem with all electric brewing, a ridiculous level of automation because you think it takes the fun/zen out of it, and brewing in drawn stainless vessels that can otherwise be described as 'sinks' (they are) because that's not what the cool kids brew with, then this system isn't for you. I have heard the same arguments about using synthesizers in Jazz being a blaspheme and, well, all I can say is that Herbie Hancock rocks every bit as much as Sydney Bechet.

In my review I'll omit some of the info you can find out on his website and just give you my opinion about implementation. From chatting with him and looking at it in action, I felt that this rig and it's software are just at end of the final stage of the R & D phase which started in early 2009, which is why you don't see any real reviews of this online and why he doesn't do rigorous advertising. He's sold several, some to brewpubs, and gotten a lot of feedback about the software and the hardware that he's made changes to throughout it's development. I came up with 5 or 6 requests of both software and hardware that he said he'd change for my unit and possibly all future models. The hardware is basically 3 X 17.5 gal drawn stainless steel sinks that sit on a very nicely/professionally powder coated steel frame that's only 26" high. Dimensions are 56"H X 26"H X 22"D- easily the lowest profile rig for it's volume on the market that I have seen. It is basically designed so that it sits on a table or something to bring it up to chest level, thereby being able to gravity feed which ever fermenter you use at the end. This point is pretty important because while the pumps are great (I'll get to that) they don't provide the speed (on purpose) necessary to pump into a fermenter in anything but an annoying amount of time, unless that's your idea of wort aeration. It would also be annoying to bend down to brew, so I like that it sits on a table so I can also have a place to store my grain crusher, cleaners and sanitizers, etc. (It doesn't get hot really at all under the brewhouse while brewing, so no worries). I might ask him to build me some powder coated steel leg extensions for mine and I can see those becoming an 'option' at some point. It just makes sense for him to provide them. He just uses a home depot table, but regardless it needs to hold good weight. The rig has the appropriately sized low density water heater elements for each tun and they have float switches that make it impossible to burn them out if run dry (actually the MLT element can technically be run dry, but not the others). The mash tun's element is attached to the stainless false bottom, which is actually a really cool feature because the whole false bottom heats up to gently heat the mash. The tuns sit on the frame with a thick plastic lip on the underside that makes it easy to slide them in and out to remove grains and hot break. The HLT wouldn't need to be removed which is why the control box sits in front of it in the center. They are pretty light weight and, as one poster in another thread mentioned, not incredibly heavy gauge as compared to, say, a B3 kettle. It is not an issue except if you drop one and dent it. If the heating elements were outside the tuns, it might be the cause of scorching- like using some 'economy' brewpots on a flame burner. The mash tun is covered in reflectix insulation anyways (actually on both semi and full auto systems which isn't apparent from the pics on the website), so your unlikely to ding it if you bump it. Dropping one will dent any kettle. Just remove and clean with care and/or use a shop vac instead, which is what Ill probably do.

The water and wort are moved around with steel peristaltic pumps, which I think are the coolest thing since sliced bread (except if you want to fill your fermenter as I mentioned) and for some reason, no one really uses them- likely for cost. Most other magnetic drive pumps are a little more tricky to operate, requiring priming, and sometimes ratcheting down the output valve to slow down the flow which IMO is not a very repeatable/consistent approach. These pumps are very gentle and very variable in speed. I will mention again that they are made of STEEL because a previous poster elsewhere questioned that they were plastic. They are not. The only plastic is the front cover (and thick plastic too) which is convenient in that it lets you see the action. The mechanics are steel. The tubing part of the pump that is what the rollers 'squeeze' is actually an inexpensive sanoprene cartridge that can be replaced by the user (nice!), although he said he has never had anyone ask for one. They are rated at a specific flow that is appropriate for how you'd want to sparge and recirculate wort at, slow and steady. They are nice and fairly quiet and require no fussing.

The unit is controlled by either a semi-automatic CPU or a full-auto. The semi-auto version provides the same kind of automation you get with a BM or B3- except that with a Brewmation the temp logging box that hooks up to the control box and a PC is a $100+ish add on. The semi- has similar temp gauges, float switches, etc and I won't chat too much about it because you can clearly see it in action in his videos on the website. I will just elaborate about the programming of the full auto below because I think it is well worth the ~$800 extra. The software is upgradable via a serial PC connection (or serial to USB converter for macs.. guess you'll need boot camp though, or just borrow a friend's PC). Every part of the brew session can be manually controlled with a flip of switches on the control box.

When the full auto brew session starts after you've filled your HLT with water (you BYO a water filter or whatever) and the HLT heats up, the water is recirculated onto itself in the tun. This speeds up heating of the hot liquor and also heats up all the piping and the pumps.... so there is no heat drop in the MLT when you start recirculating the mash- a problem with almost every other recirc design (unless you do just that yourself). It is automatic in the Brewmation. The tubing is all sanoprene which is very high temp and long lasting - except for the tubes that hook up to the sparge lid which are see through so you can watch your wort change colors. The full auto also automatically measures strike water for you which is pretty cool. Just punch it into the control box. No measuring in buckets, etc. I noticed that he hadn't yet programmed the full auto box for step mashing, requiring you to switch to manual. He said he just does single step, but I said.... "if you're gonna pay for automation, this needs to be automated." He responded with "oh, yeah, no prob. good idea. I can do that for yours (and probably all future boxes)." It would probably be a prompt like "how many mashes?... mash one temp:.... mash one time:... etc.). The box prompts you to set things like sparge speed and boil kettle heat level beforehand and also would let you know if your mash temp probe is disconnected on the display. Very well thought out. It will ask you for mash liquor volume as I mentioned and automatically add the appropriate volume to the hundredth of a gallon and you can manually stop that too by pressing a button. When mash-in starts, the kettle fills up from the bottom up so as to prevent any channeling through the grain. As you can see on the website, the sparging lid is very interesting. I won't comment on it too much cause I'd like to use it for a while first before I do, but it seems like it does a very decent job. It both floats and rests on the grain bed. You would want to be there when mashing begins so that you can stir around to prevent any grain sticking/dough balling. Due to the design there is basically no foaming in the kettle and no hot side aeration or HSA concerns. Pumps maintain sparge rate in perfectly synchronicity and the level of the mash never changes. They are a very neat feature of this rig. Peristaltic pumps ARE definitely expensive and add a considerable cost to this rig, but for synchronized, measurable, adjustable flow rate, gentle handling of the wort, no priming, (yada, yada) there isn't anything better. There is a reason hospitals use these to move people's blood "n such around.

When the mashing schedule is finished, the unit automatically starts filling the boil kettle. The BK fills gently (like the mash tun-from the bottom up) at the sparging rate which isn't very fast, of course, on purpose. Doesn't matter anyways since you don't have to be there. The full auto version has a photo eye sensor that automatically measures final wort volume. It did look a little flimsy and doesn't scream 'robustness' and I suggested he build it up with some protectors ala a blichmann kettle's sight glass that's shrouded in metal- to which he said 'hey, that's a good idea-I can do that'. In practice, he says he's never had a problem with the photosensor, but I can see in a production environment that you could knock it out of place or something. The sight tube (not glass) is a little flimsy looking too. He said he started out with a thicker gauge tube but said the photo sensor didn't work as well through it so he had to go with a thinner gauge tube. It just a piece of tube anyways so if you destroyed it some how and needed a replacement, no biggie. He says he's never had any issues with the current setup and it's robustness and I can believe that once seeing it. It's just a 'looks' thing IMO. An easy fix. Seems he'll sort it out.

When the BK is full (as per the photo sensor) it is heated up to the set boil temp and when that temp is reached, an alarm sounds- the first time since initially stirring the grains that you need to be present. So you stop doing your laundry and check out the boil and turn it down if there starts to be any foaming issues (mostly with higher gravity beers). I'm sure you could know what level to set the boil at eventually for higher and lower gravities. For my unit, I will probably ask him to program in a hop addition schedule with alarms like I mentioned for the mash schedule. There weren't enough beeps in the alarms, either, so I asked him to change that. When the boil is finished, the alarm sounds again to prompt you to hook up the chiller of your choice. I think the smartest would be an immersion chiller- no plate exchanger to bake, and if you are going to do a double batch, you are then heating up the HLT to start the next batch and mashing would begin while you are fiddling with your fermenter. In that case you would sanitize the immersion chiller in the HLT, not during the last stages of the boil.... or you could ask him to program an alarm that sounds 15 min before the boiling ends so you can sanitize it then, but the former only requires you to be there once. Whatever. Alternately, if you wanted to start the next batch during the boil and not after it, you'd then want some other chiller, cause the HLT would be in use at that point and not available for the immersion chiller. Even though this is a BYO chiller design, the chilling is also controlled by the full auto box. Flow rate, temps, etc. Just punch in your pitching temp... done.

If this isn't all freekin' cool enough for you, there is something else that is probably the nicest feature (for me anyways). I live in an old building and have power outages some times and I know that at some point I'll have to deal with that mid-brew. So, the control box is programed into e-proms (or whatever he said... I'll edit that later) and not flash memory. Long story short, he pulled the power plug on the system mid mash and when he plugged it back in, the box prompts you to "resume" or "restart". Every setting is saved and all you have to do is shave off the 5 minutes your power was off from the schedule. Schveeet! That was the main thing I was worried about in operating an electric rig vs. gas.

For cleaning, well, you'd have done that with all the tubing and pumps when you ran the chiller. There is a sink style spray nozzle to help clean the kettles that is powered by the pumps. You could fill the HLT up with your cleaner solution and spray every tun down. Everything seems easy to clean. The only part that really needs to be sanitized is the boil kettle outlet and ball valve which can be easily taken off (with a swivel nut/think kitchen sink) and put into the HLT to boil off when brewing starts. The BK and MLT easily slide out for dumping. Actually the whole rig comes apart and even the stand can be taken apart 3-ways. It ships in 3 boxes- one part each stand/tun combo. You do have to BYO your own GFCI circuit or have him build it to your specs. Also, if you have low ceilings, you might want to install a small bathroom ceiling fan to combat steam from the BK (really the BK mostly since the MLT is covered by the sparge lid). For me, I am going to put the rig next to a window and have one of those 'in-the-window' double fans running. And, I personally will be employing a grill cover to keep the dust out when not in use. He should get ones made with a brewmation logo...hehe. The height of the unit installed is fine. My fermenter is ~34" tall on the casters, so installed for gravity filling, the top of the kettles are at about nipple height (the BK outlet is 6.5" up from the bottom). I tried his light kolsh and an imperial porter he brewed and enjoyed them. The kolsh was light in color (not scorched) and the porter was quite good and pretty dry like I like em. One thing is, like I mentioned before, the temp logging box is an optional add on. I will not personally be going for one. It is really just for verification of what you've already programmed into the control box. He had one hooked up and I suppose it has helped him tinker with the programming/firmware of the control box, but I don't think it's necessary, but it's nice I guess. I will already have graphs made from software like BeerTools Pro. That's all I need. Also, he is prepared with heat loss values and what not for the kettles so you can just plug them into your software, too.

Now for the shameless part of the review. If I've convinced anyone and you want to buy one within the 2 or 3 weeks weeks, send me a PM. I'm trying to get a 'group buy' together. It won't be that much of a discount, but something. Cheers mates. I'll update once I've done several brews with this amazing system.

I think I have one buyer already lined up besides me.

This is a Placeholder for editing so I can add comments after I have owned and operated this rig for a while.

Party on Wayne.:rockin:

To be honest, I didn't read any of this. Where are the pics? That will tell me if its worth a read.

"Holy wall of text, Batman"

Time to start reading!

ummm.. as I said.. go to the website. I'm not an affiliate, just a fan.

Thanks for the review! That was very extensive and it is obvious you have done your research. Any idea how much the system weighs empty, and it's max weight? I see a YouTube video in the future...

Very interesting system. I visited the website and when took a look at the automated brewing system the first thing that popped into my mind was "that looks just like the three tub sink in our commercial kitchen." Also the mash pump he sells looks a lot like one of the pumps our commercial dishwasher uses to pump the soap, etc, into the machine. This guy must have worked in the food service industry and got the idea to use some of these items for a brewery. Not a bad idea.

It got me thinking that I might be able to pick up a three tub sink from a restaurant auction cheap and build one of these breweries.

Marsdude said:

Very interesting system. I visited the website and when took a look at the automated brewing system the first thing that popped into my mind was "that looks just like the three tub sink in our commercial kitchen." Also the mash pump he sells looks a lot like one of the pumps our commercial dishwasher uses to pump the soap, etc, into the machine. This guy must have worked in the food service industry and got the idea to use some of these items for a brewery. Not a bad idea.

It got me thinking that I might be able to pick up a three tub sink from a restaurant auction cheap and build one of these breweries.

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Yeah, if you're a DIY'er with some experience behind your belt and you think that's fun, I don't see why you wouldn't. He also sells control boxes for people who can DIY a brewhouse but not the electronics. I think you'll find a lot of people who don't think sinks are a good idea, but those people probably don't brew in stainless pool filters, or anything else stainless they can get their hands on. Sinks are a great idea, I think. Besides, I can wash the mud off my riding boots in a keggle just the same as a sink (not that I would).:cross:

I'd just make sure you can separate them. Maybe 3 X one bay sinks. Anyhoo, I can't weld or program myself out of a hole, so a turnkey was the only option for me... other than seeking the expensive services of others which would make it soo not worth the hassle.

And, just be aware that the videos of the system on the site are the semi-auto not the full auto. There's nothing there yet..

Wow. Don't you think, maybe, you should buy one of these and give it a few test runs before you give it the Sankey seal of approval?

GilaMinumBeer said:

Wow. Don't you think, maybe, you should buy one of these and give it a few test runs before you give it the Sankey seal of approval?

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There is a place mark for that. Anyone who is not a newb can feel free to ignore my post for it's lack of first hand experience with this rig (other than the one and only witnessing of a brew session). I mentioned that several times. My efforts are for newbs who want to spend coin on a turnkey brewhouse. That's why I touched on some of the pros/cons of the B3/BM systems that maybe they haven't read that far into it yet to know about. Took me a couple weeks to get that far thru the million of threads on those subjects. I did also mention the pro's/cons of the brewmation in it's current level of development. I wanted to post this thread so I could hear any of the opinions of the brew session I witnessed from others who might questions it's function for making good beer - other than the 'sinks are not for brewing' nonsense (anything that makes good beer is for brewing).

Me, for one, well, I think a system like this makes it easier to fiddle with recipes rather than gear. That's the reason I want one. For others, some use the opportunity to fiddle with a brew rig to get away from SWMBO. I refuse to call mine that.

drmark50 said:

Thanks for the review! That was very extensive and it is obvious you have done your research. Any idea how much the system weighs empty, and it's max weight? I see a YouTube video in the future...

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Nope, I guess you should just ask him. I would think the bigger concern would be what does it weigh when all 3 kettles are full to know what your table needs to hold. Anyone know what 17.5 gal X 3 of (lets say) water weighs?

To me, it doesn't look like this thing alone weighs a whole lot. It's just so small.!

SankePankey said:

Nope, I guess you should just ask him. I would think the bigger concern would be what does it weigh when all 3 kettles are full to know what your table needs to hold. Anyone know what 17.5 gal X 3 of (lets say) water weighs?

To me, it doesn't look like this thing alone weighs a whole lot. It's just so small.!

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52.5 Gallons (US) = 438.1263657 Pounds
http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oweightconv.html

btw love that system, had I not built my own I would lust after that set up!

I am interested in reading this.

Um, the site does say $4200 DELIVERED. That is pretty astounding. Shipping can be 500-800 bucks on comparable systems? Plus full automation?

Watching this thread... if it makes beer (which isnt hard if you can do it in a cooler) I think this guy may have a niche. I mean, my rig has never been tested either and I have my own thread

The Pol said:

I am interested in reading this.

Um, the site does say $4200 DELIVERED. That is pretty astounding. Shipping can be 500-800 bucks on comparable systems? Plus full automation?

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Yes, I got that wrong. Makes it an even better deal. I'll edit that. I think the low weight and that it can ship in 3 smaller boxes so as to not use freight delivery methods is what makes it so he can include delivery. Smart design.

The Pol said:

Watching this thread... if it makes beer (which isnt hard if you can do it in a cooler) I think this guy may have a niche. I mean, my rig has never been tested either and I have my own thread

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Coolers aren't for brewing. That's just not right man.

I asked several DIY wizards to build me a rig just like theirs, surprised you weren't one of them.

I bought an electric conversion kit from Brewmation recently and it is extremely well put together.

SankePankey said:

Yes, I got that wrong. Makes it an even better deal. I'll edit that. I think the low weight and that it can ship in 3 smaller boxes so as to not use freight delivery methods is what makes it so he can include delivery. Smart design.




Coolers aren't for brewing. That's just not right man.

I asked several DIY wizards to build me a rig just like theirs, surprised you weren't one of them.

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I think I may take requests for the Kill A Watt, but I need to get the first one finished first!

cowgo said:

I bought an electric conversion kit from Brewmation recently and it is extremely well put together.

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Cool. He showed me one while I was there. It looked pretty sweet.

I went an reviewed the full auto brewmation on Sunday and was very impressed. It is a compact design that is very efficient and very quiet! We did a mock brew and I was amazed at how easy the system is to operate. With the way the pumps/plumbing is set up, there is essentially no connecting/disconnecting. It simply streamlines everything. Create your recipe get your numbers (strike temp, vol, etc.) out of your brewing software and enter it into the control panel, measure your grain, fill your HLT and your off and running. If you feel like you are not doing enough, you can track your temps on the CP or via software on a PC. Other than stirring your grain (which apparently due to the MT filling from the bottom in a controlled fashion - there are very little dough balls), the system is on autopilot until your kettle has hit boiling temperature (an alarm buzzer alerts you and the system automatically decreases temp to avoid boilover).

sankey's review is very extensive and I don't want to repeat, but it is very accurate. I am going to be purchasing the system in the next week or two. Very excited. The build time is fairly short. I am going to keep myself busy building a elevated table with a drainage system and utility sink. It is going to be very nice to be able to brew easily and comfortably in cold Upstate NY.

Of note, Kevin, the creator - is a very laid back and professional guy. He is very open to suggestions/innovations and since the "brains" of the system are software based, updates/modifications can be e-mailed and loaded via serial port into the CP.

drmark50 said:

I went an reviewed the full auto brewmation on Sunday and was very impressed. It is a compact design that is very efficient and very quiet! We did a mock brew and I was amazed at how easy the system is to operate. With the way the pumps/plumbing is set up, there is essentially no connecting/disconnecting. It simply streamlines everything. Create your recipe get your numbers (strike temp, vol, etc.) out of your brewing software and enter it into the control panel, measure your grain, fill your HLT and your off and running. If you feel like you are not doing enough, you can track your temps on the CP or via software on a PC. Other than stirring your grain (which apparently due to the MT filling from the bottom in a controlled fashion - there are very little dough balls), the system is on autopilot until your kettle has hit boiling temperature (an alarm buzzer alerts you and the system automatically decreases temp to avoid boilover).

sankey's review is very extensive and I don't want to repeat, but it is very accurate. I am going to be purchasing the system in the next week or two. Very excited. The build time is fairly short. I am going to keep myself busy building a elevated table with a drainage system and utility sink. It is going to be very nice to be able to brew easily and comfortably in cold Upstate NY.

Of note, Kevin, the creator - is a very laid back and professional guy. He is very open to suggestions/innovations and since the "brains" of the system are software based, updates/modifications can be e-mailed and loaded via serial port into the CP.

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That's 2 for the group buy. Any other takers, just send me a PM. Can't wait.

I'm in for a group buy, if it's not too late.

Great review SankePankey. Have you brewed with the system yet?

Actually, the two in the group buy put our down payment in at the end of last week. I will email Kevin and ask if it's not too late. I will tell him to PM you. We are patiently waiting on our brewhouses yet and have not brewed on them.

halucin8,

I tried to send you a PM but the server said your in-box is full. Please contact me at [email protected] so we can put you in the "group buy" build.

Thank you,

Kevin

Kevin Weaver
Brewmation Incorporated
www.brewmation.com

I'm very interested in purchasing one of the electric converision kits. For the electric conversion kit (e.g., HLT with controller), how is the LOVE controller wired to the element? Can the internal relay handle the current? I'm having trouble visualizing this, so a schematic would be very helpful. Also, how is the float switch wired to the LOVE controller? The answers will help me decide if I'll buy it.

definitely email him for that one. it's up above.

Welcome aboard!! I can't wait for my system.

This is going to be the longest 6 weeks ever!!! I can't wait to brew on this thing. Hmmmm......what to name her??

BTW, my old system is for sale.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/for/1645206451.html

Sorry if posting this ad is inappropriate.

Cheers.

Welcome to the rat pack.

As for names.... what was the name of that 3 breasted mutant in Total Recall?

Hey, you're in Raleigh (Clayton?). I've seen that setup in my searches a hundred times already. Looks like a nice system, sent the link to a few friends already.

Thanks ajwillys!!

It is truly a great system that has brewed an NHBC Gold Medalist and a Shamrock blue ribbon beer. Not bad, since I've only entered two competitions.

I may cry a little when she leaves and may have to visit her every once in a while.

Thanks Again!

Is there any follow-up here? Any hands-on experiences after the initial review of a demo?

I'm looking to purchase their 13X13 control panel and upgrade my current electric brewery with new heating elements/float switches/temp controllers, but I'd like to hear more about the overall experience (and quality) of the semi-auto or auto system.

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on some stuff from them by the end of the week too. Would it be worth it to anyone if I documented my experience with the system? I think a lot of others already have a brewmation, so I wouldn't expect a large demand.

Please do. I'd be especially curious about any of what they're offering. I ended up building my eHERMS myself -- choosing parts from various places, including the EBCII controller from highgravitybrew.com and all Blichmann kettles -- but I was *very* close to pulling the trigger on brewmation's semi-auto system (although it was a bit higher than my budget allowed -- so that was another factor). I would like, as I say above, to move toward their control panels at some point.

Part of this issue with these turnkey systems is always the time it takes these folks to build to order (and the shipping is always something I'm worried about) -- but I realized I could get all parts I needed in about a week from various places, spend a weekend putting everything together, and I'd be set. I'm still searching for a stand (which I can't weld myself -- so I'm looking at various options.) But I was able to assemble a digital HERMS 220V system with 15 gallon kettles for less than 2K (including two pumps and two Ranco controllers -- one for HLT element the other for MLT pump). I coulda went with keggles and probably saved several hundred, but the Blichmann's are very nice. (The only surprise expense was the cost of getting a 220V outside outlet installed with GFCI. Parts were cheap, but my electrician is pretty meticulous -- so it was several hours of labor.)

I'm still monkeying with monitoring temps on the MLT -- but the system works great (even though it's currently propped on big bricks and a steel table.)

Anyway, yes -- please post your experiences!

bobbytuck said:

Is there any follow-up here? Any hands-on experiences after the initial review of a demo?

I'm looking to purchase their 13X13 control panel and upgrade my current electric brewery with new heating elements/float switches/temp controllers, but I'd like to hear more about the overall experience (and quality) of the semi-auto or auto system.

Click to expand...

I just got my Brewmation on Sunday. I'm the first one from this thread to get it. I have yet to even plug it in since I too was surprised by needing an electrician visit. The plug I had there already ended up being an emergency generator input. Doh!! I went ahead and bought an in line GFCI extension cable since I rent (and wanted to take anything pricey with me).

I will post a follow up review in the placemark that I have for that, but I will wait until I have brewed several batches on it to comment. I'm also going to wait to review until after I have gotten the software tweeks I asked for. The machine came with the stock software and he will be updating it for me asap. The most important part of the followup re: hardware, in my opinion, would be the sparge lid as I have no experience with it and it is 'different' than anyone else does it.

Everything looks great on the system. There are a couple fittings I am going to change, but they are small things.

EDIT: Until I post my official review, anyone can feel free to PM me for my thoughts. I'm sure it will be more like a couple months from now before I will post my review. I brew 15 gals at a time and at the moment, I just have my one fermenter.. and so that means a brew every 3 weeks, until I get a second one.

Cool. I didnt see this when you first posted it but I was wondering if anyone had purchased one of these. I'm interested in hearing all of your results, I've always thought it looked like a neat system.

There are currently 3 in the rat pack awaiting use of our systems. And another guy I spoke to who's serving in Iraq who may get one when he gets back.

The design is slick and I was amazed at how little the assembled system weighs. Its really like a brewing kitchen appliance. It's like a large coffee pod machine. One cup...er.. keg at a time.

I have not received mine yet. He was short one vessel and had to wait for another production run from Polarware.

I can say that Kevin has kept me up to date on the progress of my brewery. He also had no problem using some stainless quick disconnects from my old system.

Hopefully my system will ship out this week.

BTW, anyone looking for 220V GFCI circuit breakers try superbreakers.com as they were almost $70 cheaper than anyone else.

Cheers!