jambop
Well-Known Member
I bought one of these all in one systems three weeks back. I have still not used it but thought I would give my thoughts on a few things.
1 there is no hop filter so the wort cannot be pumped out of the kettle after the boil.
2 The drain tap is so close to the bottom of the kettle that fitting a Bazooka type filter to the tap is difficult although I have managed it with a bit of copper pipe suitable sized so a push fit is obtained but it is still tight .
3 The temperature safety cut out reset ... is under the unit!!! Which should it trip would require emptying to reset if you did not know this and make provision to have access. I will have it on a bench with a hole just where it is needed
4 My unit was delivered with the tap already fitted... only they did not put the appropriate seals on so even if I had wanted to I could not use it
5 The lid has no hole to feed the water recirculation pipe through ??? So mashing has to be done with the lid off... not good for heat stability at all.
6 It comes with a immersion chiller, which is good but if they had missed that out they could have probably have put a hop filter in and corrected the lid and switch because I think most people buying this brewer will probably already have one. Having said that I will be using both my own one and the one that comes with the kit so should chill the wort quicker.
In summary while none of these things are a deal breaker for me as the equipment looks to be well enough made and the quality of the SS does look good also it is double skinned so it is sturdy. I have been in touch with Grainfather about it and they came back with the story that it is their basement price all in one brewer and that to have had a hole in the lid and the temp safety reset switch in a sensible place would have had cost implications that would in some way make it impossible to manufacture at the price they are charging! For the record as a newbie to this type of brewing I do not call anything that costs 550€ cheap! I am calling bull **** on that it is made in China when you tell them to jump that don't ask why they say how high
. That switch and the hole in the lid could/ should have been better thought out at almost no extra cost to the buyer... and I have told them so! Now I have to but a hole borer to make the hole in the lid they should have put there and the position of the reset switch I will just have to live with.
When I get round to making a brew I shall report back on my brew day experience;
1 there is no hop filter so the wort cannot be pumped out of the kettle after the boil.
2 The drain tap is so close to the bottom of the kettle that fitting a Bazooka type filter to the tap is difficult although I have managed it with a bit of copper pipe suitable sized so a push fit is obtained but it is still tight .
3 The temperature safety cut out reset ... is under the unit!!! Which should it trip would require emptying to reset if you did not know this and make provision to have access. I will have it on a bench with a hole just where it is needed
4 My unit was delivered with the tap already fitted... only they did not put the appropriate seals on so even if I had wanted to I could not use it
5 The lid has no hole to feed the water recirculation pipe through ??? So mashing has to be done with the lid off... not good for heat stability at all.
6 It comes with a immersion chiller, which is good but if they had missed that out they could have probably have put a hop filter in and corrected the lid and switch because I think most people buying this brewer will probably already have one. Having said that I will be using both my own one and the one that comes with the kit so should chill the wort quicker.
In summary while none of these things are a deal breaker for me as the equipment looks to be well enough made and the quality of the SS does look good also it is double skinned so it is sturdy. I have been in touch with Grainfather about it and they came back with the story that it is their basement price all in one brewer and that to have had a hole in the lid and the temp safety reset switch in a sensible place would have had cost implications that would in some way make it impossible to manufacture at the price they are charging! For the record as a newbie to this type of brewing I do not call anything that costs 550€ cheap! I am calling bull **** on that it is made in China when you tell them to jump that don't ask why they say how high
. That switch and the hole in the lid could/ should have been better thought out at almost no extra cost to the buyer... and I have told them so! Now I have to but a hole borer to make the hole in the lid they should have put there and the position of the reset switch I will just have to live with.When I get round to making a brew I shall report back on my brew day experience;
