But then again I think they added a couple of their own problems, and I'm just being honest here:
1) Changing the design of the dip tube last minute (generally good things don't happen when you change well thought out plans at the final hour)
2) Poor Quality Control process (they basically just said, "we tested this thing twice, it failed once, but we still shipped everything" regarding the dip tube setup)
I suppose if a couple of shipping containers of product you'd ordered shows up at your facility there's not really a whole lot of recourse you can take in terms of returning everything and getting your money back, especially not with a whole bunch of Kickstarter backers expecting their products. I think getting stuff to your customers and then taking and responding to feedback ASAP is probably the best approach. Seems they're doing their best to make this all right.
Shortly after the Kickstarter campaign, we started running into problems. And it became clear we had to make a decision. Either work out every single detail along the way and be a few months late or steam right ahead and send out a flawed product early.
We decided that no matter how much attention to detail we paid, we were still likely to encounter some problems with the final product. So we decided to rush and get things out early. If we had spent a few more months and a little more money, we probably could have caught some of these errors before sending out the gear. But we figured that Kickstarter backers are generally reasonable, especially if we are willing to fix the errors. So far it looks like we will be able to remedy all the problems.
At this point, our biggest issue is the nipple. We knew there was a problem at first, but everything sealed when we tested it. So we went ahead and sent it out. It seems as if the nipple has a slight taper on it, but it's not the standard NPT taper. I'm not sure if it's something like BSPT, if it's actually a straight thread, or if it was just a general error in manufacturing. Also, it appears that a straight coupling will
sometimes thread all the way over the nipple. The whole situation is confusing. We are ordering a thread identification kit to figure out exactly what kind of thread it is.
Regardless, we are planning on sending replacements to every single Kickstarter supporter. I would estimate timing on that to be about two-to-three weeks. I'll send out a Kickstarter update when we are certain that a new nipple will prevent leakage for the fermenter bulkheads.
I dont think there is a single commercial brewing operation in this country (maybe the world) using 201 Stainless in their brewing hardware. Or if you look across the spectrum of established and successful manufacturers like Blichmann, Ss Brewtech, Stout, Glacier, MoreBeer, etc none of those guys is using 201 stainless let alone touting it is a better metal for brewing!!
I honestly can't tell you why homebrew equipment companies aren't using ss type 201. It's more cost effective, it's stronger, and it maintains about the same level of corrosion resistance when used in cooking (or brewing) applications. The restaurant and hotel industries are dominated by type 201 while the brewing industry has yet to make the switch.
There's a possibility that because it's about 30% heavier, brew equipment suppliers worry about higher shipping costs. Also, type 201 has been associated with economy kettles, and sometimes,
perception of quality is more important than reality, at least in terms of marketing. But if I were to take a guess as to why everyone uses ss type 304, it would be because everyone uses ss type 304. It's hard to break away from the industry norm.
SSbrewTech vs. Chapman
Some of you are bringing this up, and I thought I might weigh in on the situation. Obviously I am biased, but I think I can evaluate our equipment with at least some objectivity.
SteelTank vs. Brew Bucket
The SteelTank has few advantages over the Brew Bucket other than the price point, but it's quite the difference. It starts at $120 with just a port and no fittings. The brew bucket does come with a racking arm. But even adding the cost of a racking arm ($15), a 3-piece ball valve ($25), and one of Bobby's weldless bulkheads ($15)
, you are looking at $175 for the SteelTank vs. $195 for the Brew Bucket.
In more detail, I don't understand why the Brew Bucket uses a one-piece ball valve. The ability to sanitize the valve for your fermenter seems fairly important, probably more important than sanitizing any other valve. Also, I don't really buy the claim that the pseudo-conical design of the Brew Bucket will significantly reduce exposure to trub. The only reason I can see to buy the Brew Bucket is if you want to stack them during fermentation. You would need to build some sort of add-on-top frame if you wanted to stack our fermenters.
Heavy Kettler vs. SS Kettles
Our kettle is heavier and more durable. Also, we have welded ports and SS brew tech doesn't. But our kettle ended up being much more expensive than anticipated.
So our kettle is a superior product, but at a much higher cost. We are going to look into ways of reducing cost in the future. But at this point, I don't think I would personally buy a Brew Tech kettle
or a Chapman kettle. Our kettles were a steal at the Kickstarter prices, but there are better options out there at the current retail price.
MoreBeer's heavy duty kettle, Spike Brewing's custom kettles, and Bru-Gear's tri-clamp compatible kettles all have advantages. I would wait until the price drops for our kettles to buy one.
ThermoBarrel vs. InfuSSion Mash Tun
The main differences here are the thermometer, false bottom, and recirc port.
For the thermometer, I'm not sure why they went with digital. In my experience, digital thermometers are likely to fail after a year or two of use. Also, they give a perception of accuracy that is unrealistic. Our thermometers are adjustable and long lasting. But the issue with our thermometers is that Fahrenheit is on the inside ring and harder to read than Celsius. With everything in mind, I would say the thermometers are fairly equal. It comes down to preference.
As far as the false bottom and recirculation port goes, SS brew tech doesn have a third port, but the bottom draining design is obviously superior to the domed false bottom.
So if it's $350 for the ThermoBarrel mash tun vs $400 for the InfuSSion mash tun, the $50 in price difference is fairly negligible. It comes down to whether you prefer a recirculation port or a bottom draining false bottom.
Website and Retail Prices
I'm really trying to listen to the posts here and all the feedback from the Kickstarter to move forward in the future.
The main problems we have with our equipment are the little things - the false bottom, the weldless bulkheads and other fittings. These aren't pieces that inspired us to start producing equipment on a large scale. These are the pieces that homebrewer's will find and assemble themselves. It was filling a gaps, namely an insulated stainless steel mash tun and an affordable stainless steel fermenter, that inspired us.
So I've made some changes to the products on the website. Now you can buy everything stripped down to it's bare bones. There is still on option to buy the ThermoBarrel with the ball valve, thermometer, and false bottom for $350. But now there is an option to buy it without those things as well. This dropped the retail price to $269.99 for the 10 gallon size.
Also, I've put up options to buy two fermenters at discount, as that will significantly reduce shipping costs for us. Two 7 gallon fermenters without fittings are going for $200, or two 14 gallon fermenters for $280.
What do you guys think? We are still going to work on perfecting all the little bits that give homebrewers a smooth brewing experience, but we are going to make those available as add-ons. We want to give homebrewers an option to assemble their own equipment. Is it more appealing just to have the vessel itself available for sale, or should we just stick with including everything?