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If I had to get rid of my plate chiller I would stop brewing. It is so efficient and quick. Just love it. I use a hop spider and never had anything near remotely to clog it. I clean it quickly at end and also flush it before use.

Yeah I like those too because they do not have the plastic snap plug like the OP one. I use the same as OP and I'm always paranoid and check the snap clip like 5 times before moving. And when I do the move I carry it like 3" above ground most of the way. But each brew space is different. I worry...

Don’t blame the glass. I love well and safely carried carboys. But if I had to constantly move them through stairs I probably would use something else.

The 1.25 ratio is the common recommendation out there. I find it too thick and usually use 1.6. On the examples you provided that ratio seems much higher. There are different schools of thinking and user preferences. If your efficiency is good I wouldn’t worry too much. But you can experiment...

Yep. That beer is done. 1.022 is in the ballpark with the lactose. You see dozens of post here every year from people that makes the same mistake. So don’t feel bad ;-)

A good step bit makes it easy. Use a punch hole tool to get the start dimple.

Yeah. Go brew outside in Florida in September and Michigan in January.

Agree 100%. If you have the space indoors I would go this way. Brew on rain or snow, cold or hot. Less space too.

This. If in doubt then put it better near bottom where it will be coldest. I keep my Inkbirds at 33F this way. Beer comes out at high 30s. I like my beer cold.

I don't bottle but time for sure is an ingredient for much better beer. And I think for a stout/dark beer even more. I have kegged beer at 3-4 weeks that is meh and only two weeks later is very good. Go buy/drink a six pack of your local craft beer and wait.

Ahh the initial freak outs of the first brews. I was there and posted the same. All looks perfect there. Nothing to worry.

Good to know. Will try to stop at Asheville on my next FL trip (from MI). Tks

Thanks all. Yes assumption is having a normal fermentation process for them per specs. I always brew 5 gallons. I need to get two smaller fermenters to split batches.

So how much of the final beer taste is imparted by the yeast used? I have always had this doubt. I have brewed 66 beers and 50% of them use US-05. I really like how it works and the convenience but I wonder if I'm missing something big by not trying other substitutes in some recipes. And yes...

Brewed this last Christmas and this year kegged the second brew and had the first one yesterday. As before it looks more amberish color than red like some pics above. Came out better than last year. This beer is on my top list for sure!

Probably except the Grainfather I think all these systems are designed/manufactured in the same place. Very little things differentiate them.

Grain temp also has to do on this. My basement where grains are is at 63-64°F all year round. I set the M&B to 160° and my strike water gets to 166°F. After pouring grains, they end up around 152°F all the time. But I mash thin at 1.6 so maybe that has some impact too. Once the user gets to know...

Agree on dumb location. I wouldn’t move it. Lucky for me after 65 brews I never had the need to use it.

I bet your main problem is in the crush. I mash thin at 1.6 and crush my grains. Conversion is 89 to 99%. Brew house high 70s. Need to squeeze grains at end of sparge. You will get there. Go search the M&B forum for tips.

Perfect height for the electric units with pipes (Mash & Boil, Ancil, etc)