Advice on 3V eHERMS set up

[denfreak]

Hi, I've been a member for few years, but never posted before now.

I have been out of the brewing game for a few years due to a lack of time and space. My new house is currently being built and SWMBO has agreed to let me have a brew room and a bar in the basement. We moved our laundry up to the top floor of the house and the former laundry room will be my brew room. I already have the builder installing a hood and make up air system and have the 240V 30A electical installed. I am not very handy and have virtually no tools beyond basic wrenches, screw drivers and the like. I am not overly interested in going the DIY route. I am looking to buy a 3V eHERMS and a control panel. I have done a lot of reading over the last few weeks and am still uncertain about how to get the best bang for my buck.

Initially I was planning to go with high gravity and have them build the whole system. However, after doing some reading (admittedly dated at this point) I am not sure that is the best route. I then came across the hosehead controller and became intrigued. I thought about using HG to make my vessels and just using hosehead controller. Then I came across the Spike Brewing set up. Spike brewing looks very nice as well, but also seems to be rather expensive and it appears that using controllers built by electric brewing supply. Does anyone have any advise on which system or combination of systems to go with. I realize I am going to be paying a premium, but i would like to get the brewery up and running as soon as possible after we move in, probably mid May.

 

[jekeane]

I built a ebrewsuply panel and have spike kettles it is basically the system Spike is now selling.

If you have no interest in diy then you will pay $1000 - 2000 more depending on the route you choose.

Have you looked at the all in one units like the grainfather? I know a few people that have gone that route and enjoy it. If I were starting over from scratch I would certainly consider a all in one unit.

I would price out the spike system individually before buying it in one chunk from them. I would also consider some reviews of their mash tun. I have their V1 kettles with the jay bird false bottom and I replaced it with a blichmann mash tun. Their new false bottom looks better but I haven't looked into it.

 

[AkBrewer49]

I have built my own panel with ebrewsupply parts as well. It may have been something I did wrong, but it just didnt hold up. It eventually quit working. Not saying anything bad, just that it quit working. I then bought the back to back system from High Gravity and couldnt be happier. Sysytem has been flawless since I opened the box. I built the rest of the system myself, essentially just like Kal's from The Electric Brewery!!!

 

[sillbeer]

Check out http://www.theelectricbrewery.com

You can buy a complete panel from them and they have very in depth step by step instructions with pictures to assist in putting together your kettles. I followed their how-to for the kettles and I currently have a 240v 30 amp High Gravity single PID controller. The controller works great but I plan on building my own controller with two PIDs.

 

[203PH]

I am going through a similar process myself. Although I have a ton of tools and consider myself pretty handy, I just don't have the time/patience going through a full blown DIY project, especially when it comes to electric. This site is great and you can find some good stuff in various threads to help you out. Check out this controller http://www.cobrewingsystems.com/pro...ric-brewery-control-system?variant=1064741225. Contemplating this or hosehead's. My concern with that one is the support or lack thereof.

I like what spike has to offer and will be purchasing their BK and use my current BK and MT.

Hope this helps.

 

[augiedoggy]

I would say the hosehead is a better value than the high gravity setup by far... you get a lot more functionality and its a lot more future upgradable/configurable for your money. With the other systems your more or less just paying a premium for the labor spent assembling the control panel.