Brewer's Edge Mash & Boil

[jlinz]

Living room is a strange place to brew, but then again, I've been to Carbondale .. I know what you people are like. ;-)

Friend makes beer in the bathroom...

 

[jlinz]

Living room is a strange place to brew, but then again, I've been to Carbondale .. I know what you people are like. ;-)

Friend makes beer in the bathroom and uses the tub...

 

[jlinz]

Living room is a strange place to brew, but then again, I've been to Carbondale .. I know what you people are like. ;-)

Friend makes beer in the bathroom and uses the tub...We are totally messed up.

 

[thetomG]

I've been brewing all-grain on the stovetop in an apartment (with no outdoor space) for years but have recently begun looking at ways to speed up my brewday and lessen my equipment "footprint" within our (small) place so the Mash & Boil seems like it might check a few of those boxes... especially considering I'm not really concerned with brewing anything over 7-8% abv these days anyhow...

I've read through this entire thread, and it has been incredibly helpful, but does anyone in a similar situation have additional thoughts/input/advice before I take the plunge?

 

[jlinz]

I've been brewing all-grain on the stovetop in an apartment (with no outdoor space) for years but have recently begun looking at ways to speed up my brewday and lessen my equipment "footprint" within our (small) place so the Mash & Boil seems like it might check a few of those boxes... especially considering I'm not really concerned with brewing anything over 7-8% abv these days anyhow...

I've read through this entire thread, and it has been incredibly helpful, but does anyone in a similar situation have additional thoughts/input/advice before I take the plunge?

I decided to go with a robobrew with a pump. I was able to take a look at the mash and boil (didn't brew on it), and it looked pretty good for the price. I originally got it with the plan of hooking up a recirculation pump and was going to connect and old grainfather controller to it. Got too lazy and thought the robobrew would save me most of the effort for a bit more money. I will say, the mash and boil looked like a nice little piece of equipment. Better quality than I expected.

 

[Ian57]

Just got my Mash and Boil been doing extract on and off. More off for the last few years. I started brewing in my youth back in the UK. Again started with extract then moved on to all grain. Using a plastic bucket with a kettle element with a thermostat ( very crude but it was a commercial product).

I have just read through this whole thread, at times I was thinking had I made a mistake with all the talk of the temp fluctuation, so with risk of being shot down in flames is the five degrees drop ( BTW I have run test with water my temps drop 4-5 deg but don't seem to overshoot) a deal breaker?

Has any body used it to ferment in?

 

[owmatooth]

i know there's a drop in temp during mashes, but I can't say I have any problem with it. It's under the KISS principle. I've no issues with the beer quality I've been making, and it makes it an unbelievably simple brew day. I'm not into fermenting in it, as I do like an airtight seal on my carboys which would be tough to get on the m&b. plus I don't want to tie it up for several weeks. I've been more than happy with mine, though I understand people that want more precise control would worry.

fwiw- I'm doing biab with it and have relegated the strainer basket it comes with to a parts carrier.

 

[owmatooth]

Friend makes beer in the bathroom and uses the tub...We are totally messed up.

wow. if he leaves the window open and does an open fermentation with wild chicago yeast like they do in belgium, that's pretty hard core.

of course the fact that he doesn't bathe for two months fits with the carbondale mystique...

 

[kendrid]

I am considering purchasing the Mash & Boil. I am tired of propane and using coolers, etc. Plus my propane unit is rusting badly and will need replacing soon.

I have a question about outdoor temperatures. I live in the Chicago area and I don't brew indoor because of the smell. In the winter I brew in my garage and I use a garden hose to connect to my chiller but in the winter that really sucks. I actually stopped brewing in the winter because of it.

How feasible would it be to brew using this in this in a garage with the door shut, then move it full of wort back into the house to hook my chiller up to a sink to chill? How heavy is the unit empty? I have no issues carrying a 5 gallon fermenter but of course this will be hot. I would actually only have to get it into the house which is 5 feet from where I could brew with this, then I would put it on a cart and wheel it to the sink.

If that doesn't work I need to look into other ways of chilling. Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[kendrid]

I went ahead about bought one. Austin Homebrew has a coupon code right now and with shipping it was $277. Thanks for all the detail in this thread, it will be useful.

 

[kc.rkitek]

I am considering purchasing the Mash & Boil. I am tired of propane and using coolers, etc. Plus my propane unit is rusting badly and will need replacing soon.

I have a question about outdoor temperatures. I live in the Chicago area and I don't brew indoor because of the smell. In the winter I brew in my garage and I use a garden hose to connect to my chiller but in the winter that really sucks. I actually stopped brewing in the winter because of it.

How feasible would it be to brew using this in this in a garage with the door shut, then move it full of wort back into the house to hook my chiller up to a sink to chill? How heavy is the unit empty? I have no issues carrying a 5 gallon fermenter but of course this will be hot. I would actually only have to get it into the house which is 5 feet from where I could brew with this, then I would put it on a cart and wheel it to the sink.

If that doesn't work I need to look into other ways of chilling. Thanks for any advice you can give.

I too am in the process of putting together a new brewing rig with the Brewer's Edge Mash and Boil...I don't have it yet (waiting for delivery), but I think it may be too stress on the outer shell of the vessel to move with 5.5 gallons of wort. The wort alone will weigh around 50# I think. 1 US gallon of water = 8.34#, 5.5 will be just short of 46#. I'd guess that wort probably weighs a fuzz more per pound than straight water...let's say that's 50# for the wort.

I can't locate any weight spec for the Mash & Boil, however on Amazon the estimated shipping weight is 30#...seems a little high to me, but even if we shaved 10# off that weight, you'd be looking at moving 70# total, roughly. That seems to me like way more load (torsional?) than you should put on thin-ish sheet metal at 2 relatively small areas even though it is cylindrical. I'm not an engineer, but that's what my gut is telling me. I'm sure someone who already has it has tried to move it post-boil though. I wonder how thick the sheet metal is; maybe it has the strength.

 

[okiedog]

kendrid, you say you don't like to brew indoors because of the smell? What smell? Personally, the smell of sweet grain & wort and hops is one of the things that I like about brewing. My wife even likes it. Btw, I'm considering buy a Mash & Boil. The only thing is, I wonder how easy it is to pull a decoction with M&B. I like to do a decoction mash for German lagers and wheats.

 

[kendrid]

kendrid, you say you don't like to brew indoors because of the smell? What smell? Personally, the smell of sweet grain & wort and hops is one of the things that I like about brewing. My wife even likes it. Btw, I'm considering buy a Mash & Boil. The only thing is, I wonder how easy it is to pull a decoction with M&B. I like to do a decoction mash for German lagers and wheats.

My very first brew was a small batch indoor on the stove and I have to say that wasn't a great smell. I love the smell of fresh hops but grain & wort not so much.

I am seriously considering brewing in a bathroom we have on the second floor. It has two doors and I could just turn on the exhaust fan and open the window. With both doors shut the majority of smell will go outside.

 

[kendrid]

I too am in the process of putting together a new brewing rig with the Brewer's Edge Mash and Boil...I don't have it yet (waiting for delivery), but I think it may be too stress on the outer shell of the vessel to move with 5.5 gallons of wort. The wort alone will weigh around 50# I think. 1 US gallon of water = 8.34#, 5.5 will be just short of 46#. I'd guess that wort probably weighs a fuzz more per pound than straight water...let's say that's 50# for the wort.

I can't locate any weight spec for the Mash & Boil, however on Amazon the estimated shipping weight is 30#...seems a little high to me, but even if we shaved 10# off that weight, you'd be looking at moving 70# total, roughly. That seems to me like way more load (torsional?) than you should put on thin-ish sheet metal at 2 relatively small areas even though it is cylindrical. I'm not an engineer, but that's what my gut is telling me. I'm sure someone who already has it has tried to move it post-boil though. I wonder how thick the sheet metal is; maybe it has the strength.

Great point about the quality of the sheet metal. I am not going to move the unit with wort in it. I'll either suck it up and use a hose in the winter (kept in the basement when not in use) or I could drain into my current kettle and carry it inside but that would be one more thing to sanitize and clean. It is very thick and I know it can handle being moved.

 

[RichBenn]

My very first brew was a small batch indoor on the stove and I have to say that wasn't a great smell. I love the smell of fresh hops but grain & wort not so much.

I am seriously considering brewing in a bathroom we have on the second floor. It has two doors and I could just turn on the exhaust fan and open the window. With both doors shut the majority of smell will go outside.

I brewed in a bathroom with a small tub window and a standard (50cfm) bath fan and it wasn't enough. I bought a cheap vortex fan, propped it up in the window and it worked great. I do have more boil power(3200 watts) and a bigger diameter pot, so YMMV.

There are some threads here on how many CFM you need which is dependent on a lot of factors.

 

[Calaeb]

I am considering purchasing the Mash & Boil. I am tired of propane and using coolers, etc. Plus my propane unit is rusting badly and will need replacing soon.

I have a question about outdoor temperatures. I live in the Chicago area and I don't brew indoor because of the smell. In the winter I brew in my garage and I use a garden hose to connect to my chiller but in the winter that really sucks. I actually stopped brewing in the winter because of it.

How feasible would it be to brew using this in this in a garage with the door shut, then move it full of wort back into the house to hook my chiller up to a sink to chill? How heavy is the unit empty? I have no issues carrying a 5 gallon fermenter but of course this will be hot. I would actually only have to get it into the house which is 5 feet from where I could brew with this, then I would put it on a cart and wheel it to the sink.

If that doesn't work I need to look into other ways of chilling. Thanks for any advice you can give.

Im currently on the fence about getting one also, I'm in the same climate as you, but I do plan to brew inside. This winter I was thinking about maybe just going with the no chill route. Sticking it in the cube then setting it outside on my deck to chill over night without having to waste a bunch of water. If you come up with any other ideas post back.

One thing that ive been curious about is, can you add a dip tube of some sorts to help make sure you're getting the max amount out of the kettle when you're finished? What about a whirlpool arm?

 

[kendrid]

Im currently on the fence about getting one also, I'm in the same climate as you, but I do plan to brew inside. This winter I was thinking about maybe just going with the no chill route. Sticking it in the cube then setting it outside on my deck to chill over night without having to waste a bunch of water. If you come up with any other ideas post back.

The idea of no more propane burner, coolers, etc made me quickly want to go electric. I actually researched electric brewing about 6 months ago and only saw the huge units that required new electrical outlets.

In regards to outdoor chilling, with the electronics snow and cold might not be good for it long term.

I will be making one of these to help with temperature loss during the mash. One huge advantage of electric is that I can leave the garage door closed which will smell like crazy but keep the ambient temperature reasonable.

 

[Calaeb]

I should have specified, I don't intend to stick the mash n' boil outside. I would transfer the wort after the boil was over to a no chill cube, then let that sit outside to cool overnight or something. I plan to insulate mine with reflectix also.

The idea of no more propane burner, coolers,
etc made me quickly want to go electric. I actually researched electric brewing about 6 months ago and only saw the huge units that required new electrical outlets.

In regards to outdoor chilling, with the electronics snow and cold might not be good for it long term.

I will be making one of these to help with temperature loss during the mash. One huge advantage of electric is that I can leave the garage door closed which will smell like crazy but keep the ambient temperature reasonable.

 

[kendrid]

I should have specified, I don't intend to stick the mash n' boil outside. I would transfer the wort after the boil was over to a no chill cube, then let that sit outside to cool overnight or something. I plan to insulate mine with reflectix also.

I was wondering what you meant by cube. I have never heard of that.

That isn't a bad idea for water free chilling. Early on in my brewing years ago I would stick the pot in the snow and use my copper chiller with it.

 

[augiedoggy]

My very first brew was a small batch indoor on the stove and I have to say that wasn't a great smell. I love the smell of fresh hops but grain & wort not so much.

I am seriously considering brewing in a bathroom we have on the second floor. It has two doors and I could just turn on the exhaust fan and open the window. With both doors shut the majority of smell will go outside.

Its usually the other way around with people complaining of the hop smell..

 

[augiedoggy]

I too am in the process of putting together a new brewing rig with the Brewer's Edge Mash and Boil...I don't have it yet (waiting for delivery), but I think it may be too stress on the outer shell of the vessel to move with 5.5 gallons of wort. The wort alone will weigh around 50# I think. 1 US gallon of water = 8.34#, 5.5 will be just short of 46#. I'd guess that wort probably weighs a fuzz more per pound than straight water...let's say that's 50# for the wort.

I can't locate any weight spec for the Mash & Boil, however on Amazon the estimated shipping weight is 30#...seems a little high to me, but even if we shaved 10# off that weight, you'd be looking at moving 70# total, roughly. That seems to me like way more load (torsional?) than you should put on thin-ish sheet metal at 2 relatively small areas even though it is cylindrical. I'm not an engineer, but that's what my gut is telling me. I'm sure someone who already has it has tried to move it post-boil though. I wonder how thick the sheet metal is; maybe it has the strength.

The mash and boil isnt very complicated and made of thin stamped metal.. I think realistically it going to way about the same as a glass carboy... so moving it with wort in it will be like moving a full carboy. Also it will be fine to move structurally..These are just repurpose hot water urns with $40 worth of upgrades added... People have been moving them around full for years.
As someone who went electric years ago I will say its a very worthwhile upgrade... I do most of my brewing in a spare bedroom upstairs in the winter months..

 

[skraeling]

I can't locate any weight spec for the Mash & Boil, however on Amazon the estimated shipping weight is 30#...seems a little high to me, but even if we shaved 10# off that weight, you'd be looking at moving 70# total, roughly. That seems to me like way more load (torsional?) than you should put on thin-ish sheet metal at 2 relatively small areas even though it is cylindrical. I'm not an engineer, but that's what my gut is telling me. I'm sure someone who already has it has tried to move it post-boil though. I wonder how thick the sheet metal is; maybe it has the strength.

its similarish to the grainfather and thats ~40lb dry, but thats including like the chiller in it which is probably a good 5+ lb.

I wouldnt recommend moving these post boil. They will be decently heavy and well... hot.

I can weigh my empty gf when I get home today and see it that would even be feasable for you.

Id strongly advise against moving a full one though.

 

[redarmy990]

Mash and boil weighs around 17.5 lbs empty with basket in aswell.

 

[kendrid]

I used my Mash and Boil for the first time today. I used it in my garage with the door shut. The outdoor temperature was 40 and in the garage it was 45.

I started my strike water at 9:45. It was ready at 10:30.
At 11:30 I pulled the grain basket out, turned up the temperature and sparged with water I had heated on the stove.

It took one hour to get to a boil. I currently have not wrapped the unit and if were any colder outside I would not have got to a boil. The hottest the temperature displayed was 214.

I only end up with 4 gallons instead of 5 so that is quite a loss. I transferred the wort into my old kettle and probably left too much behind, and then after chilling I left behind what trub was left. I previously asked about moving the Mash and Boil full but I opted to be safe and use my old brew kettle which is much thicker.

Overall I am happy with it as long as the beer turns out. I am going to wrap it this weekend so I can get another brew in next week before it gets colder out. I need to figure out what the coldest I can brew and still get to a boil.

Chilling in my basement worked out really well. I hooked my copper chiller up to my slop sink and with the aluminum kettle on the cold concrete floor it chilled quickly.

I am going to seal where the plastic meets the metal. I doubt this thing will ever boil over but just in case.

Transferring to move to the basement and chill:

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Aaaaand let the hot side aeration freak out posts begin 😁

 

[Ian57]

Got my Mash and Boil several weeks ago. Did few temperature test runs. Come to start a brew this morning put water in to heat for sparge. it was leaking. Another thing I noticed was the grain kettle had started to develope what looks like surface rust. I find this strange as it has never been wet. I am at present awaiting a return call from my LBS as to what my next action is.

 

[ba-brewer]

( Another thing I noticed was the grain kettle had started to develope what looks like surface rust. I find this strange as it has never been wet.

That can possible be caused by cross contamination at the manufacturer, just a bit of steel dust stuck to the surface. Try washing again real well with oxyclean or TSP then re-passivate.

 

[Ian57]

I forgot to mention the system should still be under Warranty. So for the moment I will leave for now.
Thank you for he advice.

 

[thetomG]

I've done a few batches and have been very happy with the process. Really love having a few less items to clean at the end of the day and the unit seems to reach my desired temps about as quickly as I've been able to on the stovetop so it certainly has not slowed down my brew day at all. Pleased with my purchase so far...

 

[Ian57]

Got my Mash and Boil several weeks ago. Did few temperature test runs. Come to start a brew this morning put water in to heat for sparge. it was leaking. Another thing I noticed was the grain kettle had started to develope what looks like surface rust. I find this strange as it has never been wet. I am at present awaiting a return call from my LBS as to what my next action is.

My local LBS came good, I received a replacement within two days. Well today I brewed my first brew. Black Galaxy IPA.
Here are some observations.

I set mash temp to 165 as per recipe. on reaching the temp I stirred in the grain, I noticed while doing this the indicated temp rose to 175. I had not set up the recirc pump so I used a half gallon jug and recirculated the wort. This I did till the temp had dropped to 166. Over about 20 minutes despite two layers of reflectics on the body, non on the lid, the temp dropped to 159. Heaters then brought it back to 165.

After 40 mins of the mash the recipe called for a small grain addition. Again on stirring the addition in the temp rose this time to 180. BTW on both these occasions when stirring the mash the heaters had not been operating. I again used the jug to recirc the wort to bring the temp down.

I did sparge this raised the volume of the mash from the original of 4 gallons to 6.5. I tested the gravity Recipe said 1.050 I got 1.054

I did an iodine test after one hour of mashing, the result no starch present
So I set the heaters to bring the wort to a boil. This took about 40 minutes. The result was a very good rolling boil.

Here is a link to my boil video https://1drv.ms/v/s!Atn8x27GP4ZigaJNxNtw4AsRnQP1UA


After one hour of boiling the volume had dropped to around 5.6 gallons. Using my wort chiller I tried lowering to pitching temp. MY home made 25 foot copper tube chiller struggled. After approx 30 minutes my wort still showed a temp of around 150. I decided to put it into fermentor a let it cool over night.

I tested the gravity at this point Recipe indicated It should be 1.060 I got 1.062.

Conclusiions.
Need a decent thermometer to monitor the correct grain bed temp.
May need another layer of reflectics. Oh and some on the lid
Maybe start with 7 gallon pre-boil?
Oh and a hop bag.
Better chiller. 50 ft or counter flow?

However very pleased with how the first brew went