Brewie

[Tim H]

I wouldn’t say it was an issue for profit off the machines, they just failed to create a product ecosphere. Brewie was a one time sale, then they never saw another dime of revenue. Pico was smart trying to require pico packs, but it didn’t really meet the modern brewers “style”. Companies don’t get rich off the razor handle, they make money selling the blades.

it was too little too late coming up with the subscriptions and add-ons. That should have been baked into the process from day 1.

but like I said, BrunDog is still my hero.

 

[Blazinlow86]

I wouldn’t say it was an issue for profit off the machines, they just failed to create a product ecosphere. Brewie was a one time sale, then they never saw another dime of revenue. Pico was smart trying to require pico packs, but it didn’t really meet the modern brewers “style”. Companies don’t get rich off the razor handle, they make money selling the blades.

it was too little too late coming up with the subscriptions and add-ons. That should have been baked into the process from day 1.

but like I said, BrewNdog is still my hero.

Eh we will have to agree to disagree. I firmly believe there downfall was the fact that the machines were fatally flawed from day 1 and they couldnt correct it. Additionally because the machines were so unreliable and the company handled the situation extremely poorly ( not honoring the warranty and immediately making another revision which was just as bad) nobody else wanted anything to do with the machine. A beer making appliance thats as easy to use as a coffee maker with a press of a button is a great idea and I can't think of anyone that wouldn't want that but the reality is theres alot more to go wrong when brewing beer than when making coffee and that's the reason why there are no success stories similar to the brewie. Cheers

 

[Tim H]

That statement I can get behind. Brewie was fatally flawed.

cheers

 

[jordo_99]

Eh we will have to agree to disagree. I firmly believe there downfall was the fact that the machines were fatally flawed from day 1 and they couldnt correct it. Additionally because the machines were so unreliable and the company handled the situation extremely poorly ( not honoring the warranty and immediately making another revision which was just as bad) nobody else wanted anything to do with the machine. A beer making appliance thats as easy to use as a coffee maker with a press of a button is a great idea and I can't think of anyone that wouldn't want that but the reality is theres alot more to go wrong when brewing beer than when making coffee and that's the reason why there are no success stories similar to the brewie. Cheers

I think it's a mix of cutting costs to manufacture and poor engineering/testing that was necessary to make the cost cutting work out...stuff like wires/connectors melting is incredibly poor engineering and what I believe, caused the company to fail.

To their credit, they came up with some really cool engineering to fit so much into the small form factor...I'm still impressed with the idea of using pinch valves and how reliable they've been (for me)...smaller, cheaper and because they never actually contact liquid, should be more reliable (no sticky residue) and require no cleaning inside the valves. I'm sure they have their faults but they seem far superior to expensive ball valves for this application.

Ultimately, I think it's a double edged sword to pack as much as possible into a system which uses heat to provide functionality and not use proper "heat management" (insulation, heat-resistant materials, ventilation, etc) to protect the internals...if you use high quality materials then you have less to worry about but again, that's what I mean when I'm talking about compensating for cut costs with engineering.

 

[Paul Wielgosz]

The pump on the mash tun side was gummed up. Cleaning it fixed my heater problem. My Brewie+ is back in business!
Still a bit curious how a pump issue manifests itself in a heating element not turning on. I smell some sub-optimal error handling/reporting in software.
All in all, I was impressed with the quick response from tech support. Being able to address issues like this myself with some help is exactly what I want. I have a coffee roaster that I have had for 15+ years and once in a while something craps out. Their support tells you what item you need to purchase and sends you replacement instructions. I have replaced or upgraded pretty much everything in that thing. Much cheaper than the alternative of sending it in every time for repair.

Hello - I am very interested in an inexpensive valve and I believe the Brewie is using, inside the pinch valve mechanism, a rotating single roller (similar to a peristaltic pump that may have two or three rollers) that stops in the middle of the tubing to stop the flow and then rotates back around away from the tubing to allow flow. I would think this would be very reliable. I would also think that with a small stepper motor you could throttle the flow to some extent.

Do you have any detailed pictures of the valving items? Ever have a valve fail? Is is serviceable (cover showing the innards removable)?

Thanks and Regards
Paul

 

[Nate R]

Hello - I am very interested in an inexpensive valve and I believe the Brewie is using, inside the pinch valve mechanism, a rotating single roller (similar to a peristaltic pump that may have two or three rollers) that stops in the middle of the tubing to stop the flow and then rotates back around away from the tubing to allow flow. I would think this would be very reliable. I would also think that with a small stepper motor you could throttle the flow to some extent.

Do you have any detailed pictures of the valving items? Ever have a valve fail? Is is serviceable (cover showing the innards removable)?

Thanks and Regards
Paul

See post 2556 in this thread (turn phone sideways if needed). Middle of last page (page 65)
@Bryce Brewer was kind enough to post inside pics of the valves

 

[Paul Wielgosz]

See post 2556 in this thread (turn phone sideways if needed). Middle of last page (page 65)
@Bryce Brewer was kind enough to post inside pics of the valves

Nate / Bryce - Thanks for that - not quite what I guessed but not too far off. There was a diy pinch valve that someone made that was a larger version of this (rotating wheel forced a longer bar to crank down on the tubing). I have found what I think is a commercial version of a slightly different variant that locks the hose in a circular V channel and then rotates a concentric circle with an inverted V outside profile until the tube is pinched. Interesting - Should be able to 3D print one of these.

This is the one I found. <img aria-describedby=caption-attachment-5463 class="wp-image-5463 size-full" title="Single-Use Filter FUNDABAC® SU" src=https://drm.ch/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SU-Valve.gif alt="Single-Use Filter FUNDABAC® SU" width=334 height=500> on drm.ch showing a single use valve.

 

[Nate R]

Hey all. Thought i would see if anyone has experienced this or has any thoughts:
- i love hefe's, so i uaually brew an ipa and a hefe back to back while i have all my brew gear put.
-last brew i got what i would call a "stuck sparge"- an overflow in the mash tun during sparge i assumed it was clogs from the grains i spilled (see below) but i realized during the sparge there is like a weird suction type effect- i would stir the grains a bit and the water level would adjust, and i could almost feel the grains 'break free'.
-i used 16# grain and ~8 ounces rice hulls. 11 pounds wheat. I assume the wheat is causing the stuck sparge like a normal set-up.
- i use the arborfab 600 basket. One thing i have learned is be careful when stirring the mash- it is so easy to accidently spill grains over the side!

So- i have read the brewie uses a special pattern for the sparge. I wonder if this can cause the issues i mentioned above when using large amounts wheat and the basket.
Anyone notice this? Not sure how many people have brewed wheats with the basket.
Thanks all!

 

[HarkinBanks]

Hey all. Thought i would see if anyone has experienced this or has any thoughts:
- i love hefe's, so i uaually brew an ipa and a hefe back to back while i have all my brew gear put.
-last brew i got what i would call a "stuck sparge"- an overflow in the mash tun during sparge i assumed it was clogs from the grains i spilled (see below) but i realized during the sparge there is like a weird suction type effect- i would stir the grains a bit and the water level would adjust, and i could almost feel the grains 'break free'.
-i used 16# grain and ~8 ounces rice hulls. 11 pounds wheat. I assume the wheat is causing the stuck sparge like a normal set-up.
- i use the arborfab 600 basket. One thing i have learned is be careful when stirring the mash- it is so easy to accidently spill grains over the side!

So- i have read the brewie uses a special pattern for the sparge. I wonder if this can cause the issues i mentioned above when using large amounts wheat and the basket.
Anyone notice this? Not sure how many people have brewed wheats with the basket.
Thanks all!

How is your crush?

 

[BrunDog]

Wheat malt is definitely “stickier” in the mash.

 

[Nate R]

How is your crush?

Not as fine as i had it before. It is a little smaller crush as it technically BIAB. Also, i dont really have this issue with regualr grains- i just did a 16# all pale malt brew that was fine.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Not as fine as i had it before. It is a little smaller crush as it technically BIAB. Also, i dont really have this issue with regualr grains- i just did a 16# all pale malt brew that was fine.

I'd disagree that it's technically a biab. It's closer to a 2v recirculating traditional mash setup with the bag there to easily remove the spent grains. Imho you should milling course to avoid a compacted grain bed/channeling just as any recirculating systems. Milling fine like biab could actually cause lower efficiency in this case

 

[Nate R]

I'd disagree that it's technically a biab. It's closer to a 2v recirculating traditional mash setup with the bag there to easily remove the spent grains. Imho you should milling course to avoid a compacted grain bed/channeling just as any recirculating systems. Milling fine like biab could actually cause lower efficiency in this case

Yeah... add to it this is the only brewing i've ever done, i don't really have a visual "ideal" crush- i have ordered crushed from on-line vendors and used a lhbs before, but i read so many different opinions on their crush size...
One point to your comment- i am not using bags but a 600 micron mesh basket. Your point may still apply however.
I think i just need to stir more when brewing with wheat. I stirred maybe 4 times over a 45 min sparge, so not a huge issue.

On a positive note, i ended with an (estimated) standard gravity of 1.069. So, good efficiency on todays brew!

 

[Blazinlow86]

Yeah... add to it this is the only brewing i've ever done, i don't really have a visual "ideal" crush- i have ordered crushed from on-line vendors and used a lhbs before, but i read so many different opinions on their crush size...
One point to your comment- i am not using bags but a 600 micron mesh basket. Your point may still apply however.
I think i just need to stir more when brewing with wheat. I stirred maybe 4 times over a 45 min sparge, so not a huge issue.

On a positive note, i ended with an (estimated) standard gravity of 1.069. So, good efficiency on todays brew!

Generally speaking you mill looser on a circulating setup to avoid channeling. I believe the brewies recirculation rate isn't user adjustable so it would be more susceptible to channeling possibly causing low efficiency. Cheers

 

[Nate R]

Generally speaking you mill looser on a circulating setup to avoid channeling. I believe the brewies recirculation rate isn't user adjustable so it would be more susceptible to channeling possibly causing low efficiency. Cheers

Ahhh.. that makes sense- that is what I am seeing, but again really only with wheat. Good to know, thank you!

 

[Blazinlow86]

Ahhh.. that makes sense- that is what I am seeing, but again really only with wheat. Good to know, thank you!

Another good insurance is adding rice hulls especially when using oats, wheat etc. You may even find just adding rice hulls with your regular grains increases the efficiency also. Cheers

 

[kega]

Is there somone here who have a img file, B20 3.1.1 or know where to find it?
Thanks in advance
Kenneth

 

[kega]

I got my Ebay unit. Wouldn't boot up or it would hang on loading. I discovered a couple cold solder joints on the front panel pcb mainly where the power on button connects. Re-soldered and it boots up and I can play around with recipes and whatnot. I'll give it a cleaning cycle this weekend hopefully and maybe do a small batch. I will need to swap the 8gb micro SD card with a 16gb if I want to update.

On a side note. I downloaded the 3.0 B20 image from the google drive twice and it says it is corrupt when I unzip. The older images are fine though. I'd appreciate it if someone has another copy. Thanks!

Hi
Is it possible to download this B20 3.0 image file or 3.1.1 any more?

 

[Nate R]

Is there somone here who have a img file, B20 3.1.1 or know where to find it?
Thanks in advance
Kenneth

Hey @kega sorry for late response.
Yes there is i think.
Search BrewieForum.net for the software.

Also, you can look at this thread for a Google Drive posting which may have it.

Make sure you differenciate from original Brewie "B20" and newer model "B+"

 

[Bryce Brewer]

Hello Again Everyone,

So a few weeks back I had a brew day and unfortunately I could not reach boil temperature. This resulted in me running back and forth from my Brewie (in the basement) to the stove upstairs with pots full of wort in an attempt to keep the volume low enough to boil. It was a bit of a fiasco but I’m somewhat to blame. I should have read this forum in its entirety because then I would see all of the heating element posts and upgrading the connectors and adding in an additional fan.

I’m planning on diving back into this and opening up the Brewie to look at the heating elements. I’m suspecting to see some scary stuff upon opening it up.

Does anyone have any update after several brew days of the connector and fan mods? I’m a little nervous to do this myself as I don’t have some of the tools that other members have that make for a very solid and secure connection.

The information is somewhat scattered throughout this post too so if anyone has a BOM of what they used, I would be forever in your debt and would be willing to Venmo you some beer brewing money. If no one has that information available, I’ll spend some time gathering everything I can find and providing a BOM and basic work instructions. Thanks everyone!

 

[Nate R]

Hello Again Everyone,

So a few weeks back I had a brew day and unfortunately I could not reach boil temperature. This resulted in me running back and forth from my Brewie (in the basement) to the stove upstairs with pots full of wort in an attempt to keep the volume low enough to boil. It was a bit of a fiasco but I’m somewhat to blame. I should have read this forum in its entirety because then I would see all of the heating element posts and upgrading the connectors and adding in an additional fan.

I’m planning on diving back into this and opening up the Brewie to look at the heating elements. I’m suspecting to see some scary stuff upon opening it up.

Does anyone have any update after several brew days of the connector and fan mods? I’m a little nervous to do this myself as I don’t have some of the tools that other members have that make for a very solid and secure connection.

The information is somewhat scattered throughout this post too so if anyone has a BOM of what they used, I would be forever in your debt and would be willing to Venmo you some beer brewing money. If no one has that information available, I’ll spend some time gathering everything I can find and providing a BOM and basic work instructions. Thanks everyone!

What is BOM?
I put together a parts list and general cost back around October 2019 and posted it here.
Are you the B20 or B+?
I did the wires and skipped the fan mod. I do add an external fan (although that is not nearly as good!)
I have since done about a half dozen batches and it always gets to a rolling boil at 214 or so, and i max out the water too.
I am so happy with it! I will edit this with my post number when i find it.

 

[Bryce Brewer]

Sorry about that, a BOM is a Bill of Materials, aka a parts list. And I have B20. I just got down to the heating elements and found some of the yellow connectors that have turned brown but not nearly as bad as other peoples and what I was expecting to see.


Awesome to hear that yours has worked and held up. That makes me feel better that the work will be worth it instead of it only lasting a couple more brews.

I’m going to start digging back through the forum now and see what I can find as well. I plan on getting at the mash element as well and replacing everything so that hopefully I won’t have any heating element issues again. I’ll let everyone know how it goes, I don’t have any parts yet so I’ll have to source them as well

 

[Nate R]

Good morning all!
I wanted to again thank you all for the help, advice, and posts to links that I could (should?) have found on my own with a little bit of work.
I decided to create a spend tracker for my records, but figured it might help others to have a list of what is needed.
Some of these items you may not need, or already have, etc.
Also, I may have ordered too many crimp ends- but since I am doing the mash side as well, I wanted to make sure I have plenty of parts.

Post 2366 from 11/1/19.
I did not need the fans or the micro connectors.
I also have B20

 

[Serio]

Hello to all,
I need your help, the heating ten connectors were burned out, I replaced them, but now the machine began to hang on the "barbotage" process, on any firmware. I do not know what to do.

 

[Bryce Brewer]

Hello to all,
I need your help, the heating ten connectors were burned out, I replaced them, but now the machine began to hang on the "barbotage" process, on any firmware. I do not know what to do.

Hello Serio,

I’m not familiar with the “barbotage” process you are referring to, can you elaborate? Is this something that happens during boot up and you are unable to get to the main screen? It sounds like you have tried changing firmware so I’m at a loss but maybe someone else here has encountered this.

My Digikey order just arrived so I’ll be making the repairs/upgrades this weekend!

 

[Serio]

Hello Serio,

I’m not familiar with the “barbotage” process you are referring to, can you elaborate? Is this something that happens during boot up and you are unable to get to the main screen? It sounds like you have tried changing firmware so I’m at a loss but maybe someone else here has encountered this.

My Digikey order just arrived so I’ll be making the repairs/upgrades this weekend!

Hello Bryce.

it turns on normally, starts also freezes at the "3 stage" of cooking.

 

[Nate R]

Well, i can't read that language, but i bet you have boil element wire issues- like all of us have.
Read through the last 5 pages here, that should help.

I cannot recall the step 3- maybe it is a valve or pump issue (clog?) But just guessing it is a wire issue

 

[Serio]

it looks like mash heater burned down again

 

[ronaldombre]

Hi everyone,

This thread helped me get my Brewie up and running again, and I just wanted to post my two cents just in case people haven't thrown their Brewie's away yet!

This thread is so long that I don't know if my feedback is helpful or not (Google brought me in on page 33 of 66!). I had been dreading a heater failure since reading about it, but my machine was going strong. My brew times were getting longer, but I attributed it to recipe changes. Then I started measuring the power to the Brewie, and discovered that while it was supposed to be heating, it would shut off. My last batch couldn't even keep the boil and slowly cooled off. But when the heater cycled on and off, I could hear a metallic clink.

I found this forum where someone posted instructions on how to get to the heater from Brewie, and I went in to diagnose it. My wiring looked fine, (I have a slightly newer version delivered early 2019) with silicone quick connect sleeves. However, the epoxy looked like it had been baked (golden brown to dark brown in places). My thought was the over temperature switch was faulty, which it was. Measured over 0.15 ohms, and would get really hot just with the current running through it. So it would read artificially high and shut down while heating, doing so more and more often as it approached boiling.

I went ahead a bought a replacement by Honeywell, and had almost the same rating (121C instead of the 120C stock one), and did a heating test, which the Brewie heater stayed on for over an hour, reached boiling, and started cycling on and off because of the software boil control.

Long story short, people's wiring may be fine (albeit burnt or overheated), but that temperature switch is bad. I didn't see anyone talking about it so I wanted to bring it up. In my case, I left everything as-is except for the temp switch. I'm hoping a brand like Honeywell makes a higher quality switch than the stock one!

Ron

 

[volx]

...
Long story short, people's wiring may be fine (albeit burnt or overheated), but that temperature switch is bad. I didn't see anyone talking about it so I wanted to bring it up. In my case, I left everything as-is except for the temp switch. I'm hoping a brand like Honeywell makes a higher quality switch than the stock one!

Ron

Good to hear that your Brewie is up and running again. The root cause for both the burned wires and the breaking temperature switch is a scorching ambient temperature, as discussed in this thread before. I had fixed my wiring before but had it burn off the connectors again a mere 4 brews later. After that I also did the fan mod (in this thread) and have done about 30 brews since with no issues. My case may not representative but if you continue to have this issue, consider adding the fan mod, it is cheap and easy to do.