Thanks for the update!Yes, mine just in this morning, it is a new unit with very light shipping damage, I took the bottom off to inspect and played around some with the boil pump as it was noisy on test simple pull apart and it must have had a peace of machining in (plastic etc) it, reassembled and WaLa runs perfect, no accessories as expected but no big deal, you can get stainless pre-punched just add some standoffs for the false bottom and it might even be better then the original one, also for hop cages just use tea balls you can get at the grocery store, walmart etc they fit perfectly (I used them all the time when brewing before Brewie)
Will give her a complete run through tomorrow....I ordered another one Saturday, as much as I have gotten inside these beast I find the Design good, it's the "Chinese spin on low quality that screwed them up, they were very naive if they left the Chinese without a Brewie company employee monitoring the manufacturing operation, also this so called ambassador program with it's focus on everything but the technical side was a mistake, first machines should have been handed over to people that can find mechanical flaws, a good Flight test program so to speak
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Thanks for the update!
Rob, my sincere apologies. I did not even think about attribution. I did mention it came from the facebook group but failed to mention the person. My wife sent me the link via text (i dont do facebook) and i was so excited to share with the group i did not even consider it. Again my apologies.
Also, a HUGE Thank You for the files! We are all very happy you shared!
Finally, welcome to HomeBrewTalk! I think you will find this Brewie thread very helpful. Scroll back and see reviews on a grain basket, tips, etc. There are a few lurkers who like to post hate on Brewie (and some of them have very valid points but need to let it go) although most of us here like our machines and want to continie using them.
So again:
-I am sorry I did not give proper attribution
-THANK YOU for the files! We all owe you deep grattitude
-Welcome to HBT! I hipe you stay active on this thred!
Rob Rowald
New Member
Rob, my sincere apologies. I did not even think about attribution. I did mention it came from the facebook group but failed to mention the person. My wife sent me the link via text (i dont do facebook) and i was so excited to share with the group i did not even consider it. Again my apologies.
Also, a HUGE Thank You for the files! We are all very happy you shared!
Finally, welcome to HomeBrewTalk! I think you will find this Brewie thread very helpful. Scroll back and see reviews on a grain basket, tips, etc. There are a few lurkers who like to post hate on Brewie (and some of them have very valid points but need to let it go) although most of us here like our machines and want to continie using them.
So again:
-I am sorry I did not give proper attribution
-THANK YOU for the files! We all owe you deep grattitude
-Welcome to HBT! I hipe you stay active on this thred!
I'll be adding in .img files for newer build of the Brewie OS in the next few days, and like I said I'll be moving the files someplace with more space.
Did you pull the trigger yet? I have brewed a few times with the basket now and have a few thoughts:Awesome, I'll wait to hear before I pull the trigger.
-It is actually a little difficult to clean. Grain gets stuck between the mesh and the metal frame. All you have to do is let it dry completely and then the grain will usually just fall out with a gentle tap. But my last 2 brew days were back to back, and the basket was not really cleaned fully between brews. At least with the bags, you could have a few spares or toss them in the washing machine.
-I say you DO NOT need the lid. I have not used it, even when I had too much grain in the basket. Also, I did about a pound of fresh hops in my first wet hop trial ale. I used the basket in the boil side, and while the hops floated, they did not come close to flowing out.
-I am not seeing the improved efficiency with the basket. I actually blame this on me & my process right now, and it is not fair since the recipes and process are different, but I think maybe my crush may need to be adjusted. Again that is not the basket's fault.
Overall I am going to continue to use the basket. I like being able to stir the grains vs. having to move and lift bags.
Awesome! Again, thanks for sharing!
Rob Rowald
New Member
Colin Kaminski
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Hey, Rob, Thank you so much!
The brewie website is up and running, no comment to be seen about the site being down. It looks like as usual and as it was never disappeared. I did see this yesterday already but it only lasted less than one hour and was gone to 404 after this.
Now it is back... Good, but somehow peculiar. Let's hope for the best.
Now it is back... Good, but somehow peculiar. Let's hope for the best.
Just wanted to pop in and thank Rob for sharing everything! Very much appreciated. Can't wait to get the images as well.
On a side note, did their link for their 'I want to join' Beer Explorer's club button always go to a site that isn't Facebook? I'm talking about the large black button towards the bottom of the /beer-explorers-club/home/ page. I'm not a Facebooker so it'd be interesting if they were going to maybe create some sort of Brewie-specific forums at one point. Or it's something that was left over from a prior effort. Page doesn't load (surprising I know), but I don't recall any other site for this before.
Let's hope their site stays up and we hear something soon!
On a side note, did their link for their 'I want to join' Beer Explorer's club button always go to a site that isn't Facebook? I'm talking about the large black button towards the bottom of the /beer-explorers-club/home/ page. I'm not a Facebooker so it'd be interesting if they were going to maybe create some sort of Brewie-specific forums at one point. Or it's something that was left over from a prior effort. Page doesn't load (surprising I know), but I don't recall any other site for this before.
Let's hope their site stays up and we hear something soon!
Rob, welcome! Glad you came to the dark side hahaha.
IIRC, the Brewer's Explorers Club was a mailing list of sorts- if you signed up, you got the free recipe guide from them. Kind of like a gimmick to get a direct mail list. I think they were planning the roll-out of the subscription based BrewiePad program.
Also, the link just worked for me.
Just pulled this from the Facebook group. Ulf Walther posted
“UPDATED THREAD ON BREWIE COMPANY STATUS:
I just received a message from Marcel stating that Brewie is undergoing a reorganization and that support will be down until reorganization is completed. He stated no timeframe. There was no other information than that he’d try to forward service manuals meanwhile.”
Lets carry on the speculations here.
“UPDATED THREAD ON BREWIE COMPANY STATUS:
I just received a message from Marcel stating that Brewie is undergoing a reorganization and that support will be down until reorganization is completed. He stated no timeframe. There was no other information than that he’d try to forward service manuals meanwhile.”
Lets carry on the speculations here.
Who knows exactly how they got it sorted out (debt restructuring, buy-out, new investors) but i am guessing they lost some engineering/tech support staff in the process. As a an engineer, if i was put in limbo for more than a week or so, i'd be out finding a new job asap. Likely a fair amount of institutional knowledge isn't coming back they will need to hire and train people before things will get back to normal.
My original ebay order for a B20 apparently got lost by the shipper, or something along those lines (tracking never made it past 'label created'). I ordered another yesterday and its now 'in transit' and should be delivered monday. The seller responded that they definitely do not have accessories (false bottoms, hop cages, hoses) for 'all of these units.' Maybe some do, but i'm guessing he's managing the expectations.
I'm wondering what arborfab would charge to make a few hop cages that would be drop in replacements. Regarding the water inlet/outlet hoses, they are BSPP. The water inlet is a 3/4" BSPP, not standard garden hose thread (11.5 TPI vs 14TPI - they look like they'll fit but always leak). I know you can get adapters. I think for the US units, brewie got some drop shipped to the early backers from USPlastics, but i had trouble finding them on their website. The outlets are 1/2" BSPP, which should be easy to find since they just need to go to nipples. As stated earlier, for 20-30$ i think you can get custom cut perforated stainless for the false bottoms.
My original ebay order for a B20 apparently got lost by the shipper, or something along those lines (tracking never made it past 'label created'). I ordered another yesterday and its now 'in transit' and should be delivered monday. The seller responded that they definitely do not have accessories (false bottoms, hop cages, hoses) for 'all of these units.' Maybe some do, but i'm guessing he's managing the expectations.
I'm wondering what arborfab would charge to make a few hop cages that would be drop in replacements. Regarding the water inlet/outlet hoses, they are BSPP. The water inlet is a 3/4" BSPP, not standard garden hose thread (11.5 TPI vs 14TPI - they look like they'll fit but always leak). I know you can get adapters. I think for the US units, brewie got some drop shipped to the early backers from USPlastics, but i had trouble finding them on their website. The outlets are 1/2" BSPP, which should be easy to find since they just need to go to nipples. As stated earlier, for 20-30$ i think you can get custom cut perforated stainless for the false bottoms.
sniperd
Well-Known Member
I was all ready to do it but with the company being a little up in the air right now I'm not sure how much more I want to invest.. just yet
Hopefully my Brewie has all its kinks worked out. Thanks for the feedback on the cage though, I'll probably just end up getting one 117thBrewer
Member
I did recieve my ebay brewie. It is also missing the hop cages, false bottom, and has a big dent in the side. This one does not boot up. Hangs on the brewie logo. I'm going to try to re-do the SD card and see if that fixes it. What is the process for that?
We are in the process of moving the FB group to a forum. The guides can be found here. http://www.brewieforum.net
sniperd
Well-Known Member
So smart. I was just coming here to say the same thing!
Yes thank you!! Website appears to be down again.
Still Brewn
Well-Known Member
The security issue needs fixed on that forum before anyone signs up.....
FYI, there is a potential software bug in 3.1.2 with the Brewie+: during a full clean, after the second water addition cycle has drained (the one where you add tabs/PBW/detergent/etc.), the water I add for the third cycle to rinse out the detergent immediately drains again without warning (usually there is a prompt before draining starts).
I cannot remember what this step did prior to 3.1.2 but I think the purpose of the third cycle is to rinse out any detergent residue and I can hear pumps and valves clicking, but the water has already drained. I have now seen this twice. I would add a support ticket but the web site is down again. As a work-around you can do a quick clean after the full clean.
(This is also on the Brewie Owners Group on FB)
I cannot remember what this step did prior to 3.1.2 but I think the purpose of the third cycle is to rinse out any detergent residue and I can hear pumps and valves clicking, but the water has already drained. I have now seen this twice. I would add a support ticket but the web site is down again. As a work-around you can do a quick clean after the full clean.
(This is also on the Brewie Owners Group on FB)
Since the cleaning cycles are all separate files you could just copy it from a 3.1.1 card if there is an issue in 3.1.2. I can't remember but I think they are editable routines.
**Actually I just compared 3.1.2 and 3.1.1 and the Full Clean files are exactly the same. There must be a bug in the application itself.
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Still Brewn
Well-Known Member
Has anyone figured the boil off rate for the B+? I guess I should say US 120 volt system.
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I received my ebay b20 finally. It had a bit of damage on the exterior that the listing didn't note, so may be shipping damage from this particular shipping. Nothing bad though - a dinged up corner and lid handle.
It said bad mash pump in the listing so i set about fixing that in addition to the thermal switch and wiring mod. The pump looked good, cleaned it out and bench tested it succesfully. Upgraded the thermal switch and the wiring to the boil kettle (one terminal was starting to discolor).
I pulled the 3.1.2 Maibock (with dev mode; beta) image from my other unit and upgraded the SD card in the ebay unit. My other B20 had a 16gb card, this one had an 8gb card. I didn't have access to a linux machine to easily shrink the image size down so i just bought a 16gb uSD card and replaced it. I'll try and shrink that image down and put it on google drive for others who want it. It looks like the other image was <200Mb so this should get down to around that size. Getting to the SD card was easier than i anticipated, open the bottom, undo two screws and slide it out enough to access the holder.
With dev mode i was able to check everything individually. The Hop 1 valve was making noise, but not like the others, mainly during closing. It looked like it wasn't closing all the way. I pulled it out and opened it up. The bad servo's main gear was slipping on its shaft under any load. Thought about fixing but amazon could have a new one to me before the adhesive would set properly. Its a Tower MG996R 180* Metal Gear Servo that has an eccentric cam mounted to it that presses a pinch lever. OEM servos (and chinese knockoffs) can be had on amazon for <= $15.
With any luck, i'll have this one churning out a brew tomorrow. I'll update with any other details and let everyone know when i get the new image file created and uploaded somewhere.
It said bad mash pump in the listing so i set about fixing that in addition to the thermal switch and wiring mod. The pump looked good, cleaned it out and bench tested it succesfully. Upgraded the thermal switch and the wiring to the boil kettle (one terminal was starting to discolor).
I pulled the 3.1.2 Maibock (with dev mode; beta) image from my other unit and upgraded the SD card in the ebay unit. My other B20 had a 16gb card, this one had an 8gb card. I didn't have access to a linux machine to easily shrink the image size down so i just bought a 16gb uSD card and replaced it. I'll try and shrink that image down and put it on google drive for others who want it. It looks like the other image was <200Mb so this should get down to around that size. Getting to the SD card was easier than i anticipated, open the bottom, undo two screws and slide it out enough to access the holder.
With dev mode i was able to check everything individually. The Hop 1 valve was making noise, but not like the others, mainly during closing. It looked like it wasn't closing all the way. I pulled it out and opened it up. The bad servo's main gear was slipping on its shaft under any load. Thought about fixing but amazon could have a new one to me before the adhesive would set properly. Its a Tower MG996R 180* Metal Gear Servo that has an eccentric cam mounted to it that presses a pinch lever. OEM servos (and chinese knockoffs) can be had on amazon for <= $15.
With any luck, i'll have this one churning out a brew tomorrow. I'll update with any other details and let everyone know when i get the new image file created and uploaded somewhere.
So the website is back up! This has to mean something, right?
Like if it just broke and the company was dead nobody would fix it.
If the company is barely hanging on maybe the website status reflects that?
Either way... since Brewie is such a small commumity i wish they would provide some form of communication to us.
@Hamboner great update above. Thank you. Anyone else having any success with their ebay units?
Like if it just broke and the company was dead nobody would fix it.
If the company is barely hanging on maybe the website status reflects that?
Either way... since Brewie is such a small commumity i wish they would provide some form of communication to us.
@Hamboner great update above. Thank you. Anyone else having any success with their ebay units?
Blazinlow86
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Maybe there done the "reorganization" and back in business. Cheers
It’s speculation, but based on Marcel’s comment of “we are going through a restructuring....this stuff will be tended to once it’s done...” makes me want to think it was a successful buy-out or injection of VC money. It seems that they met with business consultants to establish recurring revenue streams (monthly subscriptions) and hopefully find add-on sales/products (like mesh hop baskets, and Brewie water filtration units.....etc). I look at the potential of this company and see dollar signs.... this was just created and run by engineers, not sales guys.
They need to fix the Brewie image by supporting existing customer problems and then tack on some crazy product guarantee to new units (4 year no questions warranty) to prove that their product is now bullet proof, and will stand by it.
I hope that this all comes back online so we can get updated software and parts
They need to fix the Brewie image by supporting existing customer problems and then tack on some crazy product guarantee to new units (4 year no questions warranty) to prove that their product is now bullet proof, and will stand by it.
I hope that this all comes back online so we can get updated software and parts
Hi all, just joined the forum.
I’m a Brewie + owner, done a bunch of brews and souse vide meats so far.
The Brewie was on the shelf for the last six months due to a garage renovation. But I’d like to get it going again. I also processed 12.5 oz of my own cascade/centennial blend for the hop cages.
Seeing how I haven’t turned it on in months is there any updates I should avoid?
I’m a Brewie + owner, done a bunch of brews and souse vide meats so far.
The Brewie was on the shelf for the last six months due to a garage renovation. But I’d like to get it going again. I also processed 12.5 oz of my own cascade/centennial blend for the hop cages.
Seeing how I haven’t turned it on in months is there any updates I should avoid?
Dont think you will GET any updates for a bit.
Are you 3.1.1 or 3.1.2?
You can turn off your wifi and boot up your brewie to check.
I am original B20 tho so better have a B+ owner weigh in
Hi Nate, looks like I’m on 3.1.1 (firmware 7)
3.1.1 is a relatively good version to have. I think the biggest challenges you might face are water inlet valves/water volume. Some machines had problems identifying the correct amount of water for brews, so that caused complications. I recommend running a test brew (just water) to see if things are dramatically off the mark. There are a few sources with 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 floating around if you have major issues with the current firmware. You shouldn’t get any updates because their back office has been down for almost two months now. Good luck- let us know how it goes!
I am on 3.1.1
No fancy developer mode but tried and true brews for the B20
No fancy developer mode but tried and true brews for the B20
Still Brewn
Well-Known Member
I know it seems like it has been a while but the first time it went down was less than a month ago, August 17th, and it is currently up and running.
Website is up and down... but i do not think anyone has heard from warranty/ service for some time now.
Still Brewn
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum. I haven't messed around with the sous vide, looked around for instructions on using the machine for that but didn't find anything. Are you just using developer mode?
Yes, it has only been a month since the website went down, but the last response I recieved from brewie support was 7/18. I dropped several tickets after that date and never heard a word back. Either way, I hope this S&#t gets cleaned up quickly. As mentioned above.....we are a small community, we deserve to know what is going on at HQ.
So, got the eBay unit and have been having fun this weekend! At first I was a little dismayed when opening the box and seeing a recreation of the exorcist inside and all over the machine. But with a little elbow grease, things shined up nicely.
At first, nothing worked...so a little perseverance, inverting the machine and unscrewing everything, viola, it booted up! It is running 2.8, so will look at updating it...but after about 3 cleans (2 short, 1 sanitizing), things are getting unclogged, the pumps are working, things are heating up and it seems to be doing good. Will do a couple more clean cycles (sanitizing and full cleans) and then a test brew to see how it holds up.
Only glitch seems to be the front panel. It looks like it thinks there is something pressing it from time to time. Comes up with red "x" in the upper right corner, but pressing anywhere on the screen clears where it is at and resumes the proper status screen.
At first, nothing worked...so a little perseverance, inverting the machine and unscrewing everything, viola, it booted up! It is running 2.8, so will look at updating it...but after about 3 cleans (2 short, 1 sanitizing), things are getting unclogged, the pumps are working, things are heating up and it seems to be doing good. Will do a couple more clean cycles (sanitizing and full cleans) and then a test brew to see how it holds up.
Only glitch seems to be the front panel. It looks like it thinks there is something pressing it from time to time. Comes up with red "x" in the upper right corner, but pressing anywhere on the screen clears where it is at and resumes the proper status screen.
117thBrewer
Member
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!
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!
I received a new heating element because I was complaining about an electrical smell. I was dealing with Mate he logged onto my machine and was able to trouble shoot to some degree. 3 months later an element arrived in the mail, no information or installation instructions provided. I know I’ve seen some breakdowns out there, if someone can point me in the right direction that would be awesome.
No, not really. Mate told me I should be using the developer mode but I was just building beer recipes with really odd times and no hop additions. I was using funky sounding grains as place holders for beef or pork.
I’d set the temperature for 57 degrees C and hold it for 8-12 hrs once the time was up the water would transfer to the boil side, boil then shut off. I was only able to omit the cooling cycle not the boil. It wasn’t much of an issue as the temperature in the mash tun didn’t affect the roast.
Forgot to mention, I pan sear first.
c06u
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I have received two of the eBay units, the first one was a new unit that must have been returned for a noisy boil pump, opened it up and found it had been assembled wrong, they had left the little keyed trust washer off, it was there but just next to the shaft, reinstalled ran a complete test brew cycle with no problems, unit also had a dinged lid but not major, my guess is bad packing when returned to Brewie, the second unit looks to have had one attempt to brew but not beyond the start of a mash cycle, shows overflow but suspect the owner attempted his own recipe and screwed up water settings? anyway it is also with a dinged lid, so far have only had time to power it up and pull bottom off, will get to it later this week...bottom line here for me is plenty of spare parts if I ever need them sooooo if Brewie tanks I have no problem flying solo
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