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BrewNapes said:
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.
Click to expand...
When was the last communication from Mate/ Brewie?
 
A quick update on my ebay unit:

I flashed a new SD card with the Maibock (dev mode) build and used it for troubleshooting. Got everythign working and during a test brew, the preboil stage will only get to 200F. It seems that the machine will heat to 200, turn off until 199, then turn on again. I thought the thermal switch i installed was bad, but in dev mode, i can set it to full boil. I tried a proper test brew and it did the same thing, i then hit skip to next step and it proceeded to start hopping and get up to a full boil. I'm wondering if the dev mode build needs an updated build on the microcontroller also. I dug through the image file and found all the configs for everything as well as the update scripts. I think i'll need to try and ssh into the machine and force it to try and update the microcontroller, or just revert back to the build it came with until brewie gets its updated servers back online.

Has anyone else that did an SD image swap noticed something similar? Anyone try to update the microcontroller yet?
 
Hamboner said:
A quick update on my ebay unit:

I thought the thermal switch i installed was bad, but in dev mode, i can set it to full boil.
Click to expand...

Just so you know...... The thermal switch is a safety feature. It does NOT have anything to do with temperature control. The original thermal switches were 125° C if I remember correctly and will cut the power to the burner when they reach that temperature. If they ever reach that temperature it means you have boiled dry. The reason people were having problems with them is that they are in series with the burner and because of the inferior spade connectors used in manufacturing the 120 v units too much amperage was being drawn through them causing them to overheat and fail. Ther may also have been a bad batch of thermal switches but if that is the case your burner shouldn't heat up at all. I never looked to see if the thermal switches automatically reset themselves or if they were/are a one and done style. If they are that would mean that once they are tripped they have to be replaced.
Hope that helps a little bit.
 
BrewNapes said:
Forgot to mention, I pan sear first.
Click to expand...

Usually you want pan sear after you sous vide your meat not before, the crust you are going for will get soggy if you do it before.

Thanks for the help. I guess I will write a brew recipe or two to do this with. At least you can pause and or cancel the brew program to get rid of the boil. Or pause to hold the temperature for larger gatherings where you will be taking steaks out of it for a period of time. Hopefully they will get a proper program to run it in the future.
 
Still Brewn said:
Usually you want pan sear after you sous vide your meat not before, the crust you are going for will get soggy if you do it before.

Thanks for the help. I guess I will write a brew recipe or two to do this with. At least you can pause and or cancel the brew program to get rid of the boil. Or pause to hold the temperature for larger gatherings where you will be taking steaks out of it for a period of time. Hopefully they will get a proper program to run it in the future.
Click to expand...
I would agree with the textural advantages of searing after the sous vide but there is a huge flavour bonus of searing before hand. Just my 2 cents. The crunch can be had with some nice frites.
 
Still Brewn said:
Usually you want pan sear after you sous vide your meat not before, the crust you are going for will get soggy if you do it before.

Thanks for the help. I guess I will write a brew recipe or two to do this with. At least you can pause and or cancel the brew program to get rid of the boil. Or pause to hold the temperature for larger gatherings where you will be taking steaks out of it for a period of time. Hopefully they will get a proper program to run it in the future.
Click to expand...
Also a great way to heat a large ham without drying it out.
 
BrewNapes said:
I would agree with the textural advantages of searing after the sous vide but there is a huge flavour bonus of searing before hand. Just my 2 cents. The crunch can be had with some nice frites.
Click to expand...
I think the "Maillard reaction" may come into play here.
I have an Annova sous vide- best thing ever!! I prefer to sear post but i have read that either way has pros and cons.
 
Thanks for the reply. The thermal switch only controls three temp if it overheats and shuts down. These are automatically resettable switches (they open the circuit and then once cooled back down they close again - I'd guess bimetallic element inside). On my first unit it would get to around 205 then the thermal switch would open for a couple of minutes to cool before closing and trying again. The manufacturer says if putting near the max current through the device to get a higher rated one because of self heating. When combined with bad terminals (resistance equals heat) they kept turning off before boiling. The fact it boiled fine in dev mode seemed to rule out the thermal switch.

After digging into the files in the maibock beta image I found an update script and an upload firmware script (not looking at it now but usr/share or similar). Along with those were 3 hex files (the microcontroller files). They were labeled 1, 2, & mega. I decided 1 probably equated to my b20 (guessing 2 got b20+, mega likely refers to an arduino mega - maybe a prototype or one they use for lab testing). I ssh'ed into the brewie (login info on an earlier post) from a computer on the network and successfully reflashed the microcontroller using their script and then also ran a script called hw_temp_fix or similar. After doing that it now boils fine. I'm guessing each sd card image/update has its own associated microcontroller build that it flashes during the update process. Not sure if the firmware or the 'temp fix' made it work but now I have a fully updated working ebay unit.

Maybe this will help some other adventurous soul...

Still Brewn said:
Just so you know...... The thermal switch is a safety feature. It does NOT have anything to do with temperature control. The original thermal switches were 125° C if I remember correctly and will cut the power to the burner when they reach that temperature. If they ever reach that temperature it means you have boiled dry. The reason people were having problems with them is that they are in series with the burner and because of the inferior spade connectors used in manufacturing the 120 v units too much amperage was being drawn through them causing them to overheat and fail. Ther may also have been a bad batch of thermal switches but if that is the case your burner shouldn't heat up at all. I never looked to see if the thermal switches automatically reset themselves or if they were/are a one and done style. If they are that would mean that once they are tripped they have to be replaced.
Hope that helps a little bit.
Click to expand...
 
BrewNapes said:
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.
Click to expand...
http://www.brewieforum.net A guy from homebrewtalk put this up to help organize for exactly this kind of question. Lots of diagrams and instructions. This thread we are on probably has what you are looking for too, it is just very big :) Also, this google drive has loads of stuff: https://drive.google.com/drive/fold...L9HwBIA4E9rBGnYVzk-16b23S1RB0yqCvlx_g1gdCz7_Y
 
So i was killing time in a waiting room today and found this on the Brewie.org site. I did not realize it was version 3.1.1 which i think i have- which means it has been out for some time.

Hope this helps.
‐-----
Developer Mode is available on all hardware variants starting from software version 3.1.1.

To enter the Developer Mode, type “morecontrol” in the Recipe search field and the Developer Mode appears right away. Enjoy! : )

Through the Developer Mode you can operate the boil and mash pumps (on/off), both heaters (on/off) and 12 valves (open/close, normally closed) and you can see the tank temperatures and the water volume in the boil tank as well.
 
Regarding the ebay units: Have anyone had any contact with the guy selling them?
I'd really like to buy one, but unfortunately he doesn't seem to ship to Europe...
I've tried contacting him, but no response.
 
Hello, everyone. I purchased a Brewie+ in Canada, and was relocated to Singapore prior to operating the unit. I now have a new Brewie sitting in a makeshift brewery in my apartment and, to be honest, am concerned about plugging it in. I was wondering if I might get a bit of electrical advice from the Forum. From the back of the Brewie+, the following electrical specification is stated:

Brewie 20+
Power: 120V 50/60Hz
15A 1800W

I did some digging around, and it looks like most apartments here in Singapore can handle 13A household circuits. In Singapore the power plugs and sockets are of type G. The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.

I figured that the biggest power item in the apartment would likely be the clothes dryer, so I checked on the spec and this what I found:

220-240V @ 50Hz.
2300W
13A
Pmax 2600 [not sure what this is]

Is my simple solution to purchase a step-down transformer rated at 2000W and go from 220V to 120V?

I'm clearly not an electrician, but hope that I've provided enough detail here.

John
 
A word of warning on the ebay units. I received mine yesterday and it is a disaster. It is covered in mold inside and out. My only guess is that one of the wort lines came apart inside the unit during a brew and all the user did was box it up.
 
Blazinlow86 said:
https://univision-taiwan.wixsite.com/univision

This looks to be the new owner's. There selling new units for 599.00. cheers
Click to expand...
All- this could be a gold mine- looks like all the parts are posted... servos, heaters, etc. Not sure what shipping and customs charges will add, but pretty cheap parts.

I am guessing this is the manufacturer that Brewie contracted with (i seem to recall they came from Tawain?). Wonder if they too got stuck with a warehouse full of units and parts.

Somebody braver than me make an order!! Lol
 
Thanks @Blazinlow86 and @Nate R for highlighting the Taiwan site and the fact that they are selling parts. Perhaps I'll take the plunge and order a couple of things as I'm "in the neighbourhood" [Singapore] and will report back.

I haven't taken a screwdriver to the Brewie+ yet to have a look at the CAN/US spec Brewie and have look at the power supply, but I did notice on the Taiwan website that the LRS-35 and LRS 35-12 power supplies (https://univision-taiwan.wixsite.com/univision/product-page/power-supply) have a 110V-240V range for input. If these are the main power supply(ies) of the unit, it would suggest that I don't need a step-down transformer to go from 220V (Singapore) to 120V North American spec. Maybe all I need is a power adapter on the plug itself.

I know that a number of North American spec Brewie+ have been opened up by those on this Forum. Anyone care to chime in before I start dismantling things?

Thanks all.

-- John
 
SydBrew said:
A word of warning on the ebay units. I received mine yesterday and it is a disaster. It is covered in mold inside and out. My only guess is that one of the wort lines came apart inside the unit during a brew and all the user did was box it up.
Click to expand...
I received two of them, one was new and never used (boil-pump noise) found it assembled wrong easy fix the second looks to have been used once and had an overflow but here again clean and close to new, have not had time other then power up which was good...when buying these check the specifics section, (example)
This item is a customer return and has not been fully tested. For Parts Only.
Reported issue: N/A
Visually we can report the following:
Cover: Looks Used
Tanks: Looks Used
Lids: Both Used


In m case they both said tanks looked new....
 
Nate R said:
I am guessing this is the manufacturer that Brewie contracted with (i seem to recall they came from Tawain?)
Click to expand...

Máté told me China but I didn't ask where in China, since Taiwan is technically part of China I guess it could be there but it is not cheap like mainland China to manufacture stuff now.

You get what you pay for, hence the problems with the 120 volt systems.
 
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Jomini said:
Thanks @Blazinlow86 and @Nate R for highlighting the Taiwan site and the fact that they are selling parts. Perhaps I'll take the plunge and order a couple of things as I'm "in the neighbourhood" [Singapore] and will report back.

I haven't taken a screwdriver to the Brewie+ yet to have a look at the CAN/US spec Brewie and have look at the power supply, but I did notice on the Taiwan website that the LRS-35 and LRS 35-12 power supplies (https://univision-taiwan.wixsite.com/univision/product-page/power-supply) have a 110V-240V range for input. If these are the main power supply(ies) of the unit, it would suggest that I don't need a step-down transformer to go from 220V (Singapore) to 120V North American spec. Maybe all I need is a power adapter on the plug itself.

I know that a number of North American spec Brewie+ have been opened up by those on this Forum. Anyone care to chime in before I start dismantling things?

Thanks all.

-- John
Click to expand...
Not sure exactly what you are asking.... The heaters, fuses and plugs are the only difference between the two units according to Máté. I had thought about converting mine to 240 due to the fact I had 240v installed. I had planned on buying a Pico Brew Z2 so it would have been a simple switch for me.
So in other words ..... no you can't run 240 to your machine without some changes.
 
Also you will need to look at the circuit breaker for what ever you are going to be plugging it into. You mentioned 13 amp.... you need at least a 15 amp circuit. And I won't put mine on anything but a 20 amp circuit because of the amount of time the heater can be running. If you don't you can have heat buildup in the household wiring and outlet. In the US a household dryer outlet of 240 is comprised of 2 legs of 120v each but I couldn't tell you what it is like in the rest of the world.
 
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Two interesting things. Right on the first page of the new website is a ton of parts. Are you still going to have to fix your Brewie to use it?

And $599... Wasn't the initial price after the fundraiser, $1500? So, if this is introductory and will go to $699 that would make the $1500 about $800 overpriced?

$599 and even $699 make the machine sound great, but it was way out of my price range initially, then the communication problems, then the fried wiring and other mechanical problems, then the company seems to just disappear, now the company change. I wouldn't take one for even half of the $599. I don't have the electrical and mechanical skills so I would fear it would end up being a boat anchor.
 
Whois page for website registry list a Mongolian address https://www.whois.com/whois/202.70.34.38

Also not very professional using Wix to host (red flag). I'm not brave enough to lose money on a scam but that price is really tempting (red flag). No product descriptions (red flag). My common sense is telling me that if it sounds too good to be true then it is. I also didn't see any contact information which is another red flag
 
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Before you buy check around and see if the pictures were scraped from some other website like from the fcc or Brewie. The one picture looks like it is from the Brewie website. My tablet doesn't let me look at picture details without downloading so I can't say one way or another.
 
T
Nate R said:
All- this could be a gold mine- looks like all the parts are posted... servos, heaters, etc. Not sure what shipping and customs charges will add, but pretty cheap parts.

I am guessing this is the manufacturer that Brewie contracted with (i seem to recall they came from Tawain?). Wonder if they too got stuck with a warehouse full of units and parts.

Somebody braver than me make an order!! Lol
Click to expand...
They take Paypal..
 
Still Brewn said:
Also you will need to look at the circuit breaker for what ever you are going to be plugging it into. You mentioned 13 amp.... you need at least a 15 amp circuit. And I won't put mine on anything but a 20 amp circuit because of the amount of time the heater can be running. If you don't you can have heat buildup in the household wiring and outlet. In the US a household dryer outlet of 240 is comprised of 2 legs of 120v each but I couldn't tell you what it is like in the rest of the world.
Click to expand...

Thanks, @Still Brewn. You're an absolute star.

From the great advice that you've provided in the last two posts (having to change heaters/fuses/plug and concern about wiring possibly overloading the household circuit and wiring), I've decided to try a step-down transformer with lots of security features to go between the wall socket and the Brewie.

From what I understand, the household power here is a single, grounded line of 220/230V @ 13A. In North America we use 2 x 120V to make up the 240V and can derive a 30A circuit. In Singapore, the high amp lines are (e.g for microwave ovens and air conditioners) are a special 15A service with a different plug. The clothes dryers and washing machines are made to work to draw no more than 13A, for example.

So, what I'm going to try is the following step-down transformer that has come recommended to me:

https://powerpac.com.sg/products/20...ransformer-st2000?_pos=7&_sid=33109ab54&_ss=r

The unit has:
  • Overload protection.
  • Overheating protection.
  • Short circuit protection.
  • Precision voltage.
It's rated for a max of 2000W (which about the max that can be derived from the 13A socket). I'm hoping that the Brewie will work with this as most of its power draw should be resistive from the heating coils.

I'll give it a go or see what happens, or box up the Brewie until I return to Canada in several years time <sadness> and have to find another brewing solution.

Thanks again!

-- John
 
My Ebay unit update: Ran through a cleaning cycle and determined the boil pump was not working. After draining I verified the pump was getting power but it was -12v. I checked and they wired it backwards at the factory so this unit has most likely never completed a brew. Re-wired and everything works now. Yay!

Also, Burned version 3.1.2 to a new 16GB Micro SD card using a program called "Etcher". Works great. Thanks @Rob Rowald for sharing!
 
Man have I been gone for a while! What a read those last 15 pages have been. So many odd things in the past 3 months, and so many wonderful discoveries. The ingenuity of homebrewers never ceases to amaze me.

That WIX website makes my processor spin so that can't be good, but I am very tempted to place a small order for spare parts to see if it is real. Brewie sent me new heaters, wires and temp switches a while back that I have just been keeping around as spare parts in case my machine breaks.

The brewie.org site appears to be back up with a price of 1,999 euro, but then it won't ship to the USA. Amazon has the B+ for $999 and can deliver to me in two days, so strange.

I am also very tempted to buy an original ebay unit for $249 just because I am a glutton for punishment and like to tinker with things. If it is a simple temp switch, wire or pump issue, that would be an easy fix. But if it is full of mold or totally DOA, that would be a bummer. I wish they had some pics of the actual units on the listing.

EDIT: What the heck, I ordered an ebay unit that said the tanks look new....hopefully it has never been brewed on and I can tinker with it to get it going.

EDIT #2: Here is a link to the ebay seller that came up on my paypal form. Looks like an excess/refurb re-seller so I don't think this was the repair facility for broken units.

http://www.techsupplier.info/
 
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I managed to buy a B+ cheaply today.
The seller only had two left, and one of them had a bump.
I got it at about 900$.
So far so good.
But how to update? I tried looking at the files on the google drive refered at page 49, but it seems it's only got 3.0 firmware...
Any help on upgrading to 3.1?
 
Ajes said:
I managed to buy a B+ cheaply today.
The seller only had two left, and one of them had a bump.
I got it at about 900$.
So far so good.
But how to update? I tried looking at the files on the google drive refered at page 49, but it seems it's only got 3.0 firmware...
Any help on upgrading to 3.1?
Click to expand...
Ouch hate to burst your bubble but you can buy brand new units straight from the manufacturer in China for 599.00. in all seriousness since the company is now bust and there is no real fix for the machines going forward and no hope they will ever be recalled and fixed with updated newly designed parts and there's no warranty why not just buy a grainfather or any other of the all-in-one electric Brew systems? I get the people that bought the brewie originally liked the fact that it was supposed to be hands off but now that that out the window what's the point? Cheers
 
Blazinlow86 said:
Ouch hate to burst your bubble but you can buy brand new units straight from the manufacturer in China for 599.00. in all seriousness since the company is now bust and there is no real fix for the machines going forward and no hope they will ever be recalled and fixed with updated newly designed parts and there's no warranty why not just buy a grainfather or any other of the all-in-one electric Brew systems? I get the people that bought the brewie originally liked the fact that it was supposed to be hands off but now that that out the window what's the point? Cheers
Click to expand...


Is that listing for the +, I thought it was the regular B20?
 
macgyuver said:
Is that listing for the +, I thought it was the regular B20?
Click to expand...

I bought from a local dealer. He adviced against buying it - and when I persisted that I'd like to buy it, maybe even for doing my own controller, he sold it to me for less than half the price.
So right now I first want to see just how it would run originally, but of cause updating it from 3.0.13 is a bit difficult.
On facebook there's mentions of firmware being available, but it doesn't seem to be on the google drive at the moment.
Anybody had any luck upgrading to 3.1.1 locally?
 

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