jgmillr1
Well-Known Member
I'm exploring setting up a nano-brewery in my local town. I figure we would start out small scale with equipment sized at about the 1.5bbl level. As the operation grows over time, then this equipment could eventually become either backup or be used for experimental runs. But it seems that this 1.5bbl scale is caught between the serious homebrew and the microbrew worlds.
For example, finding a grain mill that isn't a hand crank is hard. While I expect to pay over $1k for a motorized commercial mill, this one (https://www.monsterbrewinghardware.com/store/pc/MM-3ProG-Kit-NEW-3p327.htm) has a wooden base and doesn't even have a 304-SS hopper.
Am I wrong that my impression of Spike is that it is a great option for homebrew but it makes for a low-quality budget brand commercial operation? Stout (https://conical-fermenter.com/) looks like they have better quality and larger options but also seem to have incomplete hardware, as evidenced by the lack of SS heating elements for their electric brew kettles or monitoring/control hardware.
So, what brands and where should I be looking for a quality 1.5bbl set up?
For example, finding a grain mill that isn't a hand crank is hard. While I expect to pay over $1k for a motorized commercial mill, this one (https://www.monsterbrewinghardware.com/store/pc/MM-3ProG-Kit-NEW-3p327.htm) has a wooden base and doesn't even have a 304-SS hopper.
Am I wrong that my impression of Spike is that it is a great option for homebrew but it makes for a low-quality budget brand commercial operation? Stout (https://conical-fermenter.com/) looks like they have better quality and larger options but also seem to have incomplete hardware, as evidenced by the lack of SS heating elements for their electric brew kettles or monitoring/control hardware.
So, what brands and where should I be looking for a quality 1.5bbl set up?