Fully automated brewing

[m_c_zero]

Really seems to be the hot topic these days. Kinda takes the fun outta brewing if you ask me...

 

[BrewHound]

Agreed! I've seen these "brew machines" and I just don't have any interest. It's the act of brewing and the opportunity it gives me to unplug that's half the fun.

 

[m_c_zero]

Right? I could maybe see using them for commercial applications where a brewery wants to do a small test batch or something, but as a homebrewer it seems kind of crazy.

 

[hopjunkie26]

So let me ask this...when you say fully automated, are you talking about anything with temp control for the mash (RIMS, HERMS)?

 

[iijakii]

Brewing has never really been a hands-on activity, as far as I'm concerned.

Dick around while water is heating.
Spend 4mins mixing **** together
Dick around for an hour.
Drain and sparge
Dick around again for an hour
etc

Really not any difference between an automated system. Only difference is you'd have to dick around with your heat source to nail it.

For me the act of brewing is fun, sure, but it's more about the recipe creation and tweaking.

 

[KeninMN]

Brewing has never really been a hands-on activity, as far as I'm concerned.

Dick around while water is heating.
Spend 4mins mixing **** together
Dick around for an hour.
Drain and sparge
Dick around again for an hour
etc

Really not any difference between an automated system. Only difference is you'd have to dick around with your heat source to nail it.

For me the act of brewing is fun, sure, but it's more about the recipe creation and tweaking.

I thought fully-automated brewing was going down to the liquor store and buying a six-pack...

But in all seriousness, when people ask me about home brewing I tell them it's a lot of standing, waiting and cleaning...

I can see the fun in building your own system, especially if most of it was more DYI and less buying mostly pre-made components and simply piecing them together. I see no joy in buying a complete, turnkey system, but whatever, that's just me...

 

[m_c_zero]

I'm talking load your ingredients, push a button, walk away, come back 4 hours later and your wort is ready to pitch yeast into it.

 

[m_c_zero]

I only bring this up because I am seeing a surge of kickstarters for fully automated brew systems.

Cool concepts indeed, but not for everyone I suppose.

 

[hopjunkie26]

I'm talking load your ingredients, push a button, walk away, come back 4 hours later and your wort is ready to pitch yeast into it.

This, yes, seems that the fun would be lost. I recently upgraded to an eHERMS system and love it. I was worried that it would take the "fun" out of brewing but it really didn't feel much different other than the fact that I knew my mash temp was where I wanted it.

 

[ColoHox]

Something like this then?

Personally, I don't find these systems very appealing, because I like to fuss with my beer.

It would be a good way to continue to drink heavily while brewing and make fewer mistakes.

 

[hopjunkie26]

Yeah...I don't think I could use one of those and call myself a brewer (home or professional).

 

[m_c_zero]

Something like this then?

That, and this guy http://www.picobrew.com/

 

[JonW]

Fully automated brewing? Yeah, that's what I refer to as hipster brewing.

Using automation in your brewing? Yeah, lots of us do that, but we're still in charge of the design of the recipe and the details of the brew day. I use automated valves so I don't have to disconnect/reconnect hoses during the brew day. I use alarms at intervals to let me know when strike water hits temp or hop additions need to be added. The alarms allow me to multitask doing other brewing related tasks (kegging beers, cleaning fermenters, measuring hops, milling grains, etc.) while still keeping the brew day moving and attending to items when needed.