Looking to upgrade my brewing setup, any suggestions?

[OfficerJimLahey]

For the past couple years I have brewed with the whole tried-and-true cooler mash tun/hot liquor tank/propane burner/kettle setup, which so far has worked great. However, the equipment takes up so much room in my smallish place, and it requires a lot of cleaning at the end of the day. Plus, I want something more automated. I have my eye on the Brewers Edge mash and boil, but have some reservations. Just wondering what others have done and why it works for you. Cheers.

 

[camonick]

Other than your requirement for being more automated, one vessel BIAB is a good option for minimal equipment and cleanup.

 

[Jag75]

How much is your budget and what size of batches are you doing? The guys at my LHBS have the M&B that they rent out . Not too many people liked it I guess . They done a couple brews on it . He said it was too small for what he likes to do.

Robobrew is bigger but I've read a lot of people have had issues with them . Dont know too much about the newest version .

The Grainfather imo is the best option between them . It's more expensive but it's a better vessel imo . I have one and love it.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

A lot depends on your facilities, budget, and needs.

A system like the High Gravity single vessel rig is pretty nice and, for what you're getting, not outrageously expensive. It does require 240v access though, which is likely an additional cost.

It seems like most of the 120V electric rigs don't save a ton of time because the heat times are long.

If you don't need to brew indoors, you could just go straight BIAB with your existing propane and kettle (assuming the kettle is big enough) for very little cost. That would speed things up, reduce storage needs and reduce cleanup.