Spike Brewing is up for sale

[bwible]

I just looked at Spike's website. Why do American companies make such impractical homebrewing equipment with hoses, pumps, doors and **** going everywhere?

Where are the nice high quality compact units like my Braumeister?

If money were no object I would love to own a Speidel Braumeister. They’re about $2500 to $3000 US here and I’m not sure what all attachments you do and don’t get for that. But that looks like a sweet system with program automation and all kinds of cool stuff.

 

[Broothru]

Agree wholeheartedly.

Started brewing with a Braumeister in 2013, and haven't looked back or regretted the purchase. It's now a "mature" design, and any upgrades are mostly in the rear view mirror. That said, my rig is dialed in and still crankin' out great beers with no sign of giving up the ghost anytime soon. The evolution of the design has mostly stopped, but I'm still quite satisfied.

 

[bwible]

Agree wholeheartedly.

Started brewing with a Braumeister in 2013, and haven't looked back or regretted the purchase. It's now a "mature" design, and any upgrades are mostly in the rear view mirror. That said, my rig is dialed in and still crankin' out great beers with no sign of giving up the ghost anytime soon. The evolution of the design has mostly stopped, but I'm still quite satisfied.

Hell of an upgrade from my Anvil Foundry

 

[Bobby_M]

I just looked at Spike's website. Why do American companies make such impractical homebrewing equipment with hoses, pumps, doors and **** going everywhere?

Where are the nice high quality compact units like my Braumeister?

Have you seen Americans?

Seriously though, there are already 10 compact all in ones out in the market. Going for the complex system buyer is actually a differentiator. I don't agree that those systems are better, but there's a market for it (or at least there was). They do offer a single vessel brewing system with a ton of power and modular components that don't cause the entire unit to become obsolete if the company goes out of business. That is by far the biggest downside to buying a fully integrated all in one, especially a high end one.

Ask the owners of the PicoBrick (TM).

 

[Pennine]

Have you seen Americans?
View attachment 881093


Seriously though, there are already 10 compact all in ones out in the market. Going for the complex system buyer is actually a differentiator. I don't agree that those systems are better, but there's a market for it (or at least there was). They do offer a single vessel brewing system with a ton of power and modular components that don't cause the entire unit to become obsolete if the company goes out of business. That is by far the biggest downside to buying a fully integrated all in one, especially a high end one.

Ask the owners of the PicoBrick (TM).

Exactly!

Good point about the modular pieces.

Do you know something about Spiedel that I don't?

I would love a smaller all in one like the 10l braumeister that had a full size mash basket. The others on the market like brewzilla and the S40 are huge. It would also be cool if they had accelerated heating ability.

 

[mashdar]

t would also be cool if they had accelerated heating ability.

As in battery-assist? I've heard of a pizza oven that uses that.

Edit: I guess you could buy something like this with a second 5.5kW element.
https://www.ankersolix.com/f3800-pps

 

[Pennine]

As in battery-assist? I've heard of a pizza oven that uses that.

Oh no but that is interesting.

I meant as a higher amperage 240v heating element or a secondary heater you could use to heat to mash in and boil.

I used to have a heat stick to supplement but I haven't found anything like the nice European ones that are readily available over there.

 

[Broothru]

Exactly!

Good point about the modular pieces.

Do you know something about Spiedel that I don't?

I would love a smaller all in one like the 10l braumeister that had a full size mash basket. The others on the market like brewzilla and the S40 are huge. It would also be cool if they had accelerated heating ability.

IMO, the 10l version is too small, and I believe it only comes in a 110V version. The 50l version is too large for home brew sized brewing, and is essentially a 20l system fitted with a 240V heating system that’s 2x as large as the 20l with 2 recirc pumps. It’s also bulky and quite heavy.

Braumeister also manufactures much larger brewery-sized systems starting at 200l and greater capacities which are not mobile and more like ‘pilot brew’ systems for brewery application settings. Their homebrew systems were developed as an extension of their commercial brewery business.

All that said, the 20l system is a beast, built like a tank, maybe to the point of over-engineered. There have been some improvements and additions over the years, including a jacketed model designed to eliminate the need for IC cooling systems in the post-boil. I’ve heard it’s not nearly as effective as a stainless steel coil chiller or plate chiller, however. It might have been an attempt to make a true all-in-one mash, boil, ferment, cold crash device. Meh.

Maybe 5 years ago I bought a LODO kit that I found to be very useful, that also allows for slightly higher brew volumes and malt bills. Originally the ‘advertised’ maximums were 25l and about 10# of grist. Now my regular brew day is at least 4-5 liters more strike water and 12.5# of grains. I get 83-85% mash efficiency, and 7.5 gal. pre-boil volumes with 6.3 gal. batch volumes into the fermenter, after trub and boil-off losses.

Last year I added a shortened malt pipe that allows me to brew 10l+ volumes, since just like the rest of us I’m drinking less and doing less entertaining, post Covid. It’s been a learning curve to get my proportions scaled properly from standard 5 gallon size, but my recipes are finally getting to where I like them.

Every now & then, I’ll see some other system that captures my attention, but then I come back to reality and realize that “new” doesn’t always equate with “better.” The downside of my 20l Braumeister was the 240V power requirement (amortizated years ago for less than $100) and the weight of the system. It only takes around :20 minutes to heat 9 gallons of strike water from ambient to 50C, which is about the same amount of time it takes me to crush grains in the morning.

The older I get, I realize that if it’s built like a tank, it can almost approach the weight of a tank, especially when moving it inside to transfer the wort to the fermenter. I mounted it on an 1 ½” thick hardwood base with 3” locking casters so that certainly added to the overall gross weight, but it still has to get ‘lifted’ across the threshold track of a sliding glass door to get it inside my brew area.

But, yeah, I’m a fan boi. Not trading my toy in for a new system unless this one up and dies on me. But at this rate, I’m assuming that I’ll be the first one to quit.

 

[Bobby_M]

Do you know something about Spiedel that I don't?

not at all. I just know that fully integrated anything is bad when no company is guaranteed to stay in business or continue supporting a product even if they do.

I would love a smaller all in one like the 10l braumeister that had a full size mash basket. The others on the market like brewzilla and the S40 are huge. It would also be cool if they had accelerated heating ability.

You're right, Spike doesn't have a highly computerized micro brewing system. It's essentially the opposite end of the spectrum from their target audience (in my opinion.... I don't speak for Spike).

The closest reasonabley priced option of what you're looking for is the Anvil Foundry 6.5. It will make 2800 watts on 240v and can brew as small as 2.5 gallons batches. In my humble opinion, that's the smallest practical recipe size before you get into a volume that is just too sensitive to input mismeasurement. In other words, IBU swings due to one extra pellet or one fewer pellets. I'm not saying you can't be happy with smaller batches but if consistency is important, that's a great small batch size.

Moving slightly more robust and even less integrated, the Blichmann breweasy compact using the 10 gallon surface kettle is pretty close. 3500 watts.

Neither of these have a computer bolted to the side but frankly as someone about to turn 50, I'll never really find that to be a deal breaker.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

I just looked at Spike's website. Why do American companies make such impractical homebrewing equipment with hoses, pumps, doors and **** going everywhere?

Where are the nice high quality compact units like my Braumeister?

I don't know what your talking about.

Edit: man I need a drop ceiling.

 

[ClaudiusB]

I just looked at Spike's website. Why do American companies make such impractical homebrewing equipment with hoses, pumps, doors and **** going everywhere?

Where are the nice high quality compact units like my Braumeister?

Compact units are no fun.
"Why do American companies make such impractical homebrewing equipment with hoses, going everywhere?" A simple solution may be a diverter board like I use

 

[Pennine]

Ha I love the pics! Thanks for sharing @bailey mountain brewer and @ClaudiusB .

I hope you don't think I was saying anything is wrong when you want a full fledged brewery at home. If I could get away with it I would too! But I have to be a little more incognito and wish we had a quality USian version of the Braumeister 10l.

Thanks for the heads up on the anvil unit @Bobby_M I'll check it out.

 

[Pennine]

IMO, the 10l version is too small, and I believe it only comes in a 110V version. The 50l version is too large for home brew sized brewing, and is essentially a 20l system fitted with a 240V heating system that’s 2x as large as the 20l with 2 recirc pumps. It’s also bulky and quite heavy.

Braumeister also manufactures much larger brewery-sized systems starting at 200l and greater capacities which are not mobile and more like ‘pilot brew’ systems for brewery application settings. Their homebrew systems were developed as an extension of their commercial brewery business.

All that said, the 20l system is a beast, built like a tank, maybe to the point of over-engineered. There have been some improvements and additions over the years, including a jacketed model designed to eliminate the need for IC cooling systems in the post-boil. I’ve heard it’s not nearly as effective as a stainless steel coil chiller or plate chiller, however. It might have been an attempt to make a true all-in-one mash, boil, ferment, cold crash device. Meh.

Maybe 5 years ago I bought a LODO kit that I found to be very useful, that also allows for slightly higher brew volumes and malt bills. Originally the ‘advertised’ maximums were 25l and about 10# of grist. Now my regular brew day is at least 4-5 liters more strike water and 12.5# of grains. I get 83-85% mash efficiency, and 7.5 gal. pre-boil volumes with 6.3 gal. batch volumes into the fermenter, after trub and boil-off losses.

Last year I added a shortened malt pipe that allows me to brew 10l+ volumes, since just like the rest of us I’m drinking less and doing less entertaining, post Covid. It’s been a learning curve to get my proportions scaled properly from standard 5 gallon size, but my recipes are finally getting to where I like them.

Every now & then, I’ll see some other system that captures my attention, but then I come back to reality and realize that “new” doesn’t always equate with “better.” The downside of my 20l Braumeister was the 240V power requirement (amortizated years ago for less than $100) and the weight of the system. It only takes around :20 minutes to heat 9 gallons of strike water from ambient to 50C, which is about the same amount of time it takes me to crush grains in the morning.

The older I get, I realize that if it’s built like a tank, it can almost approach the weight of a tank, especially when moving it inside to transfer the wort to the fermenter. I mounted it on an 1 ½” thick hardwood base with 3” locking casters so that certainly added to the overall gross weight, but it still has to get ‘lifted’ across the threshold track of a sliding glass door to get it inside my brew area.

But, yeah, I’m a fan boi. Not trading my toy in for a new system unless this one up and dies on me. But at this rate, I’m assuming that I’ll be the first one to quit.

I am a fan boy too, I have the 10l version it's been going strong for 10 years and almost 250 batches. It's also 240v and heats up quick. It was also only $1,400 when I bought it.

I really like the 10l batch size. I can brew 2-3 times a month and get a case of beer each batch. Which ends up being more than enough for me while allowing me to keep 4-5 styles on tap. In fact I have been tempted to drop to 8l so I can get an extra brew in here or there.

I do like the 20l option and sometimes I wish I would have gotten that version. But when it comes to cleaning and pulling the malt pipe the 10l makes it super simple.

 

[Broothru]

I am a fan boy too, I have the 10l version it's been going strong for 10 years and almost 250 batches. It's also 240v and heats up quick. It was also only $1,400 when I bought it.

I really like the 10l batch size. I can brew 2-3 times a month and get a case of beer each batch. Which ends up being more than enough for me while allowing me to keep 4-5 styles on tap. In fact I have been tempted to drop to 8l so I can get an extra brew in here or there.

I do like the 20l option and sometimes I wish I would have gotten that version. But when it comes to cleaning and pulling the malt pipe the 10l makes it super simple.

Precisely. There's just as much effort to clean up after I do a 10l batch as when I do a 20l, plus the weight of the unit is proportionally heavier than a 10l. I guess I should have intuitively known that the 10l was also 240V since it was designed primarily for the European market. Likely in the future I'll be brewing more and more smaller batches. I just can't go through 5 gallons the way I used to, but I still really enjoy the process of brewing.

 

[ClaudiusB]

Ha I love the pics! Thanks for sharing @bailey mountain brewer and @ClaudiusB .

I hope you don't think I was saying anything is wrong when you want a full fledged brewery at home. If I could get away with it I would too! But I have to be a little more incognito and wish we had a quality USian version of the Braumeister 10l.

Thanks for the heads up on the anvil unit @Bobby_M I'll check it out.

"I hope you don't think I was saying anything is wrong when you want a full fledged brewery at home. " Not at all.
You were correct with your statement, " Homebrewing equipment with hoses, going everywhere".

 

[wickedbeernut]

You were correct with your statement, " Homebrewing equipment with hoses, going everywhere".

Agreed! I hate hoses. I love the domed kettle bottom with 1.5" tri-clamp drain, mash tun door and grain chute.

 

[shoengine]

Agreed! I hate hoses. I love the domed kettle bottom with 1.5" tri-clamp drain, mash tun door and grain chute.

View attachment 881169

That's the nicest brew setup I've ever seen in an alley.

 

[MaxStout]

Agreed! I hate hoses. I love the domed kettle bottom with 1.5" tri-clamp drain, mash tun door and grain chute.

View attachment 881169

"Welcome to my brewery."

 

[Agent]

"Welcome to my brewery."

View attachment 881180

"It puts the LME on it's skin..."

 

[Chris Cardona]

I have! I sold my lake house in the UP (private large lake so not many owners), but the neighbors had pontoon boats with charcoal grills, gas grills, propane fire pits, etc. At my house on the water in Florida, I see the same even on airboats. Granted, that's still a small demographic but don't underestimate Florida Man and his quests for even more outrageous gear on his big ass boat. If you can have 4 300HP motors on a boat in a river entirely no-wake, why not have firepits and more?

Thanks for the “Florida Man” nod.