Stumbled onto this commercial rig: Electrobrewer

[Brewmoor]

I guess someone has found a way to sell an electric rig commercially. At least this is the first all electric pilot system I have seen

The Electro Brewer


It looks a little rough around the edges but it seems pretty cool. A little pricey.

 

[doggage]

Holy crap. A little pricey?!

 

[killian]

wow $9000.00 for that thing I would probably go with
http://www.highgravitybrew.com/prod...-Electric-Brewery-Mashing-System-269p2351.htm

 

[CodeRage]

Holy cow, 9k? I could do A LOT with 9k. Maybe build 2 of kaldue's rigs, MAYBE
It looks like that was a design as you go system to me. The info email looks like it goes to an espresso machine company.

Just watched this video.
http://www.autobrewer.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=6

Horribly unimpressed. It looks like he is attempting to boil in the RIMS heat exchanger. This can't be good with that large volume of wort sitting at such a high temp, DMS city? Not to mention other off flavor producing substances that are normally boiled off.

Just dropping a hose into the second pot to suck it back up into the cleaned MLT? Man I bet Sabco could put together a MUCH nicer one off electric system for that kind of cheddar.

 

[Hermit]

Holy cow, 9k? I could do A LOT with 9k. Maybe build 2 of kaldue's rigs, MAYBE
It looks like that was a design as you go system to me. The info email looks like it goes to an espresso machine company.

Just watched this video.
http://www.autobrewer.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=6

Horribly unimpressed. It looks like he is attempting to boil in the RIMS heat exchanger. This can't be good with that large volume of wort sitting at such a high temp, DMS city? Not to mention other off flavor producing substances that are normally boiled off.

Just dropping a hose into the second pot to suck it back up into the cleaned MLT? Man I bet Sabco could put together a MUCH nicer one off electric system for that kind of cheddar.

Looks like the grain doesn't take up any space because the pot was pretty full at boil time. I guess no boil over worries? Come to think of it, they only SAY it is boiling...

 

[Brewmoor]

I think I will have about $1200 into mine when I am done. I am sure if I had $9000 to spend on something like that. I could design and build something much cleaner looking than that.

That thing is just ugly. It might brew beer but it has no style.

My fascination with it is that it is 100% electric and it is being sold commercially. They must have gone through safety testing or be taking one hell of a risk. I would imagine it needs to be certified to be sold.

 

[CodeRage]

Looks like the grain doesn't take up any space because the pot was pretty full at boil time. I guess no boil over worries? Come to think of it, they only SAY it is boiling...

It's boiling in there funky heat exchanger thing but not in the kettle. With all of the hot break happening in the HEX I bet there is a god awful mess in there. I know I have to scrub my keggle to get some of the hot break foam off the walls. Unless you use caustic I don't see how you could keep it appreciably clean.

Brewmoor, I'm with you man. I have got 1500 into mine and would prefer to brew on it over that thing.

And who paints a stainless frame? I dunno, I think some one is just trying to cash in on their first brew rig design. Wonder if he sold any.

 

[Hermit]

I think I will have about $1200 into mine when I am done. I am sure if I had $9000 to spend on something like that. I could design and build something much cleaner looking than that.

That thing is just ugly. It might brew beer but it has no style.

My fascination with it is that it is 100% electric and it is being sold commercially. They must have gone through safety testing or be taking one hell of a risk. I would imagine it needs to be certified to be sold.

I think you are seeing the only one in existence and I doubt it will be sold.

 

[Hermit]

It's boiling in there funky heat exchanger thing but not in the kettle. With all of the hot break happening in the HEX I bet there is a god awful mess in there. I know I have to scrub my keggle to get some of the hot break foam off the walls. Unless you use caustic I don't see how you could keep it appreciably clean.

Brewmoor, I'm with you man. I have got 1500 into mine and would prefer to brew on it over that thing.

And who paints a stainless frame? I dunno, I think some one is just trying to cash in on their first brew rig design. Wonder if he sold any.

Yeah. I was being just a tad sarcastic.

 

[CodeRage]

Yeah. I was being just a tad sarcastic.

Sorry mate, been one of those nights for me

 

[Brewmoor]

I watched the video and read the site again. He says the ecto-soft mimics a steam jacket. That sounds to me like the wort is not flowing through the heater but maybe around it? Maybe it is a sealed inner system with the heater and glycol. Then the wort flows around that casing?

I am a bit confused. The video seems to skip over that part.

Judging by the way the site is layed out and a quick google search. He is the one trying to get the patent on the heating system. So more then likely he is trying to get the patent before telling too much.

Edit: on closer look at his pictures it looks like he electrifying those muffler looking things. Maybe fins like a radiator heater. Electric baseboards like fins. Then the wort flows through a tube surrounded by the Heated(Electrified fins). I am just throwing out ideas that might work. My curiosity has gotten the best of me.

 

[CodeRage]

Yeah, he does say the wort does not touch the element. I think he is addressing a problem that doesn't exist though. I've used a 4500W element for a dozen brews or so and there has not been one hint of anything 'burnt' or extra dark from caramelization. I just finished a Hoegaarden clone that is super light, and tastes crisp and clean. The lightest brew I've done to date.

I know I am really dumping on this thing but if you're going to bring something to market it ought to be able to exhibit a fair of amount of experience in brewing by the designer. I just don't see it. Thats exactly why you don't see me selling these things .

Speaking of seeing things, I bet brewbeemer could find a laundry list of NEC violations, I know I see a few.

 

[Hermit]

Sorry mate, been one of those nights for me

No problem. I usually know what I am saying. Others, not so much sometimes.

I had a friend bring his all grain setup to my place on Halloween to teach me to brew. You should try setting up where the trick-or-treaters are going to see you brewing. I had done a lot of reading before hand so he asked me if there was anything different from what I thought it would be. I told him the aroma of the brew was not what I expected. It was a stout. He 'gifted' me some stuff he doesn't use to get me started. I just did my second solo tonight. Extract. Stout. I had seen a clip where they say just to bring your steeping grains to 170, add extract and boil for 15 minutes to sanitize. I thought, great. Easier than what I did the first time. Somehow, at the end of the 15 minutes it didn't seem right so I kept boiling and adding water. Later I got that 'aroma' that I experienced during the all grain session. So now, I wonder if short boils work for extract as well. At least given the steeping grains I used. The method they use for the $9K 'dream' they hope to sell?

 

[lamarguy]

I agree with you guys - fail!

 

[ScubaSteve]

Yeah, totally overpriced...but I gotta admit, I'm in love with industrial stainless fittings. I have no clue why they ruined the aesthetic with black/powdercoated angle iron...they should have gone with at least 2" square SS tube. (Looks like subsequent versions include that though.)

The "ecto-soft" element is probably similar to a large plate chiller, where wort goes through one pathway and heated water goes through the other. That's probably why they have such a massive inline filter. That'd make a bitchin' hopback, wouldn't it?

If they cut the price in half, they might give morebeer a run for their money....that hardware is burly as hell!

 

[Brewmoor]

The "ecto-soft" element is probably similar to a large plate chiller, where wort goes through one pathway and heated water goes through the other. That's probably why they have such a massive inline filter. That'd make a bitchin' hopback, wouldn't it?

I don't think it is a plate chiller design. There is two sets of 240v going into the muffler looking things. 3000w in each. He said combined they are 6000w. soooo. There must be something in there that is producing heat.

Speaking of seeing things, I bet brewbeemer could find a laundry list of NEC violations, I know I see a few.

Yeah really. Pretty sure the vent on the side of the control panel would FAIL. If it is vented for an SSR then there is open line voltage in there. Big No No for wet locations. He did use seal tight over to the heaters. Then just ran open wires directly into the elements. May look cool but I am sure code people would have a problem with it.

Anyway. I will stop raggin on it. At least until mine is done to compare

 

[Julohan]

I must be the only one that likes it. I would buy it if I had an extra 10,000 lying around.

 

[Cliff897]

http://s1002.photobucket.com/albums/af143/zydaco/?action=view&current=BC-50.jpg&newest=1

This one is out of a Canadian company. They want about 8 Grand.
It's soup to nuts all SST & well done with some real polish in the details and finish but eight Grand?
I'll build one thank you very much.

 

[kal]

Old post but couldn't help but comment...

Horribly unimpressed. It looks like he is attempting to boil in the RIMS heat exchanger. This can't be good with that large volume of wort sitting at such a high temp, DMS city? Not to mention other off flavor producing substances that are normally boiled off.

This is exactly what I thought too.
I watched the same video:

http://www.autobrewer.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=6

When he filled the boil kettle up it was full right to the top (minus about an inch or two) and the first thing I was thinking was "how are they going to avoid boil overs with no headspace at all? It doesn't make any sense!".

Then I saw that they seem to be simply recirculating the wort through the heater to bring it up to 212F. So technically its "boiling" but there's basically zero venting or steam. It would appear that basically nothing gets boiled off!

As you mentioned that really can't be good for DMS production and the like. I would imagine the result would be like boiling with your lid on during the entire 60-90 minute boil. Not good.

A redesign to a 3-kettle system with something that can really boil would be interesting.

Some interesting ideas with the setup though. I don't see an issue with the price either. This is a highly custom product.

Kal

 

[PBHBeer]

Alpha acid extraction has to be terrible. It just looks like it sitting there doing nothing when he says its boiling

 

[wildwest450]

I normally don't bash high priced toys, but...

$9000 for a system where you have to clean out the mash tun, then pump wort back into to boil is foolish. As is having 2 guys who appear to have never brewed before shooting the video, double fail. And yes the anemic boil is probably the worst since it will affect the final product.

 

[kal]

http://s1002.photobucket.com/albums/af143/zydaco/?action=view&current=BC-50.jpg&newest=1

This one is out of a Canadian company. They want about 8 Grand.
It's soup to nuts all SST & well done with some real polish in the details and finish but eight Grand?
I'll build one thank you very much.

Picture's no longer there but I think you mean the BC-50 setup here: http://www.stainlesssteelspec.com/html/fr/frame.html

I've seen their setups in some local brewpubs. It's nice equipment.

What's wrong with $8K? Are you saying it's too expensive? Why?

Building it yourself will likely save at least 50% or more of the cost to buy pre-made since most of the cost of something like this would be all the design research and then the labour to custom build. These places don't work for free. These places don't farm out to China to build 10,000 units where labour rates are less than $1/hr.

I always hear people question prices on extremely customized items like this (not just brewing). "I can build it much cheaper!" is the usual comment. Well of course! The person complaining has a labour cost of $0/hr since they're building it for themselves. Last I checked, companies typically don't have people that work for free. There's also cost of certifications, licensing, testing, etc (The BC-50 setup is FDA and CE approved IIRC).

Get a plumber to fix a leaky sink and he'll charge you more than 10 cents for the o-ring he replaced. Get an electrician to wire up a new outlet and it'll cost you more than the $10 for the outlet, junction box, and 10 feet of 14/2 wire. Or do it yourself and save 95% of the cost.

Kal

 

[PBHBeer]

Or buy it from someone that built it for themselves and then realized he had no business brewing