Time for a New All-In-One Brewing System

[WannaB1]

The Unibrau in 240 volt with a non garbage pid gets pretty expensive.
I like that the solo is available in 15 gallon. This means that high gravity 5.5 gallon or 6.5 are no sweat. I hate being forced into a 20 gallon pot.
I have an SS brewtech 1V 10 gallon I use for eBIAB. I honestly wish it were 12.5 gallon, but I understand not having a dozen pot sizes. 20 gallon is annoyingly large imo

I've struggled with picking a size, I want to be able to do 5/6 gallon batches mainly but also do an occasional double batch. That put me in the 20 gallon bracket, I may regret this but heck that's par.

 

[Rik van den berg]

Short Circuit Brewers has a youtube video where he brews a 5 gallon batch on a 20G Spike Solo system. Seems pretty painless to me!

 

[Rik van den berg]

The Unibrau in 240 volt with a non garbage pid gets pretty expensive.
I like that the solo is available in 15 gallon. This means that high gravity 5.5 gallon or 6.5 are no sweat. I hate being forced into a 20 gallon pot.
I have an SS brewtech 1V 10 gallon I use for eBIAB. I honestly wish it were 12.5 gallon, but I understand not having a dozen pot sizes. 20 gallon is annoyingly large imo

Can you expand on the ‘garbage pid’ statement? Is theirs bad? Thanks

 

[matt_m]

Based on my Spike kettle and Electric Brewing Supply panel (which is who supplies panels to Spike), if I was buying again today I would buy Spike. I'd go for the Solo if I was starting from scratch, but probably use it with a bag for ease of cleanup. I briefly owned an Anvil as a second system (I had this idea I'd do dual brew days which never worked out) and it was so much harder to clean the malt pipe than a bag. The advantage of the Spike is everything is replaceable, most everything from multiple vendors. If your control panel fails and in the unlikely reason Spike can't support it, you can buy the components from a multitude of places. The only thing that's really Spike proprietary is the basket and the enclosure for the controller. And you could use a false bottom and do a bag without the basket if you somehow destroy that. Most of that also applies to the Unibrau but given that its only available in a 10 gallon kettle, I drops out of the picture for me even for 5 gallon batches. I'm opposed to anything expensive with a built-in controller that would be hard to replace and built-in element that's impossible to replace.

As for the steam lid, also consider having Spike add a port at the top of the kettle wall for a Steam Slayer. Works very well, runs off household water pressure instead of a pump, and is less obtrusive. Though the Spike setup does look super sexy and one could change out the nozzle and eliminate the pump.

 

[Rik van den berg]

.. I'm opposed to anything expensive with a built-in controller that would be hard to replace and built-in element that's impossible to replace. Most of that also applies to the Unibrau but given that its only available in a 10 gallon kettle, I drops out of the picture for me even for 5 gallon batches.

Are you sure you’re talking about the Unibräu? Just like the spike, only the basket and maybe the kettle seems unique. I can’t comment on the control unit but it is definitely a free standing unit. Also, Unibräu comes in a 10G or 20G version.

 

[matt_m]

Are you sure you’re talking about the Unibräu? Just like the spike, only the basket and maybe the kettle seems unique. I can’t comment on the control unit but it is definitely a free standing unit. Also, Unibräu comes in a 10G or 20G version.

Poor sentence arrangement. I fixed it.

I missed that Unibrau added a 20 gallon system, my Google search took me straight to the 10 gallon I was familiar with from considering it 2 years ago. Looks like a solid choice as well though not quite as elegant as their 10 gallon basket or Spikes. Not sure I like the open gap and it requires some sort of hoist for draining (no clips or support ring.)

Can you expand on the ‘garbage pid’ statement? Is theirs bad? Thanks

I was curious while I was there I looked this up. They sell 4 controllers. A 110V or 220V 13A that are cheap on/off controllers, and 110V or 220V 30A that are EZBoils. Going through the customizer, its only $100 to upgrade to the EZ Boil on the 110V system and the cheap ones obviously aren't an option for higher wattage configurations.

 

[Rik van den berg]

though not quite as elegant as their 10 gallon basket or Spikes. Not sure I like the open gap and it requires some sort of hoist for draining (no clips or support ring.)

good eye! I hadn't picked up on the different design of the 20G basket.. It's kind of misleading on their webpage because the second picture has a "10G style basket" it seems

 

[matt_m]

Yeah their web site is very confusing.

 

[NewJersey]

I wish there was a 12.5 gallon pot option for all of these things. I currently brew on an SS 1V 10.5 with a bag. I've gone up to 1080 and that was seriously pushing it. With a basket and 12.5 gallons I'd imagine you'd be good up to nearly any gravity. I guess that's what the 15 gallon solo is for.
The ease of handling and cleaning a 10 gallon pot is seriously underrated.

 

[matt_m]

I don't move mine other than tipping it forward to get virtually all the liquid, hops, and trub to the pickup. I rinse out the waste, CIP, and rinse all where it sits. About every 4th-ish brew I pull all the valves, pickups, etc to soak them and clean out the pockets that don't CIP as well but the kettle still stays put.

 

[WannaB1]

good eye! I hadn't picked up on the different design of the 20G basket.. It's kind of misleading on their webpage because the second picture has a "10G style basket" it seems

Does this affect your decision?

I'm struggling to pull the trigger, if I'm going to spend that amount of money I just wish I knew it was hands down the best I could get. Now I'm wondering if I should just buy a brewzilla / anvil, I can buy 3 of them for 1 of these if they crap out on me. Not the most logical thought process but I'm not the smartest lad. Actually, as I start to post this it hit me I doubt I'll do that, due to my hate of the Chinese government.

 

[NewJersey]

I don't move mine other than tipping it forward to get virtually all the liquid, hops, and trub to the pickup. I rinse out the waste, CIP, and rinse all where it sits. About every 4th-ish brew I pull all the valves, pickups, etc to soak them and clean out the pockets that don't CIP as well but the kettle still stays put.

Sounds like a good process.
I don't, and don't want to, CIP.

 

[Rik van den berg]

Does this affect your decision?

I'm struggling to pull the trigger, if I'm going to spend that amount of money I just wish I knew it was hands down the best I could get. Now I'm wondering if I should just buy a brewzilla / anvil, I can buy 3 of them for 1 of these if they crap out on me. Not the most logical thought process but I'm not the smartest lad. Actually, as I start to post this it hit me I doubt I'll do that, due to my hate of the Chinese government.

no still leaning towards the Unibräu

 

[Rik van den berg]

@WannaB1 Did you make up your mind? Buy something yet?

 

[WannaB1]

@WannaB1 Did you make up your mind? Buy something yet?

I haven't bought anything yet. I received an email from Grainfather that they are replacing my G30 under warranty so I'm going to try and make do for a bit longer. I'll be curious what you think of that Unibräu and just keep reading reviews until I turn blue. If I were ordering today I'd order the Spike Solo and Steam Lid. Another struggle I have is I want a large unit even tho I will mainly do 5-gallon batches, but I don't want for it to be awkward doing the 5-gallon batches.

 

[NewJersey]

I think I'm gonna get a 15 gallon solo and am seriously annoyed at myself for not getting one 20% off back on black friday. I also could have grabbed one without the goofy new logo, lol

 

[Aeroscout6]

Following

 

[WannaB1]

@WannaB1 Did you make up your mind? Buy something yet?

My replacement grainfather showed up today, pretty impressed with their customer service. Unibrau never did reply to my email which I was surprised about. I'm going to keep watching the used market and hold out since I have this working again Cheers!

 

[Rik van den berg]

I did it! I ordered a Unibräu 20G. For a controller I decided to go with the Blichmann Brewhouse Controller Brew Commander 240V in stead of the Brau supply controller.

Excited! (and no, I didn’t get a stimulus check lol)

 

[NewJersey]

The brew commander is pretty nice especially for the money.
I ended up buying a 15 gallon solo as it leaves me enough room to make virtually any gravity 6 gallon batch I want.
I've read on the spike group that the upper limit on 10 gallon batches in the solo 20 is about 1.070 and I imagine same for the Unibrau.
If they knew this I don't even see why they bother offering 10 and 20 gallon sizes
They should both just offer 15 and 25
Am I crazy??

Ps, I'm awaiting my THIRD kettle from Spike as the original and first replacement both had serious dents, lol.
Water tests later today and brew next weekend!

 

[Reneauj62]

I did it! I ordered a Unibräu 20G. For a controller I decided to go with the Blichmann Brewhouse Controller Brew Commander 240V in stead of the Brau supply controller.

Excited! (and no, I didn’t get a stimulus check lol)

I am thinking about either changing to a Blichmann or replacing the DSPR120 for the newer DSPR320

 

[Rik van den berg]

First brew on my Unibrau last weekend. Went through a steep learning curve and I felt like I did when I first tried a brew on my 3 V setup! I didn’t do any dry runs so it was trial and error while hoping to produce a decent enough beer at the end.

5 gallon batch, 12lbs of grains. According to the formula I needed 7.2Gal of water. The mash was dry and at one point it got stuck and emerged the heating element. Luckily I was there and managed to stir it all up enough to get it all to flow again. The hop screen got clogged up pretty bad with hops during the whirlpool.
I ended up with just around 5.5 gallons of wort. Which yielded me 3.5 gallons at the end of the boil (which I already shortened to 45 min). My gravity was at 1.08!! (Target 1.056). I ended up throwing a gallon and a half of water in the fermenter (haven’t done that since I stopped extract brewing LOL) just to make it all more drinkable.

take aways:
- the combination of the Brewcommander and the Unibräu setup is an extremely powerful and impressive system. Water heats up insanely fast and the boil was very vigorous.
-I need at least two more gallons of water to start. The pre boil volume needs to be closer to 7.5G to end up with 5.5G. Im hoping that a wetter mash will prevent plugging up the recirculation.
- seeing the final gravity, the efficiency seems to be in good shape
- I will not use the hop screen next time.
- sparge arm got plugged up but the pump is powerful enough to keep it going. Might start using a brew bag though
- I removed the grain basket away from the kettle right away. Next time I might keep it suspended over the kettle while heating the wort or even during the boil to let it drip out longer.
- despite the learning curve and having to heat up two separate batches of mash water (first one for contaminated with some production grime that I had missed in cleaning), my brew day still only lasted 4 hours. I think I can get that down to 3.5 altogether eventually, which is awesome!

 

[carnageasada]

I did it! I ordered a Unibräu 20G. For a controller I decided to go with the Blichmann Brewhouse Controller Brew Commander 240V in stead of the Brau supply controller.

Excited! (and no, I didn’t get a stimulus check lol)

Hey,
Reviving this to ask - did you drill your own 1/2" in the kettle to accommodate the Brew Commander's temp probe or handle it some other way?
Thanks

 

[Rik van den berg]

Hey,
Reviving this to ask - did you drill your own 1/2" in the kettle to accommodate the Brew Commander's temp probe or handle it some other way?
Thanks

no i just use the Unibrau temp probe sleeve. The probe fits in there perfectly

 

[Rik van den berg]

Just to let everyone interested know: I decided to get out of the hobby and listed my complete setup for sale. It is in the classified section!

 

[NewJersey]

Just to let everyone interested know: I decided to get out of the hobby and listed my complete setup for sale. It is in the classified section!

Booo