very close to ordering a Braumeister 20L...

[13brv3]

Greetings,

I've been sifting through the forum for a while, but this is my first post. I've been brewing extract for a few months, and I want to move to all grain. I ordered a 10 gal pot and other items to try BIAB, but cancelled them when I started looking into the all in one electric systems. I've seen enough to know that I WILL buy one, so there's no point getting the BIAB setup and then almost immediately abandoning it.

I happen to have a 220V outlet in the kitchen, which I've been using for an inductive cooktop, so I'm only looking at 220/240V systems to take advantage of faster heating. That rules out a few products. I even emailed the Grainfather folks, and they confirmed that they do not have a 220/240V version for the US in the works.

I looked at the Blichmann EasyBrew, but aside from being pricey, it's just not very compact. Space is a concern, as is ease of cleaning.

Mainly, I'm looking at the Braumeister 20L V2. I don't plan to brew "big" beers, so I don't think I'll be limited by the size, and I keg everything so 5 gal is perfect. It's still pretty pricey, but not enough to stop me.

My main question is whether I should be looking at anything else? Have I missed any other option similar in function?

Thanks,
Rusty

 

[Kampenken]

Rusty,

I own the Grainfather and love it, I hear you on the advantage of the 220V, but with a heat stick, you have the power for a strong one there-!- you could easily overcome that issue, and all your other issues are answered. Plus I've brewed over 6g with the GF and bet I can get to 7. Figured I'd note that based on your requirements and your issue with the GF. Best of luck in your choice.

 

[madscientist451]

A brewer in my local club has a Braumeister. He set it up on a club brew day and brewed on it. Its a nice machine, but way too pricey for me.
You may want to look at High Gravity Brewing Systems:
http://www.highgravitybrew.com/store/pc/Electric-Brewing-Systems-d68.htm

There are some you tube videos of these in action, but haven't seen one up close.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjbSfih9TuY[/ame]

Since you are just starting out, I would suggest you spend your $ on a temperature control fermenting unit before spending big money on a brewing rig.
You don't need a fancy rig to make wort, but having good temperature control will help you make better beer for sure.

 

[13brv3]

Thanks for the comments. The Grainfather is still interesting, even with the 110V limitation. The Braumeister is a nicer package though, particularly with 220V and the new version of the controller. I don't know if it's worth almost double the money, but I don't mind paying for quality and a good design.

I looked at the High Gravity system, and I've seen others that were similar. While it's cheaper, it just has too many separate parts, though that would be a blessing if any of them fail and need to be replaced.

Cheers,
Rusty

 

[augiedoggy]

Thanks for the comments. The Grainfather is still interesting, even with the 110V limitation. The Braumeister is a nicer package though, particularly with 220V and the new version of the controller. I don't know if it's worth almost double the money, but I don't mind paying for quality and a good design.

I looked at the High Gravity system, and I've seen others that were similar. While it's cheaper, it just has too many separate parts, though that would be a blessing if any of them fail and need to be replaced.

Cheers,
Rusty

Another advantage of the HG setup is all the same replacement parts are cheap if you buy them on amazon or ebay. Its really a DIY setup with common off the shelf stuff used here often only DIY,d be someone else so replacing any failed component is really easy...

The HG control panel has a lifetime warranty so Ive been told too which is a big advantage and IMHO it should for the price which is about 3 times the cost of its components if someone were to build one.

I dont know much about the other setup your looking at so im not going to comment on it but I did research the HG systems related to other threads.. (ironically madscientist451 has posted in just about everyone so he must really love his setup.) He and screwybrewer are certainly the guys to ask as far as info on them.

 

[13brv3]

There are certainly some advantages to having all the components be separate, but I'm just not feeling it. I've been searching more this morning, and I'll probably just snag a Braumeister 20L while MoreBeer still has them on sale. The GF is a pretty close second though.

Cheers,
Rusty

 

[13brv3]

Just ordered it. Thanks for the comments!
Rusty

 

[Kampenken]

Just ordered it. Thanks for the comments!
Rusty

Congrats and happy brewing for many years on your new setup!!

 

[brad2157]

Have you brewed on your new Braumeister yet? Looking at possibly going that route also and wanted to hear your thoughts on it.

 

[13brv3]

Have you brewed on your new Braumeister yet? Looking at possibly going that route also and wanted to hear your thoughts on it.

I've used it a half dozen times or so now, and I'm well pleased with it. There's still some room for improvements, and I see they just came out with the "plus" model. If the new cooling jacket works well, that will be a nice feature, and certainly the new lower valve was needed. The only other thing I'd wish for is a higher power heating element to cut down on heating times.

Cheers,
Rusty