Would anyone buy the Robobrew over the Brewer's Edge Mash & Boil?

[SanPancho]

no worries, we've gotten quotes from him on tanks. just didnt remember he makes brewhouses too.

 

[augiedoggy]

no worries, we've gotten quotes from him on tanks. just didnt remember he makes brewhouses too.

They make them for stout.

 

[Bane]

Which one of these Alibaba options is the grainfather equivalent?

 

[amccune]

So, I realize this is on older question, but I've actually owned both and have some insight.

I bought the robobrew originally because it looked awesome to have everything in one. I paid the extra money essentially for the pump and that was a pro for me, even though I own a pump. Originally, this was only going to be used for brewing in the winter, as I live in the north and the propane setup isn't fun to use when it's cold out.

I got 12 brews into the Robo and it burned up. (Version 3, purchased in May 2018, died January 1st, 2019) Literally it burned up. It was heating water overnight (before you say that was the reason, it has this as a feature in it's marketing and in it's user manual.) Was totally paranoid (for good reason!) and checked it FOUR times during the night. My wife woke me up and said the basement stinks like plastic burning. Sure enough - it was the robobrew. Burned right through plastic and died. In fact, there were singe marks everywhere. I'm certain there was actually a small fire for a bit. I'm lucky it didn't kill us, to be honest.

So, I was still under warranty, but I wasn't able to get my money back. That was ok, because I was given store credit and bought a mash and boil.

Now - I haven't used the M&B as of yet, so I can't speak to performance. So far, it's best feature is that it hasn't tried to burn my house down.

Seriously though - here's why you should get a M&B OVER the Robobrew to begin with. Perhaps they fixed the issues with 3.1 - fine. Their customer service was great. Super. BUT. The Mash and Boil feels better built. It's sturdier, the screen seems a little more basic, but that's not really a bad thing. It's actually got built in double-walled insulation, which I love.

Originally, I wanted to have the pump included. That was a issue for the RB that isn't discussed enough. It has a false bottom. There's the "malt pipe" and such....but I had to disassemble it three times to unclog the pump. And it's a ***** to clean because it's tiny.

In a system like this, modular is better. If I had the cash, I would skip past the Grainfather and go to something more like the Unibrau or Clawhammer setup. WHY? Because when a part goes out, I don't want to have to replace everything, I'd rather replace that part. When the elements die on my Mash and Boil, I'll be left with an expensive urn that doesn't work. Right now, if my pump has an issue, then I can deal with that as it's own issue. No biggie. If it dies, I can get a replacement fairly cheap. Some people use those $20 solar pumps on amazon.

That's my 2 cents. I think it's a better product. There haven't been nearly the amount of issues with this product like the RB, and having an external pump is actually a much BETTER setup.

 

[micraftbeer]

Well, I guess count myself lucky. My V2 had a control panel issue that just caused me to lose function, I didn't have any meltdowns.

 

[augiedoggy]

With the manufacturer trying to sell me them on alibaba for less than $80 im really not all that shocked at the high failure rate. there cant be a whole lot of quality going on with that much for that price and them still making a profit...

 

[jaysquared2]

With the manufacturer trying to sell me them on alibaba for less than $80 im really not all that shocked at the high failure rate. there cant be a whole lot of quality going on with that much for that price and them still making a profit...

Any chance you remembered who sells these at this price on alibaba? Only one I've seen for $80 is with no pump, no grain basket. Pretty much just a kettle with a heating element. Also, even those $80ish ones become like $800 plus after shipping quote due to customs bonds and stuff.

 

[augiedoggy]

Any chance you remembered who sells these at this price on alibaba? Only one I've seen for $80 is with no pump, no grain basket. Pretty much just a kettle with a heating element. Also, even those $80ish ones become like $800 plus after shipping quote due to customs bonds and stuff.

hmm that shouldnt be right customs and shipping from china on my 3bbl brewhouse from china was only $1,600. That was before Trumps tariffs though.

I do not has anything bookmarked or saved but I found that if you look at a bunch of them on alibaba as a registered user, the vendors will contact you with offers like they me.

 

[Brewmakeray]

I've seen a lot of talk about these two systems, and read some really excellent reviews (like Brad at beersnobby.com, here and here). For the time being, let's ignore that the Robobrew comes with an immersion chiller and has an option for a pump*. In terms of the basic functionality, my readings suggest the Mash & Boil may be preferable since it is double-walled stainless with more robust welds. While the Robobrew is single-walled, it has extra false bottoms to help catch crud from scorching on the bottom and shutting the system down.

Has anyone played with both units, and could you share your preference? Please note: I'm not looking for reviews of just one unit--there are plenty of those out there.

*I already have a pump and plate chiller, which is why I'm ignoring them.

I just purchased a Mash and Boil, one because I had a tight budget and two because I wanted to be able to brew inside on bad weather days and I am happily pleased with the decision to buy it. Sure you need some patience when going from burners to electric but now I have a choice and would do it again if I had to.

 

[augiedoggy]

I just purchased a Mash and Boil, one because I had a tight budget and two because I wanted to be able to brew inside on bad weather days and I am happily pleased with the decision to buy it. Sure you need some patience when going from burners to electric but now I have a choice and would do it again if I had to.

To be fair here it really Depends on the setup, patience may only be required when going from gas to 120v electric where its often slower... Many 240v electric setups are in fact faster and easier if you have temp control than gas. But the flip side of that is the ones that has an abundance of "features" which just make it harder for some to use.. Thats why preferences are often so different.
Being able to brew indoors was a huge thing for me as I used to do my brewing almost exclusively in the winter.

 

[noiz2]

...

Now - I haven't used the M&B as of yet, so I can't speak to performance. So far, it's best feature is that it hasn't tried to burn my house down.

Seriously though - here's why you should get a M&B OVER the Robobrew to begin with. Perhaps they fixed the issues with 3.1 - fine. Their customer service was great. Super. BUT. The Mash and Boil feels better built. It's sturdier, the screen seems a little more basic, but that's not really a bad thing. It's actually got built in double-walled insulation, which I love.

Originally, I wanted to have the pump included. That was a issue for the RB that isn't discussed enough. It has a false bottom. There's the "malt pipe" and such....but I had to disassemble it three times to unclog the pump. And it's a ***** to clean because it's tiny.

In a system like this, modular is better. If I had the cash, I would skip past the Grainfather and go to something more like the Unibrau or Clawhammer setup. WHY? Because when a part goes out, I don't want to have to replace everything, I'd rather replace that part. When the elements die on my Mash and Boil, I'll be left with an expensive urn that doesn't work. Right now, if my pump has an issue, then I can deal with that as it's own issue. No biggie. If it dies, I can get a replacement fairly cheap. Some people use those $20 solar pumps on amazon.

That's my 2 cents. I think it's a better product. There haven't been nearly the amount of issues with this product like the RB, and having an external pump is actually a much BETTER setup.

OK so a couple of points. Your final conclusion is really unfounded as you say above you haven't used the system yet. So since it hasn't been used it of course has not had "nearly the amount of issues", as in no uses = no issues.

The rest I mostly agree with. The pumps in these things are the same small sized ones as the solar circulator pumps and are very susceptible to clogging. That is part of why I got one without a pump, RB also sells a model with no pump. I also agree that with a bigger budget a more modular system is a better deal. Even the Grainfather is more modular. However the RB is actually a touch more repairable than the M&B. Since the RB is single wall you can add things like a second heating element, or add one to replace a broken main one. You could also add a thermowell and use a third party controller. The M&B doesn't allow that because of the double wall. Part of my choice was based on being able to modify/ fix the RB.

I also think the electronics in the RB are a bit more protected from water and stuff getting in, but honestly that is an impression so maybe it isn't.

If mine caught fire I would probably switch brands also! You are the first report I have seen of fire, so I suspect it was more of a one off defect than a design flaw but? These style units are probably coming out of the same factory in China so if there is a QA difference between the two it's probably happening with the importer.

So my 2 cents is that I don't think there is a huge difference between the two. But if you get some brews done on the M&B I would love a real comparison, because I haven't really seen any.