- Joined
- May 15, 2014
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Trying to narrow down an AIO to finally get. Any help is appreciated.
Background: I have been brewing for a bit over 10 years now. The last 2 years though I’ve made maybe 1-2 batches. A lot of it is that I have a family now but also the process. I started with extract brewing and quickly moved to all grain. I enjoy making new recipes and seeing how they go. I use a simple/cheap 2 cooler setup for mash and sparge and then boil in a kettle atop a propane burner. Now that AIOs are seemingly very affordable (last time I was looking to upgrade the old RIMS/HERMS 3 kettle set up was still the thing to do/get) I think this will help me brew quite a bit more. Not having to use my bucket heaters and make sure the mash temp is fine all around and then covering the coolers and wrapping towels around them alone should make my day go easier/quicker.
Desires for a new AIO:
Systems I’ve found and researched (please let me know if I’m missing any):
So basically after doing my homework, I think I’ve narrowed it down to (at least out of what I’ve found) the Grainfather G40 and Brewzilla Gen4. Certainly a price difference but they both seem to ticket the boxes I want (and if I go CFC that adds some more money on top of the Brewzilla). The other systems do have some plusses but I’m not sold on them and the “modular” idea that I see bandied about is nice but seems unnecessary for me (ie. I think the grainfather and Brewzilla easily stock replacement parts and the warranty covers for a long time anyhow.)
Am I missing anything? Any systems or any considerations? I like the “buy once, cry once” motto at this point in my life. I think both systems I have narrowed it down to will do what I want and I’m open to comments between them but it seems both will make a fine batch of beer all the same (well, at least if I’m doing it right.)
Background: I have been brewing for a bit over 10 years now. The last 2 years though I’ve made maybe 1-2 batches. A lot of it is that I have a family now but also the process. I started with extract brewing and quickly moved to all grain. I enjoy making new recipes and seeing how they go. I use a simple/cheap 2 cooler setup for mash and sparge and then boil in a kettle atop a propane burner. Now that AIOs are seemingly very affordable (last time I was looking to upgrade the old RIMS/HERMS 3 kettle set up was still the thing to do/get) I think this will help me brew quite a bit more. Not having to use my bucket heaters and make sure the mash temp is fine all around and then covering the coolers and wrapping towels around them alone should make my day go easier/quicker.
Desires for a new AIO:
- probably 220 (I can have an electrician buddy install this pretty quick in my garage)
- 5 gallon batches but with the ability to do heavier beers (ie. RIS)- could potentially just do 4 gallon batches for that if necessary
- Wifi integration or at least scheduling- I think being able to set this up so start heating up the mash water to strike temp before I even wake would be super nice, let alone integration with an app/brewfather to manage recipes
- Preferred conical bottom
- Preferred hidden heating element
- Easy cleanup
- CFC preferred- I have an immersion chiller already and while it’s “fine” I think a CFC would be ideal (quicker, less likely to clog compared to a plate chiller)
- Budget- about 1500 USD and preferably less
Systems I’ve found and researched (please let me know if I’m missing any):
- Anvil Foundry – no included pump, don’t like the grain basket
- Blichmann BrewCompact- super expensive, deadspace
- Braumeister- So, so very expensive
- Brewhardware- BIAB w/o malt pipe (not sure I want that), exposed heating element
- Brewtech svbs- Expensive, no chiller included, no wifi/bt
- Brewtools B40- exposed heating element, middle circulator pipe, touch screen (rather just have buttons), very expensive
- Brewzilla Gen4
- Clawhammer- modular but bad grain basket, exposed heating coil, grain basket holding leaves a lot to be desired
- Grainfather G40
- Kegland Digiboil- May as well just get the brewzilla
- Spike- Well made but very expensive
- Unibrau- Expensive, harder to clean, deadspace, not sold on the grain basket, no wifi/bt
So basically after doing my homework, I think I’ve narrowed it down to (at least out of what I’ve found) the Grainfather G40 and Brewzilla Gen4. Certainly a price difference but they both seem to ticket the boxes I want (and if I go CFC that adds some more money on top of the Brewzilla). The other systems do have some plusses but I’m not sold on them and the “modular” idea that I see bandied about is nice but seems unnecessary for me (ie. I think the grainfather and Brewzilla easily stock replacement parts and the warranty covers for a long time anyhow.)
Am I missing anything? Any systems or any considerations? I like the “buy once, cry once” motto at this point in my life. I think both systems I have narrowed it down to will do what I want and I’m open to comments between them but it seems both will make a fine batch of beer all the same (well, at least if I’m doing it right.)