$500 to spend on All Grain set up - WWYD?

[HardKnockBrewing]

Hi all,

First post here - it may be a bit of a rambling mess.

I have been brewing inconsistently for a few years now – I started with the no boil canned stuff and have recently moved onto dried malt extract with steeped grain and experimenting with hops. I have decided to take things a little seriously now and have invested in a temperature controller for fermenting which I found via this forum (ITC-308).

The next step is to figure out the next method to brew. At the moment I am using a 10L brew pot and then just topping up with water to 21L. (Pic below).

I am looking to go to all grain and have $500 to spend. Is it best to invest in either the 40L Guten or 35L Brewzilla - or go for a BIAB set up and spend money on a SS Brewtech BrewBucket? At the moment, I am bottling which is fine with me as I don’t tend to drink a lot (I go through a 6 pack a week depending if I have mates over etc). In terms of beer style, I like my Pale Ales, IPAs, NEIPA - nothing too strong really. I do like experimenting with flavours.

So I guess the question is, if you had $500 burning a hole in your pocket - where would you be directing your cash if you were at the stage I am in your brewing.

PS. A bit of a story behind the name ‘Hard Knock Brewing’… I was moving some longnecks that I had brewed a number of years ago. One of the bottles exploded which resulted in a 3cm cut below my lip that went all the way through to the inside of my mouth, a few stitches and a bit of a clean up. Hard Knock was born.

 

[monkey brewing]

Hey I'm just like you my friend, I have invested in a Guten, my reasoning? price, $399 40L, $499 50L, at keg king online, have not done a A.G batch yet in fact I am still awaiting delivery which is due today, I jumped straight from kit and extract into well soon, this weekend or tomorrow attempting my 1st A.G brew.

 

[HardKnockBrewing]

Awesome, let me know how you go with it.

To be honest – the batch size really isn’t a factor for me due to the amount that I drink. I can’t remember the last time I bought a case of a specific beer as I absolutely enjoy tasting different beers from craft brewers at the local bottle shop. I guess I have a short attention span with styles!

 

[beer gut]

People that have bought Guten’s really like them and people who bought Brewzilla’s/Robobrew’s (me included) really like them.

What ever you choose I reckon you’ll love it and you will be pumping out quality beers.

I have got 2 Ss brew buckets and also really like them.

Personally I’d buy a Brewzilla/Robobrew or Guten and get a Ss brew bucket down the track.

 

[HardKnockBrewing]

Thanks everyone. I probably won't be posting here from here on in... seems it takes too long for my posts to be approved which doesn't really encourage conversation.

 

[Mya]

I like my Guten and can't say much wrong about it, I think the consistency you can get in terms of exact temperature profiles while mashing will make the biggest difference in your beers, a SS fermenter is nice but it is definitely a purchase to be made much later down the track. The other important thing is precise temperature control while fermenting, you say you have a temperature controller now - I assume you have some form of fermentation chamber (and old fridge) to ferment in?

 

[Timbo]

I have a 3v Herms setup, but being time poor (big hours, landscaping my new place), free time is obviously spent with the family and can’t spend hours on that system at the minute. I’ve actually had to take a step back brewing K & k just to keep my kegs filled because I can punch them out in less than halfa.

Obviously you can’t save much time mashing, but how long does an average brew take on one of these all in one setups? Is there much time difference between this and a larger setup? I’m assuming less clean up. Might bite the bullet if time can be saved, but if not I’ll just keep filling kegs till things settle down a bit.

 

[Mya]

I've never used a 3v to compare it to, but the electric at 2400w will likely heat slower than most LPG burners. However the time you really save Imo is the time spent actually doing stuff. You fill it with water, set mash temp and walk away. When it beeps, come back and mash in, if you want to mash out you set that profile too. I mash out so after it finishes mashing it automatically ramps up to mash out and then beeps at you once mash out is done to start sparging (or if not mashing out it will beep after the mashing), you sparge while the wort is warming up for boiling (so save time this way, it gets to like 85 by the time I've finished sparging) then when you've finished sparging you walk away. Meanwhile it gets to boiling and then boils away, you'll need to check it at some point to figure out what timings you need for hops but otherwise you spend like 95% of the time away from it and you can do other stuff during which I think is where the real benefit is, no vessel transfers or managing mashing temps etc.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I have a 3v Herms setup, but being time poor (big hours, landscaping my new place), free time is obviously spent with the family and can’t spend hours on that system at the minute. I’ve actually had to take a step back brewing K & k just to keep my kegs filled because I can punch them out in less than halfa.

Obviously you can’t save much time mashing, but how long does an average brew take on one of these all in one setups? Is there much time difference between this and a larger setup? I’m assuming less clean up. Might bite the bullet if time can be saved, but if not I’ll just keep filling kegs till things settle down a bit.

I try to brew when my wife isn't around that saves about 1 hour, full volume mash, no mash out, no sparge, starter goes into grain bed for a warm up, boil, cool transfer to fermenter pitch yeast clean up.
As Mya mentioned other jobs can be done during mashing and boiling time only thing left to do at the end is clean out the kettle.

 

[Mya]

Thanks everyone. I probably won't be posting here from here on in... seems it takes too long for my posts to be approved which doesn't really encourage conversation.

That goes away after your first few posts, it's a necessary evil to stop the spammers unfortunately.

 

[Timbo]

Awesome responses, much appreciated. Heaps to consider as a middle ground between 3v and mixing gunk together (kits/extract) would be perfect at the minute.

 

[Timbo]

That goes away after your first few posts, it's a necessary evil to stop the spammers unfortunately.

Yup absolutely. Hang in there HKB, it goes away before you know it!

 

[Reg Holt]

I have a 3v Herms setup, but being time poor (big hours, landscaping my new place), free time is obviously spent with the family and can’t spend hours on that system at the minute. I’ve actually had to take a step back brewing K & k just to keep my kegs filled because I can punch them out in less than halfa.

Obviously you can’t save much time mashing, but how long does an average brew take on one of these all in one setups? Is there much time difference between this and a larger setup? I’m assuming less clean up. Might bite the bullet if time can be saved, but if not I’ll just keep filling kegs till things settle down a bit.

I was 3 v but for me it made more sense to get a SVB I bought a 40 litre Guten second hand, was really impressed so got the 50 litre on special.
Now I have read there is a 70 litre coming out.

 

[Timbo]

I was 3 v but for me it made more sense to get a SVB I bought a 40 litre Guten second hand, was really impressed so got the 50 litre on special.
Now I have read there is a 70 litre coming out.

Thanks! This was the kind of opinion I was after as you’ve scaled back vessels as I’m considering. I’m glad you’re happy with your setup and it’s given me food for thought.

 

[TheBeerBaron]

I’m planning to go BIAB with the 65L DigiBoil from KL to test the waters of AG… that way I can do full volume, no sparge etc. which is easier (?) to get mastered and then if later decide to go the BrewZilla route, i’ll already own the sparge water heater!

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I was 3 v but for me it made more sense to get a SVB I bought a 40 litre Guten second hand, was really impressed so got the 50 litre on special.
Now I have read there is a 70 litre coming out.

That is correct a 70 litre model of the Guten is in the pipeline.

 

[JDW81]

If I was starting from scratch and had $500 to set up an AG system, I'd spend $150-200 on an urn and go BIAB then use the rest to buy a nice kegging setup (and forget the brew bucket for the time being).

The automated systems are good, but they don't make better beer than a 3v or good ole BIAB. Things like good recipe design, yeast health, sanitisation and temperature control do more for quality beer than shiny stainless steel ever will.

JD

 

[Timbo]

If I was starting from scratch and had $500 to set up an AG system, I'd spend $150-200 on an urn and go BIAB then use the rest to buy a nice kegging setup (and forget the brew bucket for the time being).

The automated systems are good, but they don't make better beer than a 3v or good ole BIAB. Things like good recipe design, yeast health, sanitisation and temperature control do more for quality beer than shiny stainless steel ever will.

JD

Oh yeah, kegging any day over a brew bucket!

I flat out wouldn’t brew anymore if I had to bottle....

 

[mje1980]

I brewed 3v for a few years, then Biab for a few years. A mate said he was going to get a robobrew, god, they’re so easy to use it’s not funny. Quite compact too. I was going to go halves with him but I’m going to get one of my own.

 

[Timbo]

Might go and have a look at a robo/guten in person I think! Less gear to have out, ease of use and reasonable prices are selling it to me...