Purchasing 50l Braumeister

[Matty3450]

Hi all has anyone purchased a braumeister recently? I've done a lot of research and am very impressed with what I see. What are your experiences with it so far? I've read these forums and understand there is plenty of positive stuff about these and also some negetive some mainly based around the price.

I generally brew double batches of American ales on my old setup but like the braumeisters ability to step mash as I would like to start making more lager type beers.

If people could post there experiences it will be appreciated.

Regards

Matt

 

[tavas]

Bought mine in March. Have only used it twice due to limitations of space for bottles. Unit works great, except needing to get 15amp power and lifting the pipe can be an issue. I made a lifting jig out of square tube and a boat winch.
I found that I don't really know enough about step mashing to know what I am doing. So here is my next area of education.

Another benefit I found is that because I spilt my batches, I can ferment using different yeasts to find out what each one brings to the table. Currently I have a 3 Shades of Stout split with Nottingham in one and Wyeast 1469 in the other. Hoping to crack the first bottle this weekend to see the difference.

The only negative I found is the cost. Once you get over that, you won't regret it. I fart assed about trying to make a single vessel unit, even toyed with the idea of making a Braumiser clone, but my wife explained it quite clearly: "How much time will you spend stuffing around to get it right, vs spending the coin up front and buying back that time". Sold it for me. Bought the unit when the bonus came through, chucked out all of my half started and failed attempts and just kept the urn and bag.

With me working long hours and two small kids, time is precious for us. The BM sits in the corner of the patio doing its thing while I play with the kids. I just need to attend to things when they come up (like lifting pipe, throw in hops) and then clean up. One vessel, cleanup is easy.

You will keep it forever so amortise the cost over a long timeframe, or you can sell it for a good price.

The other arguement I have seen is you can't do big beers. I know some guys have found work arounds, but I have never made a beer over about 1.065 and probably never will so it's not an issue for me.

They are still hands on: you still develop the recipe, crack the grain, measure out the hops etc. The mash part is taken care of and I find that works damn well for me.

My 0.185c

 

[Batz]

I've had mine for two years and love it!

It replaced my very nice 3v HERMS set up. Best move I've made and never looked back.

 

[Dan Pratt]

I got my 20lt in Dec last year and its been awesome making beer since. You wont regret it. The price up front is alot but its a long term equipment investment that has good dividends.

Positives - step mashing repeatabilty, hop addition beeper, single vessel clean up.

Negatives - Limitations on big beers - eg 20litres of 1060 with 5kg of grain is hard to do with just malt.

 

[tallie]

I bought mine in January and have brewed on it 10 times. All but one of those times was doing a single batch with the short malt pipe. Contrary to what most people have described, I struggle to get over 70% mash efficiency, even for beers in the range of 1.045-1.050 OG. Perhaps I'm measuring it differently, or perhaps it's a limitation of the short malt pipe, or something else. The only full-size batch I've done also came in at 63%, but it was a bigger beer. Anyway, it doesn't bother me too much now - I just set most of my recipes to 70% and aim for that.

I think to get any sort of decent efficiency, sparging is a must (I'm very happy to be proven wrong on this, as long as you show me how!). This adds a bit of stuffing around to what is an otherwise very streamlined and automated brewday. Just something to be aware of. Also, don't trust the measurements on the tie-rod - mine were a few litres out to what is reported in the manual, and I've heard this from others too. The manual may be reporting volume minus dead-space, but whatever the case, it can throw your calculations out.

Price certainly is a big factor, not forgetting the need to get a 15A circuit installed if you don't already have one. The reason I went the 50 despite primarily brewing 20L batches is the ability to use the large malt pipe to brew a big beer, and gain on the OG by boiling it down longer. I haven't tried this in anger yet, but I'm confident it would work.

If you've got a local retailer that stocks them, or perhaps a local club with someone who has one, try and get along to a brewday and see what's involved. Whilst I don't think my brewdays are any shorter since moving from my old 2-tier 3V setup, the amount of hands-on time seems to be far less.

 

[professional_drunk]

If for example you buy a 20lt BM, is there any issue with doing a smaller volume of doppelbock style wort?

 

[Kranky]

I got a 50l last October. The biggest issue I had was the cost of the single vessel brew system, I was concerned about it being a tinny piece of overpriced crap. I have to say I haven't regretted buying the Braumeister in any way, shape or form. It's brilliant.

I've still got my 3v system for high gravity beer, which is the one drawback of the Braumeister. I have however been looking at ways of doing higher gravity beers in the Braumeister and recently used 2 lots of grains (a double mash I guess) to make an 8.8% double IPA (the beer won a local brew comp with a BJCP score of 48). The contrast between brewing with a 3v outdoor system and indoor with the single vessel system is large. Not ever having to worry about the weather to brew is a god send.

Step mashing is as easy as programming in your temps and times. The repeatability of brewing the same beer is superb and it's just so much less work. I'd recommend getting one. If for some reason you don't like it I'd bet the resale value isn't going to hurt that much.

 

[tallie]

If for example you buy a 20lt BM, is there any issue with doing a smaller volume of doppelbock style wort?

I don't think so, and hope not, as that's what I'm banking on!

Just pulling numbers out of the air, say you get 22L of 1.060 wort at the end of a 60 min boil with an evaporation rate of 4L/hour. If you change your boil to 2 hours, you'd end up with 18L of 1.073 wort. 2.5 hrs would give 16L of 1.082 and 3 hrs would be 14L of 1.094.

The main case I can think of where extending a boil would be problematic would be for a paler beer like a Belgian Tripel, where you don't necessarily want the darkening or flavouring characteristics you get form an extended boil. For most high OG beers though, I think those characteristics would be beneficial.

Another alternative is to bump up the OG by adding extract.

Edit: As Kranky mentioned, yet another alternative is the double-mashing. In fact, there's a whole thread about big beers on the BM at http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/60261-big-beers-for-the-braumeister/

 

[stakka82]

I have had a 50l since March this year and have done about 6 batches with the large malt pipe.

All in all very happy with the purchase and do not regret it in any way. Still getting my head around step mashing and am yet to do a 5 step pilsner (this is coming up soon) but with basic 55/62/72/78 mashes for ales have been getting great results. This may be more a reflection on previous brewing techniques than the equipment itself but either way I'm stoked.

I have found that you can also get 3 cubes full of moderate strength wort (around the 1042 mark) no worries, or do a big boil for bigger beers and get 1.5 cube batches, great flexibility in that regard.

Main drawback for me is hauling the unit around to clean it and getting the malt pipe out. Either are doable with 1 person but ideally you want a mate around to help unless you have a pulley set up which I have not got around to doing.

 

[Bribie G]

Tallie, if you were at the Systems Wars comp a couple of years ago, you may recall that the BM - operated by Pocket Beers - came in at 74% efficiency which was the same as the BIAB setup - seems to be "ballpark" for the system.

 

[stakka82]

I regularly get 80% plus but employ 10l sparge.

 

[tiprya]

Positives - step mashing repeatabilty, hop addition beeper, single vessel clean up.

How do you get hop addition beeps?!?

I love my 20L - I get 86% mash efficiency FWIW

 

[Bribie G]

I set hop addition beeps with a couple of Aldi $4 timers

ah that German technology :lol:

 

[davo4772]

Just bought a 20l. To be honest I would marry mine if it were legal.

The advantages are previously well recorded around here.

My main issue currently with small children is I have little time to brew and the brewing day tends to be fragmented. That is I will get up early, start the mash. Let the BM do it's thing. Finish mashing at 9-10am. Then in the afternoon finish the boil etc when the kid is asleep.
Sometimes I will mash in the evening and boill in the morning. Or mash in the arvo and finish when kids are asleep.
The point being is I can reliably leave the thing unattended and attend to the kids.

Prior to the BM I could still do that with my RIMS but the eventual clean up was a pain. 2 to 3 pots, hoses, setting up etc.

BM is dead easy, one pot, no hoses. Seems to make the brewday much easier with less fluffing around.

Equally BIAB is just as easy but if you want step mashing it takes away the simplicity.


As to efficiency. I had my old system (RIMS) tuned to 70%. When I bought the BM I am easily hitting 80% with the same crush. I'm not obsessed with effficiency as long as it's consistant and I would'nt want to go higher than 80% anyway.

Anyway, don't hesitate. they are a great bit of gear. Yet to find anyone whom has regretted the purchase.

Dave

 

[Matty3450]

Thanks everyone for their replies I will be hopefully picking one up in Perth when I'm in town at the end of the month. Pending stock arrival.

Fingers crossed don't get to Perth often and I like to take the opportunity when there to buy lots of grain and other heavy things that are expensive to freight.

Thanks again

 

[tavas]

Ring Roy at TWOC to put one aside. He had 4 50Lt units when i bought mine so should have one available.

 

[mrTbeer]

Saw one (50L) being used commercially yesterday by Siobahn at brewbake.
2 brews a day everyday, be interesting to see how the machine goes long term.

 

[Batz]

Saw one (50L) being used commercially yesterday by Siobahn at brewbake.
2 brews a day everyday, be interesting to see how the machine goes long term.

There you go, being used commercially. What better rap can you get than that.

 

[dicko]

i had an excellent 50 litre 3v with a herms but I found that the equipment was just getting to heavy when cleaning and generally moving the gear around.
After much thought I decided to downsize and rather than build a smaller system I bought a 20 litre BM. I know what it cost me to build the 3v and I figure the BM purchase was on par if everything is taken into account.
Well I just am stoked with the BM. It is so easy to use and easy to clean. It produces beer that is repeatable which makes for an enjoyable brewday.
I get around the 80% efficiency out of mine with an average OG under 1.050.
As I go higher the efficiency drops a bit but nothing that you can't account for once you have used it a few times.
Each owner seems to have their own methods but in the end the result is still good beer.
Buy one mate...you wont regret it..

Cheers

 

[Dan Pratt]

How do you get hop addition beeps?!?

I love my 20L - I get 86% mash efficiency FWIW

while we are all on about mash efficiencys I get +/- 80% aswell. but i was doing that with biab.

The hops beeper comes std on the new units. YOU get 3 options to set a timer after you have dialled in the boil length and temp.

From memory new units come with hops beeper, rubber caps on the legs and steel mesh to replace the cloth style filters.