Speidels Braumeister. Impressive Yes. Expensive Yes.

[banora brewer]

The video on the Speidel site shows the users topping up with water at the end of the boil, but nobody seems to have mentioned it in the last 17 pages. Is it required to achieve the full volume, or does the flood sparge provide the extra volume at the start of the boil?

I just sparge with 5 litres of water when i lift the malt pipe.

 

[BierFest]

Hi All,
Im thinking of getting one of these setups as they look fantastic. However I just had a few questions for some of you who already have the setup.
1. Has anyone bought the copper hood and if so are there any advantages to having it?
2. Do you guys use dried hops or pellet hops? If using dried hops do you have any problems using these with this machine?
Thanks,
Brian.

 

[banora brewer]

Hi All,
Im thinking of getting one of these setups as they look fantastic. However I just had a few questions for some of you who already have the setup.
1. Has anyone bought the copper hood and if so are there any advantages to having it?
2. Do you guys use dried hops or pellet hops? If using dried hops do you have any problems using these with this machine?
Thanks,
Brian.

Hi Brian, I just use the pellets, I have used flowers, I just used a hop sock. If you get one you won't be disappointed. I'm not sure about the copper lid.

 

[humulus]

Hi All,
Im thinking of getting one of these setups as they look fantastic. However I just had a few questions for some of you who already have the setup.
1. Has anyone bought the copper hood and if so are there any advantages to having it?
2. Do you guys use dried hops or pellet hops? If using dried hops do you have any problems using these with this machine?
Thanks,
Brian.

I only use the pellets Brian,the copper hood is great if you have to brew indoors, you can duct the steam from the boil out side by just using that flexi duct you get from the big green shed! It also gets the boil going quicker but still allows the bad stuff to boil off
If you can afford it get one there bloody awsome!! :icon_chickcheers:

 

[BierFest]

Thanks for the replies! I think I am definately sold and will be ordering over the next week or so. If you had the chance would you order the 20l or the 50l along with the insert malt pipe for 20l?
I still cant decide if the copper hood is actually useful or if it is just meant to look good and direct the steam as suggested here! I suspect also that if brewing in a colder climate it might help to get the boil going faster but im not sure.

 

[Malted]

Thanks for the replies! I think I am definately sold and will be ordering over the next week or so. If you had the chance would you order the 20l or the 50l along with the insert malt pipe for 20l?
I still cant decide if the copper hood is actually useful or if it is just meant to look good and direct the steam as suggested here! I suspect also that if brewing in a colder climate it might help to get the boil going faster but im not sure.

The machines do come with a lid, if you're wanting to get it to boil faster you could use that, or some form of insulation around the outside.
IMO the copper hood is a waste of time unless you're wanting to vent the steam somewhere. Otherwise IMO it is on no use other than expensive bling.

 

[stux]

some form of insulation around the outside.

Spiedel do make an insulation jacket, seems to be a nice solution

http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/product_in...roducts_id=8878

 

[rockin49]

Hi All,

I've been reviewing a number of Braumeister threads on a couple of forums, watched the youtube videos and reviewed the manufacturers' website, but haven't been able to see one of these in action in person. I'm considering a 20L version since I want to cutover to a rig that doesn't take much brew effort and produces a consistent result - something I don't now get with a 2v gas setup.

Is there someone in Brisbane (I'm just east of Bris) that's doing a brew on one of these in the next week that doesn't mind me watching for a bit and asking a few questions? I just want to be 100% that the system is really what I'm after before taking the plunge. Ross mentioned that the store demo model isn't yet available and I want to grab one of these soon if they're ok.

Please pm me if ok.

Dan

 

[RobB]

I keep finding my way back to this thread. That little voice in my head must be trying to tell me something.

There has been some chat regarding smaller batches in the 50 litre model, but what would be the smallest batch you could do in the 20 litre? I brew for my 12 litre kegs, so I would want to finish with about 13 litres plus trub at the end of the boil. What is the minimum volume of water required to run through the mash? I'd like to avoid a three hour boil to hit my target volume!

With my batch size, the amount of grain I use is only about 2.8kg for a 1.050 brew. Would this be sufficient to form a good grain bed in the 20 litre unit?

 

[wobbly]

Not sure if 2.8kg grain would form an acceptable bed height however after having a look at my 20lt unit and doing a couple of quick (rough) calculations it would look like the min vol you could work with would be around 20.5lt based on the following.
1. You will need to maintain about 100mm of return wort on the outside of the malt pipe to provide adequate cover over the heating element
2. Malt pipe dia = 26.5cm, height = 36cm = 19.7lt vol (approx)
3. To provide cover over heating element (Braumeister dia =34cm height = 10cm = 9.3lt vol approx) minus (malt pipe dia 26.5cm heighht =10cm =5.5lt vol approx) = 9.3 - 5.5 = 3.8lt vol
4. So vol required to fill malt pipe and also provide 100mm cover over heating element = 19.7lt + 3.8lt = 23.5lt
5 From this you would need to deduct the vol that the grain would occupy which could be around 5lt of vol capacity
6. So with grain in the malt pipe you would then need an additional 20.5lt of water approx (23.5lt - 5lt grain vol + 2.5lt absorsion= 20.5lt)
7. Allowing for grain absorbsion say 2.5lt, trub loss say 2lt, and evaporation of say 2lt you are going to end up with a final vol of somewhere around 14lt

8.This is where you would run into a catch 22 situation because whithout the grian in the malt pipe you will not have sufficient fluid to provide adequate circulation to cover the heating element and you will not be able to operate the control system to heat your water without the grain being present which defeats the design of the system.

And even if you could manage the situation it would all be a very tight balancing act.

An alternative could be to place a piece of "styrofoam" (say 150mm thick and say 6mm smaller in diameter than the malt pipe?) or similar on top of the top filter to fill the voide between the top filter and the hold down bar. You would possibly need to have some sort of spacers (say 6mm) between the top filter and the underside of the styrofoam to ensure you didn't restrict the pump flow through the grain bed

Hope this gives you some further food for thought

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[Florian]

Hey Wobbly, I might have completely misunderstood what you wrote, but under your point 8. It sounds like as if you're initially heating your water already with the malt pipe insertet? You shouldn't insert the malt pipe without adding the grain straight away, so basically heat you water to strike temp without the malt pipe.
As I said, it's still early and I may have misunderstood what you meant.

Also, you could always mash in straight away, say at 20 degrees, and so eliminating a further interuption from whatever you're doing besides brewing. I do this most of the times as it means that I only have to attend to the BM three times during brew day (recipe dependant), once at the start, then to lift the malt pipe and FWH and at the end.

 

[wobbly]

Hi Florain

Mate it's proberbly the way I wrote it. It was late at night and I had not long been home after a tasting session (of more than 1) of the LC Big Dipper brew which I thought was very tasty

No I heat the water first to around 42C then add the malt pipe then add the grain and let it soak for about 15 mins and then start to ramp to either protein or first maltos rest

What I was trying to say was if Malty Cultural only wanted to brew 13lt into his fermenter using the 20lt Braumeister then he would have to find a way of eat up some of the internal displacement of the malt pipe because it alone will requires around 15lt/16lt to reach overflow with 2.8kg of grain and you also will require around an additional 4 to 5 lt to adequately cover the heating element. I guess the point I was trying to make is that it could/would be a delicate balancing act to try and achieve 13lt into the fermenter.

The best option I can think of would as I suggestered to try and fill some of the voide above the malt with something like a styrofoam plug etc

Off this particular topic you mention that you dough in at around 20C.

Do you have a typical mash schedule for say a Pale Ale and how do you account for the ramp times between rests. For example if you did a protein rest at say 55C and your first maltos rest was at say 64C and your system took say 10 mins to ramp from one to the other there is quite a bit of conversion going on during this ramp which could tend to influence the amount of fermentable mash sugars.

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[Duff]

First brew today on the 20L.

These things are fantastic. Brewed a pilsener doughing in at 35 then going 52 - 63 - 72 - 78. Filled the malt pipe in the drain position then lowered in. Only problem I had was a wort fountain out over the top so will add some rice hulls next brew. Was unsure on water quantity initially, the manual states around 2cm from the top notch but online they say to fill to the top. I went with the 2cm down to start but after the sparge I topped up to the top notch (25L). Boil off was between 4 - 5L, plus losses, so ended up with a litre or two under 20. I think next brew I'll leave the lid on half for the first 30min then take off for the final 60min. There also were a few grains escape around the side of the fine SS filter so will try something similar to what MHB uses.

Like everyone else had crystal clear wort but was surprised when I assembled to see a European plug on the lead. Used my adapter I take overseas to brew. Is everyone else's like this?

Cheers.

 

[Bongchitis]

First brew today on the 20L.

...........Like everyone else had crystal clear wort but was surprised when I assembled to see a European plug on the lead. Used my adapter I take overseas to brew. Is everyone else's like this?

Cheers.

Yeah they all come with the Euro plug. The good thing is though you can use a standard computer cord.

 

[RobB]

Thanks Wobbly for the excellent information. To spend that much, I'd want to be sure it was going to be just right, so I'll put my wallet away while I think about appropriate space fillers.

 

[Malted]

Thanks Wobbly for the excellent information. To spend that much, I'd want to be sure it was going to be just right, so I'll put my wallet away while I think about appropriate space fillers.

Or with 12L kegs you could make a slightly higher gravity wort on the 20L Braumeister, so that it could be diluted in the fermenters to a total volume of say 26L (allowing 2L for loss to trub). You could split the batch and ferement two lots of 13L with differents yeasts, or split the wort prior to boiling (i.e two boils) and use different hopping schedules in the BM and then use different yeasts . Same grain bill but two different beers feremented for your 12L kegs.

 

[Fish13]

a long way off topic i know but....

last week, a bloke on a project in Gladstone (where i work), loses both legs because a weld done in Korea, fails.

yet supposedly, the Braumeister and similar imports are tested to 'destruction'...

go figure.

Wouldn't of been for a stacker and or reclaimer being built by Sandvik(Voest Alpine?)

drawing a long bow isnt it, ffs

No not really when the stuff is being builtin Korea must meet our AS/IS and yet the inspector get bribed with cash/booze so we send our inspectors over and **** fails. Then cost blow outs and deadlines do not get meet.

Even ask guys having electrical cabinets built in china to contracts and they need to be rewired in aus... Short cuts are everwhere..

I spent some time on a project in FNQ with alot of the welding and painting must be redone done to failing to meet contracts/standards. ITs great fun also watching parts being modified on site do to incorrect fitment and to find out it was made in aus.... Although some of the drawings where done in India..



SOrry for the OT and the drag up of a 5 month of post.

 

[sama]

I wonder how far off an asian rip off version is.maybe its such a limited market they arent going to bother.

 

[HaveFun]

So I have read all 18teen pages and a couple beers later :chug: im really thinking about buying a braumeister..

sound all very good and easy for me

cheers stefan
mandurah

 

[banora brewer]

So I have read all 18teen pages and a couple beers later :chug: im really thinking about buying a braumeister..

sound all very good and easy for me

cheers stefan
mandurah

I did the same thing, that's why I got one.

 

[pmunny]

They are so hassle free! Most of the time any way... After i tossed the grain in on Sunday I took my son to the park, came home prepared dinner and watched some of the GP. Too easy :kooi:

 

[doon]

I am still not happy to go out and leave it though. Haven't had a wort fountain or pump struggle for a while but murphys law!

 

[alfadog]

I like to be there so that during the pump break I can take the lid off and stir the grain. It has helped my efficiency a few points.

 

[MHB]

Wort fountains are caused by grinding the malt too fine nothing else just that.
You dont need to stop and stir either if you have a decent crack, when you are milling grain for a Braumeister it should be (as said in the instructions) opened up, evenly cracked but not too fine.
With the right crack the wort will recirculate evenly through the grain bed you will get good extraction and if you are looking for slightly higher efficiency just extend the mash cycle by 15 minutes or so and you will get pretty much the same results without mucking around.
Mark

 

[SJW]

That said, I still think you can crush as fine if not a little finer with the BM if required with no problems. I hit 85% eff, no problem. But efficiency is not everything. Buying a BM for me was the best thing I ever did. Now I can reproduce a favourite beer over and over as the BM is a much more controlled brewing environment. I still think that learning how to brew "long hand" ie, on a 3v type system or similar is invaluable brewing experience and would only make u a better brewer with a BM.
No more lifting 50 litre kettles and mash tuns and pulling false bottoms apart to clean, March pump maintenance and replacing hoses, or burning my hands on quick disconnects or forgetting to turn my HLT off and boiling it dry, melting the plug to the HLT, or running out of gas.


Steve

 

[soundawake]

Spent this evening reading all 18 pages, now racking my brain thinking about what around the house I don't need anymore and can sell so I can get one of these bad boys!!

 

[DarkFaerytale]

Spent this evening reading all 18 pages, now racking my brain thinking about what around the house I don't need anymore and can sell so I can get one of these bad boys!!

i hear that. i'm hopeing grain and grape do another sale closer to christmas, thats when i'm getting mine... sale = accessories!

 

[swiggingpig]

After much reading, researching and justification to myself and SWMBO I finally placed my order for a 20L Braumeister

I just wanted to mention that it was the informative threads on this forum, MHB's honesty and belief in the BM and finally the down to earth vid that SJW put together of his brew day with a 20L BM that really helped me to make my mind up.

Cheers :icon_chickcheers:

 

[SJW]

After much reading, researching and justification to myself and SWMBO I finally placed my order for a 20L Braumeister

I just wanted to mention that it was the informative threads on this forum, MHB's honesty and belief in the BM and finally the down to earth vid that SJW put together of his brew day with a 20L BM that really helped me to make my mind up.

Cheers :icon_chickcheers:

Glad it helped, you will love it mate, and buying from Mark you can be sure everything will be fine now and into the future. The little extras he adds to the BM's work great, ie, the S/S bent pickup and rubber seal around the top filter really add value, not to mention the couple of gree brews he throws in

 

[swiggingpig]

Glad it helped, you will love it mate, and buying from Mark you can be sure everything will be fine now and into the future. The little extras he adds to the BM's work great, ie, the S/S bent pickup and rubber seal around the top filter really add value, not to mention the couple of gree brews he throws in

I would really have liked to buy from Mark, he deserves the business, but I live in the UK and Speidel have told me that I must buy from the UK distributor

I would like to get hold of the rubber seal and the S/S bent pickup, as you say, they are useful additions to improve the BM. I'll drop him a PM and hopefully he's prepared to sell them to me and ship to the UK