Speidels Braumeister. Impressive Yes. Expensive Yes.

[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