Speidels Braumeister. Impressive Yes. Expensive Yes.

[mje1980]

maybe im old fashioned, but i like the KISS method, of an esky, a HLT, and a keggle, and No chill cubes. 3K?? Imagine how much grain and hops that could buy me??

Fancy bit of bling though, i must say hehe

 

[Zwickel]

Another point of view: think about the people who live in an appartment, means not everyone owns a house and a shed.

They could brew their beer in the kitchen, using a little space only.

Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[Sammus]

Semantics - but other than M^B, most BIABers (myself included) do sparge. It helps my efficiency to be above 80%, though there is a bloke here the other day that hit 92%. I got a 70-something the other day, but I think that my new hydrometer isn't calibrated right, and without a thermometer that goes down to 20 degrees, I'm guessing. I think it would be about 74-80% after adjustment for hydrometer out.

I think that the prejudice against BIAB by some of the AG community (I would never tar all with the same brush) is that a BIABer with a good system down pat (my system works well for me) will produce a beer of similar quality as a full 3V HERMS/RIMS, without the cost/effort of building one. There is always the top % of HERMS who are out of our (and probably anyone's) league and on the same front BIABers who aren't that good or don't understand all the concepts (for example doing a protein rest or removing cold break), but the median of each, I would venture, would not be much different, because the same basic brewing concepts apply, just the equipment to make use of those concepts vary. The same concept applied correctly on each system should produce the same result.

Having said that, if I did have a HERMS system, it would be far less effort for me to sparge, as it is pretty well automated and less picking up of bags, pots and the like. And a HERMS/RIMS system would allow me to do larger batches than BIAB is effectively capable of. I think that there is the beauty of 3V - the size, scope and reduced effort.

My 2 cents and likely to start a flame war and hate PMs against me, but having seen both sides of the fence - I don't think beer quality suffers if the brews are done correctly with each system. It's the brewer's ability and application of brewing concepts that have the biggest effect on beer quality.


Goomba

lol, a little defensive perhaps? chill out buddy, I'm not claiming one is better than the other, just saying that althought it may look like a BIAB system, it is far from it.

I like the idea of doing something like this but not quite as complicated.

Basically instead of having a bag, having a cylindrical stainless steel 'basket' with a reinforced fine mesh bottom. As well as this, having the ability to hoist the inner basket using the actual pot to support the weight. Maybe even being able to turn a crank to raise the basket up and down.

The actual bag is the only thing I don't like about BIAB. It's messy and annoying.

Yeah this was my first idea, I had my kettle, then instead of a bag I used a cylindrical stainless steel vessel with a fine mesh bottom. To avoid having to hoist I made the side walls of my basket solid, and designed it so the filtered wort could be collected underneath the fine mesh bottom and fed into a pump. Then I realised I'd just build a mash tun

 

[bear09]

Another point of view: think about the people who live in an appartment, means not everyone owns a house and a shed.

They could brew their beer in the kitchen, using a little space only.

Cheers :icon_cheers:

If you jump on the website you can buy a mini copper exhaust lid for them. It looks like a still lid. You can then connect a pipe onto this and have the steam vented away. This is a really good point. if you lived in an apartment and you set this up with some sort of venting for the steam you could brew in the tiniest of spaces. I reckon one day I will buy something like this - I can certainly see why it would be cool to have.

I also like the idea suggested by Mark^*******. Imagine being able to automate everything right up until cooling??

Set the timer, wake up at whatever time (kids its going to be before 6. No kids - it could be 1300 - 1400 in avo) and go out to a fully mashed, sparged and boiled wort. Coll er' down and job done.

Then again that would kinda spoil the whole point of home brewing I suppose.

 

[Fents]

Okay.

Was just thinking, if you could automate the lowering and raising it'd be pretty awesome. Fill it with water the night before, and put the grain in the basket the night before too, then wake up for the start of the boil. Hell could even have 5 compartments for hops and configurable addition times and get that automated too. Then maybe use the recirc pump as a chiller if possible.

is that you bandito?

 

[koongara]

is that you bandito?

I like the look of this thing, shiny and precision german made, just a bit on the expensive side. All its lacking is a built in chiller.

 

[Eater]

Any info, cause im having trouble seeing it from the vids, does the pump push the wort up through the malt pipe and then overflow out the top?

 

[koongara]

Any info, cause im having trouble seeing it from the vids, does the pump push the wort up through the malt pipe and then overflow out the top?

ring grain and grape, the boys in the shop have been playing with one and by all reports liking it

 

[haysie]

They really look good, even the youtube video made some sense albeit the German was a bit hard to understand. As mentioned previously for the restauranter who is brewing/beer inclined, a super niche addition in maybe a seasonal beer would be good for their business, then their are ales and lagers all crafted on site.. endless opportunity for brewer/entrepeneur. So simple, the kitchen hand can run it.

edit. spelling

 

[beerbrewer76543]

I read somewhere a bloke was getting the following efficiency numbers:

65% no sparge
75% 5L sparge
85% 5L sparge plus stirring during mash and sparge

Seeing 75% is achievable with relative ease I may end up swinging over to a similar design instead of a HERMS, that way I can brew in my apartment with the smaller equipment footprint instead of at the old man's place

Much to ponder

Cheers

edit: I have an 80L vessel to convert for (hopefully) triple batches

 

[brocky_555]

Any info, cause im having trouble seeing it from the vids, does the pump push the wort up through the malt pipe and then overflow out the top?

Yes thats how its done clarifies the wort while its mashing. It is really hard to make a cloudy beer with this unit because the wort is filtered through the mash over and over.

 

[mxd]

pretty good, if you in Germany it's a bit under 3k for the 50 ltr unit.

 

[Bribie G]

I like the idea of doing something like this but not quite as complicated.

Basically instead of having a bag, having a cylindrical stainless steel 'basket' with a reinforced fine mesh bottom. As well as this, having the ability to hoist the inner basket using the actual pot to support the weight. Maybe even being able to turn a crank to raise the basket up and down.

The actual bag is the only thing I don't like about BIAB. It's messy and annoying.

Spot on Mark B. I had actually planned a version that would use an existing urn, as a Bunnings straight-sided pail fits nicely into a 40L urn, to provide a malt pipe (with a false bottom) as in the Braumeister, so with a three way ball valve tap and a march pump you could:

• Recirculate through a grain bed
• Do step mashes RIMS style by turning on the urn and ramp up the temperature incrementally whilst recirculating over the element at the bottom of the urn.
• Do a mini sparge if required for a bigger grain bill

When I added up the costs I just bought a second urn and bag, but who knows in the future.................

 

[Bill F]

So, I'm a little bit old school, but what dimmensions does the immersion coil need to be? I suppose you could just plonk it in the tub. Brew in the bathroom, that would be the go...

 

[Thirsty Boy]

You have to compare these things with something similar, it pointless comparing them to the system you whipped up out of old ice cream tubs and string... You have to assume that when you are thinking about one of these... You are playing in the realm of off the shelf turnkey breweries

So you can get a 50L braumeister from G&G for $4000 - how much to buy a different system that will do the same stuff??

G&G's 50L HERMS - $4500 and it's nowhere near as automated
More Beer 50L tippy sculpture HERMS - Upgraded to make it as automatic as the braumeister.. $3850 before shipping from the US
Sabco Brewmagic - $5600 before shipping from the US
Beer Belly - more than $5500 for the same level of functionality.

Now I am not saying for a secomd that these systems are better, worse or even directly comparable.. But I am saying that if you are talking about 50L or so, automated, recirculating brewhouses... The Braumeister unit is not only not "expensive" it's well and truly at the lower end of the price scale and seems to be at the upper end of the Functionality range as well.

So well worth considering if you are in the market for a turnkey system.

 

[bear09]

You have to compare these things with something similar, it pointless comparing them to the system you whipped up out of old ice cream tubs and string... You have to assume that when you are thinking about one of these... You are playing in the realm of off the shelf turnkey breweries

So you can get a 50L braumeister from G&G for $4000 - how much to buy a different system that will do the same stuff??

G&G's 50L HERMS - $4500 and it's nowhere near as automated
More Beer 50L tippy sculpture HERMS - Upgraded to make it as automatic as the braumeister.. $3850 before shipping from the US
Sabco Brewmagic - $5600 before shipping from the US
Beer Belly - more than $5500 for the same level of functionality.

Now I am not saying for a secomd that these systems are better, worse or even directly comparable.. But I am saying that if you are talking about 50L or so, automated, recirculating brewhouses... The Braumeister unit is not only not "expensive" it's well and truly at the lower end of the price scale and seems to be at the upper end of the Functionality range as well.

So well worth considering if you are in the market for a turnkey system.

Its posts like this that I was really looking for when I started his one. This is the information I wanted and now I can see the VALUE in this piece of hardware.

When laid out like this I can see how it could be a great investment for the home brewer.

I shall see how I go in a few years.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

lol, a little defensive perhaps? chill out buddy, I'm not claiming one is better than the other, just saying that althought it may look like a BIAB system, it is far from it.



Yeah this was my first idea, I had my kettle, then instead of a bag I used a cylindrical stainless steel vessel with a fine mesh bottom. To avoid having to hoist I made the side walls of my basket solid, and designed it so the filtered wort could be collected underneath the fine mesh bottom and fed into a pump. Then I realised I'd just build a mash tun

Sorry if it came across too defensive. I have a cold and typed at home, so the words that pour onto the keyboard weren't as articulate and fluid as normal.

I probably am little defensive in some ways, because I've made comments such as "I can do this with BIAB" and been shot down by the purists who've said "BIAB isn't real AG brewing" or "you can't get a decent beer with BIAB like you can with [insert other method]". Or even BIABers who've said "the Nick_JD method isn't real BIAB brewing" then proceeded to slag Nick_JD and the stovetop method off. Maybe, not defensive, just offering my caveat before I start the flame war inadvertantly.

I feel strongly about BIAB - it did get me into AG, and I believe one can produce great beers with it. I think its biggest limitation isn't necessarily the quality of beer, just the quantity of quality beer that can be produced and the effort taken to produce said beer. So I offered an honest olive branch to the HERMS/RIMS/3V guys as well.

Anywho, hope this clears it up.


Goomba

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I read somewhere a bloke was getting the following efficiency numbers:

65% no sparge
75% 5L sparge
85% 5L sparge plus stirring during mash and sparge

Seeing 75% is achievable with relative ease I may end up swinging over to a similar design instead of a HERMS, that way I can brew in my apartment with the smaller equipment footprint instead of at the old man's place

Much to ponder

Cheers

edit: I have an 80L vessel to convert for (hopefully) triple batches

Consistently 80% plus with a sparge. Use a pasta pot/vege steamer to put the grain bag in. Works a treat and saves me hanging bags up.

Goomba

 

[MHB]

No reason to be defensive/apologetic or for anyone to take this subject to heart. I like my Braumeister it suits me and the time I have available to devote to brewing.
BIAB, the stove top variation, three vessel, HERMS, RIMS or the biggest flashest gold plated bit of brew porn are all just ways to make beer, the one that works for you is the right one for you.

Some of us find the cost of a turnkey system a bit daunting (mine cost about $5K, the AUD sucked against the Euro and it was air freighted by Lufthansa) at the time that hurt, but I haven't regretted it for 1 second.
Everyone here knows I sell Braumeister over the years I have been a member of AHB I have tried very hard not to "Advertise" in threads, advertising isn't what I want from AHB. Happy to answer questions about Braumeister based on having done about 100 brews on one and on having supported half a dozen other Braumeister owners.

A couple of points raised above that I would like to address: -
The question of chilling, I have used an inline chiller an immersion chiller, now I just no-chill, it's too easy, my knockout exactly fills 2 X 20L cubes so almost exactly 45L, I can them brew them as single batches at my leisure in any order I like.
On standard beer (1.045-50) I get 80% brewhouse efficiency without trying too hard, the worst I have ever got was about 37% but that wort knocked out at 1.114 so to be expected, the best about 85% for a Mild.
The elements in the Braumeister are Stainless Steel and really long, in the 50L version (3.2kW) the total length is just under 7 Meters, in the 20 L Braumeister (2 kW) the element is 2.6 Metres long. Long low heat density elements are much better than shorter hotter elements they cost more but they last longer, cause less darkening and aren't as prone to causing burnt flavours.

MHB

 

[Sydneybrewer]

i was previously saving up my coin for a HERMS but now after some research i am saving for a BRAUMEISTER as it suits my space limitations better, and my time management, due to my work and side business i find very little time to brew and rarely have half a day or so spare for brewing.