Grainfather review after 100 brews

[LarryF]

I don't use one myself but as this chap's done a 100 brews in it I thought anyone who does use it or is shopping around might find this useful.



[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWyLOuCzpoc&feature=youtu.be[/ame]


https://youtu.be/QWyLOuCzpoc

 

[MyQul]

I thought you'd flogged the missus and kids and splashed out on some shiny for a minute there, Larry

 

[Chippy_Tea]

He thinks the BM is clunky and not very user friendly which is not something i have read/heard before, he doesn't explain what he means which i think is a little unfair.

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[Saisonator]

Looking at the BM, I thought it looks like a class piece of kit, a few notches above the GF.
I think the flow of liquor being pushed up from below will give less chance of compaction and the heating element wrapped around the sides will stop burning on the element, especially troublesome during step mashing.
I think the GF might do 150 brews but the BM will last a life time.

 

[Brett74]

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Looking at the BM, I thought it looks like a class piece of kit, a few notches above the GF.
I think the flow of liquor being pushed up from below will give less chance of compaction and the heating element wrapped around the sides will stop burning on the element, especially troublesome during step mashing.
I think the GF might do 150 brews but the BM will last a life time.

And what do you base your 150 brew estimate on ?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I think the GF might do 150 brews but the BM will last a life time.

I am with @Brett74 what do you base this on?

The BM is twice the price of the GF so taking your guesswork into consideration will the BM do 300+ brews with no problem and if the answer is yes what makes you so sure?


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[Saisonator]

I just don't believe the GF concealed element is the most durable form of water heating element.
The BM does not have a concealed element and the element it has is replaceable as are pretty much all the parts.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If it only lasts 150 brews how long would that last your average brewer, if your brewed twice a month it would last you 6 years!





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[Soton]

I just don't believe the GF concealed element is the most durable form of water heating element.
The BM does not have a concealed element and the element it has is replaceable as are pretty much all the parts.

Who says you can't replace the Grainfather element?
I should imagine just it's just a matter of undoing a couple of screws is all it will take

 

[Pawlo7671]

Who says you can't replace the Grainfather element?
I should imagine just it's just a matter of undoing a couple of screws is all it will take

Sadly no. The element is encased in some sort of resin and stuck very firmly to the base of the boiler.
Its one of those things, it could last 150 brews or 1000's

 

[Chippy_Tea]

When did the GF first hit the shelves?

 

[DoctorMick]

When did the GF first hit the shelves?

Mine was from the first U.K. Shipment and I got it April 2015.

 

[Clint]

How many brews have you done?

 

[DoctorMick]

How many brews have you done?

34 I think.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

34 I think.

At that rate it'll take you another 7 years to hit the magic 150. (9 years total) :wink:

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[Slid]

I have done 44 brews with my GF and have done no videos. No photo's either.

I did once suggest on a thread about costing HB beers that 100 brews might be an accountant's estimate, so that if you add £6 to the cost of each brew it might be fairly near the mark. As the GF is quite well supported, parts wise, this might actually be realistic.

As with all toys, it will suffer the "boredom factor" whereby the buyer just stops playing with it.

The "lifetime" of a Braumeister is estimated entirely correctly, in the sense that it will, by definition, last exactly the lifetime of the machine. How well this correlates to life expectancy of the owner is very uncertain.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

If the element does turn out to be the GF's weak link and hundreds start going wrong i imagine the negative discussion in the brewing forums and on Facebook/Twitter etc would persuade the manufacturer to do something about it as there are now cheaper alternatives on the market.

 

[Saisonator]

If the element does turn out to be the GF's weak link and hundreds start going wrong i imagine the negative discussion in the brewing forums and on Facebook/Twitter etc would persuade the manufacturer to do something about it as there are now cheaper alternatives on the market.

The cheaper alternatives on the market have the same style of concealed element, but on average they have proven to be less reliable, so possibly are of lower quality.

 

[foxy]

I wonder why it is that GF buyers are always trying to justify their purchase, not only here but on the AHB threads also. Whichever unit one purchases whether it be a GF or a Klarstein or Ace it is how it is looked after, the GF came out here in 2014 and there has been a few elements burned out, but keeping the base clean without using an abrasive, i.e acid cleaning should keep make for a longer life span. The Braumeister will see me out, well over a hundred brews since 2010, but in saying that I am more than happy with the Ace, just not happy with cemented in elements, no need for them.
And the Robobrew is from a different stable than the GF and the Ace.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The cheaper alternatives on the market have the same style of concealed element, but on average they have proven to be less reliable, so possibly are of lower quality.

I may be wrong but i cannot remember a single thread about a GF element burning out, people love to have a moan when things go wrong so if it was a big issue i am sure we would be well aware of it by now.

The element may be a weak link and the BM not having a sealed one is a big plus but is it worth spending an extra £600 because someone on a forum predicts the GF element will only last 150 brews, even if that is correct as i said earlier at 2 brews a month its going to last you 6 years!

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