Grainmaster etc Vs 3 tier system

[Oneflewover]

You’ve made the right decision. Much more reliable that bulldog et al, just make sure you get the latest version with the connect box. It basically allows you to put all your recipes on the cloud and load them onto the control app keeping you in control. I love mine, just wish I could brew every weekend on it.

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Would be interested in the evidence you are relying upon in making the statement about reliability. Not saying you are wrong, but when I was looking at my options the homebrew shop I was talking to said that at the time they were getting more GFs back than other systems. Then again they sold more GFs.....

 

[strange-steve]

Been checking out lots of vids on the Grainfather and I think it's for me. There's still a lot of skill involved and as I DIY a lot around the house, I can't be arsed to do the same here. Just got to find a good deal! Thanks for all the help!

I got mine about 6 months ago and the best price I found was the homebrew company, with the forum discount I got it for £640 including a tub of cleaner and a free mash kit. Not sure if the prices have changed though.

 

[reddibaggie]

Would be interested in the evidence you are relying upon in making the statement about reliability. Not saying you are wrong, but when I was looking at my options the homebrew shop I was talking to said that at the time they were getting more GFs back than other systems. Then again they sold more GFs.....

Im a member of just about every brewing forum on the web and Facebook and watch every video on brewtube. I’m not an expert by any standards but I watch Liston read and learn. The Grainfather is apparently the most reliable and per litre brewed the best all in one on the market. Couple that with its warranty and the customer service behind it, that’s why I bought it. Believe me I’m not one to shell out pounds without doing extensive research myself. Just trying to help someone make an informed decision based on my own experience.


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[-Bezza-]

Im a member of just about every brewing forum on the web and Facebook and watch every video on brewtube. I’m not an expert by any standards but I watch Liston read and learn. The Grainfather is apparently the most reliable and per litre brewed the best all in one on the market. Couple that with its warranty and the customer service behind it, that’s why I bought it. Believe me I’m not one to shell out pounds without doing extensive research myself. Just trying to help someone make an informed decision based on my own experience.


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I've been considering the bulldog. Do you have any examples of the reliability issues of bulldog vs grainfather as I hadn't been able to find much in my limited researches. :cheers9:

 

[Oneflewover]

Im a member of just about every brewing forum on the web and Facebook and watch every video on brewtube. I’m not an expert by any standards but I watch Liston read and learn. The Grainfather is apparently the most reliable and per litre brewed the best all in one on the market. Couple that with its warranty and the customer service behind it, that’s why I bought it. Believe me I’m not one to shell out pounds without doing extensive research myself. Just trying to help someone make an informed decision based on my own experience.


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I suspect that you are absolutely right, and if I'd been a bit more flush I would have gone for the Grainfather. That said, like Bezza, I couldn't really find any reported reliability issues with the later versions of the bulldog brewer, and so went for it. The shop I bought from, one of the big boys, said they rarely got one back (issues with the pump excepted).

 

[Kman]

I suspect that you are absolutely right, and if I'd been a bit more flush I would have gone for the Grainfather. That said, like Bezza, I couldn't really find any reported reliability issues with the later versions of the bulldog brewer, and so went for it. The shop I bought from, one of the big boys, said they rarely got one back (issues with the pump excepted).

You buy what you can afford, at the end of the day they both do the same job, I have the Grainfather but that was only down to coming into some extra money.


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[-Bezza-]

I suspect that you are absolutely right, and if I'd been a bit more flush I would have gone for the Grainfather. That said, like Bezza, I couldn't really find any reported reliability issues with the later versions of the bulldog brewer, and so went for it. The shop I bought from, one of the big boys, said they rarely got one back (issues with the pump excepted).

Just four the record, I wasn't intending to be challenging in asking for some links to the issues. I'm genuinely interested as i want to make sure i buy the right one.

I had noted there were some comments around the pump but believe the new master brewer has a better one.

 

[Oneflewover]

Just four the record, I wasn't intending to be challenging in asking for some links to the issues. I'm genuinely interested as i want to make sure i buy the right one.

I had noted there were some comments around the pump but believe the new master brewer has a better one.

I didn't think you were, and that wasn't my intention either. I completely understand your dilemma! :thumb:

 

[reddibaggie]

Just four the record, I wasn't intending to be challenging in asking for some links to the issues. I'm genuinely interested as i want to make sure i buy the right one.

I had noted there were some comments around the pump but believe the new master brewer has a better one.

Oh no I didn’t take it like that. I came into some money and I was torn between the bulldog and the grainfather. The chiller and the pump were a great selling point for the GF.


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[BarnBrian]

I've got the 2015 Braumeister and love it. 34 brews done and no problems. The Wifi unit was not reliable but that's probably down to having crap internet.
Whether it's worth the extra cost I can't say. When I bought it, I did the calculations on how much I would spend on shop bought beer. I'm now in profit so I'm happy.

 

[MmmBeer]

Been checking out lots of vids on the Grainfather and I think it's for me. There's still a lot of skill involved and as I DIY a lot around the house, I can't be arsed to do the same here. Just got to find a good deal! Thanks for all the help!

I bought one just over a month ago. I shopped around on tinterweb and found that the best deal was from a LHBS at £665, even had a tub of GF cleaner thrown in. Done two brews so far, unfortunately I haven't been able to start drinking them yet.

 

[Saisonator]

I think there is nothing wrong with the Bulldog Brewer, from what I have heard it is a reliable system.
I have a Grainfather with old controller which is great but if I did things again I would probably get the Braumeister. That unit is built to last a lifetime.

 

[-Bezza-]

I think there is nothing wrong with the Bulldog Brewer, from what I have heard it is a reliable system.
I have a Grainfather with old controller which is great but if I did things again I would probably get the Braumeister. That unit is built to last a lifetime.

Two things put me off the braumeister - price obviously and that the quoted grain limit is 6kg compared to 9kg for the grainfather. That said, I would have thought units of a similar size would handle similar size grain bills so it's just marketing.

Anyone have any particular experience on that front?

 

[Saisonator]

Personally 6 kg is as much as I will ever need.
At 80% efficiency which these systems can easily exceed, a 6kg grain bill will brew 24 litres of 7% ABV IPA.

 

[strange-steve]

I have used 9kg in the GF and it was a struggle, don't think I'd try it again, I'd probably just dump in a couple of bags of DME to up the OG.

 

[Lesinge]

I built up a set using a Buffalo boiler which because I couldn't get it to boil became my mash tun...had a brewing thermostat installed and used a couple of sleeping bags for installation and finally a brew bag to ensure that I could remove the grain. I coupled this with a 30 litre bruferm stock pot and a auto siphon and immersion cooler. It worked great and my stove could handle the boil. However, as much as I love changing alarms to remember the hop schedule I also wanted to try and save myself time to do other things, so got myself a Grainfather. At first I wasn't sure for all the reasons people said above, where is the fun etc, but now I love it. I can concentrate on recipes and whilst I don't save anytime (cleaning is harder) the sparging is easier and having a mash circulation is excellent. Can't understand why they don't have a tap at the bottom as lifting it up to empty the last dregs is silly. My next system will be bigger and in that world automation will come as standard so am I cheating? Nope, I have done my time at the manual end and now want to see what I can do at this stage.

Also, I can easily step mash and want to understand the science here to make dry Saisons and beers with full bodies..using my previous system I couldn't control this.

 

[serum]

It's a question of your individual situation. I've had a Braumeister for just over a year and I'm really happy with it but for specific reasons that suit me. The reasons I went for it are:

Good build quality
Automated step mashing which is essential for the types of beer I like
Being able to do other things while I brew to fit around my work and family
Very quick to clean
Small size as my kitchen and storage spaces are small

I was using a self built two vessel system before with a boiler / HLT and a cool box mash tun. I've enjoyed the manual side of brewing before moving to an automated system as well as the fun involved in building it but found the possibility for step mashing pretty limited as I ran out of space when adding infusions. There was no way I could find the space for more equipment so I went for the best compact system I could find.

A manual 3 tier system is the most flexible and much more like a commercial brewery. You can totally customise it to suit you so if you have the time and space and are really serious I'd look at that. Personally it's too large for me and takes longer to clean so I had to rule it out.

 

[Bashley]

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I've ordered the GF and copious amounts of grain, hops, yeasts etc. The AG fun starts now! P.S I didn't order the GF sparger, reckon I'll boil water in pans and add to a 20l cooler. I mean, I've got to do some work right?