Ready to get the G70 but what else is needed? -- Help please :)

[Garry247]

Hi,

Im looking to buy a G70 but what else will i need. I was going to get the G30 full kit but thts not an option for the G70.

Can i use the G70 to heat the water or do i need a water heater? If so what one?

I will also need a fermenter. Which one would i use, cant use the GF one as its too small?

Im a bit lost at this size?

Help :)

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi Garry, with a kettle that big I would start with 2 30L fv's do a big brew hopped with bittering hops only then split into 2 and dry hop, you have 2 different beers

 

[David Heath]

It is good to have something to heat your sparge water but it is not essential. You can sparge with cold water. It will slow down the brew though.
I have a first impressions video out now that you may wish to review before buying this though....fair warning!

 

[MickDundee]

Unless you are the secret third Stoltman brother or Eddie Hall’s secret love child you will require some sort of pulley system to raise the grain bucket after the mash!

 

[Garry247]

It is good to have something to heat your sparge water but it is not essential. You can sparge with cold water. It will slow down the brew though.
I have a first impressions video out now that you may wish to review before buying this though....fair warning!

Thanks,

ive watched the video thanks. I have been holding off for a new system and really need to buy something. I like the WiFi connectivity so prefer the G70. Been brewing from kits for a while but want to go grain. So much choice but need to start somewhere. Also want a system that can clean without moving.

 

[David Heath]

Thanks,

ive watched the video thanks. I have been holding off for a new system and really need to buy something. I like the WiFi connectivity so prefer the G70. Been brewing from kits for a while but want to go grain. So much choice but need to start somewhere. Also want a system that can clean without moving.

Most systems are pretty simple to clean.Usually its a case of dumping what is left and rinsing it out fast and then adding cleaning solution, recirculate that for a period , dump that out , replace with water, recirculate that for a period. Done. If you want it even easier then systems like the Mini Brew (Made a video on this recently:- ) are worth looking at.
Hope this helps.

 

[Garry247]

I want to do the whole brew from scratch myself but the apps appeal to my tech geekery self. I looked at all the systems and then watched your videos (Think ive seen most of them, thankyou they're very helpful).

I liked the idea of the std G30 and the conical fermenter (again after watching your video) (although its a shame i cant presurise it) and topping off with the glycol chiller.

The issues here were
1. No Wifi,
2. Cant clean where it is.
3. GF has Issues with clogged filter and inferior heating element,
4. Cant ferment with co2 (conical fermenter)

The G70 fixes 1-3 all be it a little large. Maybe i look at different options but then it gets expensive.

The GF30+ Conical Fermenter and Glycol Chiller for £1886 all i would need is a water heater and good to go
GF70 costs £1449 on its own, still need fermenter and water heater and possibly the fermenter
B80Pro £1468 on its own, still need fermenter and water heater and possibly the fermenter
B40Pro £1189 on its own, still need fermenter and water heater and possibly the fermenter

so confused now.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Garry you don't need a lot of fancy gear to make really good beer, I do 21L batches in my klarstein biab system and I have made some cracking brews, total cost of my system including pb's fv's bottles are free around 300 quid the biggest thing you need is free patience if you ain't got that all the shiniest gear in the world will not make good beer

 

[Garry247]

in which case i might just get the GF30 kit. i know i dont need lots of fancy equipment but i wanted to get all the parts and buying at the same time saves cash in the long run.

Thanks,

G

 

[Ghillie]

WiFi is daft IMO. The best part about brewing is the process. Would bother me to disappear and miss out on all the action!

 

[cossie.j]

in which case i might just get the GF30 kit. i know i dont need lots of fancy equipment but i wanted to get all the parts and buying at the same time saves cash in the long run.

Thanks,

G

Well there’s a home brew shop that sells the complete setup grainfather G30. Comes with everything needed (I bought this setup a few months back) items included are....
Grainfather G30 with the jacket
Grainfather (mangrove jacks) stainless steel fermenter
Grainfather sparge water heater
Mixing paddle
Grainfather cleaner
Cost £900 if i remember correctly? It’s a great introduction setup. I’m also looking into the grainfather conical fermenter and glycol chiller but just waiting to see if anyone will do a better deal? For pressure fermenting i bought a fermzilla recently, but I haven’t yet used that for pressure fermenting. Hope this helps

 

[David Heath]

I want to do the whole brew from scratch myself but the apps appeal to my tech geekery self. I looked at all the systems and then watched your videos (Think ive seen most of them, thankyou they're very helpful).

I liked the idea of the std G30 and the conical fermenter (again after watching your video) (although its a shame i cant presurise it) and topping off with the glycol chiller.

The issues here were
1. No Wifi,
2. Cant clean where it is.
3. GF has Issues with clogged filter and inferior heating element,
4. Cant ferment with co2 (conical fermenter)

The G70 fixes 1-3 all be it a little large. Maybe i look at different options but then it gets expensive.

The GF30+ Conical Fermenter and Glycol Chiller for £1886 all i would need is a water heater and good to go
GF70 costs £1449 on its own, still need fermenter and water heater and possibly the fermenter
B80Pro £1468 on its own, still need fermenter and water heater and possibly the fermenter
B40Pro £1189 on its own, still need fermenter and water heater and possibly the fermenter

so confused now.

Yes, there is a lot to consider for sure.
My advice would be to start off with something cheaper and not worry about things like wifi and the cleaning.
All these systems make very similar beer, irrespective of price. Just like a budget car will take you from A to B the same way a luxury one will. The cleaning side is pretty easy and simple in most of the "All in one electric systems". I dont have to move any brewing system to clean it, as long as you have a water supply and a sink/bath then its simple stuff.

 

[Ghillie]

Another thing worth considering is the volume...

I wouldn't personally want to brew individual batches bigger than 23L because I like to change things up each time. A lager one brew, pale the next, stout, etc. Ending up with 50L of the one type of beer would mean less frequent brew days which is a no go, as I love doing it. Because of that, a 35L system is for me.

Of course you have the option of splitting the larger batch and dry hopping differently for example, alongside using different yeast strains. But ultimately, the style will be the same, as will the grist and boil/steep additions.

I'd give heavy consideration to the Robobrew or one of the other GF copies that are on the market at less than half the price. After all, this may be a short lived hobby - and if it sadly is, there's no issues at all in selling your used gear off. The market for used equipment is strong.

 

[Rodcx500z]

+1 Chilli all the fun for me is brewing different beers, I have 2 bitters on the go one for my holiday to Scotland later in the year, I aint paying widow krankys prices (sorry), then its lager type beer for summer and bbqs

 

[cossie.j]

+1 ghillie. I’ve only ever brewed the same all grain recipe twice (because it was/is a lovely beer) and it’s ready to keg today can’t wait for this one. But yes i definitely enjoy brew days and making different styles too

 

[Keruso]

I want to do the whole brew from scratch myself but the apps appeal to my tech geekery self. I looked at all the systems and then watched your videos (Think ive seen most of them, thankyou they're very helpful).

I liked the idea of the std G30 and the conical fermenter (again after watching your video) (although its a shame i cant presurise it) and topping off with the glycol chiller.

The issues here were
1. No Wifi,
2. Cant clean where it is.
3. GF has Issues with clogged filter and inferior heating element,
4. Cant ferment with co2 (conical fermenter)

The G70 fixes 1-3 all be it a little large. Maybe i look at different options but then it gets expensive.

The GF30+ Conical Fermenter and Glycol Chiller for £1886 all i would need is a water heater and good to go
GF70 costs £1449 on its own, still need fermenter and water heater and possibly the fermenter
B80Pro £1468 on its own, still need fermenter and water heater and possibly the fermenter
B40Pro £1189 on its own, still need fermenter and water heater and possibly the fermenter

so confused now.

My G30 does struggle to pump out the wort if you use 200g+ of pellet hops, the mangrove jacks hop spider solves this problem, as does the false bottom which David H has reviewed on his YouTube channel. I’ve done a couple of brews with it, no need to use the spider anymore. The heating element is absolutely fine, program the system to heat the water before you brew is a great feature. I was considering the G70 but I doubt one person can lift the grain out which means it’s no use to me. I’ve never seen the need to get the stainless fermenter or the glycol system, plastic fermenters, heating controller, belt and fridge has worked well for me.

 

[Garry247]

Thanks everyone, I've been speaking with the boss at home and it is looking like we will get the side entrance covered over and insulated with a small sink, floor drain, and cold water supply. waiting for the builder quote as we speak. I will then probably look to get the G30 and the mods suggested. Ive already got a 2 line Cornelius maxi 310 beer cooler which I supposed I could use into the fermenter cooling system so I will just get those and an urn. I will also get something to store the beer in, prob a few kegs. Heres hoping this all works out. Thanks again and watch this space.

 

[Garry247]

So ordered the Grainfather full kit. Looking forward to my first Brew

 

[Harbey]

I’ve never seen the need to get the stainless fermenter or the glycol system, plastic fermenters, heating controller, belt and fridge has worked well for me.

I moved to a stainless fermenter a while ago (still using fridge for temp control) and I have to say that, in my opinion, it has had a quite noticable affect on the quality of my beer. I believe my beer now smells and tastes cleaner and the flavours I'm after stand out more. It could just be a placebo, of course, but it has certainly been worth the money - I got one of the Klarstein ones for about £80.

 

[LeeH]

That’s a nice haul of equipment. You wouldn’t have been disappointed with the Brewtools set up either.