Recommendations for the next step up from a BrewZilla v3.1.1

[dave_77]

Well if I were you I'd invest my money in the fermentation side rather than the mash side - upgrade the fermenter...or glycol chiller if you already have a decent fermenter...I've just 'invested' and got a pretty serious plate chiller and its the mutts nuts - in fact its too good as I have to warm up the wort in the fermenter before pitching the yeast...I need to upgrade my pump to a higher flow one!!

The BZ 3.1 has a few flaws (never thought cleaning was one to be honest)...my biggest gripe is a very unsophisticated temp control system can lead to some irratic temp behaviour, and the crap false bottom that doesn't work properly - a centre drain is a hinderance and disadvantage if you don't have a decent and effective false bottom and from what I can gather the BZ v4 still has a sub-optimal false bottom, so all you're going to do is transfer all that crap that is captured in the bottom of the v3.1, so not sure BZ are quite finished finalising the v4 design. And I'm dammed if I'm going to use a bag. If you're going to brew in a bag then you don't need to spend hundreds of pounds, or even thousands, on a fancy stainless brew system.

Other than that I'm struggling to see what other alternatives offer that are any different/better so personally I'd only replace for a larger system...and I've done just that....I have built a larger system and went 3 vessel system with a RIMS tube and to be honest I'd never go back to an all in one again unless I was really struggling for space. I still use my BZ for smaller batches, but 3 vessel systems are relatively cheap as chips on eBay, thanks to the rush for AIO systems people are ditching their 'old fashioned' 3 vessel systems for the new spangly kit, and for the price of a Grainfather you can set yourself up with a proper 3 vessel system that would have cost two or three times more than the GF when new.

But if I were to get another AIO I'd certainly give the Dark Farms Brew Tank a very very good look. I love the idea of that thing, just looks so configurable with so many options. Brewtools is lovely (I have a Brewtools fermenter and its awesome), but boy, you don't half pay for it and they're not without their issues and glitches if you follow the Brewtools Users group on FB, but I'm sure they'll sort that and their support seems to be pretty good.

I'm with you on alot of your comments. I have a brewzilla and the only thing that bug me are the mash temp control..struggle to hit and maintain much above 64c. The temp probe gets covered in trub so doesn't help much with maintaining temp so manually check and have to keep upping the temp to over 73c to heat it up. I have attached a angled fitting to the back of the tap and now transfer using gravity after a whirlpool for the same reason you mentioned regarding the false bottom and centre drain.

I don't use the programmable features on the brewzilla now so doubt I would use them much on a BZ4 or GF G40 so I'm not eager to spend £600-1000 for a similar setup with extra features I won't use. BZ4 65 L does appeal as I would like the option to have larger capacity for split batches or quicker 21l batches.

I'm tempted to build something 1, 2 or 3 vessel with a 50-70 litre capacity. With 3500 - 5000W elements with better mash control and side drain. Father in law is electrician so he can help with a controller and higher amp circuit for the brew room.
Thinking of a 2 vessel system using HLT as sparge and Herms heat source and the other vessel as the boil/mash using a mash basket

 

[hoppyscotty]

Yep the control was the biggest challenge on my system. To buy one off the shelf is silly money and the one it came with that the chap was using before was a bit strange and I couldn't really get it working. I managed to build a 2 PID system to control, so I have one on the RIMS tube and one for both the HLT and kettle with a massive rotary switch to switch between them...I figured I wont need to heat both at the same time, or at least very rare occasions. But other than that it came together pretty nicely. To be fair I could run the RIMS tube off an ink bird as the element is only 2kw and free up the other PID circuit. It's been a great but involving project. Just working on an underback for it so between that and the ball cock sparge valve I can fully automate the sparge process.

 

[jayk34]

Just seen this post now.

@dave_77 with regards to the control issues you are having with the brewzilla have just got the heat exchanger dish and rapt Bluetooth thermometer for my brewzilla and the difference in control is brilliant so far. I was mashing at 66° C and it never went below and the most I seen it going up to was 66.3°C at the start of the mash. Towards the last 30 minutes it never moved from 66°C, really impressed with it.

This has been my first go at using the heat exchanger dish and Bluetooth thermometer as I have been busy with a new job I started in February.

 

[gavp1979]

Just seen this post now.

@dave_77 with regards to the control issues you are having with the brewzilla have just got the heat exchanger dish and rapt Bluetooth thermometer for my brewzilla and the difference in control is brilliant so far. I was mashing at 66° C and it never went below and the most I seen it going up to was 66.3°C at the start of the mash. Towards the last 30 minutes it never moved from 66°C, really impressed with it.

This has been my first go at using the heat exchanger dish and Bluetooth thermometer as I have been busy with a new job I started in February.

Not seen the heat exchanger dish before but looks interesting, does it speed up the heating to strike temp and from mash to boil by much?

 

[Rwilts]

Looks like it's only suitable for gen 4?

https://www.kegland.com.au/products/35l-brewzilla-gen-4-heat-exchanger-dish-hed

 

[gavp1979]

I have a gen 4, I have not noticed any problem with it keeping temperature but I have not done a massive amount of brews on it, if it helps to speed up the temp increase though I think it would be worth getting one

 

[jayk34]

Not seen the heat exchanger dish before but looks interesting, does it speed up the heating to strike temp and from mash to boil by much?

Had a look at the graph from yesterday. It took 40 minutes from 5C to 70C for 22 litres. I cant compare this to previous as this is the first time I have used the profiles functionality as previously I have just manually set temps and heating power etc. From mash 66C to mashout 76C took 2 minutes and then from end of mashout 76C to boil took 27 minutes. So from 66 to boil was 29 minutes for 28 litres.

Definitely helped with maintaining mash temps as before mine would drop below and then overshoot by a few degrees. I had taken the Pid settings from the kegland youtube video.

 

[jayk34]

Looks like it's only suitable for gen 4?

https://www.kegland.com.au/products/35l-brewzilla-gen-4-heat-exchanger-dish-hed

I think its specifically for the gen 4 as the drain hole is dead center compared to the gen 3 that was at the side ? The theory is that the wort has more contact with the heating element before going down the central drain hole.

 

[LeeH]

Not read all of this thread but here’s my 10p after owning a 3V, B40 (plus the extras) and a BM50L plus

The simplicity of the BM makes it a clear winner for me. It’s a simple brew and a simple clean up. Using a BM with no chill is probably the simplest way to brew AG