Which system should I buy?

[Alside101]

Or you could bend down

Could but probably wouldnt haha

 

[mgkpancake]

The Ace microbrewery/Klarstein/Easybrew, etc whatever you want to call it is a good all in one system. I personally have had a terrible experience with it regarding reliability. Considering I was one of the first ones to receive it, this is not a coincidence. Since however the systems have been developed with some 'upgrades' that make them robust including:

- New heater element supplier with better casting
- Updated controller
- 'Legs' on the grain basket to keep it from slipping
- etc.

I have had these issues affect me:

- Melted switch
- Failed temperature sensor
- Bad element

I have replaced literally everything except for the pump and original ball valve and save a few wires and screws I ended up recycling for the PID replacement of the stock controller.

There are some things that need to be done to the 'Guten' as we will call it to make it reliable. You definitely 100% need a separate way to monitor temperature- another thermo pen, gauge, whatever. This is so you can calibrate if it's off. The lauter helix works much better than the stock 'strainer' so don't overlook that!

Hindsight is always 20/20 and maybe a grainfather would have been a better choice for me if I was wanting reliability/time savings(it's tried and tested) But also considering where the Guten is now, it may be a real viable choice with it's price point and updates.

 

[Linalmeemow]

I have the Bulldog Brewer, well pleased with it after a year of use. No problems other than the pump sticking because I didn't flush it through properly. Currently £360 with a wort chiller included, which I don't think the Ace has.

https://www.home-brew-hopshop.co.uk...er-stainless-steel-brewing-system-p-2772.html

 

[foxy]

The guys who have bought the guten over here in recent times have all had the new controller, for me I wouldn' t be that excited. Depending on what I am brewing I either use just a single step or 3 steps. Hop timer I don't need, I did tell them that they would be better off fitting the spring filter in all of themand keep the control as it was but it is cheaper to fit the new control box. They say they will carry on improving it and if you were interested magicalpancake has some interesting alterations he has done to his and posted them on the Ace thread on this site. There is also a fermenter coming out soon as well

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Anyone has some experience and can recommend or don't a system like Ace Micro Brewery/Klarstein Mundshenk etc?
I am planning to either buy one of those all in one or make my electric pot (27L) for traditional mashing with a stirer and a spring filtrator at the bottom. So during mashing I will stir and use a PID controller to keep a temperature and after mashing I will filter it down to basket, clean the pot and boil in it again.

I heard efficiency with this all in one system is quite poor? Is that so? I know a guy with a similar system as my second option with the electric pot and stirrer and he is getting 80%+ and is able to mash 9.5kg easily while all those all in one have 8kg limit right?

Also do you know what kind of temp sensor is in the Klarstein Mundshenk? Is it ntc thermistor or pt100 maybe?

WQecome and slow down

 

[terragady]

I would be going for the Ace, extremely good value for the money, and if you want a spring filter I will be sending some to the UK complete with elbow, end cap and silicone washer. Won't need spiders or hop socks with that just throw your hops straight in whether flowers or pellets.

I am in Norway now :)

The Ace microbrewery/Klarstein/Easybrew, etc whatever you want to call it is a good all in one system. I personally have had a terrible experience with it regarding reliability. Considering I was one of the first ones to receive it, this is not a coincidence. Since however the systems have been developed with some 'upgrades' that make them robust including:

- New heater element supplier with better casting
- Updated controller
- 'Legs' on the grain basket to keep it from slipping
- etc.

I have had these issues affect me:

- Melted switch
- Failed temperature sensor
- Bad element

I have replaced literally everything except for the pump and original ball valve and save a few wires and screws I ended up recycling for the PID replacement of the stock controller.

There are some things that need to be done to the 'Guten' as we will call it to make it reliable. You definitely 100% need a separate way to monitor temperature- another thermo pen, gauge, whatever. This is so you can calibrate if it's off. The lauter helix works much better than the stock 'strainer' so don't overlook that!

I hope I won't have any of the problems and If I will have any there is 5year warranty in Norway for them and warranty here works really great so I do not worry about it.
If I buy it I will install CraftBeerPi controller there, I already have pt100 probe which will fit in the bottom instead of original one (m6 screw), heaters are easy to reconnect to SSR as well. Then I will have WiFi controler, no need to bend :)

WQecome and slow down

Slow down? :) "Live fast - die young" :)



My friend made me an agitator today which I can use with my electric pot, i hope I can do some tests over the weekend and see If i want to keep it or buy Klarstein/Ace. I know it is more work to brew like this as I have to move mash to filter (or filter in the pot and clean afterwards but still I have to use 2 vessels) but I can mash more grain and efficiency is quite high. I will use it also with the CraftBeerPi controller so the temperature should be also quite stable and I can control it from my smartphone.

BTW is the new controller on the all in one using PID now to keep the temperature? As I know old one was using hysteresis of 2 C degree so temp was floating when for example set to 66 -> 66-65-64-65-66-65-64 etc. Or it is just an accuracy of the temp probe (resolution) and some added memory functions etc?

 

[IainM]

I have the Bulldog Brewer, well pleased with it after a year of use. No problems other than the pump sticking because I didn't flush it through properly. Currently �£360 with a wort chiller included, which I don't think the Ace has.

https://www.home-brew-hopshop.co.uk...er-stainless-steel-brewing-system-p-2772.html

+1 on the Bulldog Brewer. It makes brew day a breeze.

 

[mgkpancake]

I am in Norway now :)




I hope I won't have any of the problems and If I will have any there is 5year warranty in Norway for them and warranty here works really great so I do not worry about it.
If I buy it I will install CraftBeerPi controller there, I already have pt100 probe which will fit in the bottom instead of original one (m6 screw), heaters are easy to reconnect to SSR as well. Then I will have WiFi controler, no need to bend :)


Slow down? :) "Live fast - die young" :)



My friend made me an agitator today which I can use with my electric pot, i hope I can do some tests over the weekend and see If i want to keep it or buy Klarstein/Ace. I know it is more work to brew like this as I have to move mash to filter (or filter in the pot and clean afterwards but still I have to use 2 vessels) but I can mash more grain and efficiency is quite high. I will use it also with the CraftBeerPi controller so the temperature should be also quite stable and I can control it from my smartphone.

BTW is the new controller on the all in one using PID now to keep the temperature? As I know old one was using hysteresis of 2 C degree so temp was floating when for example set to 66 -> 66-65-64-65-66-65-64 etc. Or it is just an accuracy of the temp probe (resolution) and some added memory functions etc?

That mash setup is sick!

 

[dan125]

I would be going for the Ace, extremely good value for the money, and if you want a spring filter I will be sending some to the UK complete with elbow, end cap and silicone washer. Won't need spiders or hop socks with that just throw your hops straight in whether flowers or pellets.

I've used a spring filter twice in my pot for BIAB after we discussed it on another thread,
I can't get more than about a pint through it before it blocks totally, even after a vigorous whirlpooling. Had to syphon the second batch out.
I think it could be the trub causing the problem though rather than the hops.

 

[foxy]

I've used a spring filter twice in my pot for BIAB after we discussed it on another thread,
I can't get more than about a pint through it before it blocks totally, even after a vigorous whirlpooling. Had to syphon the second batch out.
I think it could be the trub causing the problem though rather than the hops.

Trub shouldn't be the problem if you have whirlpooled, maybe you havent waited for the thermals to settle, we haven' t had any problems over here.

 

[dan125]

Trub shouldn't be the problem if you have whirlpooled, maybe you havent waited for the thermals to settle, we haven' t had any problems over here.

How long do you usually wait?
I gave it about 20mins - all seemed settled and still.
I'm gonna try once more with pellets then maybe try with leaf hops to see if it is the trub causing the problem.

 

[foxy]

The only thing which you may have done is fully opened the outlet valve, I open slowly about halfway and as it empties you can ease the valve open a bit further.

 

[dan125]

The only thing which you may have done is fully opened the outlet valve, I open slowly about halfway and as it empties you can ease the valve open a bit further.

I did indeed - will try as you suggest next time - thanks!
:

 

[terragady]

My hopstoper was once blocked also because I fully opened the valve at the beginning. Opening slowly helped but I had to keep it pretty half open all the time, was afraid to fully open it by the end. I didn't want to have it blocked again

 

[foxy]

My hopstoper was once blocked also because I fully opened the valve at the beginning. Opening slowly helped but I had to keep it pretty half open all the time, was afraid to fully open it by the end. I didn't want to have it blocked again

There is no big rush to empty out the wort, 1/2 choke is hardly going to make a big difference time wise, I am certain that is the reason the Braumeister has only an eight milimeter orifice in the valve that comes with the unit.

 

[terragady]

For me it does matter at the moment because I have a plate chiller so I want to cool my wort as fast as possible to not produce much DMS

 

[foxy]

You will lose most of the DMS in the boil, half choke on a 1/2 inch tap will barely make any time difference but you want to leave behind as much as you can from your boil.
Trub that is left and the last of the runnings in the glass.

 

[terragady]

DMS is producing all the time in the temp above 80 degree. But yes it might not be a that big problem. I will do as you said :)

BTW I heard somewhere that more trub in the fermenter produces clearer beer? True?

 

[foxy]

What I have heard is whatever is left in the bottom of the boiler stays in the boiler, I read Tom Sawyer and Treasure Island at school not chemistry or physics, if I want to know something about brewing I would be reading what people who have letters after their name or those who are paid large sums of money to write about the complexities of brewing beer.
The reason we do a good vigorous rolling boil is to get good coagulation and to precipitate out everything you don't want in the fermenter, if you want a clear beer use a secondary for the beer to settle out bright, and if a cold crash is needed to drop anything left floating about cold crash at -1 or -2 degrees C.
I have read some poor advice on forums and it usually ends up 'I've been doing it for years' if anyone wants the right answers, though even the experts disagree, best to research it and make up their own minds.

 

[Bigcol49]

For me it does matter at the moment because I have a plate chiller so I want to cool my wort as fast as possible to not produce much DMS

Hi!
How long will it take to empty your boil kettle with the tap only half open?
I no-chill and have had no problems with DMS flavours in the finished beers.
Don't get hung up on DMS.