Colm89’s “probably should have just bought a grainfather” thread

[colm89]

I couldn't find a projects/diy/diary/blog section, and figured it fit best here, however moderators please feel free to move as you see appropriate.

To give some insight into my rapid descent, I am a scientist by background (laboratory based phd that I dropped out of in the final year), and although I am no longer a practicing scientist, that training sticks with you. The basic BIAB process is fun, and I'm producing some drinkable beers, 1 gallon at a time, but I'm keen to tighten up the variance in a few areas, and delve deeper into the home brewing rabbit hole.

I read everything there was to read about the grainfather, and had all but clicked order when I stepped back to think for a moment, and figured dropping the best part of €1k (g30, chiller and fermenter) is probably a bit wacky at 2 months into a new hobby.

So I have watched everything there is to watch about BIAB in a catering tea urn, read everything there was to read about the tweaks needed to achieve a rolling boil, and the burning out of elements as a result, and placed an order for a 30L buffalo from nisbets that should arrive in the coming days. I'm aware of the other options like the peco boilers or adding kettle elements to food grade buckets etc, but I have a probably unnecessary aversion to plastic.

I have a grain bag and a hop bag, which should limit the amount that can cake on the element during the boil. I may also fashion a false bottom from a sieve if needed. I'm planning to bypass the thermostat and pick up an inkbird to keep the mash temperature stable as a start point, with future plans to put to use a spare raspberry pi I have kicking around as a craftbeerpi controller. I of course need to pick up some insulation foil to wrap it with, and a ball valve with bazooka filter.  There's a lot of scope to add a pump for recirculating wort, but once those initial few bits mentioned above are done I'll likely make do with that for mashing and boiling for the foreseeable brew days and switch focus to fermentation next (currently using 1 gallon glass carboys in the spare room wardrobe).

This thread will likely prove how spending €750 (or whatever the current price is) on a grainfather is actually very good value, but at least we should have some fun getting there, and I thought it might be fun and informative for anyone in a similar position in the future.

Spend to date:
BIAB bag - €27.17
Hop bag - €9.95
30L buffalo boiler - €133.08
TOTAL - €170.20

Current cost of grainfather g30 on geterbrewed - €746.67

Cost delta - +€576.47

[colm89]

If you have gone down this road, and have any advice/insight, I am all ears!

[mick02]

If you have gone down this road, and have any advice/insight, I am all ears!

Calling @ibecake ...

[Ibecake]

If you have gone down this road, and have any advice/insight, I am all ears!

Calling @ibecake ...

LOL Thanks Mick

Hi Colm89
Im probably of similar persuasion to yourself why spend €800 when I'm sure I can do it myself. This took me on an adventure of firstly building a three vessel electric system followed by what you are looking at a grainfather BIAB clone.
I have learned a lot and it was a great experience and can help with any questions but ultimately it won't save you a penny you will be in a constant cycle of upgrading hardware pumps elements and fittings leaving very little time for brewing. My brew days used to consist of a 2 hour setup checking for leaks and safety checks before I even got started. I have electrocuted myself twice 😂 and dumped more beer than I care to think about.
I recently bought the Brewster Beacon 30l for a fraction of the cost of a grainfather and I have brewed seamlessly nearly every month since. What you save is euros you lose in brewing time. If your doing it to make something then go for it I'm here to help if you need it but I wish I had just bought a proper setup years ago. Happy brewing and remember brown is live 🤟

[colm89]

If you have gone down this road, and have any advice/insight, I am all ears!

Calling @ibecake ...

LOL Thanks Mick

Hi Colm89
Im probably of similar persuasion to yourself why spend €800 when I'm sure I can do it myself. This took me on an adventure of firstly building a three vessel electric system followed by what you are looking at a grainfather BIAB clone.
I have learned a lot and it was a great experience and can help with any questions but ultimately it won't save you a penny you will be in a constant cycle of upgrading hardware pumps elements and fittings leaving very little time for brewing. My brew days used to consist of a 2 hour setup checking for leaks and safety checks before I even got started. I have electrocuted myself twice 😂 and dumped more beer than I care to think about.
I recently bought the Brewster Beacon 30l for a fraction of the cost of a grainfather and I have brewed seamlessly nearly every month since. What you save is euros you lose in brewing time. If your doing it to make something then go for it I'm here to help if you need it but I wish I had just bought a proper setup years ago. Happy brewing and remember brown is live 🤟

Haha thanks for the input. Admittedly as soon as I hit buy on the buffalo I had mild buyers remorse, but have spent the last 8 hours convincing myself it will work out.

In your honest opinion, should I cut my losses here, cancel the buffalo, and order the middle ground GF clone like a robobrew or brew monk?

[Ibecake]

TBH you can still get the boiler and use it till you have the funds to purchase an all in one if it doesn't work out. you'll be fine because you'll still need the boiler to prepare your sparge water every all in ones need a second boiler or pot to do this so it's not a wasted purchase. I'm using two pots which is not ideal hopefully Santa will bring me a boiler.

[colm89]

TBH you can still get the boiler and use it till you have the funds to purchase an all in one if it doesn't work out. you'll be fine because you'll still need the boiler to prepare your sparge water every all in ones need a second boiler or pot to do this so it's not a wasted purchase. I'm using two pots which is not ideal hopefully Santa will bring me a boiler.

Right you are, I shall proceed as planned, should be a great source of entertainment for the community at least!

[DEMPSEY]

The grainfather is a polished piece of kit and well worth it. When you plan a self build you start with known knowledge and design with that knowledge but as you move along you inevitably learn and so redesign and modify and add and subtract and..... .

[DEMPSEY]

https://www.adverts.ie/other-diy-renovation/brewing-equipment/22117863

[Damofto]

What about one of these instead of the Buffalo boiler, at least the temp control would be built in?

https://www.geterbrewed.ie/digital-turbo-boiler-35-litres-kegland/

[colm89]

Aha the buffalo has already been purchased and dispatched, but there's probably a reasonable returns policy. I'll sleep on it and see how I feel about keeping it and ploughing ahead when it arrives tomorrow

[Phil.cork]

Just to muddy the waters further I have a klarstein mundschenk xl 50l capacity and could not be happier. Its the same as the hopcat/angel brewing/other ones. Couldn't be happier with it. I've brewed 46l into fermenters with it (sparging). I got mine as ex display stock on hifi tower.ie (had a dent in the cardboard box) so cost<€400

[Paul86]

Similar to Phil.cork, I purchased the hopcat 45L brewing system new for ~400 EURO about a year ago, I only use it for 20-25L brews but more than happy with it so far and brew days have been so much handier/quicker.

[craftyfecker]

I'll just add my 2 cents to this. The buffalo boiler is a good purchase so don't regret it. I went with the 40lt version a few years back and used it for a good two years as both a mash tun and boiler. It keeps a good rolling boil ( I don't think I had to override the thermostat on it either). It has a crude enough temp control with the dial on the side which I now use to set my strike/sparge water for use in a different system (I have a marking between 1 and 2 on the dial that works well for 70c). You are going to want to change out the tap on it but you should have no issues getting a solid 3-piece tap. I would also recommend one of these, https://store.brewpi.com/mashing/filtering/brewpi-mattmill-lauterhexe-kit . I have thrown massive amount of hops at it with great success as well as mashing with it.

I have moved on to 50L braumeister that I have borrowed from a friend but I still use the buffalo now and then. It's a solid bit of kit for the price.

Good luck with it!

[Bazza]

Hi Colm,

I'm totally in agreement with craftyfecker.

I bought a Burco Cygnet 30L tea urn on Amazon for around £75. Didn't have to make any modifications for a rolling boil. 5 years, and almost 100 brews later and she's still going strong.

I mash a grain bag in it (loosely covered with some foil insulation plus the original box it came in), then swap that out for a hop spider when boiling. The only fiddly part is having to lift out the hop spider to get the immersion chiller in, towards the end of the boil, but that's about it.

Now, I'm not dissing the all-in-one systems at all. I just figured that £800 is a lot to spend on something that essentially saves you some guesswork, and a marginal amount of time during the brewday itself; you'll still have all the other hassles like fermenting, bottling/kegging, conditioning, storage, temp control, etc to deal with, Grainfather or no Grainfather. Another reason I didn't go for the likes of the Grainfather is the same reason I don't own a complete bean-to-cup coffee machine; I prefer the ability to easily swap out faulty parts of a system rather than do without the entire unit while one part of it is being fixed.

I also changed out the original tap on the Burco for a proper ball valve tap, but that was only so it would take a bazooka hop filter, which turned out to be shite anyway; especially with pellet hops.

One thing I'd advise you don't compromise on and that's a thermometer. It's worth spending an extra few quid on a quick, reliable, accurate and sturdy thermometer. I agree with craftyfecker, the temp dial on the side of these boilers is a rough guide at best.

I had previously owned a Peco mashing boiler thing, but it was plain awful. The mashing control unit blew after only a handful of brews and the element always cut out at around 90 degrees (supplier sent me a replacement element but 2 brews later, same thing - and yes; I did clean it; you could see your face in the fecker), resulting in my having to cut a second hole in the thing to install a cheap Tesco kettle element to get it to a boil. Yes; a wonderful horror show of wobbly plastic, water and bare wires.


Just to finalise; If you prefer the more hands-on approach to brewing the Buffalo offers just that. You'll be grand 


Cheers,

-Barry

P.s. Happy to be corrected and chastised by all the Grainfather owners out there