Time to decide

[Wardy]

I now have enough money to buy a BrauMeister as I've received Christmas money I was promised. I now have a big dilemma though: as much as I love the full automation of the BrauMeister from start of the process to transferring to the FV, I like the Grainfather because of the supplied counterflow chiller and the option of fitting the copper still attachment (for purification of water ). The down side of it is having to lift the grain bin up for sparging.
I think I will end up going for Grainfather because the more I think about it the more it makes sense especially as the money I will save can buy more equipment and ingredients.
Is anywhere still doing a discount? I unfortunately missed the Black Friday deals. I might phone around tomorrow for the best deal or maybe wait for January sales.

 

[ManseMasher]

Try homebrewcompany.ie mate. 5% member discount, and the euro/sterling exchange rate is mightily in our favour at the moment.....

 

[Wardy]

Try homebrewcompany.ie mate. 5% member discount, and the euro/sterling exchange rate is mightily in our favour at the moment.....

Thanks MM. I'll check the total cost out as I bet shipping a Grainfather costs a bit from Ireland. There's a store in Edinburgh that stocks them and I could collect so it looks like it's between those 2 for now.

 

[geetee]

Why not tell the store in Edinburgh that you have a good deal in Ireland, quote the cost -5% and see if they will match it. If so you can also save delivery!

 

[ManseMasher]

I've just checked. You would be better off ordering straight from grainfather! The units have obviously taken off, and where you could get them two months ago from homebrew companies for �£650, some have gone up by a hundred quid. Gf still are at 650.....

However, geterbrewed are 644.95, and members get 5%....

 

[Leon103]

Didn't someone say they had an email of brewuk quoting a price below £600?

 

[ManseMasher]

http://www.brewuk.co.uk/grainfather.html

595.

Didn't someone say they had an email of brewuk quoting a price below �£600?

 

[Wardy]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I've emailed the Brew Store in Edinburgh and Emailed HBC to see if they can do free delivery before Christmas. I'm going to get the Alembic attachments too since I have the price of a BrauMeister to spend and show family what I got with the Christmas money. Do Brew UK offer a discount too. So far HBC seems best if they deliver free with a total cost around £858

 

[ManseMasher]

No discount from Brewuk, so what you get from hbc seems good. I seem to recall anything over 65 quid gets free delivery, might be worth checking. Have you applied your 5% member discount?

 

[Wardy]

Yes, total is £903.99 before discount. It does say free delivery over £65 but I'm sure I saw a charge if the delivery was over a certain weight.

 

[Wardy]

HBC have always been quite good too so I would rather stick with them if a saving was only around £10 elsewhere.

 

[Wardy]

Shane at HBC has got back to me and delivery is free and guaranteed delivery for Christmas so I'm off to order now. Thanks guys.

 

[JapanBrew]

Oh man, wardy gets an amazing Christmas gift!!!!! Lucky guy!!!

 

[Leon103]

Yes, total is �£903.99 before discount. It does say free delivery over �£65 but I'm sure I saw a charge if the delivery was over a certain weight.

Don't think they do, I order loads of grain from them and it is always free over £70.

 

[Wardy]

Yes, free delivery. I made a huge mistake though and forgot to put the discount code in. I've emailed to see if it can be added or even a credit note because I told all relatives I was saving for a brew machine and I will end up with about £400 still to spend so come boxing day I'll be ordering a boiler for sparge water, a refractometer and lots of ingredients.

 

[Wardy]

Well, HBC is in danger of losing my custom. An email asking if the delivery was free and would the equipment arrive before Christmas had a reply in less than 1 hour but an email last night 1 minute after ordering and paying has had no reply. Two further emails this morning have had no reply. Under the distance selling act I may be rejecting this order at the door and claiming a refund. I'm in no hurry and might get a better deal in January sales and I'm afraid I will only be using Geterbrewed if this isn't resolved. My mistake for not entering the discount code in a moment of distraction but surely the order could have been cancelled at either 9:40 last night or 8am this morning when I emailed them.

 

[ManseMasher]

Have you heard back from them yet?

 

[Wardy]

HBC fail! No response to any of my emails today. I'm afraid there will be no AG brews over Christmas because they have lost all future custom from me and the order they sent out is going straight back. The shop in Edinburgh will have a Grainfather in tomorrow and I'm working that way so if they can sell one to me for £600 I will have one after all.

 

[Wardy]

Have you heard back from them yet?

Just posted at the same time, no I didn't hear back. In their T&C they say you can cancel at any time so they are in breach of contract as I contacted them last night and at 6:30 am. Then at around 1pm when I received dispatch notification and then 2 times after that. I have email proof that I tried to cancel the order so that I could reorder but they ignored my requests. I'm never going to buy from them again so they've lost out on a sale of GF and distilling kit, £40 refractometer and £90 boiler for sparge water, and all future ingredients. I had calculated that the order I was going to put in on the 27th was just short of £200. A total of £1100 plus future business. I have £1300 that was made up by savings and Christmas presents so at least I'm pleased I didn't get a BM though. I can name different items that I've bought with each money gift rather than only have 1 machine.

 

[Wardy]

Ok time to eat my words. Shane has got back to me and apologised for not replying sooner. Apparently they are 2 men down because of flu and have been so busy sending out orders that they haven't had time to check emails. The discount is going to be applied this evening and I will be putting another order in on Sunday.