I started off with one 50 litre kettle and a cool box mash tun. At that point it was 30% the cost of the grain father. I splashed out on a SS Brewtech 50litre mash tun, next as Malt Miller had an offer. Still under the cost of GF. Next I decided t build a lauter tun with a HERMS coil - cheapo kettle, one 2400W element. Most expensive bit were the 5 3pc ball valves. Now same price as GF. Built PID controller from eBay parts, which cycles the single element to maintain mash temp.
Once I had invested in the hole cutters, I added extra heating elements, so lauter tun and kettle have 2 each. That was a cheap upgrade, and means I can get up to temp quicker and then go back to single. So max wattage is normally 4800 watts. Only one element goes through the SSR. I did change the garage wiring from single spur to ring and upped the fuse from 25A to 30A.
With 22mm cutter I have added more taps to try out different systems such as whirl pool etc... in the kettle.
then built a boxed in area in the garage for the set-up, with plaster board, sockets and switches.
I enjoyed making my own system, which I can still tinker with and mod, but it has now cost more than GF. My GF concession has been to buy the fermenter.
Two friends, one of whom is a DIY enthusiast and engineer, both went for the Grainfather, with no regrets, and make beer as good as mine. I don’t think our clean up time is any different, but I save some time on water heating, and can keep adding elements if I wish.
I am always thinking of ways to improve my system, which is not what my two friends think about.
I would like to buy a new lauter tun as it was cheap and thin walled, and reposition everything lower, as presently I need 30 litres to immerse the HERMS coil, which has plenty of space below it. I would recycle all the fittings, and one you buy the 2 hole cutters you can use them over and over again (obviously).
That just gives an example of the fun you can have with a cobbled together 3 vessel system.
I like the counter flow cooler on the grainfather, which is quicker than my immersion coil.
I get better efficiency from the SS mash tun than they get with the batch sparge with the GF.
My 2 friends have had stuck sparges, which I never have, despite using identical recipes.
My system takes up more space, though. That is the big difference, and means you need a brew shed or garage. Both my friends use their GF in their house. I seem to get more hot liquid on the garage floor from all the hose disconnecting and reconnecting, though.
3V system does require a bit more faffing about, so perhaps when I am older, I may switch to an all in one system, which seems to have less hassles.
Not sure that helps much.....
ramble over
Mr S
