Which system should I buy?

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?

 

Loads of people on the forum use The Grainfather, which seems to be the standard all-in-one unit. But I use the Brewster. Not had a problem with it, but it does look a bit cheap n cheerful. It does everything the Grainfather does but is about £150 cheaper. I originally had a Bulldog, but it was faulty from new so it had to go back. Had it worked, it would probably have done the job, but I'm glad I saw sence and opted for the Brewster replacement.

 

Hi
I use the Ace system and up to know i have had no problems apart from a faulty rocker switch which will still work but got one under warranty anyway.
Efficiency is good around 75% and I only do a simple kettle sparge so generally hit my figures. One tip is do not use the 2500 watt as it is at the max of the system and will shorten the life of the heating element from what I have read but overall well pleased with it. Prior to the Ace I used the peco boiler but eventually it melted the heater lead which seems a common fault as proper kettle leads are no longer available. Hope this helps but the Ace is fine for me at half the Grainfather price and don't forget you do not need to be not fully automated to give you the ability to learn some brewing skills
Pete

 

Hi, thanks all for messages.
My budget is not really limited but I want to get it as cheap as possible. I see for example Klarstein/Ace brewery etc are the same system as Grainfather (even the same pump?) so there is no need to pay so much extra. I know quality might be little lower but if it makes the job than its fine. I have 5 year warranty for Klarstein so any problems with the parts I will have it sorted.

I know principle of brewing, I was using just a gas and a pot, then electric pot with manual stirring and some old ages filtering. Then I was doing with that pot some biab but got quite low efficiency (tried also mesh basket but it was poorly designed).

So i can have a stirrer made by my friend from SS and use my electric pot to mash and then filter (with something like this ) and then clean a pot quickly from grains and use it for boil or filter in fermentation basket with that spring. This can save me some time as during boil I can clean the basket, I am just not sure If I can move my mash through the 1/2'' tap?


or just buy a ready made all in one like Klarstein/Ace microbrewery/Hopcat


I can see that the option with traditional mashing and filtering is more efficient while all in one system is less efficient (but maybe more time efifcient of course).
I am doing mostly batches around 20L (5-6gal)

 

Hi!
I built my own RIMS system based on an ACE mash tun/boiler, but at the end of the process, although extremely enjoyable, I have probably paid out more than the cost of the ACE Microbrewer.
Having said that, I like my set-up and know how every component works.

 

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.

 

Have you seen these?

http://www.angelhomebrew.co.uk/en/29-brew-devil-new

 

That is the Ace, goes under many names.

 

Id love to see the build, i thaught about doing same with my peco boiler

 

I am getting the Ace boiler for Christmas, as its a gift from my family I felt cheeky asking for the all in one system. Wasn't sure what the extra benefits of it were?

 

More or less, but it does have an updated controller which I don't think is found on any of the other rebranded Ace's.

 

hi all,
i have been in this same situation for 4 years.but i enjoyed drinking,not brewing.
i drink about 2 corny,s every 2 weeks.so need to brew 40 litres fortnightly.
with sale,s from wilko/tesco every now and then,i stockpile [£150] and never
got round to buying a boiler.haveing purchased 6 corny,s/gas/tap,beer is
better than the pub,[brew short 21l extra sugar].i was a pig in it's own mess.
now a fellow from tesco has decided he don't want homebrew,s,and farmed out
homebrewing to cleverbox,wilco, now has little competition so no need for
kitsale,s wars.i have now looked again at brewing kit.the gf is over price and would
have to brew weekly,ace brewer [aka ?] cheaper and still a weekly brew[5-6 hours]
hopcat,this would work 40l,but? the element goes you got a fishtank but can't see the fish.
so looking i found the ace mash tun,on offer at £119.price, gone back to £149. it,s double
walled,timer,didgital temp control,mashbag,baseplate and strainer.to me it,s an
acebrewer without the pump[could use a jug instead] the p.i.d. on the acebrewer
is not needed,my phone,s timer will tell me when to put hops in.so i,am happy.
not use it yet,purchased 6 ag kit,s,some hop from hbs [used code ta.]but still
have 5 wheery,s from wilko,s sale [it,s xmas].getting round the weekly brew?
if all goes well,i will buy a second one [don't use 2 on the same circuit] and maybe
a pump or 2.looking forward to the next few months.

con.

 

They have upgraded the control box on all of them, hop timer, 9 step mash and recipe memory.

 

Be cool if you could blue tooth it so it could be on the floor

 

I can't comment on any of the other all in one systems, but I have a Grainfather and I'm super impressed with it.

 

I'm not sure they all have the upgraded controller, good news if they have I suppose. Comparison between old and new controller in the link below for anyone interested.

http://www.angelhomebrew.co.uk/en/brew-devil-new/312-50l-brew-devil-micro-brewery.html

 

Or you could bend down

 

If it was on the floor, you would have to lift it up when full to empty it into the fv via the tap.

 

Cant you use the pump?