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#1 jayb151

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 07:01 AM

Hey all,

I have been meaning to get my brewery back together and am wanting to go all electric. I recently saw the Brau Supply BIAB system and am wondering what people think about it. I was going to piece together my own brewery, but that actually seems just a lot easier and just about as cheap.

 

Thoughts? Thanks!



#2 positiveContact

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 07:27 AM

their website is pretty bad.  did anyone read over this?  I'd be a little wary to drop >$500 on this thing.  also, you'd be wanting the 240V system so > $700.  I suspect there might be better options out there at that price but I haven't been paying super close attention.

 

It is offered in 2 sizes and is made from the highest quality 304 stainless steel. with commercial grade brewery fittings.  Using commercial grade brewery fittings, iit set's up and disassembles in minutes, making it easy to clean. 


Edited by Evil_Morty, 31 July 2017 - 07:29 AM.


#3 positiveContact

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 07:35 AM

Hey all,

I have been meaning to get my brewery back together and am wanting to go all electric. I recently saw the Brau Supply BIAB system and am wondering what people think about it. I was going to piece together my own brewery, but that actually seems just a lot easier and just about as cheap.

 

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

so what are you goals?  you def staying at 5 gal?  do you want to be able to mash and boil in one vessel or do you not care?



#4 Big Nake

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 07:45 AM

So many options out there right now. If I moved, sold my stuff or my brewery was hit by a North Korean ICBM and I had to start over, I don't know what I would do. Some of these setups with a lot of whiz-bangery (like the Grainfather, etc) might appeal to me because I might want simplicity. The electric stuff seems good but I would wonder about ventilation, etc. When you have a Grainfather, how do you boil? Is the grainfather something just for mashing but then you have to runoff and boil somewhere else?

Drez is one of our electric experts so I think he'll have some good input.

#5 positiveContact

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 07:49 AM

the grainfather is a single vessel system.  you mash in it and then pull out a strainer that removes the grains and proceed to boil in it as well.  I would think some amount of ventilation would be needed to get rid of moisture.



#6 jayb151

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 07:53 AM

so what are you goals?  you def staying at 5 gal?  do you want to be able to mash and boil in one vessel or do you not care?

 

Honestly I don't care about the mashing and boiling. I already have a 10 gal set up using a propane burner and 50L cooler. I'm just looking at doing all electric. A Pump would be nice, but not necessary.

 

Basically what I'm looking for is a way to heat strike/sparge water and a way to heat the wort. A pump for recirc is just gravy. I'm just a complete no0b when it comes to electric work. I mean, I've made a guitar, and I"ve made a heat stick, but I'm not super good at electric work. I'm not afraid to bastardize the stuff I already have to make a new electric brewery, but I'm just not sure how to. I'd be fine wiring a power box too, but I would need an ELI5 run down because I'm an idiot without it.

 

I'm throwing in a photo of my set up so you can see what I have. the only thing not pictured is my heat stick.

 

Oh, and I'm mostly going to do 5 gal batches, but the ability to do 10 would be nice as well.

 

thanks!

 

httpss://photos.app.goo.gl/G91Aa00jNl98mb762


Edited by jayb151, 31 July 2017 - 07:56 AM.


#7 HVB

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 07:55 AM

Drez is one of our electric experts so I think he'll have some good input.

Not sure I am the person to ask.  I looked at it and it looks nice but the DIY guy in me would make it hard for me to buy that.  But I would not even think of the 120v option, 240v or nothing.  I think it will do a fine job and I see the guys at brulosophy use them.



#8 HVB

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 07:59 AM

Honestly I don't care about the mashing and boiling. I already have a 10 gal set up using a propane burner and 50L cooler. I'm just looking at doing all electric. A Pump would be nice, but not necessary.

 

Basically what I'm looking for is a way to heat strike/sparge water and a way to heat the wort. A pump for recirc is just gravy. I'm just a complete no0b when it comes to electric work. I mean, I've made a guitar, and I"ve made a heat stick, but I'm not super good at electric work. I'm not afraid to bastardize the stuff I already have to make a new electric brewery, but I'm just not sure how to. I'd be fine wiring a power box too, but I would need an ELI5 run down because I'm an idiot without it.

 

I'm throwing in a photo of my set up so you can see what I have. the only thing not pictured is my heat stick.

 

thanks!

 

httpss://photos.app.goo.gl/G91Aa00jNl98mb762

So you are going to boil with propane and only want to heat strike water with the electric?  There are a lot of cheaper ways to do that than this set up IMO. 

I think you can DIY this system cheaper ... as an example:

 

62 QT bayou classic pot - 60

Heating Element - 20

PID and some components - 100

Fitting for kettle - depends if you really want the tri-clamps but 25 - 100+

Pump - chugger is 100, what they list looks like a smaller pump this is 65 and the SS head will be 30 more.



#9 positiveContact

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 08:00 AM

Not sure I am the person to ask.  I looked at it and it looks nice but the DIY guy in me would make it hard for me to buy that.  But I would not even think of the 120v option, 240v or nothing.  I think it will do a fine job and I see the guys at brulosophy use them.

 

that's a pretty good endorsement but the $$$ would stop me too.



#10 HVB

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 08:03 AM

that's a pretty good endorsement but the $$$ would stop me too.

I agree but I am a DIY kind of guy and I know many others are not.  If you remember a few months back I threw together a small 32qt BIAB electric set up just because I was bored and had the parts. 



#11 positiveContact

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 08:03 AM

So you are going to boil with propane and only want to heat strike water with the electric?  There are a lot of cheaper ways to do that than this set up IMO. 

I think you can DIY this system cheaper ... as an example:

 

62 QT bayou classic pot - 60

Heating Element - 20

PID and some components - 100

Fitting for kettle - depends if you really want the tri-clamps but 25 - 100+

Pump - chugger is 100, what they list looks like a smaller pump this is 65 and the SS head will be 30 more.

 

I think he wants to do all heating electric: HLT, mash tun maybe, and boil kettle.

 

in that kind of scenario I'd probably try to do a BIAB type setup too IF I was going to stick to 5 gal.  he could always keep his 10 gal setup around and just pull that out on the rare occasion he wants to do 10 gal.


I agree but I am a DIY kind of guy and I know many others are not.  If you remember a few months back I threw together a small 32qt BIAB electric set up just because I was bored and had the parts. 

 

how did that work out anyway?  sounds like the kind of thing jayb is looking for!



#12 HVB

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 08:05 AM

I think he wants to do all heating electric: HLT, mash tun maybe, and boil kettle.

 

in that kind of scenario I'd probably try to do a BIAB type setup too IF I was going to stick to 5 gal.  he could always keep his 10 gal setup around and just pull that out on the rare occasion he wants to do 10 gal.


 

how did that work out anyway?  sounds like the kind of thing jayb is looking for!

Works good and does just want I wanted it to.  Small batches and I should really use it more.



#13 jayb151

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 09:34 AM

Yes, I'm looking at not using propane again.

 

I'm planning on setting everything up in my garage which doesn't have 240v. so 120v is nice, but I might also be able to run 240 out there eventually.



#14 positiveContact

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 09:45 AM

Yes, I'm looking at not using propane again.

 

I'm planning on setting everything up in my garage which doesn't have 240v. so 120v is nice, but I might also be able to run 240 out there eventually.

 

the problem is that it will take a LONG time to heat up 5+ gal of liquid with 120V.



#15 Big Nake

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 09:50 AM

On one hand you have the crafty & handy homebrewers who seem to like to tinker and build things. I'm that way to a point but if I could buy a immersion chiller for $25 or buy the parts and build it for $22, I'm just buying the already-built version. That doesn't mean I have money to burn or that I have more money than handy skills... it just means that it's worth it to me to just have the professionally-built item. It would be the same for this setup... Drez seems to enjoy envisioning tools and toys and then building them. I will do a bit of this but not much. For something like this, I would want to be very certain that I had the skills to complete the job. I'm certain that others on the board will help out and pass on information but it's not like having someone right next to you to help.

#16 HVB

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 09:58 AM

On one hand you have the crafty & handy homebrewers who seem to like to tinker and build things. I'm that way to a point but if I could buy a immersion chiller for $25 or buy the parts and build it for $22, I'm just buying the already-built version. That doesn't mean I have money to burn or that I have more money than handy skills... it just means that it's worth it to me to just have the professionally-built item. It would be the same for this setup... Drez seems to enjoy envisioning tools and toys and then building them. I will do a bit of this but not much. For something like this, I would want to be very certain that I had the skills to complete the job. I'm certain that others on the board will help out and pass on information but it's not like having someone right next to you to help.

I do and have noted that disclaimer in the past :).  I am 99% sure I can build most thing I see, well between and and my father, but in the end I may not save any money but I will know how to fix it once it breaks. 

 

When you compare it to this though it looks like it is a decent buy.



#17 MyaCullen

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 10:12 AM

the problem is that it will take a LONG time to heat up 5+ gal of liquid with 120V.

the best you can hope for with 120V is what a 2KW element?



#18 HVB

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 10:21 AM

the best you can hope for with 120V is what a 2KW element?

Yes, if you have a 20amp breaker on that circuit.

 

just as an example:

 

8g with 2KkW and a starting temp of 50 will take 1:40 to boil.  Swap that to a 5.5kW element and you are at 36 minutes.



#19 positiveContact

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 10:25 AM

the best you can hope for with 120V is what a 2KW element?

 

drez can answer this.  how many amps is the circuit rated at?  plus some losses.  I don't know too much about this.


Yes, if you have a 20amp breaker on that circuit.

 

just as an example:

 

8g with 2KkW and a starting temp of 50 will take 1:40 to boil.  Swap that to a 5.5kW element and you are at 36 minutes.

 

I knew it!



#20 HVB

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Posted 31 July 2017 - 10:25 AM

drez can answer this.  how many amps is the circuit rated at?  plus some losses.  I don't know too much about this.


 

I knew it!

I thought I did :)




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