JesusQuintana
New Member
Hi all,
I have been in the hobby for about 12 years. Started with a few batches of extract, then have been doing standard all grain cooler mash and batch sparging, with either cooktop gas in the winter or propane burner in the summer. I have added things through the years (eg temp controlled fridge for fermentation, chest freezer kegerator) but for the most part my 'brewery' has been unchanged. As life has gotten busier and great craft beer more widely available, I have brewed less frequently. I find my current setup clunky, cumbersome, and time consuming. No pumps. I lift grain-filled coolers and hot liquid containing kettles off countertops and down steps. Brew day time exceeds 6 hours with a fair bit hands-on.
Well, I want to reinvigorate my brewing and I think starting with a fresh brewery setup is the way to go. I now have space in the basement set aside for the equipment to stay permanently. I always thought I would eventually build a three vessel horizontal brewing rig, but now that the time has come to actually design this, I am wondering if something simpler isn't better. However, the reason I am in this hobby is the freedom to tinker with a recipe and create new things, not just end up with decent tasting beer (can easily just get growler fills of great beer these days), so I don't want to get too simple and lose that ability to be creative with batch sizes, step mashes, etc.
Goals & more info:
- shorter brew days
- less hands on (chunks of the day to play with my young child)
- electric (have 240V available)
- basement (live in Midwest, cold winters)
- I usually make 5-6 gal batches, occasionally 10-12 gal for parties. Ideally I could do both in the new system, and full range of gravity from 1.040 to 1.1+
- System does not have to be mobile. Rather would prefer to leave setup on table and avoid tear down every time
- Would prefer not lifting hot heavy stuff up and down from the counter
- Brewhouse efficiency matters less than brew day efficiency (time, active management) . I will brew at most once per month, so within reason a few extra dollars of grain cost matters less to me.
- OK with some construction, but lean towards more turnkey than complete DIY sourcing and building
- Obviously, ability to produce consistent and great beer.
Obviously no system is perfect, but I would like opinions on styles of breweries to consider and stay away from. I have had my eye on a three vessel system eHERMS like Spike's turnkey for a while, but I have more recently looked into other options like the Blichman BrewEasy kettle RIMS or eBIAB such as the Wort Hog or upcoming Spike eBIAB which may fit my newer goals of simplicity over having my own pro-style homebrew setup.
Anybody in similar circumstances and care to share their experiences?
Thanks.
I have been in the hobby for about 12 years. Started with a few batches of extract, then have been doing standard all grain cooler mash and batch sparging, with either cooktop gas in the winter or propane burner in the summer. I have added things through the years (eg temp controlled fridge for fermentation, chest freezer kegerator) but for the most part my 'brewery' has been unchanged. As life has gotten busier and great craft beer more widely available, I have brewed less frequently. I find my current setup clunky, cumbersome, and time consuming. No pumps. I lift grain-filled coolers and hot liquid containing kettles off countertops and down steps. Brew day time exceeds 6 hours with a fair bit hands-on.
Well, I want to reinvigorate my brewing and I think starting with a fresh brewery setup is the way to go. I now have space in the basement set aside for the equipment to stay permanently. I always thought I would eventually build a three vessel horizontal brewing rig, but now that the time has come to actually design this, I am wondering if something simpler isn't better. However, the reason I am in this hobby is the freedom to tinker with a recipe and create new things, not just end up with decent tasting beer (can easily just get growler fills of great beer these days), so I don't want to get too simple and lose that ability to be creative with batch sizes, step mashes, etc.
Goals & more info:
- shorter brew days
- less hands on (chunks of the day to play with my young child)
- electric (have 240V available)
- basement (live in Midwest, cold winters)
- I usually make 5-6 gal batches, occasionally 10-12 gal for parties. Ideally I could do both in the new system, and full range of gravity from 1.040 to 1.1+
- System does not have to be mobile. Rather would prefer to leave setup on table and avoid tear down every time
- Would prefer not lifting hot heavy stuff up and down from the counter
- Brewhouse efficiency matters less than brew day efficiency (time, active management) . I will brew at most once per month, so within reason a few extra dollars of grain cost matters less to me.
- OK with some construction, but lean towards more turnkey than complete DIY sourcing and building
- Obviously, ability to produce consistent and great beer.
Obviously no system is perfect, but I would like opinions on styles of breweries to consider and stay away from. I have had my eye on a three vessel system eHERMS like Spike's turnkey for a while, but I have more recently looked into other options like the Blichman BrewEasy kettle RIMS or eBIAB such as the Wort Hog or upcoming Spike eBIAB which may fit my newer goals of simplicity over having my own pro-style homebrew setup.
Anybody in similar circumstances and care to share their experiences?
Thanks.