Thinking about switching to e-BIAB with Brew-Boss

wps-hbt
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
h22lude

h22lude

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Messages
3,429
Reaction score
440
Location
lincoln
Right now I am doing AG with a 10 gallon cooler mash tun and 10 gallon BK with propane burner. It works well but it does take extra time to clean everything, extra time to sparge and it is tough to brew when it is freezing or too hot. I live in New England and we get some really hot days and really cold days.

I have been looking into going all electric so I can brew in my basement. I was starting to plan out a 3 vessel single tier system. I started looking at my list and not only did the $$$ start adding up, the cleaning time was also adding up in my head. I decided to start searching for e-BIAB systems and came across the Brew-Boss. This system looks like it works really well. Can do 5 or 10 gallon batches, nice control with laptop or tablet, easy 1 pot clean up. Seems like this is exactly what I want.

Before I jump in, I wanted to ask people that have been doing BIAB what they thought and if they enjoy it more than the traditional 2 or 3 pot system. And if anyone is using the Brew-Boss, what they thought.
 
Have you considered using your current 10 gallon pot with an induction hot plate and doing BIAB with that. You'd have to be sure your pot is compatible with induction heating.
 
I brew E-BIAB and I switched from 3 Vessel AG.. like you said I did it because I needed to shorten my brew day but not so much that I could only brew with extracts (i havent used them in years).

I made a cream ale the other day and I started around 10am in my Garage. I finished up with cleanup by 1:30ish. Typically with my AG setups.. even my Brutus10 build an all grain day would take approx5-6 hours start to finish.
 
I'm in the process of switching back. I started with BIAB, then 3v electric. Now I want to go back to BIAB, but with more control over the mash and my schedule. I'll be doing a recirculating mash and looking forward to ordering the Brew Boss. I think I'll be able to stretch the mashing time over several hours, letting me start the brew in the morning, come back at lunch and boil out; or start the mash in at lunch and boil up during dinner.
 
RM-MN said:
Have you considered using your current 10 gallon pot with an induction hot plate and doing BIAB with that. You'd have to be sure your pot is compatible with induction heating.
Click to expand...

It's aluminum so it wouldn't work. I would also need to get all the parts (pump, pid, sparge arm). I like turnkey lol

Mirilis said:
I brew E-BIAB and I switched from 3 Vessel AG.. like you said I did it because I needed to shorten my brew day but not so much that I could only brew with extracts (i havent used them in years).

I made a cream ale the other day and I started around 10am in my Garage. I finished up with cleanup by 1:30ish. Typically with my AG setups.. even my Brutus10 build an all grain day would take approx5-6 hours start to finish.
Click to expand...

3.5 hours is awesome. I think this is definitely the route I'm going. Puts me into an automated electric system, easy to clean and a quicker brew day.
 
I got a Brew-Boss as an early x-mas present for myself. Purchased the whole system, kettle, controller, pump and tablet. Simple to set up, the APP is great. Took me a bit of playing around to fully understand all the functions in the APP and how to set up my run just the way I want it. I am very happy with the system so far.

The day I received everything I set up, ran the wet run and couldn't resist brewing a batch of IPA. My AG day with my previous set up (keggle, burner and gatorade mlt) it was easily 6-8 hours. That first batch which i started at 9:30pm I was done by 2am. My next batch which was 3 days later I was clean and done in 4 hours. Then my last batch my wife dared me to brew on New Years Eve while we hosted a party. 3 hours, hit start as the guests arrived at 6pm and pitched the yeast 3:06 min later. I did do a lot of prep work and saved deep cleaning till the next day. But the system runs itself. Very little time was actually spent working the brew. I loved the fact that I could take the tablet into the other room with me and just hang out knowing that it would let me know when it was ready for the next step.

I have barely brewed in the last 2 years. Now I can't brew enough. I told my friends with keggerators to just throw me money for ingredients and I'll brew whatever they want.

If flexibility and automation is what you are looking for I definitely recommend the Brew-Boss. I have the 15 gallon system, which is great. I love that I can brew 5 and 10 gallon batches with no issues. I also feel the price is reasonable for an out of the box automated system.
 
I just got started EBIAB And really like it.Today was 15 deg and I was brewing in my kitchen,and that's nice.For an hour mash I can walk away and the same for an hour boil.Its pretty effortless brewing.And the really nice part is My ENTIRE brew setup(less chiller) fits in one box for easy out of the way storage.And Im doing 10 gallon batches.

011.jpg
 
I have the brew-boss and had the previous controller from the same creator before that. Not only is this a top-notch system that produces excellent results, the owner provides some of the best support I have ever received from anything I've purchased. He responds to emails quickly with very thorough and well thought out responses. Try the contact form on his site and see for yourself. He will gladly answer any pre and post sale questions you have. I really can't say enough good things about this system and its creator.

Not only can I do a start to finish brew day in about 3.5 hours including cleanup, I don't really have to do much babysitting during that 3.5 hours either. I stir a few times during the mash, watch for boil overs when the boil starts and then pretty much only need to come back every so often to add hops.

I've been using this system for about a year now and have probably done 25 batches.
 
Seems like this is a no brainer. Going to BIAB with the Brew Boss seems like the best way to go.

I do think I will change a few things. I'll probably get my own pot (cheaper) and probably make my own sparge arm from Loc-Line. The copper pipe with silicone tube holding it to the pot seems cheap.
 
While the copper sparge arm is very effective, I've always thought it seemed a bit cheap compared to the rest of the system as well. Thanks for the Loc-Line suggestion. I've seen that stuff a thousand times but never knew the name of it. Would you use a single line or spider it out so the recirc water was distributed more evenly across the grain bed?

When you start adding up all the costs it may not be all that cheaper to buy your own pot especially if you need to buy step bits and such for drilling the stainless. I was really considering doing the whole thing DIY myself but when you break down the costs and factor in time, its pretty close to even.
 
Bobby_M sells it (brewhardware.com). It is basically a ring and each section has a hole in it. I think it would work perfectly.

Actually I found the exact pot with basket and lid for $142 on Amazon. Saves me $200. I would need a step bit but those are $50. Plus a buddy of mine from work will definitely have one. The pot and sparge arm are the only two things I'm getting myself. I did look up getting my own element and can locks but that would have only saved me $20 or so. That's not worth it.
 
Well, now I have you to blame for spending $50 on camlock QDs in addition to the Loc-Line I went to originally purchase :)
 
Just think of it as you are helping a small business grow lol

I need to start ordering my stuff. How long did it take for the BB to come in?
 
I think it took about a week or two but I ordered right before Christmas last year and right when the new Brew-Boss controller came out so they were both busy times for him and he still got them out fairly quick. I think I had mine for about a month before I had all the electrical stuff sorted out though.
 
Snicklefritz said:
I think it took about a week or two but I ordered right before Christmas last year and right when the new Brew-Boss controller came out so they were both busy times for him and he still got them out fairly quick. I think I had mine for about a month before I had all the electrical stuff sorted out though.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping to have the 30A 240V outlet installed next week so I'll be waiting on the system itself which is fine. Hoping in 3 weeks I'll be using it.
 
Snicklefritz said:
While the copper sparge arm is very effective, I've always thought it seemed a bit cheap compared to the rest of the system as well. Thanks for the Loc-Line suggestion. I've seen that stuff a thousand times but never knew the name of it. Would you use a single line or spider it out so the recirc water was distributed more evenly across the grain bed?

When you start adding up all the costs it may not be all that cheaper to buy your own pot especially if you need to buy step bits and such for drilling the stainless. I was really considering doing the whole thing DIY myself but when you break down the costs and factor in time, its pretty close to even.
Click to expand...

I am the creator of the Brew-Boss system. I saw this post and thought I'd respond. The number one comment I get on the system is wow, is it awesome. The number 2 comment, I wish it were cheaper. The copper sparge arm is a balance between cost and function. As this post indicates, it works very effectively. Copper was chosen as it is easy to solder and machine. Stainless is very hard on tooling and must be tig welded, both would add a lot of cost. Please be aware, that the Loc-Line mentioned is a sweet looking solution, and we did evaluate it. Problem is it is only rated for 170F (see the spec sheet here http://www.loc-line.com/_doc/Specifications.pdf) and is not FDA approved above that temperature. It also states not to be used with water hotter than 150F. I believe the plastic it is made of can put toxins in your brew! I simply didn't like that risk. Copper has been used in brewing for thousands of years and the solder we use is non-toxic lead free. We'd be very willing to look at alternatives, but feel our solution for the sparge tube is beautiful in it's simplicity!
 
flyingpole said:
I am the creator of the Brew-Boss system. I saw this post and thought I'd respond. The number one comment I get on the system is wow, is it awesome. The number 2 comment, I wish it were cheaper. The copper sparge arm is a balance between cost and function. As this post indicates, it works very effectively. Copper was chosen as it is easy to solder and machine. Stainless is very hard on tooling and must be tig welded, both would add a lot of cost. Please be aware, that the Loc-Line mentioned is a sweet looking solution, and we did evaluate it. Problem is it is only rated for 170F (see the spec sheet here http://www.loc-line.com/_doc/Specifications.pdf) and is not FDA approved above that temperature. It also states not to be used with water hotter than 150F. I believe the plastic it is made of can put toxins in your brew! I simply didn't like that risk. Copper has been used in brewing for thousands of years and the solder we use is non-toxic lead free. We'd be very willing to look at alternatives, but feel our solution for the sparge tube is beautiful in it's simplicity!
Click to expand...

I didn't mean any harm. I was just looking for alternatives. It seems to do its job which is what you would want. Just trying to put my own spin on it.

From what I hear the system works great and I can't wait to try it out. I don't find the cost to be bad at all. It is a fully automated electric system. There are costs involved to make it work. The Blichmann system is another nice system but it is over twice as much and it does the same exact thing. I think your price point is right on. Great for people switching to BIAB and great for beginners to get into brewing.
 
h22lude said:
I didn't mean any harm. I was just looking for alternatives. It seems to do its job which is what you would want. Just trying to put my own spin on it.

From what I hear the system works great and I can't wait to try it out. I don't find the cost to be bad at all. It is a fully automated electric system. There are costs involved to make it work. The Blichmann system is another nice system but it is over twice as much and it does the same exact thing. I think your price point is right on. Great for people switching to BIAB and great for beginners to get into brewing.
Click to expand...

No harm done!
 
I wish them the best of luck then. I've got nothing but good things to say about my experience with Darin and his products.
 
I've got a 10Gal aluminum pot with 2 110v elements and a false bottom. I'd love to have the automated features of a brewboss/picobrew but I'm not willing to spend the extra money in order to get it. are you?
 
Menhir said:
If you take a look at the new Brew Boss Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121397318/brew-boss-automated-electric-homebrewing-system) you will note that the old center sparge arm can be replaced by the optional COFI unit. (Center Out Forced Infusion system) This new system option is intriguing and I wonder how much it might influence efficiency.
Click to expand...

I can't speak from experience but I would think you may get a little better efficiency since the wort is being recirculated evenly throughout the grains.

ross_daly said:
I've got a 10Gal aluminum pot with 2 110v elements and a false bottom. I'd love to have the automated features of a brewboss/picobrew but I'm not willing to spend the extra money in order to get it. are you?
Click to expand...

I bought the entire kit (minus the pot) so yeah I would spend the extra money. I assume you don't have an automated system now so you are turning the element on and off yourself and same with the pump. This, you set it and let it do its thing. You can set a crazy 5 step mash and it will go through it no problem. That is the main reason I got it. Plus it backs down on the element power when it reaches a full boil so you don't scorch your wort or boil off too much.
 
Menhir said:
If you take a look at the new Brew Boss Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121397318/brew-boss-automated-electric-homebrewing-system) you will note that the old center sparge arm can be replaced by the optional COFI unit. (Center Out Forced Infusion system) This new system option is intriguing and I wonder how much it might influence efficiency.
Click to expand...


I asked Darin and he said he gets a couple extra points of efficiency from the COFI filter. I should note that I regularly hit 80% efficiency with current Brew Boss system.
 
I've pledged for the Brew Boss Kickstarter, hope they are able to make their pledge goal. I really like the look of that COFI unit. The whole system seems well thought out. Thanks for the feedback!
 
That looks pretty cool. They sort of glossed over the amount of evaporation you'd get running that in your kitchen though :) You'd need some type of hood.
 
I really hadn't considered BIAB much at all because I always assumed efficiency sucked, but this has me rethinking my opinions. I'm going to do more research, but this kickstarter has peaked my interest, although I worry that the goal might be a bit tough to reach.
 
RM-MN said:
Have you considered using your current 10 gallon pot with an induction hot plate and doing BIAB with that. You'd have to be sure your pot is compatible with induction heating.
Click to expand...

Which induction hot plate do you recommend?
 
Oh man....been looking at the brew boss system for a while now. Was thinking about just building my own but once I got down to pricing out all of the parts, it really isn't any cheaper and its definitely not as cool. Looks like I might be putting my Tax Refund to good use this year.

Just one question though. Is the software programmable based on the beer that you are making? Any way to get it to interact with my Beersmith software? That would be incredibly cool :)
 
Rock_Toy said:
Oh man....been looking at the brew boss system for a while now. Was thinking about just building my own but once I got down to pricing out all of the parts, it really isn't any cheaper and its definitely not as cool. Looks like I might be putting my Tax Refund to good use this year.

Just one question though. Is the software programmable based on the beer that you are making? Any way to get it to interact with my Beersmith software? That would be incredibly cool :)
Click to expand...

I can't answer your question about Beersmith but it's my understanding that the Brew Boss software is totally flexible as far as setting up your brew schedule. You should be able to set your times and mash temperatures based on what you are brewing. If you use their optional hops boss attachment you can set things up to automatically add hops according to your schedule. I'll know more once I get my system. Too bad the Kickstarter wasn't fulfilled as I could have gotten a really great deal.
 
Rock_Toy said:
Oh man....been looking at the brew boss system for a while now. Was thinking about just building my own but once I got down to pricing out all of the parts, it really isn't any cheaper and its definitely not as cool. Looks like I might be putting my Tax Refund to good use this year.

Just one question though. Is the software programmable based on the beer that you are making? Any way to get it to interact with my Beersmith software? That would be incredibly cool :)
Click to expand...

No you can't have it interact with beersmith. You would need to use beersmith to calculate the amount of water you need and your gravity readings. Everything else is done with Brew Boss. You can make any kind of beer with as many step mashes as you want.
 
h22lude said:
No you can't have it interact with beersmith. You would need to use beersmith to calculate the amount of water you need and your gravity readings. Everything else is done with Brew Boss. You can make any kind of beer with as many step mashes as you want.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. Still looks like an amazing system.
 
Ill have a 15 gallon Brew Boss system as soon as I can scrape up the funds !
 
I am so hoping for the ground breakers with the Beer Boss. I placed my order last week for the 15 gallon system. I am just looking at changing my equipment profile in Beersmith. Has anyone added the Beersmith program to their Beer Boss Android tablet? Thanks in advance.
 
I'm going from Ebiab to a cooler mash tun. I don't have the time now but start a thread maybe after my first brew. I have reasons including beer quality and efficiency but this is all my personal experience. I will still heat water and then boil with my electric setup. I just don't get good results on biab but like I said, it's my problem not everybody's.
 

Similar threads

B
For Sale Brew-Boss 20 gal System with COFI filter and Hops Boss - UT
Replies
0
Views
312
blklodge
B
O
Upsizing to 50 gallons BIAB
Replies
25
Views
1K
mashdar
mashdar
C
Best brewing system for 5-15 gallon batches
Replies
25
Views
1K
Ninoid
Ninoid
SudzMaker
Which BIAB do you like?
Replies
27
Views
5K
Beernik
Beernik
J
BIAB basket size
Replies
10
Views
2K
DBhomebrew
DBhomebrew

Latest posts

Back
Top