I need Help in spending some Money$$

[berryman]

A little back story first on how I brew for those that don't know to help understand my reasoning.
I brew mainly extract with a lot of partial BIAB and have always been happy with most of my brews. I have a nice 10 gal. MegaPot and use a turkey burner. Things I don't have is a Mash Tun and now a primary fermenter anymore and I am ready for a change.
Every since Louie posted about the BREWER'S EDGE® MASH & BOIL, I have been researching everything I can find on it and think this would be right up my ally. I like the concept and not that much different then what I do now but would be way easier for me then doing a AG BIAB...
1) Do you guys think this would be a good investment for me?.....https://www.williamsbrewing.com/BREWERS ... px?afid=14
No more Glass fermenters for me, I've broken quite a few of them now but I like glass clean up but thinking SS is the way to go. I've been researching the Brewtech Brewmaster 7 gal and I thing that would work good for me and I know some of you guys here have one.
2) What you all think of this...http://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/f ... collection
No I haven't hit the Lotto or lost my mind, but I'm looking for a little change in my brewing and the market has been real good to me since the first of the year so I'm going to splurge and spend some of it.

[BigPapaG]

Well, that one is really nice and all...

But if you really want to spend some money, you could just donate it to my retirement fund!

[berryman]

But if you really want to spend some money, you could just donate it to my retirement fund!

Ha, been retired for over a year now and just getting better everyday............... We should meet up sometime and share a beer. Not that far away............As far as Money, no I don't have lots but more now then when I was working every day for close to 40 years, I know hard to believe but real.....

[MadBrewer]

Who doesn't love spending some money on toys when you have a little extra.

Well, if I was in you shoes and a retired brewer looking to keep things easy yet make some upgrades I would really like the idea of that Williams Brewing Mash and Boil. I personally might take that money for the Brew Bucket and pick up the Grain Father Sparge Water Heater and a Keg King Pump instead. That way you can heat your sparge water the same time you are heating your strike water for the mash and it will be sitting there staying warm ready for you after the mash. If you add the pump to recirculate the mash while the mash and boil system maintains your set mash temp, you will not only have clearer wort, it can knock off some time from your mash because conversion will take place faster. But, the big bonus for the pump and that sparge water heater together would be to then be able to pump your mash water slowly over your grain basket instead of having to ladle it a little at a time. Maintaining the sparge water at 170* would be nice with the sparge water heater as you are pumping it over. Just an idea that comes to mind if I was looking to go this route. I can see setting something like this up on a nice small cart or work bench and having it all right there. It would be a nice little set up. Since it's electric, could do it all on the kitchen counter top.

[FrozenInTime]

Don't know anything bout either one but if I were getting a new set-up, I'm thinking the Grain Father EBIAB system. The one you can get the distillers top for... not that I would ever use that... the heck I wouldn't.... LOL

[mashani]

I'm considering getting a mash & boil too as soon as I feel like I can spend money.

[bpgreen]

I'm no help here.

I mostly use buckets that used to hold wheat from Costco.

[berryman]

Now you guys might think I really am losing my mind. I've been watching videos on the Grainfather versus the BREWER'S EDGE® MASH & BOIL. The Grainfather is 3x the money but looks so much easier and nicer to use and better. I am starting to get up in age (don't tell anyone) and I want to keep making beer as long as I can, but just can't lift stuff like I use to. I would have almost no lifting with the Grainfather system and the controls look easier to run. As far as brew times and boil about the same but the cool down would be faster. My basement bar/brew room is so full of brewing equipment now I have a hard time picturing having a full conventional AG system that I had been planning on putting together for years. There can be a lot of stuff gone that I have now and wouldn't need...........

[Kealia]

I can speak for the SS Brew Bucket- I Love it. Easy to clean, no worries about scratches unless your REALLY try, I suppose. It's easy to drain for kegging/bottling, made very well and easy to clean.
I don't use the thermometer but instead use the probe from my Thermowell to regulate temperatures and have been REALLY happy with it. If I had one thing I would change, it would be to replace the gaskets and threaded spigot with a welded one - but then you up your price point. I've not had issues with it leaking or anything, just a preference that I would like to have if I could.

[berryman]

TY Kealia it looks like a good unit to me.......

[mashani]

Now you guys might think I really am losing my mind. I've been watching videos on the Grainfather versus the BREWER'S EDGE® MASH & BOIL. The Grainfather is 3x the money but looks so much easier and nicer to use and better. I am starting to get up in age (don't tell anyone) and I want to keep making beer as long as I can, but just can't lift stuff like I use to. I would have almost no lifting with the Grainfather system and the controls look easier to run. As far as brew times and boil about the same but the cool down would be faster. My basement bar/brew room is so full of brewing equipment now I have a hard time picturing having a full conventional AG system that I had been planning on putting together for years. There can be a lot of stuff gone that I have now and wouldn't need...........

Hey, point me at whatever videos you were watching. Lifting is a concern for me as well due to my hands.

But I thought you had to lift the basket up and set it on top of the grainfather to sparge it too.

I look at the built in pump as one more thing to break that's a PITA to get fixed / replaced. I think I'd just get an external pump if I wanted to go that route, and it would end up a lot cheaper.

I'd probably be doing more of a thin BIAB style mash with a target of 3 gallons instead of 5 gallon batches in either case, so less grain to lift.

[Beer-lord]

I might be the first on this forum to grab the SS Brew Bucket even before it was out for sale and I love it. I can't kill it even though I use it 90% of the time. If I have 2 brews in a short time, I use the Big Mouth but the Brew Bucket can't be any easier to use. It cleans very easily.
I added my own thermowell because at the time I bought this, I had no freezer but it was easily done. But, one IS NOT needed.
About the only things I would improve on are the plastic tips on the legs which, for me, come out easily and maybe some rubber on the handles to make it more comfy to handle when I have it filled with 6.5 gallons. I'd have no hesitation buying anything from those guys as their customer service is impeccable too!

[berryman]

Hey, point me at whatever videos you were watching.

Yes I can do that..

But I thought you had to lift the basket up and set it on top of the grainfather to sparge it too.

Yes but only have to lift the grains in the amount you have in the recipy..
What I have a problem with is lifting my brew pot with 5 or 6 gal from the burner to the sink to cool down with my chiller and then dumping it in to the fermenter. The pump could be my friend on this.. A awful lot of money just to make beer but WTH it's one of my hobby's and I don't own a second house in the south or do a lot of traveling but am retired and want things as easy as I can make them..........

[BlackDuck]

I have the SS BrewTech BrewBucket also, just recently bought it actually. I've only run one batch through it. I love it, I was worried it would be a little difficult to move when full, but it wasn't too bad. The best part was using the spigot to rack into a keg instead of using a siphon. However, my racking arm inside did get clogged, so I slacked a pipe cleaner in sanitizer for a few minutes, then jammed it up the spigot to clear the clog. One that was done, it flowed great into the keg.

I would agree with Paul on the rubber on the handles for the same reason, but a pair of leather gloves takes care of that issue.

I would highly recommend it, I love mine, can't wait to use it again this weekend.

[berryman]

I would highly recommend it, I love mine, can't wait to use it again this weekend.

Where did you get yours BD? I see Midwest doesn't have them where I buy most of my supplies and haven't been to my LHBS in a few weeks to see if they have them, because didn't even think about it until I broke my BMB the other day...