Automatic & Semi-auto brewing systems

Muahahaha

So we had this thread https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057045735 on the BrewBot which sadly never made it properly to market.

Since then there has been a range of automatic and semi-auto brew systems hit the market, mainly from the US from what I can see. This affiliate article lists some of the available options such as PicoBrew, Minibrew and BeerDroid. https://brewfuse.com/best-automated-brewing-systems/ Sadly the above only brew tiny batches of 5-10 litres at a time which is pretty useless IMO. There is a unit on the market that does 20 litres called Brewie but it comes in at an eyewatering 2,000 euro. As yet Im still not seeing an automatic system on the market that comes at a decent price and can brew 20L batches.

On the semi auto side there is the Grainfather (circa 1,000 euro) and the Braumeister (around 1,500 euro). Both will do 20l batches.

Im surprised there hasnt been more progress in this space as I reckon once they are mass produced and at least halve in price they will become very popular. The introduction of minimum alcohol pricing defintely has me thinking about buying some kind of automated system in the future as I dont have time to spend 4 or 6 hours on brew days. Also I know for many brewers the hobby is as much about the journey there as the end product but for me I just want the end product with as little time spent as possible due to other commitments.

So is anyone yet running any of these units and how are they finding them? Or anyone like myself planning to purchase at some stage but just waiting on prices to fall?

BeerNut

Muahahaha wrote: »

I just want the end product with as little time spent as possible due to other commitments.

Buying pre-made beer is still the optimal solution there, minimum pricing or no.

Muahahaha

BeerNut wrote: »

Buying pre-made beer is still the optimal solution there, minimum pricing or no.

I think it depends on what level minimum pricing is set at. Right now it is easy to buy 500ml for 1 euro but if that rises to 1.80 or 2 euro a can under MUP as has been suggested then brewing beer at 40c-80c per 500ml suddenly becomes very attractive to a lot of people IMO. The problem is some people dont have the time or inclination to spend their Saturday on a long brew. Which is where I can see these auto brew units becoming more popular but I think they need to come down in price first before people will seriously consider them.

I feel like right now what is needed is a unit that will do for the homebrew market what the Gaggia Classic did for the at home coffee market, i.e. a robust machine that will last years and doesnt cost the earth. Gaggias sold in their millions because they delivered barista quality coffee at a fraction of the cost of coffee shops. Breadmakers did similar for baking, they saved people the hassle of mixing and kneading dough and have become quite popular as a result.

BeerNut

Muahahaha wrote: »

brewing beer at 40c-80c per 500ml suddenly becomes very attractive to a lot of people IMO. The problem is some people dont have the time or inclination to spend their Saturday on a long brew.

In that case it would make sense to assign a monetary value to the time spent producing beer, and run the calculation again. Will the time saved by an automated system bring the price below the €2 mark? I doubt it.

basskebab

There's a lot of cheaper 'versions' of the grainfather setup that are being sold at the moment. they're in the 4-500 euro price range.

Google Hopcat or BrewDevil all in one systems and you'll find a lot of places in the UK selling them. They have 30l and 50l models. All identical machines just rebadged.

There's a good facebook group for these machines -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1324257024320596/

I spent some time reading through there before deciding what to get and have just brought a 30l Brew Devil. I'm moving up from a peco boiler setup that I use for extract brewing.

Muahahaha

BeerNut wrote: »

In that case it would make sense to assign a monetary value to the time spent producing beer, and run the calculation again. Will the time saved by an automated system bring the price below the €2 mark? I doubt it.

i dont think that makes sense at all. I often make burgers at home but cannot make them for cheaper than McDonalds if I were to include time spent. But time is not the reason I make them, its because they taste nicer. Homebrewing is the same,you produce a better product than one you bought in a can. Anyway this is going off topic and is not the reason i started the thread about automatic brewing

Muahahaha

basskebab wrote: »

I spent some time reading through there before deciding what to get and have just brought a 30l Brew Devil. I'm moving up from a peco boiler setup that I use for extract brewing.

Thanks for the info on the Hopcat and BrewDevil- I hadnt come across them. How have you been finding the BrewDevil so far? Price wise it looks great, its certainly a lot better than the gaggle of tech companies launching these things on Kickstarter for 2 grand a pop.

basskebab

Muahahaha wrote: »

Thanks for the info on the Hopcat and BrewDevil- I hadnt come across them. How have you been finding the BrewDevil so far? Price wise it looks great, its certainly a lot better than the gaggle of tech companies launching these things on Kickstarter for 2 grand a pop.

I just got the BrewDevil (arrived by courier today!) so haven't had a chance to use it yet. Gonna brew my first batch in it next weekend.

Some good videos up on youtube showing

a brewday -

and also a review of it

Both those videos are of Gen 1 units. There's gen 2 units (that what I got) now that have a few improvements and a new controller

I don't brew enough (or have to spare cash!) to justify a Grainfather and these ones seem like a great value unit that does much the same. There's some active and helpful forums/groups with people using it so it's not like you're buying blind.

Blanchy90

Has anyone else bought one of these systems recently?

I like the looks of the pico u https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/picobrew-pico-u-coffee-maker/#/7


Its due for release some time this year

Ponster

I think that while it'll find a market there are probably few all-grain brewers who will be tempted by a machine that is a glorified coffee machine where you make beer out of prepared packs. I'd still love to see what kind of beer it could produce

Blanchy90

Ponster wrote: »

I think that while it'll find a market there are probably few all-grain brewers who will be tempted by a machine that is a glorified coffee machine where you make beer out of prepared packs. I'd still love to see what kind of beer it could produce

I like that you get to try beers from around the world and make up your own packs too.

I'm definitely in the target market for this I'd love to brew my own beer but I just don't have the time or space at the minute

Muahahaha

Good to see the prices of automatic brewing units are coming down, theres a few available for £300 odd on ebay whereas this time last year most were £600+

sharingan

You have to consider the total cost of the hobby too.

While i have not kept up to speed on the designs, you have 2 main families of automatic brewing systems:
- brewday-only, where the kit helps you make your wort
- full lifecycle, where you have brew, ferment and dispense all in the one unit

the former get mostly positive reviews, and prices are dropping, but you are a long way from a turnkey breadmaker style system, and you are not finished spending money either (fermenters, temp controlled cooling, package and dispense).

the latter get pricey as crazy, and often come with some heavy limitations (like no brewing while it is still dispensing your last batch), but these are the only designs that can get close to turnkey operation, as they can have an automatic cleaning cycle.

Putting a nominal price on your labour is a valid point; for many home brewers their equipment purchases are more about time/labour saving, than quality improving. You can produce excellent beer on limited equipment, with skill and knowledge.