Category Archives: Brew Systems

Buy a Mash & Boil System from William’s Brewing – get a free stainless hop filter + Hands on Review

Mash and Boil via William’s Brewing

From the product description, check product page for current description, price and availability:

Do you want to get into mashing but want something simple? The patented Brewer’s Edge® Mash & Boil makes it easy. No need for an outdoor burner, complicated brewing stand, or a 220 volt special circuit – it plugs into any 110 volt GFI household outlet. The Mash and Boil’s exclusive double wall stainless construction conserves heat to achieve a rolling boil with only 110 volts and 1600 watts, and its precise thermostat and internal sparging basket lets you mash and boil in the same vessel. Protected by U.S. patent D819,385 S.

A typical brew day with the Mash & Boil begins with formulating your 5 gallon all grain recipe (up to 16 pounds of crushed grain can be mashed), and then heating your strike water to 162° F, the preset heat temperature. After 40 minutes or so, your strike water is 162° F, and you mix your crushed grain into the sparging basket already inside the Mash and Boil. The mash will cool to 152° or so, and then you set your thermostat to 150°, cover, and let mash for 1 hour. During this mash time you will need to separately heat 3 gallons of sparge water to 175° in a separate pot you provide. A thermometer hole is provided in the lid, in case you want to monitor the temperature of the top of the mash with any long probe analog or digital thermometer.

After one hour, lift the sparging bucket and lock on its included legs, and let the malt sugar drip into your Mash & Boil, which has now became a boiling pot. Turn the thermostat up to 218° F. and give it about 40 minutes to heat to a boil. During this time, ladle one gallon of hot sparge water at a time into the top of the sparging basket until you get to 5½ gallons. Now remove the grain basket, and when the boil begins, add your hops as per your recipe. Boil for 1 hour, and then cool with a suitable wort chiller (not included, our item E81 works well as does any immersion chiller that is up to 11″ in diameter). Or use the stainless valve with ½” hose barb to run the wort through your external chiller.

The Mash & Boil features an adjustable thermostat with a range of 45° F. to 218° F. (switchable from Fahrenheit to Centigrade) with an adjustable run time preset at 3½ hours for safety. It also features a delayed start timer, so you can program the Mash and Boil to turn on up to 24 hours after setting. For example, load it with strike water, and have it set to be hot when you come home from work to save time. Intended for 5 gallon batches, maximum capacity is 7½ gallons. 28” tall closed, 40” tall with basket, 14” wide. A 5′ power cord is included.
Convert the Mash & Boil to a still with optional Mash & Boiling Distilling Package (see at right).

Check out our Hands on Review of the Mash & Boil System

Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil

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Buy a Mash & Boil System from William’s Brewing – get a free ultimate growler + Hands on Review

Mash and Boil via William’s Brewing

From the product description, check product page for current description, price and availability:

Check out our Hands on Review of the Mash & Boil System

Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil

Check sale or product page for current availability & pricing

This post may contain affiliate links. We may make a commission when you use our links. This will never cost you extra. Thank you for supporting Homebrew Finds!

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Inkbird PID Temperature Controller with Relay and Probe

PID Temperature Controller with Sensor and Relay from Inkbird

PID Temperature Controllers can be used in conjunction with a relay and a temperature probe to control the your kegerator and fermentation temps. You can also integrate a PID controller into your brew system to control mash temps and more.

Update: Since this post was published the price, availability or promotion has changed. Check the product page for current description, price and availability.

Looking for a current deal? Inkbird Temperature Controller Deals and Reviews!

Inkbird ITC-106VH PID Temperature Thermostat Controllers, Fahrenheit & Centigrade, 100ACV – 240ACV, K Sensor, Solid State Relay for Sous Vide, Home Brewing (ITC-106VH + K + 40A SSR)

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Inkbird PID Temperature Controller with Relay and Probe

PID Temperature Controller with Sensor and Relay from Inkbird

Update: Since this post was published the price, availability or promotion has changed. Check the product page for current description, price and availability.

Looking for a current deal? Inkbird Temperature Controller Deals and Reviews!

Inkbird ITC-106VH PID Temperature Thermostat Controllers, Fahrenheit & Centigrade, 100ACV – 240ACV, K Sensor, Solid State Relay for Sous Vide, Home Brewing (ITC-106VH + K + 40A SSR)

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Mash & Boil System from William’s Brewing – $269.99 + Hands on Review

Mash and Boil via William’s Brewing

From the product description, check product page for current description, price and availability:

Check out our Hands on Review of the Mash & Boil System

Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil

Check sale or product page for current availability & pricing

This post may contain affiliate links. We may make a commission when you use our links. This will never cost you extra. Thank you for supporting Homebrew Finds!

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Hands on Review: Robobrew (BrewZilla v1) All Grain Brewing System

This review is by Homebrew Finds Contributor Brad Probert. Brad is an engineer, expert homebrewer and experienced reviewer. Grab a link to Brad’s website at the end of this review.

Robobrew vs BrewZilla + Our BrewZilla Gen 4 Review

Since this review was released the Robobrew has been rebranded to the BrewZilla. This review is of of the original Robobrew (BrewZilla v1). Beyond the re-branding this system has had multiple version upgrades.

Check out our review of the much newer BrewZilla Gen 4!

Upgrading RoboBrew/BrewZilla to BrewZilla 3:

If you’re looking to convert your Robobrew to a BrewZilla an upgrade board is available

Robobrew Gen 3.1.1 Upgrade Board Set 110 volt via William’s Brewing

The Robobrew is an electric all-in-one eBIAB system. It allows you to brew the complexity of all-grain batches with the simplicity of electric heat/control in a single vessel system. There is a wide variety of these systems out on the market to choose from. Robobrew aims to be in the midst of these as far as features and function, but at a much lower price to attempt to get this tool in the hands of as many homebrewers as possible.

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This article contains affiliate links. We may make a small percentage if you use our links to make a purchase. You won’t pay more and you’ll be supporting Homebrew Finds and more content like this. Thank you for your support!

Robobrew System Overview

The Robobrew comes in 2 models- one with a built-in pump, and one without. The model without the pump retails for about $350, and the one with a pump for $480. Although a significant price jump, the $480 price tag is several hundred cheaper than its competition. Getting a unit with a pump allows you to take advantage of a lot of the process efficiencies from the eBIAB systems, with convenience of recirculation during mash and pressure-fed wort transfer into your fermenter.

The pump is built into the bottom of the unit, tucked away out of sight and out of the way. There is a stainless steel transfer pipe that takes output flow from the pump and sends it up top where it can be directed to where you want it to go. The pump inlet is through an opening in the bottom of the brew chamber. Also in the bottom is the wort temperature sensor and the two independently switched heating elements (1000W + 500W). Although the heating elements have their own manual on/off switch, the unit’s electric controller also has the ability to shut off and turn on power depending on measured mash temperature compared to your set temperature. Importantly, the controller is smart enough to know when it should be using one or both elements when it’s getting close to your set temperature. It also is smart enough to only switch on the 500W element while trying to hold a steady temperature and things start to drift a bit.

For mashing, you put your crushed grains into the stainless steel malt pipe, which has a false bottom mesh on the bottom of it to keep grains from getting circulated into the pump or scorched to the bottom. There’s also a second false ‘bottom’ screen, which slides down inside the malt pipe after you’ve filled it with your crushed grains. And if two false bottoms aren’t enough for you, Robobrew has you covered with a third false bottom that sits below the malt pipe, giving you another layer of defense against stray grain particles during the mash, but also importantly keeps hop residue from clogging up your pump or wort chiller.

The controller provides basic control function by allowing you to set a target temperature with simple + / – buttons and then letting the controller turn on the elements automatically to heat up and then switch off when the target temperature is reached. There is also a delay feature that allows you to program in a delayed start for when you want the target set temperature to kick in. Set it to something short like a few minutes and make a pseudo mash temperature step profile you program one step at a time. Or for longer times (up to 24 hours) if you want to fill it with water and have the unit turn on to be ready for you after work.

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Hands on Review: BrewZilla Gen 4 All Grain Brewing System

Updated: September 18, 2024

This review is by Homebrew Finds Contributor Brad Probert. Brad is an engineer, expert homebrewer and experienced reviewer. Grab a link to Brad’s website at the end of this review.

Hands on Review BrewZilla Gen4

I’ve brewed on several different all-in-one units. Like any brew system, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. I did a hands-on review of the Robobrew when it first came out in late 2016. It has since changed its name to BrewZilla and is on the 4th generation of the brew unit. As you’d expect with repeated generations, they’ve been able to focus on fixing deficiencies in their previous models and also introduce new features.

New Article: BrewZilla Tips and Tricks!

BrewZilla Gen 4 Temperature Control and Programming Tips and Tricks

The basic premise of an all-in-one brewing system is that your mash and boil kettle are in the

same vessel. So just like Brew In A Bag, after mashing, you pull the grains out and the wort stays behind to be boiled. They use electricity for heat, so they can be used outdoors where you can reach power or indoors where you have a venting system that can take care of all the steam you make during your boil.

BrewZilla Without Jacket

Stamped Volume Markings

Here are some basic stats on the Gen4 BrewZilla. It’s available in a 35-Liter form (for 5-6 gallon batches) with either a 110V setup, or 220V. There is also a larger 65-Liter that is only 220V (targeted to 10-12 gallon batches). The 35L unit holds 9.25 gallons, the mash basket can hold up to 23.5 lbs. of grain, and its electric heating elements can output up to 1500W of power (110V system) or 2400W of power (220V system). The 65L unit holds 17.1 gallons, the mash basket holds 41.5 lbs. of grain, and 3500W of heating power. All the Gen4 units have a pump bolted into the base. The pump can be used not only for wort recirculation during the mash, but also to pump beer through your wort chiller apparatus (should you choose to not use the immersion chiller coil included with the BrewZilla). The pump is more modular and accessible than previous Gen models. To protect the pump from clogging with hop debris during the boil or whirlpool, there is a filter screen (a perforated stainless disc that sits at the bottom of the unit) that sits at the bottom of the kettle. The small magnetic drive pump has a pump head rating of 1.5 – 2.1 m (4.9 – 6.9 ft) and a max flow rate of 11-12 L/min (2.9 – 3.2 gal/min).

Control Panel Notification During Mash Profile

One of the key upgraded features of the Gen4 BrewZilla is the controller. RAPT Is Kegland’s line of wireless connected brewing devices. The BrewZilla now has a RAPT controller so it adds a lot of features that can be monitored and controlled over Wi-Fi. This includes basic things like monitoring temperature from your laptop/cell phone, but also allows you to program complex mash programs online and then download to your BrewZilla. You can also adjust control parameters on the fly such as pump output duty cycle and heater output level. If you get the optional Bluetooth thermometer, you can stick the temperature probe into the middle of your grain bed, and then have the controller use that as its control signal in combination with the built-in temperature sensor that sits on the floor of the unit.

Bluetooth Temp Probe in Middle of Mash

Although All-in-One units are essentially BIAB, they use a stainless steel basket with holes in the bottom of it instead of a bag, and call it a “malt pipe”. These provide functional improvements over a nylon bag. The obvious one is they are way easier to clean. But they also allow you to ensure you get full flow through your grain bed by having holes only on the bottom. This means recirculating wort has no sneak paths out the side. The other benefit is malt pipes have simple brackets/feet welded onto the outside that allow you to lift your wet grains up and prop the malt pipe on the brew rig to drain or sparge. The BrewZilla has 2 sets of feet for this. One set is halfway up, allowing you to do the deadlift of grain & wort halfway and then let the liquid level drain down. Then when you lift it the full height, it’s not as heavy. It’s simple, but makes the process much better.

Welded-on Carry Handle (top) and Tip Handle (bottom)

There is a cool feature in the BrewZilla which normally only comes on much higher end systems, and that’s the central drain. With a concave bottom with a drain at the lowest point in the center, you don’t have to leave wort behind or goof around with tilting it to get the last drops of wort out at the end. This also enables the malt pipe to extend down lower and thus you can hold more grain (30% more than their Gen3). If you compared to other All-in-one units in the “5 gallon batch” size range, the 23.5 lbs. grain capacity is 30 – 50% more. This of course only matters if you’re trying to make high gravity brews. The drain in the floor is plumbed to the inlet of the pump below, and then you can direct pump output either to an external spigot for fast/easy transfer of wort out after brewing, or up the recirculation pipe for wort to get directed down on top of the mash.

Polished Bottom with Center Drain and Built-in Temp Sensor to Side

Bottom Side of Pump Filter Plate

To help with mash efficiency and mash temperature uniformity, they offer a Heat Exchanger Dish, which is just a stainless dish/plate that sits below your malt pipe and above the central drain. Without this dish in place, the flow of recirculating wort tends to go through the center of your grain bed, and straight out the drain. With the dish there, it directs the flow around the full circumference before it gets to the drain, which helps ensure a broader portion of the grist sees the flow.

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Inkbird PID Temperature Controller with Relay and Probe

PID Temperature Controller with Sensor and Relay from Inkbird

Update: Since this post was published the price, availability or promotion has changed. Check the product page for current description, price and availability.

Looking for a current deal? Inkbird Temperature Controller Deals and Reviews!

Inkbird ITC-106VH PID Temperature Thermostat Controllers, Fahrenheit & Centigrade, 100ACV – 240ACV, K Sensor, Solid State Relay for Sous Vide, Home Brewing (ITC-106VH + K + 40A SSR)

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Mash & Boil System Now Available at Keg Connection + Hands on Review

Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil System via Keg Connection

This system is an electric mash turn and boiler combined into ONE SINGULAR UNIT! Say goodbye to clunky outdoor burners and conserve space with this all-in-one unit. No need to install extra or special 220v outlets, the Mash & Boil System works just fine with a standard 110v household outlet.

FEATURES:

Unique double wall stainless steel construction holds in the heat, achieving a rolling boil with only 110v and 1600 watts
Precise thermostat & internal sparging basket allows mashing and boil to occur in the same vessel
Adjustable thermostat & adjustable run times (preset at 3.5 hours for safety but still configurable)
The ability to use delayed programmable start timer so you can configure the Mash & Boil to turn on up to 24 hours after setting it
5 gallon batches with a max capacity of 7.5 gallons.

Want to know more? Hands on Review: Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil Electric Brewery

As of this posting, Keg Connection has this for $299.99. Check site for current price and availability.

Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil System at Keg Connection

Some everyday great deals and unique items at Keg Connection…

Parts and Diagrams:

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Hands on Review: Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil Electric Brewery

Updated: 5/3/2024

This review is by Homebrew Finds Contributor Brad Probert. Brad is an engineer, expert homebrewer and experienced reviewer. Grab a link to Brad’s website at the end of this review.

Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil

I reviewed a number of electric all-in-one brewing systems a little over a year ago. As a collective group, these systems offer a lot to the homebrewer. They provide the flexibility and control of brewing process of all-grain, and the equipment simplicity of brew-in-a-bag. The fact that they’re electric gives you the ability to brew inside and convenience of not having to chase propane tank fill-ups. The electric systems also have the ability to set a target temperature and control to it, giving you better control of your brew day. All of these combine to create a more streamlined and less stressful brew day.

Each system has its own strengths and they all span a wide price range. The units I tried last year ranged from $470 at the low end to $2,500 at the high end. When I saw the Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil coming in at $300, I was intrigued to see how this unit would work and if you really could go all-grain with an electric system at such an affordable price point.

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Inkbird PID Temperature Controller with Relay and Probe

PID Temperature Controller with Sensor and Relay from Inkbird

Update: Since this post was published the price, availability or promotion has changed. Check the product page for current description, price and availability.

Looking for a current deal? Inkbird Temperature Controller Deals and Reviews!

Inkbird ITC-106VH PID Temperature Thermostat Controllers, Fahrenheit & Centigrade, 100ACV – 240ACV, K Sensor, Solid State Relay for Sous Vide, Home Brewing (ITC-106VH + K + 40A SSR)

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Mash & Boil System from William’s Brewing – $299.99

Mash and Boil via William’s Brewing

From the product description, check product page for current description, price and availability:

Check out our Hands on Review of the Mash & Boil System

Brewer’s Edge Mash & Boil

Check sale or product page for current availability & pricing

This post may contain affiliate links. We may make a commission when you use our links. This will never cost you extra. Thank you for supporting Homebrew Finds!

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New: Flow View Heavy Weight Sight Glass with TC Fittings

New from Brew Hardware Flow View Heavy Weight Site Glass with Tri-Clover Fittings

About: Monitor product clarity, color, and gas bubbles with this Flow View sight glass. 3″ x 1.5 ID High Temp Borosilicate Glass. High Temp Silicone Gaskets. 304 Stainless Steel. Both ends have 1.5 TC ports. The actual flange diameter is 2″.

FLOW VIEW HEAVY WEIGHT SIGHTGLASS – 1.5″ TRICLOVER TC PORTS – $49.99

Also: Triclover Fittings and Accessories

Shipping is a Flat $7.99 with a $150 order or free with a $299 order. Check out recently featured Brew Hardware Finds.

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Using the Grainfather to Clean Draft Lines

Thanks to Twitter Follower Andy for this tip! [Connect with HBF on Twitter]

The Grainfather is an electric all grain brewing system. Mash temperature is precisely controlled with an electric heating element. A pump recirculates throughout the mashing process ensuring even temperatures. At the end of the mash, The Grainfather becomes your electric brew kettle. The Grainfather includes a counterflow chiller. 8 Gallon system for indoor or outdoor brewing.

The Grainfather

Andy has converted this for use as a draft line cleaning pump using a few fittings

Swivel Flare Adapter – 1/4″ OD barb
1/4″ MFL Male to 1/4″ MFL Male Flare Coupling
Swivel Flare Adapter – 1/2″ OD barb

Check out Andy’s Youtube video detailing the project

Also Consider…

Third Party Resource: This resource is part of our selection of top Third Party homebrewing resources. Check out the entire list of resources Third Party Homebrew Resources

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Stainless Thermocouple Probe

Thermocouple Thermistor Sensor Probe. -20 to 420 deg C Range.

MYPIN Waterproof Stainless Steel PT100 RTD Thermocouple Thermistor Sensor Probe, Thread with Insulation Lead Wire for PID Temperature Controller Control K Type Probe 2M(6ft) (Temperature Rang: -20~420°C)

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OxiClean Free Versatile Stain Remover Powder, 3 lb

Vacuum Sealer Machine with 55 Count 8"x12" Food Sealers Bags and 8"*79' Vacuum Sealer Roll, Inkbird Automatic Vacuum Sealers Machine with Built-in Cutter, Dry & Moist Sealing Modes for Food Storage

Gamma2 Vittles Vault Airtight Dog Food Storage Container - Fits up to 35 Pounds of Dry Pet Food - Perfect for Cat and Puppy Kibble - BPA-Free Plastic - Made in the USA - 12" L x 16.75" H

FLOTit 2.0 - No Beer Left Behind Floating Dip Tube with Double Filter Inlet (DFI) of 500/300 micron for always clear beer, less beer waste and no clogging. Made in USA.

Meat Thermometer Digital for Grilling and Cooking - ANDAXIN Waterproof Ultra-Fast Instant Read Food thermometers with Backlight & Calibration for Kitchen, Deep Fry, BBQ, Grill(Red/Black), LCD

VEVOR Magnetic Stirrer, 0-2000 RPM Stir Plate with Adjustable Speed Knob, 3000mL Plate Stirrer Kit, Stir Bar Included

adamztop5

Inkbird ITC-308 Digital Temperature Controller| Review

Raspberry Pi (for temp control, automation, Digital Kegerator & more)

Raspberry Pi Model B+ Basic Starter Kit from Vilros. Includes Raspberry Pi Model B+, Enclosure and Wireless Wi-Fi Adapter.

This can be used to put together a temperature controller or for brew system automation and control. Or (via HBF Reader Chris) use this in conjunction with Raspberry Pints to display a digital tap list with or without flow meters to track pints served and beer remaining.

Got a great homebrewing related Raspberry Pi Project? We’d love to share the details with your fellow homebrewers. Email us the deets.

Raspberry Pi Model B+ Basic Starter Kit

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Up to 20% Off at GF for Father’s Day – Includes SD Blichmann BrewEasy Systems!

Father’s Day Sale at Great Fermentations

Great Fermentations Father’s Day Sale is live the selection includes quite a bit of gear including kettles, growlers, CO2 manifolds, pH Meter, SCD (slight cosmetic damage) Blichmann BoilerMaker Kettles and… SCD BrewEasy Systems. This marks the first time I’ve seen a discounted BrewEasy System. Discounts are up to 20%.

Check it out – Here

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10 Gallon Digital Single Tier Brew System – $4,700 (Save $700)

Product Description – Here. Use coupon code BEERDEAL to get this discount.

10 Gallon Digital Single-Tier BrewSculpture 1100D – $4,700 (Save $700)

Availability: This is a More Beer Deal of the Day. Quantities are limited. Check the Deal of the Day section – Here – to see if this is still available.

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New Blichmann BrewEasy All-In-One Brew System

from MoreBeer:
“Blichmann’s Newest Invention: The BrewEasy. The newest Blichmann product is now available! The BrewEasy is a two vessel, all grain brewing system that only takes up the footprint of one kettle. Using gravity and one pump, this innovative RIMS system maintains your mash temperature while providing excellent efficiency!”

Check it out – Here

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Dual Alarm PID Temperature Controller

Dual Digital Display PID Temperature Controller SSR(2 Alarms)

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OxiClean Free Versatile Stain Remover Powder, 3 lb