Braumeister VS Grainfather

I've heard a lot of good things about the Braumeister, but understand that the Grainfather is about a third of the price. I've heard that there are deficiencies with the Grainfather, such as the problems encountered when chilling the wort - the lines seem to often get clogged up, slowing or stopping the pump frequently. I'm wondering if anyone knows whether some of these deficiencies with the Grainfather is being addressed (or has been addressed), what people's experiences are with these systems, and whether there are other similar systems to look at.

 

Thanks for the warning. I know this is a homebrewing forum, and perhaps these systems are a little intimidating to some, but I have seen equipment incrementally built up by homebrewers that could rival some of these systems. I've been brewing beer for 25 years, and am developing arthritis in my hands. Soon I won't be able to lift my 5 or 10 gallons buckets, carboys, etc., so I think that one of these systems would be ideal for me, and allow me to experiment endlessly with different brews without having to worry about lifting, etc. I've paid my dues over and over using primitive equipment (even started with a Corona hand grinder for crushing grains), and am now finally more interested in a system with which I can focus on experimenting with making different beers without all the hassle of lifting, etc. Plus I'm running out of room with all the pails, carboys, and other equipment. I think many of the younger people will change their views on this as they get older.

 

Thanks, Hanglow - I'll take a look at that site. A friend has the Braumeister, I have seen it in action, and am impressed. He has been brewing longer than me - he might be one of the original homebrewers. He still uses his old equipment as well, but finds that he can devote more time to making special beers this way. He turns the machine on and can do other things while he waits for it to finish. I know next to nothing about other systems such as the Grainfather, and am not even aware if there are other similar systems. The one problem that I've heard about with both these systems is that they are not much use for the heavier gravity beers. They just can't handle the amount of grain unless you go to a larger, more expensive system

 

I'm not asking for anyone to be constrained by my way of thinking. I thought this forum was for people to be able to express different views based on their level of experience and knowledge.

 

Thanks for the considerate response, pweis909 and for understanding that eventually ALL of us become a geezer. Luckily, I currently don't have any problem lifting 6 or 7 gallons of beer from my garage to the basement or from the basement to upstairs. Other than my hands only, I'm still in excellent shape for my age and regularly go for long runs at a fairly good pace. All I was saying was that I'm developing some arthritis in my hands (only). The Doctor said it was likely because of how much I used my hands over the years (everyone's joints wear out, but they have found that the joints wear out more rapidly with excessive use, whether working on automotive machine parts, or keyboards - arthritis is especially common with people who worked at auto assembly plants. In my case, it was likely the fact that I was a heavy computer user since the early 1980's when office computers first appeared).

But, back to the subject, I suspect that in the next few years, as the arthritis progresses in my hands, it may become more and more difficult to lift heavy objects. Thus I was entertaining the possibility of using a system, such as the Braumeister or Grainfather in the future and was asking if anyone else had any experience with them. I didn't expect that by asking this question I would be so inconsiderately attacked.

Obviously, I will still need to carry containers filled with water or beer. But at least if the system is in the basement, rather than having to go outside to the garage where my propane burner is, it would reduce the amount of carrying and extend the length of time that I can continue to homebrew. Eventually I realize that I will have to give up on it and buy commercial/craft beers. But I still immensely enjoy brewing my own, and hope to continue for as long as possible. In the past, I would have frowned at using such a system - "not very macho". But I'm beyond those considerations now, and looking for practical ways of continuing this most enjoyable hobby.

Sorry I asked.

 

Thanks for all the comments, support and suggestions. I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone in my concerns, and that others are also looking for ways to ease some of the more difficult work, yet still focus on creativity and the fun of brewing. I don't think that there are many "relatively old brewers", so the industry hasn't yet focused too much on systems that ease the work for those who less fortunate, whether through age, physical handicaps or other reasons, yet still retain the "fun" and creativity aspect. But there will likely come a time, based on the fast growing interest in homebrewing, and the wealth of information, better equipment and ingredients available today. The whole world of brewing beer has changed incredibly from the time that I first started in 1990.

There are some things that we can do for ourselves, such as moving to a single story bungalow, using wheeled carts to move carboys, etc. around, making smaller batches, rigging up hoists for our kegs, hiring youngsters to help us, etc.

But I think that some of the new electric systems may help. I wasn't aware of the Zymatic system, and will have to check it out as well. The only ones I'm now currently aware of are the Braumeister, Grainfather and Zymatic. If there are any others to also check out, please let me know. Perhaps these systems do take away a little of the "homebrewing" aspect, but it still allows the user to practice his/her creativity on making new versions. That alone would be a fun hobby. And, yes, it also allows one to make beers that are not readily available. My biggest regret is that none of the Dogfish Head beers are available here in Canada. Luckily my son lives in Texas, so when he comes here, he fills his suitcase with Dogfish head beers and other great American beers. There isn't one Dogfish Head beer that I haven't enjoyed, and my current favourites are the 120-Minute IPA, the Raison D'Extra, and the Higher Math. I plan to make a clone of at least two of these great beers in the near future. Unfortunately, I don't think that either the Braumeister or the Grainfather are designed to make those types of beers (unless you go with a larger volume system, which defeats the objective of going simple). They can only handle a certain amount of grain, and the two Dogfish Head beers I mentioned are far beyond that (in the 18% alcohol range). But there could be improvements on these systems in the future.

 

Thanks, GreenKrusty - looks like some of the other "geezers" are coming out of the closet I was beginning to wonder if I was crashing the "young whippersnappers'" party. I've been used to being treated equally by the several excellent homebrew groups in this area. I learn much more from them than they do from me, and they make me feel as young as I feel.

 

Thanks, Hanglow. I had considered the larger ones, but then comes the problem of lifting heavier containers. I do know that the large one - possibly the 50 Liter - does include it's own hoisting mechanism for lifting the grainbed.