Brew Magic V350MS System - Thinking of getting....any advice?

I wouldn't necessarily look to a system to further your skills. Your skills improve as you learn more about your system, process, and ingredients. It could be that with a fancy system, you learn the system faster? But you still need to know about process and ingredients. Maybe if the fancy system encourages you to brew more, that will help. Of course, I'm speculating because I haven't used one. For me, its too pricey.

 

I personally feel that there are better systems out there. The name is escaping me right now but there is a site that has a touchscreen interface for electric brewing for ~2K, buy a sculpture and a couple pumps and your quite a bit under 7K for a system that has a lot nicer interface

 

Two things...
- Might $7K not be a boatload of cha-ching just to step up one's home brewing skills?
- How might an automated system step up one's home brewing skills?
- This knock-off of Mystery Science Theatre 3K is designed for pubs.


https://brewmagic.com/brewing-systems/brew-magic-v350ms-system/

 

If you want it, get it.

 

Your Kettle/MT/HLT is just part of the iceburg...cornies, fermenter temp control, and a myriad of other equipment/gadgets need to be considered also...unless you are independently wealthy...if so...why not?

Still, VERY pricey at 7 grand...invest $5000 and spend $2000...much smarter move, IMH&FrugalO

 

I'm familliar with the system - It's a good system. Friends spent $8k on a a used BM system for use as brewery pilot system. I built a far better one at a fraction of the cost. Single tier RIMS based on BCS460

 

I'd love one for an easy all in one cart system with whatever I need on it. Would make it simple.

That said.. with some time, and some hook ups with the right people, I can put together something that might not be as polished and chromed up, but will function just as good, or better for my needs and desires, at a significantly reduced price.

Pilot brewery for small batch work.. Sure, it's priced to be something you invest in, and write off the depreciated value over time and sell it off when your brewery gets bigger and you need a larger pilot system. For the backyard stuff.. I don't know if it's really going to make you better at all. Maybe easier to brew, which could get you brewing more, but brewing more, and doing it bad on a cool system doesn't make it good.

 

"doing it bad on a cool system doesn't make it good"...indeed! ...especially if you/me/and 99% of homebrewers can't afford it

 

OP - a couple that I also see at the NHC every year, along with the Brew Magic.

Blichmann Top tier and Tower of Power.
http://www.blichmannengineering.com/products/toptier-brew-stand-and-burners
http://www.blichmannengineering.com/products/tower-power™

More Beer sculptures.
http://morebeer.com/category/morebeer-brewsculptures.html

No affiliations.

 

I brew with the Top Tier System. I do not have the electronics on mine but I like the ease of use.

 

I haven't lifted the tarp, but we have Brew Magic pilot system in the Brewhouse at Abita. It looks intimidating.

 

Do it if you want to. I'd be jealous of such a beautiful system. If I had the time and a little skill (I typically have neither.) I would build one. Just think of the skills you could learn putting a brew system together; programming, welding, etc... A few weeks ago, there was a link to an automatic brewing machine designed and built by some engineering students. Very cool stuff.

 

One might argue that $20K is a boatload of cha-ching just to step up one's technique of getting from point A to point B (a $100 bike will do that)

 

I am unwilling to bike to my cottage with my 7, 4 & 2 year old children. Motorized vehicles are necessities in our culture (and yes, I am unwilling to get into whether you should buy a vehicle for 100% of the time or 99% - and rent for 1%).

 

*****

 

I have spent less than 2 grand on equipment in 27 years of homebrewing (malt & hops is another story...) - kind of enjoy the manual labor aspect of my low tech system. It has made several 40+ point beers. I've helped out in brewpubs a few times and their brew days are no shorter than mine, no easier either. While I like cool toys as much as anyone, the ROI seems pretty low to me.

 

I should have added, if you want to spend big bucks, put it into controlling your fermentation. What I really lust after is conicals with temperature control and a mini-walkin cooler.

 

Not to mention the OC (Opportunity Cost)