The Evolution of Homebrewing Equipment and what's next?
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- čas přidán 2. 04. 2024
- The Evolution of Homebrewing Equipment and what's next?
Homebrewing equipment and technology are constantly evolving. With so many great companies competing for space in the homebrewing industry, we are seeing more and more innovations than ever before. This is great for current homebrewers and future homebrewers. Making things easier and more consistent is good for everyone in the homebrewing hobby.
We've had "Mash and Boil" systems for a while, but now the shift is to new "Ferment and serve" systems. These new "Ferment and Serve" systems will help all homebrewers, especially new homebrewers, create great tasting beer very early in the homebrewing hobby.
The iGulu and the KegKing Solstice are just new equipment showing off technological progress in the homebrewing sector.
Here are some links:
igulu.com/
Add my affiliate Discount Code - BITTERREALITYBREWING for an extra 20% off the already discounted price!!!
Keg King Kegmaster Solstice Mini
www.kegking.com.au/dispensing...
Anvil Brewing 10.5 Gallon Brewing System
www.anvilbrewing.com/foundry-... - Jak na to + styl
I'm one of the guys who pretty much stopped video games when they stopped being on disc. The same can be said of my brew style. If there's "smart phone" involved in the loop, chances are I tuned out at some point BEFORE that happened. I'm more than happy with the mash and boil type system & buckets. I did buy a sous vide stick just so I can jacket my fermentation buckets hill-billy style, and I'm glad to say it works, and that's all I need. All this new stuff with connectivity and one stage 'intelligent' systems, just spells _spend more of your cash on crap you don't need_ - which kinda defeats the idea of why I began home brewing in the first place. I started to -
1. Save cash. Beer is ridiculously expensive at the store these days.
2. learn how to brew consistently good beer. The price tag on basic, useable, gear is already pretty dear, but this newfangled market just sounds over the top, and far more expensive than just buying the beer. 750$USD for a single gallon system is a very, very high price, considering I can do 10 gallons for the 450$ CAD I spent on an s40, and a couple 15$ buckets. It's also reminiscent of the automobile industry, the more bells n whistles, the more German engineering, the more sensors, and software, the more expensive & brand named your vehicle, the more service bulletins, recalls, repairs & maintenance costs. Codes, upon codes, upon codes.
I will always believe that trial and error, learning the techniques with the basic tools, getting your hands dirty, and making it your own, in analog, will always be preferable over the algorithmic automaton. We're losing our humanity through technology. Next thing Elon Musk will just install a patch on your brain chip to control your "home brew" system. At some point on the gradient it starts to look less like a home hobby, and more like Frankenstein's nightmare. It's a _gimmick_ that will only cost you your soul, so to speak. It's not really a "cheating" thing so much, to me, it's just not the same as "home brewing." I mean, by the same logic buying beer at a local pub is also "cheating"...LoL But, by all means, cheat if you're thirsty. If you're new and wanting to get into the hobby, this will at least get you 4 liters of fresh brewed, albeit very expensive beer, in the minimum. Not so sure it can be said you'll learn any sort of brewing skills from it, tho...Maybe I'm just a Luddite.
I have a buddy who has mashed, boiled, and fermented in his anvil. He did it just to see if you could do it.
I've heard of people doing their fermentation in the Anvil foundry, but it still wasn't really designed for it. I did do my kettle sour in mine which is a lot like fermentation but for lactic acid instead of CO2 and Alcohol.
I couldn't agree with you more, Mike. These systems are not cheating. Most importantly, they are helping to keep homebrewers, with time constraints, in the hobby. Find the system that works for you and run with it!
Every step in being able to control temps allows us all to make better beer and create more repeatable processes. Plus, helping new home brewers make better beer sooner will help the hobby as a whole. Thanks for the support! Cheers!
Check out the recent Homebrew Happy Hour episode with Trong from HomeBrewerLab. His Pot-Au-Brew is a neat innovation!
Yes, he showed me some photos and video a while back on it while he was still perfecting it. I'd love to see it hit the market to check it out personally. I like him as he is really smart, innovative, and very humble.
This newfangled item is definitely for some folks - but it isn't for me. 1 gallon (too small) - I learned this by starting out with brew demon fermenters. Requires kits. I hate beer with crap floating in it, so serving off the yeast cake is a no-no (Yep - you can add a top draw to it to alleviate this.) If you like to dabble and do kits - I can see the appeal, but you're gonna be brewing ALL THE TIME. 128 oz = 10 beers. The game changer would be if the big breweries sold kits for it from their most popular and seasonal stock - like pliny the elder kits or perhaps kits from Treehouse, 3 Floyds, Cherry Street, etc.
I'm considering some small batch extract brews to remove variables, in order to test a post boil process that I've been contemplating. Removing those variables should help with consistency for blind taste tests.
The iGulu is extremely consistent. The only two items that you will need to be aware of currently, which iGulu is currently looking into solutions. If you lose power it will resume where it started. Example: If you are 4 days into a 12 day fermentation, and you lose power it will start back at 12 days. An inexpensive UPS can fix this for most power outages, as most are brief. Second issue, is that the PRV seems to only release at 24+ psi, so I burp mine regularly during fermentation to keep it around 10 psi +/-. This may not be an issue for most yeast, but I've always been under the impression that it is best to keep your pressure under 15 psi during fermentation, although this could be one of those beer brewing myths that we haven't proven wrong. I'll be doing tons of custom brews and experiments over the next few years with the iGulu.
If you do decide to buy one, if you could use my affiliate code BITTERREALITYBREWING (it tosses me a few dollars, but takes an extra 20% off for you.)
I brewed extract and partial mash on my stovetop for about 20 years before I finally made the switch to all grain by purchasing a Brewer's Edge Mash & Boil. The all in one electric brewing systems were a real game changer for homebrewers when they first hit the market.
Not to mention the amount of propane costs and trips to get the tanks refilled as I was a brewing mad man when I first started doing a crazy amount of 1 gallon batches to learn on a single and 3 burner setups. Repeatable processes are always nice.
Great video, man. I still use propane only because I'm cheap, and I kinda like doing it that way. I would go to electric if I lived in a colder climate, but as long as you're making brew, that's all that matters.
Fully agree! I might also like the iGulu (since it is a 1 gallon system) a bit more than most as I started in home brewing doing all grain, but at a 1 gallon batch size. I remember buying a 3 burner Camp Chef propane grill so I could do 3 - 1 gallon batches all at the same time. I was working hard to do tons of SMASH brews and other styles, just to try them. I'm a bit OCD when I'm learning new things and love trying new things. I still keep my propane burner near by and some propane just incase I lose power. I live in Florida, so reliable electricity is never a guarantee. (We lost power for about 30 minutes today.)
Anything that is going to get people into the hobby who cares and i believe it will open the door to a lot of people. That would be a cool thing to have for test batches. The igulu is like the Keurig of homebrewing 😂
I agree 200%! Anything to get someone both into the hobby and for them to be able to enjoy great finished beer that they helped to create, even if they didn't have to do a mash and boil. I made some good, some great, and a lot of not worth drinking beer when I first started out, but if I had something like this for temp control, I would have had a lot more enjoyable beers to enjoy and share.
Yes I have anvil too great show
Love my Anvil Foundries as they are easy, straight forward, and get the job done without a hassle.
Interesting discussion! I’ve been playing with the Pinter 3 and it’s pretty cool! Makes for an easy entry into the hobby, which is what we all want!!! Cheers 🍻
Loved your silent brew day! It was extremely creative. I couldn't say it better, the more people that get into the hobby and actually enjoy it, by having a quality beer that they enjoy drinking when everything is said and done is a win for both the hobby and for that person enjoying their free time from work. I always joke if I have a bad day brewing, I can still have a good beer. 😎
@@BitterRealityBrewing thanks man!!!
I see the value in both
That was kind of my point and letting everyone know it really is an evolution in homebrewing technology that ultimately will benefit the hobby as a whole. Thank you.
@@BitterRealityBrewing if more CZcamsrs that have homebrew channels would promote all method of brewing. The hobby would increase the problem is they’re always bad now cheap little ways to make beer instead of saying it’s a steppingstone. Enjoy it.
Almost sounds like we were in the same brew club years ago - everything I did that wasn’t done 30 years ago was “cheating” with them 😂
Yeah, sometimes it is hard to get people that are set in their ways to change. Someone told me, I should have told them they were cheating for not using wood fires to brew their beer.
I went from doing it on the stove to aa Anvil system
Almost the same, but it sounds like you saved a lot more money, than I did. I went from stove top, to 1 burner propane, to 3 burner propane, to GrainFather, to Anvil. As you've probably seen, I use a lot of systems now for CZcams, but still love to use my Anvil Foundry for ease of use and simplicity.
If I could go electric I would have already. lol not having to go out and exchange propane tanks would be awesome. As it’s a pita. I’m not keen on the BIAB though. That’s just me, but I also have the space for the 3 vessel system.
Not sure if you are already doing this, but I'll throw it out there to help save you some $$$. Don't exchange your propane. Get 2 (1 for use and 1 backup, or as many as you regularly need), for brewing at some place like Walmart where they are cheap. Then go to U-Haul when they get low to refill them. (Best bang for the buck, here in Jacksonville, FL.) When the propane tank starts looking rough (Where U-Haul is refusing to refill due to rust), simply do your swap out at Walmart for another 3/4 or less filled fresh tank.
@@BitterRealityBrewing out where I am I can’t find a convenient propane refill station. So I do the exchanges. I’m not sure how much it is to refill a propane bottle there where you are located, but the exchange out here in So Cal is 20-25 bucks.
My most recent beer I used my anvil foundry to mash and boil. Then proceeded to no chill in a keg, ferment and serve out of that same keg. Best beer I've made to date.
Sometimes getting creative pays off massively! Awesome to hear! My first Saison ever (room temp fermented), was from some free yeast given to me as it had expired. It was one of the best beers I ever made and still make it from time to time, but it has never been as good as that original brew. (I was learning and didn't really have a clue what I was doing back then, but it was still a lot of fun.)
The saying here was he who dies with the most toys still dies.
That works too! 😂 I just remember those bumper stickers back then, usually with a boat in tow half the time or other outdoor type stuff.