Brewster vs Grainfather which is best?

ajb

I am looking at moving on from Kits and I was wondering what the difference is between the above two besides Price?

HBO_Staff

Firstly they are both great pieces of kit and feedback on both are great, there are a couple of differences between them though which are worth bearing in mind:

The Brewster is not as tall so is easier to use on a worktop, the Grainfather is taller so is easier to use if positioned lower down we found.

The Grainfather has the copper dome as an available accessory (bought separately) which can be added to convert it into a still to brew your own alcohol if needed.

The Grainfather is made from stainless steel and the tubing and pipes are a bit more concealed, whereas the Brewster has more pipes on the outside and has been done using cheaper pipe fittings - this does of course mean that the Brewster is cheaper to buy but does the same job though.

The Brewster is easier to make smaller batches in we found, and also has grain ingredient kits supplied by the manufacturer, but both are great machines, you wont go wrong with either. The price difference seems to be down to the materials they are built from, some people will prefer the stainless steel build of the Grainfather but you will pay more for them, the listings with more info on each is here:

Brewolution Brewster: http://www.home-brew-online.com/equipment-c40/brewolution-the-brewster-all-in-one-all-grain-micro-brewery-p1781

The Grainfather: http://www.home-brew-online.com/equipment-c40/the-grainfather-p1795

For best results we always recommend to use high quality grain and hops, we have a full range of Charles Faram hops and Thomas Fawcett And Sons grains which will ensure you make the best beers and lagers possible

ajb

Thanks for that, I am also watching a discussion on this very subject on facebook (jims Beer Kit group). either way have to persude my good lady that it is needed (think I might have to forgo the new mountain bike though)

HBO_Staff

We know what you mean, it would be interesting to know what the general consensus is on Jims Beer Kit forum is and what people prefer, we suspect it will come down to price as the Grainfather does look great in Stainless Steel but we're not sure how many people will pay the extra money, they are both relatively new so there is no real sale pattern to go off yet - in this short period though we can confirm the Brewolution has sold around a third more than the Grainfather, although we had the Brewolution first....

tamsenvn

I am also watching a discussion on this very subject on facebook (jims Beer Kit group). either way have to persude my good lady that it is needed (think I might have to forgo the new mountain bike though) quả óc chó

Oaky

I'm torn between these two pieces of kit.
I like the idea of the cheaper Brewster as I don't make many batches in a year.
My only concern is that the exposed pipes with plastic fitting could be a bit fragile. Can someone who owns one advice how robust they are ?

sintara

i really want the grainfarther but as a full time carer i cant afford it but have to say its the cheapest i have seen it here on Home brew online plus they do some awesome all grain kits love to try them

ipsilon

Hi all,

I didn't know about the Brewster, do you where it is made from?
Glad to read this thread, however.

After a few brew kits, I had my first start on all grain last month. I went to BrewClub in London and learned how to use an all graind system. It was the Braumeister. I knew about it and the Grainfather. I asked the guy there what the difference. He was not very helpful, just said the Germand item was better but without really being able to argument. Do you have any opinion?

Price wise, Braumeister cost the most, it's really high up there, then Grainfather also quite high, then the Brewster. But in the meantime I also read about the Bulldog system, which comes at just under £400. Any of you have heard of or used the Bulldog? If so would you say it is a good investment?

Thanks!
ipsilon

HBO_Staff

The Grainfather and Brewster both have good points and these are listed above in the thread, it often comes down to budget we believe. The Braumeister range is a premium brand and of the highest quality, they can be used in micro breweries for smaller and test batches, but because the cost more the sales of them are lower, the rage with more details is here:

http://www.home-brew-online.com/speidel-m91#sort4

All 3 brewing systems will produce great beers, but generally the more they cost the better the equipment, so how much you use it and how much use you will get for it may well come into it too

ipsilon

Thank you for this recap, very helpful. I note you don't mention anything about the Bulldog system and I also see you don't stock it anymore. Would you not recommend it as a lower entry point alternative?

HBO_Staff

We no longer stock that particular brand unfortunately, we believe the design has been revised since we stocked them so we can't really comment on them, maybe someone who has one can offer their opinion and let us know what they are like