Blichmann Engineering BrewEasy compact all-in-one

[@Will-jd2br]

Glad this is coming out, as electric brewing is the only channel that has done a series on it. I am seriously looking at these electric systems and this has been on my radar for awhile.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

Appreciate that info but do you have a link to Electric Brewing? I can't seem to find them on KZbin unless you meant Short Circuited Brewers, as I know Brian and have seen the videos which is another reason I'm trying to take a different approach to avoid too much duplicate info and of course to provide more info that home brewers might not be aware of.

[@TheWolfyDaddy]

Very nice. Looking forward to this series. Pretty soon you'll need an even bigger house for all this equipment ...

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

At the moment, I am already stacking things to the ceiling which I'll probably show in a backstage series video very soon. Plus, funny you say that as I had a video about a month ago showing off a new house I am having built with a brewing studio of about 480 sq ft just for brewing and producing videos related to brewing. I'm extremely excited and all of my future neighbors seem to be excited about free beer coming to the neighborhood. 😂

[@davisknight7078]

Great video. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I built a 20 gallon (10 gal batch) version of the Blichmann Compact using all Blichmann parts. It’s identical to the smaller system except I have to use a brew bag instead of the basket. Blichmann wouldn’t sell me the basket (even though I spent a lot of money on a custom 20 gallon G2 kettle, pump, controller and all the other parts). I’m really enjoying the system. It’s modular, powerful, and compact.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

I would follow up with them on the possibility of buying the basket as it might have been and might still be a supply chain issue restricting them from selling it separately. I'm hoping that this takes off and they expand the lineup with a 20-gallon model for those who like to do large batches like yourself.

[@davisknight7078]

@@BitterRealityBrewing They should definitely expand into larger sizes. I can personally attest to how well the scaled up version works. It maintains mash temperature perfectly and has consistent mash efficiency from batch to batch. Fingers crossed that larger versions are in the works!

[@codebowl]

I almost went with one of these, if it was not the fact of the price I would have gotten one. I am just starting out so I opted to get the Clawhammer Supply 120v system which has been working well for me, there are some flaws with the system but nothing that has stopped me from brewing. Currently on my 8th 5 gallon batch with this system now. When it comes time to upgrade I may get a Blichmann Brew Easy. It certainly looks like an awesome system.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

They are both great systems but I would think you could upgrade your current system to 240 volts for a lot less than buying a new system. Trust me when I saw 240v is a game changer for heat up and boil it is worth it. Currently, when I brew, we don't dry clothes. 😂 Beer is more important than dry clothes, although my wife might disagree.

[@codebowl]

@@BitterRealityBrewing LOL I would love to upgrade to a 240, unfortunately I live in an apartment building and while I have a washer and dryer they use 120v outlets :( The landlord will deny my request to install a 240 once he asks why hahaha

[@curtpick628]

Love my riptide pump. The brew easy is a beast. But you buy one, and it should be your last 5 gallon batch goto. I still prefer my Anvil for that batch size. Will be fun to see you learn the system.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

At the moment I prefer my Anvil based on experience with it but once I get brewing with this I suspect there will be pros and cons for both systems which I will share.

[@paulaxton72]

Awesome always love your videos I'm currently looking at a nice stainless conical fermenter

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

Greatly appreciate the kind words and I will tell you if you haven't used a SS Conical fermenter the cleaning is hands down the world's easiest thing to clean compared to other fermenters. My only issue is controlling temps due to the size (as it doesn't fit in my fermentation chamber) and not having a glycol set up, yet.

[@FermentationAdventures]

I pulled the trigger on a 20g Spike Solo days before this one was announced. I was bummed at the time to not have an opportunity to consider it, but I see they are still not offering a 20g version, so I'm fine now!. I think one thing you hit on here is that you do have the option to add/subtract components when purchasing it, which can save you some $$ if you have a pump already or a chiller, etc. Buy a Grainfather g40, and you're buying the full box of stuff.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

I'm crossing my fingers that this is just a stepping stone before they introduce larger systems down the road but I think the supply chains need to normalize a bit more first.

[@chrisinestes]

I got a 240 V Brew Easy 10. That was before the compact version was available, or I may have ended up with that. I love mine, but it was a challenge learning how to assemble it and operate it at first. Tomorrow I’m brewing a 10 gallon no-boil NEIPA with it… My first no-boil.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

Good luck on the No Boil as I haven't tried that yet except with extracts and from my understanding even with the compact version they are still selling a ton of the original Brew Easy systems.

[@egruber50]

Really nice system. Could I make a request? How about doing a thorough review of the Anvil Crucible fermenter including the review the beer that fermented in it.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

Great request as I actually did another video on the Anvil Crucible that I never released and you are right I really didn't do a review on it. The video I didn't release was covering items that I purchased for it right after using it the first time due to issues I had with it and the add-ons were my way of overcoming those difficulties. I don't use it that much due to a lack of temperature control resources but I will be addressing that when I move into my new place towards the end of the year.

[@egruber50]

@@BitterRealityBrewing I have done 3 batches with it so far (2) 3.5 gal. & (1) 5.5 gal. I really enjoy it. Purchased the temp control from anvil using their submersible pump, igloo cooler and chilled water by way of frozen 2-liter bottles having to change them every 24 to 36 hours as needed. The key is not to add to much water. Had the water down to 39 degrees F with 2 bottles and rotating them with fresh frozen bottles. The big take away is the amount of trub dump loss. It was more than I thought it would be so, take that account when building beer recipes. So far, the beers turned out good no noticeable off flavors.

[@RobNorton]

When the day comes that the anvil goes belly up on me... I think this will be my replacement system.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

If I can get past this hurricane/major storm, I'll start brewing on it so we can test it. It has been crazy and I haven't even had time to start brewing on this beast.

[@SankaraHomeBrewing]

Thanks for sharing. Wish they had this when I was looking for a system. The all in one systems don't take up much space. Wonder if Blichmann would be able to sell me just the basket thanks for the idea. I'm going to have to reach out to them. Cheers!

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

I would imagine they would sell that part by itself but you would probably have to email or call them on it.

[@davisknight7078]

Unfortunately, they don’t sell the basket separately. All of the baskets are going to the kits. Hopefully that will change in the future.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

@@davisknight7078 Yeah someone else just mentioned that to me but I would expect it might be a supply chain issue as we are still dealing with those. I work for one of the largest port companies on the East Coast and it is crazy the changes in products coming through our ports have changed dramatically over the past few years since the whole covid issue impacted the world. Currently, it is cheaper for us to import tons of lumber from several other countries compared to simply buying it locally.

[@davisknight7078]

@@BitterRealityBrewing Yes, I’m sure that was the issue here. Increased materials costs, labor shortages, increased fuel prices, severe supply chain irregularities, etc. We consumers need to be more patient with domestic manufacturers like Blichmann. I’m very happy with my system. Money well spent. And my 400 micron BIAB is working quite well in direct contact with the boil coil (just not performing multi-temp mashes).

[@charleschapman2428]

Way out of my league. I agree it looks fantastic and it's something to brag about and I'm sure some people can afford it. But honestly I'm not going to watch a video about something that I'll never be able to afford or put to a practical use in my house.

[@BitterRealityBrewing]

I fully understand as many of the things I receive and things I purchase wouldn't be possible without the support of viewers like yourself. I do appreciate you and your support a great deal! Thank you.