Is The Grainfather Right for You? REVIEW

Some Grainfather pros and cons and a walkthrough of the brew day to help you decide if The Grainfather is the right choice for you. #Spoiler It probably is.
It's our first Tuesday Review of the year. For a transcript of the Grainfather review, follow the link.
Read the full review at BuffaloBeerLeague.com/grainfather
For the G30 version:
www.morebeer.c...
For the larger G70 (yes I know they make a larger version...they didn't when I put together the video):
www.morebeer.c...

[@HomebrewGriffo]

Had the Grainfather for a few years now, It allowed me to go from zero brews (not even extract) straight into all grain. Your great review sums up where I was at the time I purchased. In terms of batch sizes, I don't need a batch larger than it offers so, like you said - It suits! Cheers for the good review!

[@Wnybrews]

UPDATE!! I'm buying a Grainfather. It was too much fun and I loved the freedom of brewing and being present. I'm also getting a Robobrew to do 10 gallons at once. Expect a side-by-side series.

[@africantwin173]

WNY Brews Cant wait to see the both of them. If only Grainfather would make a 50 liter version with handles and heavier steel.

[@Wnybrews]

I was going to do a BrewEasy, but couldn't handle a 220 line on my panel, PLUS, a Grainfather and a Robobrew come in at $1000 less than a BrewEasy. The BrewEasy isn't controllable remotely. Happy to make the commitment to the Grainfather :)

[@romaniancraftbeerreviews407]

I have been enjoying the Grainfather since August 2017 and already brewed 29 batches on it and it works great every time. I can get 6 gallons of beer in bottles on some specific batches, but IPAs with lots of dry hopping come down to about 21 L / 5.5 gallons, so that's that. But overall, I am really happy with it. It's easy, fast ( I use the 240 V version ), reliable, does what it is supposed to do every time with hick-ups. Never had problems with filter clogging or anything else. I hope you will enjoy it.

[@jcinsaniac]

Keg King is saying they are going to offer a 10 gallon system...have not said when but hinted at 2018 - 2nd or 3rd Qtr. To me, the only difference between the Grainfather and the Robo Brew is the control - the Grainfather is superior in that respect. Is it $500 superior? That's for the buyer to decide.

[@Wnybrews]

jcinsaniac that’s pretty cool. It would have to be a 220v system I assume.

[@stephanschreiber6451]

Finally, an honest, non-biased review. I bought my GF 2 years ago and agree 100%, with all the pros and cons.

[@davidbeiler6364]

you bought your gf?

[@Scootenfruity]

@@davidbeiler6364 You didn't?

[@jadoiron]

As a first timer looking to upgrade from simple DIY extract kits, this review was absolutely phenomenal!

[@Wnybrews]

Thank you! Used it again today.

[@hoopshooper9102]

Bloody good review man, a good honest review that had me hook d right from the start. I was very interested in the grainfather and you've convinced me to go ahead and ask my wife if she wants a holiday with her friends so I can go buy me a complete kit.

[@Wnybrews]

Smart play right there. Good luck

[@timj41]

Great video and thanks for acknowledging the family time which is one reason while I get a little “guilt” for spending so much time not doing family stuff, anything that can ease stress is great.

[@eddiex360]

I have been on the edge of buying this machine simply because of the price. I'm a college student so yeah money isn't exactly a surplus, but this video has put me over the edge and I will be buying one tomorrow! Cannot wait to be brewing my own IPA's thank you for the video. Great review on all of the features of the Grainfather

[@matthewvonruden8318]

I enjoyed the video. I found it honest and strait forward. Thanks -- keep up the great work

[@fabio.s.barbosa]

Very nice video. I'm planning to buy a grainfather (the cost in brazil is HUGE) and your video helps me a lot. I think the time with the kids is a big pro of the equipment.

[@Wnybrews]

Agreed. I have less brew-day guilt.

[@kevinwalsh2566]

I’ve purchased one myself, having done biab on a induction hob and 50 litre pot, I was so surprised by the control I had and as you said I could be with the family. Cheers 🍻

[@chingogringo3213]

Great video, Scott! I just got a Grainfather myself and we'll be doing my first brew on it very soon. I am mobility impaired (C4-5 quadriplegic) and the Grainfather is great because it's at the perfect level for me to reach everything from my wheelchair. The Grainfather actually has a handle. It is attached via 4 screws to the mounting bracket for the controller. A lot of people (including myself) mistakenly think that it's just the support bracket for the controller but, according to the GF user manual, it's actually a handle to be used only when the unit is empty. In my situation, the handle makes it very easy for me to pick up the Grainfather with one hand in order to clean it inside. Looking forward to your side-by-side comparison of the Grainfather and the Robobrew. Cheers! 🍻

[@Wnybrews]

Chingo Gringo I hadn’t thought about mobility issues and the obvious benefits of a single vessel system like this. That’s awesome to hear. Good call on the handle, I did think of it as a bracket only, but it’s a pretty obvious pick-up point if you remove the controller. It makes me look all the more idiotic when I pick this up at the end of the video! I’m writing this from a train where my Robobrew awaits me at home and the Grainfather at my LHBS

[@chingogringo3213]

WNY Brews Exciting times, Scott! Congrats! I didn't mention in my previous comment but I'm planning to launch a new KZbin channel showing how I brew All Grain from a wheelchair with the Grainfather. I'm hoping to promote the great benefits of the unit for people who are differently-abled and in the process hopefully encourage those who are mobility-impaired to take up the hobby. Cheers! 🍻

[@Wnybrews]

Chingo Gringo that’s pretty cool. Drop a link when you do!

[@porterbrewer9349]

A well presented, fair & balanced eval. My hunch was that the GF was a very good system and now I know it is. Keurig/ lol. Well we do make coffee brews and some Keurig brewed coffee...okay the point is dead. Love the pics of "Sunny Buffalo," from my POV in Cali. Nice job. I will be looking for more and checking out your Podcast too.

[@markellis7961]

The Grainfather G70 10Gallon is available, personally I'm sticking with the smaller one, I'm currently using a 10 gallon fermentor and it's a pain in the arse, too big, so I've switched to multiple 5 Gallon fermentors (last brew in the big one now). The other thing with the Grainfather is it doubles as a still :-)

[@MrScottPanfil]

Yeah. I love my grainfather and robobrew. Every time you buy something you end up coveting the next new thing :) I wish I was getting into the game right now, but cest la vie.

[@hackwood710]

Glad you decided to pull the trigger. I just did as well myself. I kind of heard in your tone(s) that you might end up purchasing a GF just watching the video. Thanks for the video.

[@Ogrim88]

Thank you for this review. I am looking into what equipment to invest in, and the Grainfather seems like a match for me. Have been brewing some extract kits, but now I want to make the next step.

[@Wnybrews]

Go for it. As I said down below, even though I said it wasn't for me, I pulled the trigger shortly afterwards

[@brewing8094]

Making a 5gallon brew makes sense because a keg is 5gallons. I built my own DIY system with two 5gallon kegs, and is nice to have two different flavours on tap opposed to one 10 gallon brew and only one flavour. Another reason making smaller 5 gallon brewing helps to keep the beer fresh as it's easy to get through a 5gallon brew.

[@stevenair5262]

Kegs come in various sizes, mini kegs as small as 2l, and most commercial kegs are 15 gallons

[@rachtel1]

Thanks for the review! I am looking at 10 gallon Brewha system as well (much more expensive) v. building out a single tier system (my Frankenstein DIY is all gravity) v. the Grainfather. I am running into the same hangup you mentioned with the Grainfather - it only brews 5 gallons at a time. But it looks like a great way to streamline and save time. And the bluetooth feature looks amazing.

[@PetraKann]

cheating? Do you make your own vehicle at home? Refine your own oil? Do your own dental fillings? Buying quality equipment and monitoring equipment is a great way to initially set up a home beer brewing system. From my point of view, the focus is on making beer and experimenting with different recipes etc. Making a great drinking end product is my ultimate goal.

[@Wnybrews]

I'm no longer consider it cheating, but some do.

[@mlminto]

Great review, well made video. Thanks!

[@southernstacker7315]

Subbed and liked. Seems like alot of knowledge here. Thanks. I'm a noob to brewing.

[@waynebenson5250]

Since December 2018 I have done 5 brews, we now at the end of Feb 2019. I have been complaining about the Online recipe builder and the iOS App since Dec 2018. The App's have calculation bugs between the recipe builder and the iOS App. Online it will say example: 14.5L sparge water required. When you start the Session via the App, is says add 17.5L of water! - everytime a 2 to 3 L difference in additional water added!. I could not understand why my readings were off until I eventually investigated every possible cause. At first i thought maybe it was me. Anyways, we now almost 3 months in, 5 brews later and $350 wasted, and yet they still have not been able to fix this issue. In my view the Online , WebApp has the right volumes, and should be used. The iOS App is the one that is not correct in volumes Clac's, not sure if this is affects Android Apps. I agree with you guys, seems GF standards and support is not what is used to be... Selling my system now and investing in a SS BrewTech System... Had enough of the GF and the support. NOT AS EASY AS IT SEEMS IN THIS VIDEO - TOTALLY MIS-LEADING.

[@tragictheory]

Well damn. I'm sold. Thanks for the vid!

[@michaeljames3509]

AWESOME REVIEW!!! I'm with ya on a 10 gallon system. Will special malt have to be used capable of preserving low temperature enzymes so they don't denature during a high temperature rest period or don't they matter? Stay parched my friend.

[@83alskuld]

I LOVE my Grainfather!

[@tonysicily2687]

Virtually all the ebrew systems give you the same flexibility of recipes and brewing techniques. Spending all days setting up, cleaning and messing about is not brewing it is being a cleaner. If that’s what you like …. Fair enough, but personally I like making great beer, designing and brewing my own recipes and not spending hours tweaking an unreliable system to try and get a little consistency. Why is it a $3000 triple pot computer controlled three pump stainless steel ‘art piece’ is REAL brewing but a much simpler ebrew system is not? The both have controllers They both have pumps They both have the flexibility to brew virtually any beer style. But one takes hours to clean, and one doesn’t. I am guessing that ‘real brewing’ equates to washing the system. Each to his own….

[@Wnybrews]

I'm with you.

[@kennethmay5624]

Great video...even in 2020!

[@anthonysicily5768]

They do a bigger version I think it is called the G70

[@charlesbrunobezerra2563]

Muito obrigado, muito bom o vídeo Eu estava na dúvida de comprar ou não uma grainfather. E agora não estou mais. Sou do Brasil... Obrigado

[@lukew7200]

great content man

[@b.e.d.brewing3909]

Nice :-). Good info!

[@Falney]

As a nerdy brewer, I am really tempted to turn a $100 tea urn and an arduino into a diy grainfather

[@LordMcMPA]

My research into this has pronged into a) complete DIY setup with pots, relays->heater/cooler, and a Raspberry Pi driving it all (either with one of the available brewing apps deployed on there or hacking together something myseslf) or b) go for this thing. I am starting to think it boils, errm, brews down to this decision: do I want to start a crafting/coding project or do I want to start brewing my own beer. I think this time it's more of the latter so I'll probably go ahead with this setup.

[@Falney]

@@LordMcMPA you sir, raise a good point. I engoy both, so I'd brew beer the old fashioned way then start the coding project.... Which I was going to do... Only life keeps getting in the way.

[@jasonlahti7211]

I wonder if the grain father would have the same hop filter issues with whole leaf hops... I have seen that most varieties are coming out pelletized, but much like rice hulls help prevent a stuck sparge, the big leafy hops might prevent a mucked up whirlpool...?

[@Wnybrews]

We grow some hops here at the house, so I'll check it out in September!

[@anthonymarks2880]

Yeah, I too am disappointed that Grainfather have obviously decided to expand horizontally at the 5 gallon size (Grainfather, Conical Fermenter, Glycol chiller). If they introduced a 10 gallon version with a 10 gallon plus fermenter, it would be a no-brainer.

[@brewing8094]

5 gallon brew is perfect size for many reasons, cost of grain bill cheaper, perfect batch size for keging, and have two different flavours on tap is nice then 10 gallon brew one flavour, easy to get through 5gallons and make fresh beer.

[@albarca]

Good quality content

[@devoncripsy711]

What if you don't have a smart phone because you downgraded to a clam shell for emergencies only? You know, if if if something's worth saying, I-it's worth eye contact.

[@sinanalagoz35]

i have a brewery device which is made by china whose price is one of three of grainfather's and it has handles also.

[@jacktyrrell2050]

Did your beer turn out better great video thanks

[@Wnybrews]

Good question. After a few batches, they're back up to normal. I wouldn't say it improved the final result all that much, just the day and lessened the chances of screwing up something.

[@WombatDaborn]

let us know when you add a DIY blue tooth controller to your 10 G cooler!

[@hecticunit]

Subbed

[@brunobarrozo7994]

Hello! In my opinon, your video is the best for potencial grainfather consumer. However, i didnt find comments abot the pump. That is this a stainless steel head? What about de impeller?

[@Wnybrews]

I've never looked, but I don't think it is steel. Here is a video I found kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3-pXmyFqa6fm6c

[@TerjeAntonGudmundsson]

Great informative video :)

[@brandondavis3163]

Subbed. Go Bills (Noticed the Zubaz and immediately thought "Buffalo guy." One question - for the counterflow chiller, did the Grainfather come with a tap adapter or is that a buy separately thing? I have one en route and can't find any info anywhere about connecting the water source to the counterflow chiller.

[@Wnybrews]

Yep. I'm in Hamburg. The grainfather comes with a bunch of faucet adapters. I didn't need to buy anything extra.

[@JFlywheel]

I want one, but I also want to make imperial stouts and barley wine etc without adding extract.

[@anthonysicily5768]

And...? What the issue

[@JFlywheel]

@@anthonysicily5768 doesn't hold enough grain.

[@chefe2152]

How about volume of mash and wort? Can u brew like 10% beer with 20 -30 lb grains?

[@Wnybrews]

No, but you can do a double mash to hit higher SGs. You could also add dme after the mash if you wanted. Thats my preference.

[@coltbecker]

BUFFALO 4 LYFE

[@prairiedogs001]

Robobrew brewzilla can do ten gallons

[@Wnybrews]

I know! And 10 months after I bought the Grainfather and Robobrew!

[@SomeTechGuy666]

What are the dimensions (dia x height) of the Grainfather grain basket ?

[@JCooper10315]

I like your Bills zubaz

[@xjimmy225x]

If I bought the Grainfather, having no other equipment, would I still need to purchase something else?

[@MichaelDempsey]

at a minimum, you would need to buy a fermenter with an air lock (and a blowoff). You do not ferment in the Grainfather. I use glass carboys for that

[@stevenair5262]

And you need something to heat/hold sparge water (a 5 gallon round cooler works well, but as for the heating you can either do it on your stove or buy the grainfather water heater which is like ~170.00 bucks)

[@gosselinluke]

replacement pump $185

[@angienagel-crisman489]

Is there a difference in taste of the beer the grainfather vs all grain?

[@Wnybrews]

Not at all. It's important to note that the grainfather IS all grain brewing. You can think of it like Brew in a bag, but with the addition of a sparge. My recipes are exactly the same, except that I get better efficiency from the GF than I used to get with my batch sparge system.

[@bryancomeaux4961]

i wasn't paid to endorse these things....i just sell them on amazon!!!

[@Wnybrews]

Who does what now?

[@bh7538]

Did you find a bigger one?

[@Wnybrews]

Nope. I bought one Grainfather and one Robobrew,

[@gosselinluke]

I have a grainfather and the pump shit the bed after 15 brews.

[@Wnybrews]

bleh. That should have been under warranty?

[@nickpower9165]

They cost way to much. Not worth it to me

[@dgnkpr2]

This looks just like the ones on Alibaba for $200

[@Wnybrews]

Wait...what?! Gotta go see

[@FoamingPipeSnakes]

This sure seems like a commercial to me.

[@Wnybrews]

I wish it was :) Instead I have a receipt for full price. I even passed up a $200 off sale in February because I wanted to support my LHBS.

[@mittelfruh]

I'm anxious to see how the cord to the controller holds out for you. It seems the 120v version is having a lot of issues with the plug fusing to the controller.

[@Gahuntr61]

@@mittelfruh My heater crapped out after 15 months. When I tried to unplug it from the controller it had fused. Fortunately, GF customer service is awesome and they are replacing the entire unit.