SVBS from SS Brewtech First Look and Impressions

The new SS Brewtech SVBS is finally here. I look at the overall construction, setup, and operation of this new Single Vessel Brewing System.
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[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Welcome back Brian, nice to have you back and nicely done as always!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks David!

[@BEERNBBQBYLARRY]

Looks like a pretty solid design for the most part.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Yeah we'll know more soon!! 👍🍻

[@beerman1957]

So nice to see you again. The serviceable element is nice

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Yes it definitely makes a difference. Only minor issue is that you might be able to scorch it a bit easier. But the basket design probably helps prevent that. We'll see. 😁 👍🍻

[@beerman1957]

@@ShortCircuitedBrewers if a whirlpool is going , I can’t imagine a scorching problem.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

@@beerman1957 true!

[@eddiane]

Nice to see you back. Neat system. Nice to see options. Im still using my 10.5 but its nice to see manufacturers put new stuff out. Thanks for the preview.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks for the comments it's great to be back!! 👍🍻

[@marcusfabiousmaximus3463]

I miss your channel. Been out of home brew for a few years but hope to start up next year and like this unit. Great video thanks

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks man! Glad to be back!!

[@commentator2.0]

Hey you’re back! Didn’t even know this system came out. Interesting design. Cleaning those coils looks fun

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Haha yeah it will be interesting to see how that goes!

[@GentleGiantFan]

Glad to see you back Brian!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks man!! God to be back! 👍🍻

[@scraffen]

Brian, great to see you back.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks!! 👍🍻

[@Homebrew58]

I brewed with mine last week but started getting a stomach bug halfway through and stopped taking notes. I was lucky to even finish the brew day. I was going to brew again today but again... I'm sick. We have a grandchild who just started pre school a few weeks ago and he is literally bringing home a new bug every week. I have used an Anvil Foundry 10.5 for the past 12 - 18 months and had just bought an extension for that from Blichmann. You can configure what kind of plug you want on it and had one made to match my dryer outlet. Fortunately it also works with the SVBS. I bought a $99 dollar, one person portable scaffold from Home Depot (Jobsite Series Baker). It has a fold out tool shelf that I used to place the SVBS control panel.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Nice! Let me know how your experience goes! 👍🍻

[@dirtyarm1668]

It really looks great. I like the controller. There just seems to be more stuff to clean than necessary. Long power cord would be nice. Obviously with a 90 on it. But overall I would buy.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Yeah it's got a couple of issues. Not MAJOR but they are there. 👍🍻

[@chaseveacock609]

Idk if it's been suggested already, but you could mark a white line on the plug once it's in so you know what way to orient it easier each time.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

That's a good idea.

[@FermentationAdventures]

It’s an interesting, but quirky system. Lots of innovative ideas, but some odd things too. Happy to see more than just images of it tho!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Yeah I saw your video on it. Definitely interesting system. 👍🍻

[@FermentationAdventures]

@@ShortCircuitedBrewers ha, thanks! I couldn't figure out where the pump inlet was in the images, but realized after the pictures had the filter in. Super glad that your back making content again!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

@@FermentationAdventures thanks man! Good to be back! 👍🍻

[@normodegard183]

Can't wait for the brew day!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Coming soon! 👍🍻

[@beeroquoisnation]

These all in one brewing systems have become an ecosystem of their own for sure. Hanging the the controller from the handle seems like the cure for the SS Brewtech. I like the basket design. Does anyone notice an advantage to the pipe styled all in one as compared to those all in ones with a larger circumference? Seems like heat having to follow laws of physics, rising straight up in a narrower column might allow them to fair better than the larger footprinted conventional kettles. Cheers Brian.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks man!! I'm not sure about the difference in heating efficiency between those two designs. 👍🍻

[@beeroquoisnation]

@@ShortCircuitedBrewers Your tee spring hoodies aren't available. You better get somebody by the earlobe!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

@@beeroquoisnation well we'll have to get someone on that!!

[@TismFishing]

I know having that taller design makes it much easier to store in a closet. I have used a few systems that had more width than height and when recirculating it keeps surface area smaller around the element. Just like a rims tube, you want to have an element that fits the tube well.

[@exit12homebrew]

Great stuff Brian! Can't wait for you to use it. - Nick

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks brother! 👍🍻

[@SankaraHomeBrewing]

Thanks for sharing. Nice review of this all and one system. Cheers!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks for the support!! 👍🍻

[@jakebertrand8414]

Cool stuff bro. Glad your back

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks man! 👍🍻

[@grahamhawes7089]

As someone who has been using all-in-one systems for 4 years now, I actually intend to drop the annoying malt pipe and add a dedicated MLT to my setup, using my Foundry as a 240v HLT then boil kettle. Traditional false bottoms are so much easier to clean and it’ll allow me to do larger batches, plus a true vorlauf for clear wort. Only thing I haven’t figured out… how to control mash temp for step mashes. Thinking about putting a hotplate (hooked up to a thermostat) under the MLT, which will be recirculating. Not sure it’ll have the power for step mashing though, especially in winter. I want to avoid an internal element. Induction burners generally aren’t friendly to being toggled on and off via cutting power.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Let.me know what you figure out. 👍🍻

[@Newtstampede]

Could always go the old fashioned way using infusions. I went back to that after getting rid of my HERMS coil.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

@@Newtstampede that's true..tried and true methods work!

[@grahamhawes7089]

@@Newtstampede I considered that, and might utilize hot water to accelerate steps, but I still need a way to maintain temps during recirculation in my cold garage. It’s also fussy. I like set-and-forget!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

I hear you!

[@Landcruiserclimbs]

Brian, we need you to review the bottom drain Solo.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Haha.. ok

[@Landcruiserclimbs]

@@ShortCircuitedBrewers Thanks Bro, I'm really curious to see what the drain does to volume, plus how it is lifting the basket with the extra height on the legs. Eventually they'll have to update the controller.

[@deckerhand12]

The conversion box, you made is that something that they would sell somewhere

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

It's just.a.dryer cord.with a plug on the end. I'll show.it in my next video. 👍🍻

[@ElementaryBrewingCo]

Looks like a neat little unit!!!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks Brian! 👍🍻

[@TismFishing]

Seems like they could make an arm that has something so temp wouldn’t transfer to clamp onto the handle to hold the controller away from the brewery.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Yeah something. The way I had it hanging in the video. I don't think much transfer will occur but I could be wrong. Cheers! 👍🍻

[@thomasschleis2545]

Interesting, but the Brewtools B40 has multiple advantages, including being able to visualize how much water is covering the heating elements. But the low profile elements here and mesh basket should prevent burning the elements, unlike the Solo, for example. It does have some nice features, though.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Yep I have yet to see a truly perfect system in every aspect. But then again a lot of that depends on the Brewer. May wind up having to do a comparison video on all these different systems! 👍🍻

[@christianbureau6732]

Nice design, great review, cheers

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks Christian! 👍🍻

[@AndrewLynch9]

With that element you would of thought they would have sized it for 5-10 gal batches.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

They do say you can do 10 gallon lower gravity batches. But yeah it has plenty of power! 🍻👍

[@HOMEBREW4LIFE]

killer video!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks brother! 👍🍻

[@stuartthistlethwaite2570]

Don't think brewtools have anything to worry about.

[@ColoradoFlyFisherMan]

Hey Brian, Looks like a nice system. I wonder how that hop screen will filter out hops..... IIPA brew day to find out. Cheers

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

That's a good ideal!! Cheers! 👍🍻

[@Flghost13]

Any word on if we will see a 10 gallon batch size version?

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

I've not heard anything about one. 👍🍻

[@indiekiduk]

can the whirlpool port be used for pump inlet while mashing to prevent grains stuck in the hop filter?

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

No it's an outlet only. 👍🍻

[@meghanlake7525]

This looks dope. Can you link your dryer plug-in adapter?

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

amzn.to/3yj1LyW

[@doertedev]

Nice

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

👍🍻

[@Newtstampede]

How serviceable is the pump and manifold? Learned the hard way how nasty those pump heads can get, even after a high temp CIP.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

I've not attempted to remove the bottom cover. I will probably do that after my first brew day. I can tell you more then. 👍🍻

[@boozebuddy]

Man this is tempting! Time to save up my pennies

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

😁👍🍻

[@nstofberg98]

Add a magnet to the screen.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Yeah that might be a solution but stainless is generally not magnetic so you wouldn't be able to stick it to the kettle. 👍🍻

[@januszkszczotek8587]

Very interesting unit. Do you know, whether they plan to bring this to Europe?

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

I don't know about that at this.time..i would contact Ss directly. 👍🍻

[@TheWinkingPigBarBQ]

One thing that would be of interest to me and maybe others, is how well it can perform a step-mash. I currently use the Anvil Foundry 10.5 with a Brew Bag, and honestly, it sucks with trying to do step mashes because it gums over the heating element with sugars and starches when trying to heat between steps and trips the high-temperature limit which is reset in on the center bottom of the unit and is such a pain in the @$$. I can get a step-mash done, but it's always something to worry about.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Interesting. How fine are you grinding your grain?

[@TheWinkingPigBarBQ]

@@ShortCircuitedBrewers Generally, 0.040" for husked grains and 0.028" for dehusked or huskless grains like wheat and rye. Nothing sucks quite like having to raise the basket or bag out of the wort and scraping the buildup off the bottom of the unit then dropping the now air cooled grains back into the wort that blows your rest temperature. The only thing you can do is guesstimate a higher temperature for the wort so that when you drop the grains back into the unit you can come close to your original step temperature. If I'm very careful with the element temperature and can keep the the flow of the recirculation high to keep the wort moving quickly over the element I can prevent this from happening... most of the time.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

@@TheWinkingPigBarBQ ok

[@grahamhawes7089]

I use the included malt pipe with my 10.5 Foundry, no bag, and have zero problems step mashing during recirculation. I run around 55% power at 240v.

[@TheWinkingPigBarBQ]

@@grahamhawes7089 I don't know, maybe I have a faulty high-temperature limit switch? On my last beer, it popped in the middle of the boil, but once I scraped off the bottom and reset the limit it worked fine the rest of the way out.

[@leroygross9144]

A little too pricey for me, but it's looking good👍🍻

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks! 👍🍻

[@gregorywinters4697]

4' cord seems a little short to me as well.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Yeah it's not the longest one I've seen for sure...lol 👍🍻

[@timheffernan3577]

What is the size of the pump inlet?

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Approx 1/2" I think.

[@timheffernan3577]

Thanks so much@@ShortCircuitedBrewers

[@gjan1761]

FAR too much going on with this system...small parts, compression seals, far too much button pressing. You're better off with a Braumeister or the Brau Supply Unibrau for the same exact price.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks for the comment! 👍🍻

[@Ruffway64]

MEH,,,I will stick with my GF-40

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks for the comment! 👍🍻

[@drumyzeb]

Ssbrewtech needs to stick to the Homebrew market and get out of pro brewing, the product support on the pro side is absolutely pathetic.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

That's interesting.

[@dheasley2]

Seems overpriced. Especially for the size of it.

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

Thanks for the comment! 👍🍻