Electric Brewing - BIAB Options

[Dene McDonald]

I’ve been brewing with Kit and Kilo for just over a year now having made around 10 batches and while it’s getting better every time I can’t seem to shake that home brew taste that you get when using a “brew enhancer”. So I’ve been doing a bit of research and decided that BIAB is the route for me as it’s low cost, easy to learn, quick cleanup etc… I’m sure you’re all aware of the benefits of BIAB.

I’ve priced up all of the equipment I need for a gas setup and while it’s only the $50 for a pot and $80 for a burner it’s a bit of work on brew day to set it all up. I also can’t do it when it’s wet, windy or cold (which is all the time in Dunedin) as I don’t have a garage or shed.

So as an alternative to gas I’ve decided that an electric brewery is the right option for me. It’s easy to setup, I can do it inside, there’s no worries of running out of gas or having to get gas… the list goes on!

I’ve narrowed it down to two options:

A cheap URN

http://www.trademe.co.nz/business-farming-industry/retail-hospitali...

Brew Pot and Element

http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/kitchen/pots-pans-bakeware/pot...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/food-beverage/other-beverages/...

So what I want to know is…

Urn

Does anyone own one of these urns and are they reliable? Would I be able to get a good boil going in it, or I there a safety cut out that stops boiling? If the element blows is it easy to replace or is it a proprietary element fixed into the system?

Pot system

Can anyone comment on doing this? Is it as easy as drilling a hole and screwing it into the pot (keep in mind that I am a complete novice and have no DIY skills at all)?  

Sorry about all the questions but this is my foray into the world of BIAB/All grain! The urn idea seems great as I can set it to my mash temperature and walk away, whereas the pot may need some heat applied from time to time. But if the element dies in the pot I can just swap it out, and the urn would need replaced!

[Hamish Jones]

there's a load of guys in Aussie selling the Braumaster now, you could try Ross at craft brewer he's shipped stuff to me happily before and it's not too expensive