Brewing with an electric all-in-one system

How an all-in-one system works

• An element of 1,800 to 3,500 W heats the vessel, driven by a thermostat or a programmable controller.
• The malt pipe, with a perforated bottom and often a top plate, holds the grain. A pump draws the wort from under the basket and pours it back over the top: this is recirculation, which evens out the temperature and clears the wort.
• At the end of the mash, you lift the basket above the vessel, sparge it, then remove it, and the boil takes place in the same vessel.
• Most models come with a wort chiller (immersion or counterflow) and a tap for the transfer.

The most common models: Grainfather, Brewzilla (KegLand), Brewmonk (Brouwland), Braumeister (Speidel), Klarstein. They differ in power, pump, controller and app, rarely in principle.

What to check before brewing

• The capacity of the malt pipe: about 8 to 9 kg of grain in a 35 litre system. It sets the maximum gravity of a 20 litre batch; a very strong beer is made at a reduced volume or with added extract.
• The dead space under the basket, 1 to 2 litres of wort that you do not recover, to include in the volumes.
• The power and the socket: a system of 2,500 W or more needs a 16 A socket, on a circuit that carries no other large appliance.
• The sparge water: it has to be heated separately, in a pot, a kettle or a sparge water heater sold by some brands.

How much water for 20 litres

For 20 litres (5.3 US gal) in the fermenter, 5 kg of grain, a one-hour boil, 2 litres evaporated per hour (electric boils are gentle) and 1.5 litres of dead space, the water volumes calculator gives:

With a sparge, the mash is at the classic ratio of 3 litres per kilo, and efficiency is better. Without a sparge, all the water goes in at the start, as in BIAB: the day is simpler but efficiency drops a little. Both are done with the same system; just check that the volume of water and grain stays below the top of the malt pipe (mash volume).

Brew day, step by step

Program and heat

Pour in the mash water, program the step (for example 66 °C for 60 minutes, then 76 °C for 10 minutes) and start heating, with the malt pipe in place. A 2,500 W system heats 15 litres of tap water to 70 °C in about twenty minutes, 30 litres in about three quarters of an hour. Put the sparge water on to heat at the same time.

Mash in

When the water is at temperature, pour in the grain gradually while stirring to avoid lumps. Fit the top plate, turn on the recirculation and set its flow so that the wort does not overflow the basket. The controller holds the temperature; the mashing guide details the possible steps.

Sparge

At the end of the mash, turn off the pump, lift the malt pipe and rest it on its support above the vessel. Slowly pour the sparge water at 75-78 °C over the grain, in a steady trickle, over 15 to 30 minutes. A sparge that is too fast digs channels in the grain and rinses poorly.

Boil

Remove the malt pipe, bring to the boil (often 20 to 30 minutes) and add the hops following the boil schedule. Leave the lid off to drive off the vapours. Note the volume before and after: boil-off in an electric system is lower than on gas, and the measured boil-off rate will serve for your next recipes.

Chill and transfer

Connect the chiller and cool to 18-20 °C. Let it rest for a few minutes so the sediment gathers in the centre, then transfer through the tap, leaving the sediment at the bottom. Measure the original gravity, and work out the real efficiency of the system with the brewing efficiency calculator.

After brew day

Fermentation and bottling are the same as for every method. Clean the system the same day, pump included: circulate hot water with an alkaline cleaner, then rinse.

Common mistakes with an all-in-one system

• Recirculation that is too fast, which compacts the grain and makes the basket overflow. Start gently and increase.
• A crush that is too fine, which clogs the malt pipe. Manufacturers recommend a coarser crush than for BIAB.
• Loose hops that block the pump or the chiller: use a hop spider or a hop sock.
• A displayed temperature that does not match that of the grain: check with a thermometer in the middle of the basket during your first batches.