Larry as always thanks a million. You are so clear in your instructions I feel I am in the presence of “beer professor”. I started brewing after I found you channel

Wow, it is awsome to see you evolve. Can't wait to see what's next.

Great feedback for Spike. Thanks for doing this review / walk through. Very informative!

Thanks Larry, that was very informative. Can't wait for the next brewday!

Keep up the good work a Larry. Love the videos. I’m glad you give us honest opinions.

Nice walkthrough of the issues Larry. I’m sure Spike is happy with the feedback.

I appreciate your expertise and passion on this

Thanks for sharing! Greetings from Argentina! Excellent video about this new equipment. Great comments and suggestions about its use. Cheers!

This was an enjoyable video Larry, thank you.

Ah, I was just wondering when this video was coming out. Looking forward to watching!

Fantastic review and video! Keep em coming!

After 2 years of running my homemade version of a system like this it is great to see Spike is going to offer this off the shelf. Once you get your ratios dialed in you will love it. IMHO - Brew in a basket is a less intimidating way to get more people into home brewing. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Larry! Keep up the great work.

Been interested in this system since I got news about it in my inbox - thanks for the review Larry!! Going to wait till Spike brings out the "smaller" system (I only brew 5 G batches) and see how things are at that point. Cheers!

I've been waiting for this one and I like the new intro.

Nice comprehensive review brother! Good job.

Thanks! Great as always. I certainly like my Spike Flex + fermenter (a batch of bitter in it right now)- super well made gear. From what I’ve seen so far, I’ll bet Spike address all the issues and makes it a great system.

Great video as usual Larry!!!

well done Larry looking forward to the next vid

Larry, great info. So many choices with eBrewing nowadays. You have me second-guessing my anvil system I have pre-ordered. Looking forward to your next brew day. hopefully, Chad will make it.

@MrRhino12667

4 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY True... Also, did you see any room to leave out water for sparging? With the rapid boil-off at higher pwr % could you not of had a little extra water in the boil after a sparge?

Thanks for the overview and your brew day lessons learned pro's and con's.. when I get into electric I am leaning toward the Anvil Foundry the Spike system looks good but I am a 5gal brewer. Cheers!

Been waiting for this! Thanks.

I took a screenshot of your spreadsheet. Trying dial in my own system before I go electric. Great video. Thanks.

@BEERNBBQBYLARRY

3 жыл бұрын

You can download it as well. Link should be in video description.

Nice overview!! Glad you had a little better luck than I did!! 👍🍻

Great video, thanks for sharing!

Very good video Larry.

Another Great Video Larry

Great video Larry. Looks like this system has some potential. Spike is known for their quality, so I assume they will be making some changes before putting this product out. Cheers!!

Overall it looks like the final product will be killer. I feel like I know way too much for a guy who has yet to brew a beer. All thanks to you Larry. Lol. Hopefully this year I can get into it.

sweet, thanks larry!

Thanks for putting this out there, Larry. First, all my equipment for BIAB is Spikes Brewing. They make fantastic stuff. I just feel this piece of kit is priced wrong and it just falls a little flat for me. I’d have to change pretty much everything I already use. Also, I agree, this is not for the “Newbs”. Nobody is going to spend this kind of coin on this system without already having the passion.

Thanks Larry, looking forward to the second video on this Spike unit. How does the clean up for the basket compare to cleaning out the cooler mash tun?

Chad will be there when it is time to drink that beer. :-) Great video.............I am too lazy to do this but damn I like watching and drinking beer. I look forward to your next video.

Thanks for another good video. Spike is so cool. That must be a food grade water supply hose.

@DavidLuger

3 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY Thanks. Good idea.

Lots of great and useful information. I do still brew lots of multistep mashes because I use a lot of pilsner, Vienna, and Munich malts were I can, the exception being with English ales. Yesterday, I brewed a 3-gallon partial mash using 50% Munich II on my stovetop and I mashed in cold, took it to 140*F, then to 154*F, and heated my second pot to about 172*F and simply transferred my grain bag to the second pot as my sparge water, then poured my mash wort into the "sparge water" after I had removed the grains. It worked perfectly. That being said, and you addressed this pretty well, it would seem Spike needs to make some way to properly connect a hoist to the grain basket to lift it, especially with that 20-gallon system. I was sitting and thinking how heavy that basket would be with a Barleywine, Imperial Stout, or some other "big beer." A great video Larry!

Have you seen Exchillerator's horizontal immersion chiller? It hangs off the side of the kettle to keep it suspended over the heating element. Could be a good option for those of us who prefer immersion chillers.

I have a 120 volt kettle. And I completely understand what you had to say about the 240 volt system. When I up grade, it will be to a 240 volt kettle. It will save at least an hour on brew day.

If you have it close to the floor you can put a step ladder over it with a hand winch to lift the basket. That's what I plan on doing when I get there Anvil Foundry

Short circuited brewers had the same problem with the temperature accuracies, the temp control unit needs to be calibrated but apparently they haven’t put that in the instructions yet. This being a prototype and Spike allowing brewers to test it out and provide heat feedback gives me confidence that this will be a top BIAB System in the near future. Thank you for your videos Larry, keep up the good work!

@ShortCircuitedBrewers

4 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY welcome brother!! 👍🍻

Hi Larry, again a great video. Thanks for your time and effort. You give a clear insight in the use of the new Spike. How many watts is the heating element actually. Does the heating element "scale" at the full power setting? My brewmeister element gets all caramelized if I boil to hard. (its 2000 Watt)

Great vid Larry, the system looks impressive -assuming the final product comes back with the feedback addressed - what would you recommend to someone as a better system this or the Grainfather?

Thanks for the vid Larry! Worth the money in your opinion?

GREAT Vidya Larry. I think your process makes it easy to overcome the bumps on the path that you encountered. You are more prepared for the bumps, because your brewing style has always been to keep the equipment simple. We're brewing beer, not refining yellow cake or separating the oils and distillates of crude oil. The SPIKE system was where I wanted to land for it's simplicity, and they are just up in Wisconsin should I need parts. Then I discovered the Blichmann system. There were pros and cons to both, and the pros of the SPIKE outweighed the Blichmann. I bought the Blichmann, but still desire the SPIKE. But as of today, I don't think I can buy the SPIKE. Now the SPIKE is a true BIAB. The Blichmann is technically a 2 vessel system, but works very similar. It looks like I can probably just buy the basket when it comes to the market. In the mean time, Blichmann is only 70 miles from me down here in the corn patch should I need parts. Cheers Buddy. I always value your opinion, as your engineering background always comes through when you provide these nuggets of wisdom into these machines. Maybe I'll get you out here this summer to do a remote on the Blichmann Breweasy just for review purposes.

@beeroquoisnation

4 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY I wanted the SPIKE specifically for the welded ports. The consumables for systems with bulkheads are just unnecessary. Extra O-rings, or face seals, not to mention there are LOTS of them. Always have to have a supply on hand. Simple is always better in my book. You'll have to bring your appetite and a way to capture video. I don't stream or make vidyas, maybe I can bring it you if that makes you more comfortable.

Well I'm a new fan you got me with the brewing your 10 gal system is the best. But Im a BBQ guy and you've got some show's well it's time to light up the q bro sun is shining I think LoL. good channel man

Call me old school but i enjoy the process of the mash tun and hot liquor tank brew days. A bit out dated but it’s all ab having some fun. Cheers 🍻

Larry, I'm most curious about crush size for your Grist with this system. Many BIAB Brewers crush as fine as possible as they do not sparge- a benefit of full water volume mashing. The slots on the bottom of the grain basket look somewhat large for this practice. Curious on your thoughts and what that might affect

Great video! Curious: what do you think of standard Brew in a bag? Just a bag in a kettle?

What does the element have to do with the chiller? A insertion depth issue? It won't conduct electric from the element. Did you look into the dead space under the basket for you water volume? Great info, cheers!

Hey Larry, does the amazon hoist you listed fit the spike basket handles? Thanks!!

Hi Larry, saw the vid of you and the new Spike system with the pump. you showed quick connects with latches. I am trying to find those quick connect hose attachments with those clamps. I want to purchase some. Thanks

@kathyanne3587

3 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY Thank you Larry.....Great videos i love them.

I have one of the ratcheting cranks for my system. Never like hanging the grain on the rim of the pot, so you can just crank it up and let it hang while it drains. You have to have a dedicated spot to brew in to mount the crank to the ceiling.

@AlexFuniciello

4 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY ah, didn't read that far down the Amazon description to see that it locks. That should be perfect then. 🍻

So Larry my real question is it worth it? I use a traditional propane system for a 10 gallon batch with two large Igloo coolers for the mash and sparge. I also use a pump to transfer the liquid around. The system works fine but is very time consuming and a pain to clean. This looks much simpler, but in your opinion is it worth the price? Thinking about getting a new brew system as retirement gift for myself. Thanks again and keep up the great videos!

You make note a few times of having issue with the use of an immersion chiller... Why are you worried? I use an immersion chiller om my electric setup and have had numerous chills without issue. Just curious?

All the challenges you had were to be expected (calibrating the PID, needing a hoist, etc). So far, I like what I see with Spike’s new system. I’m curious, though. Now that you’ve used both style of quick disconnects, do you still like the cam lock style better?

great video as usual! How big is the system pictured here? I'm thinking about the 15g system and was curious about how difficult it is to pull out the grain basket

@BEERNBBQBYLARRY

2 жыл бұрын

This is their 20 gallon system which produces ~10 gallons of beer. It’s not light. Figure average grain bill is ~35 lb plus ~8-10 gallons of water in the basket which is 80-100 lb more to start the lift before it lightens up. A hoist helps or another person, but I can lift it on my own.

Wouldn’t it work out to chill the wort with your immersion chiller by dropping the basket back into the pot then drop the immersion chiller in?

Great info Larry. Looking forward to this system coming out. Can you please tell me the height of the system when the basket is draining? I have a designated space in the basement with an extractor already set up but want to make sure I wont have an issue with the height once I raise the basket to drain. Thanks!

@johnnyperez2260

4 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY thank you sir!

Where is the temp probe for the pid located?

Did any of the grain escape into the boil? I see a lot of new owners complaining about this.

Why would having an element prevent the use of an immersion chiller like you noted? I don't see any issue.

I use an 8' ladder with a simple pulley system to pull my bag out. If you're not too far off the floor that would work fine. From a table. Not so much.

"BIAB is the least efficient method of sugar extraction..." - - Looks back at my past 9 years of brew notes on my BIAB system and have an average of 85-90% mash efficiency on standard gravity beers (1.050-1.070 SG). How is that the least efficient? Still a great review of Spike's system. Looking forward to seeing more!

You seem to have mixed feelings on the CFC. Would you rather do something different? I personally love my exchilerator so I wanted your thoughts on using it with the Solo.

Good vid. I think they are really called BIAC (colander)

CHAD ---> Under the bus. HAHA! seriously, nice video. I'm considering one of these soon...

Not sure why Spike have not added a continuous sparge (recirculating) attachment to the top of the basket. Seems obvious to me. Would be nice If they did a 5g system and maybe done a Spike branded plate or counterflow chiller with it. Seems a bit expensive to me considering what you get.

Wow I own and love spike gear, but the price on this is really up there. Probably going to go with the SS Brewtech ebrewing 1v. I understand the brewtech uses a nylon band opposed to a steel vessel, but it’s close to a thousand cheaper. For $150 I can get a nice stainless screen basket. Again I love spike stuff and this looks like a great product.

@chesterpuffington8368

4 жыл бұрын

BEER-N-BBQ by Larry Yeah I thought I might just buy the grain pot but I really want to switch to electric brewing. I love your videos, always good information....

So if I were to buy this I have to contract an electrician to put a 240 outlet and by the way great video

Just curious...couldn't you add a simple stand or hook somewhere in the kettle so that you could drop your immersion chiller in there and keep it off the heating element? Seems that might be good for folks who don't want to go buy another chiller.

@studawg66

4 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY Nice! Glad to hear there are some products for this. I was just thinking a "coat hanger" kind of solution to suspend it from the rim of the kettle might be a good interim step.

Sorry I couldn't make it. As nerdy as I can be at times,I was wondering if you can compare the power consumption between the 120v grainfather and this 240v Spike system. It would also be nice to see the power consumption of this device through the whole Brew cycle in total.

@chadcarpenter9742

4 жыл бұрын

Yep that's a big difference I was just wondering how accurate it was to the claim and how much energy used through a whole brewcycle. being that I have solar and I have a system monitoring my usage just curious if it uses ..30 kilowatts for example. But I guess most people probably don't care..😜

First comment! Looking forward to this video

You’re 6’3”, who knew! (With Brian at Short Circuit you can tell!) Anyway, I’ve been using 5500w for a few years and I use 40-50% power on my PID to have a nice steady boil. I have a false bottom from brewhardware.com that goes over the element and allows me to use an immersion chiller

@jkkyker9410

4 жыл бұрын

The false bottom, looks great.

Shout outs to Brother Chad!!

You cant use an immersion chiller on this system?

@gregf9989

4 жыл бұрын

What do you recommend to use,

Why can’t you use an immersion chiller with this setup?? I have a similar setup and only use an immersion chiller without any issues.

@brettnickel2924

4 жыл бұрын

BEER-N-BBQ by Larry I just rest my chiller on the element and everything works fine.

@brettnickel2924

4 жыл бұрын

BEER-N-BBQ by Larry No. I use a DIY 25ft copper chiller. I understand what you’re saying though. Mine is fairly light to my knowledge. I also try to rest it on one of the temp probes to take some weight off the element.

Why they need such a giant control box?

@mikepapadelta3259

4 жыл бұрын

Cheers

Yeah Chad, way to miss brew day

I remember when this guy named Larry used to host this, don’t know who this beard guy is 🤔

@davidbathkedb

4 жыл бұрын

BEER-N-BBQ by Larry wait.. Larry?! Is that you?! Some guy highjacked your channel!! Makes good beer .. but still!

Cant help to see those cigar humidors. If I can ever treat you with a nice stogie let me know. Its the least I can do for all the information you've shared Larry. Just let me know. Its on me! Take care.

@BEERNBBQBYLARRY

3 жыл бұрын

Sweet. Thanks for the offer. What you could do is throw some money my way via PayPal and even recommend a stogie to buy with it.

Chad! Slacker! Lol!

Brew in a bag? Where is the bag?

Full water bill biab here. I get always above 80%..84%

@BEERNBBQBYLARRY

3 жыл бұрын

That is excellent. Are you using real PPG values from the maltster data sheets, or are you using generic PPG values for your grain bills? I've found that using generic values gives the false impression that extract efficiency is greater than it really is. Once I began using real values, my efficiency numbers dropped to more realistic values.

@koplandavid

3 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY I see. So the maltsters actually under rate their malt. makes sense from business perspective. Will look into it. Happy new year!

@koplandavid

3 жыл бұрын

@@BEERNBBQBYLARRY so i re-read what you said. And yes I use Belgian md malt. Which is already in the brewfather library. Well last time I brewed I got a stuck mash so I'm probably on the fine side of milling.

Hey hey, what happened to the INTRO MUSIC??? Change it back please.

Looks an expensive system to brew beer. Enjoyed your videos a lot more when the equipment used was a lot simpler. This new equipment is on the professional level probably out of reach for an amateur brewer.

240v Electric fanboys huh lol