Depends on your budget and long term brewing plans. I was very happy with a MegaPot and DarkStar burner for many years. Then I got some Keggles and a second hand Edelmetal burner. Now I have a Ruby Street single tier gas setup. I plan on upgrading to electric this year.
If I was doing it again, I’d seriously consider going with a all-in one like the grainfather / brewzilla / etc.
Latecomer to the conversation, but an electric all-in-one is a fantastic experience. I went a bit hog wild with the Spike Solo+, but the only thing I want to impress on you is that 220V makes a massive difference. Strike temp is quick, all the mash steps happen fast, boil is quick. With 120V, stick to the 5gal kettles or you’ll really be feeling some pain from exceptionally long brew days.
Well, even that has to be complicated: there are two common standards for a 220V/30A (dryer) outlet. There’s an old NEMA 10-30 spec (3-prong) that you might have for a dryer outlet. The modern standard is NEMA 14-30 (4-prong). Everything likely comes with a modern NEMA 14-30 plug (mine did).
The 10-30 doesn’t provide a ground, so if you need to convert, there are some sketchy options on Amazon with a separate grounding lead you can plug into a standard 3-prong 110V outlet. Ideally have an electrician replace it, or add a “level 2” EV charger outlet to take advantage of a subsidy.
Depends on your budget and long term brewing plans. I was very happy with a MegaPot and DarkStar burner for many years. Then I got some Keggles and a second hand Edelmetal burner. Now I have a Ruby Street single tier gas setup. I plan on upgrading to electric this year.
If I was doing it again, I’d seriously consider going with a all-in one like the grainfather / brewzilla / etc.
The grainfather looks really nice. Hadn’t considered electric but that would be nice for winter months!
Latecomer to the conversation, but an electric all-in-one is a fantastic experience. I went a bit hog wild with the Spike Solo+, but the only thing I want to impress on you is that 220V makes a massive difference. Strike temp is quick, all the mash steps happen fast, boil is quick. With 120V, stick to the 5gal kettles or you’ll really be feeling some pain from exceptionally long brew days.
The American/US plug for 220 is a regular electric dryer outlet right?
Well, even that has to be complicated: there are two common standards for a 220V/30A (dryer) outlet. There’s an old NEMA 10-30 spec (3-prong) that you might have for a dryer outlet. The modern standard is NEMA 14-30 (4-prong). Everything likely comes with a modern NEMA 14-30 plug (mine did).
The 10-30 doesn’t provide a ground, so if you need to convert, there are some sketchy options on Amazon with a separate grounding lead you can plug into a standard 3-prong 110V outlet. Ideally have an electrician replace it, or add a “level 2” EV charger outlet to take advantage of a subsidy.
https://help.grainfather.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010859718-G30-220V-USA-or-Canada-Socket-Guide
This is great perspective and feedback. Thank you very much. 🙏