After thorough research, I decided to bite the bullet and get myself a Braumeister. No, I’m not rich and I don’t take such purchases lightly. In this case, it was partly justified by my upcoming 40th birthday. I call it my Midlife Crisis Kettle.
Other factors in my decision:
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I needed new equipment anyway. I’ve been brewing with an electric kettle that became unreliable.
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My back. Any new setup would have to minimize lifting. The costs are rising.
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This thread: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/speidel-braumeister-brewmaster-229225/
I read through the whole dang thing. One reoccurring comment among long-time brewers is, “I wish I would’ve bought one sooner.”
One complaint is often that one is limited to low-ish gravity beers. Those complainers are just not being creative. I could still do a traditional mash with my old gear and use the kettle just for the boil. Or I could do a double mash (mash, remove grains, mash again with wort and new grains). Anyway, I decided that it’s not important to me since I’ve only done one “big” beer in the last 7 years.
I also received some financial aid, which helped. I was generously given a loan which I may be able to pay back in liquid.
So, happy birthday to me!! I’ll be brewing my first batch this weekend.
