OnTap Magazine

TECH TALK GEAR REVIEWS HOMEBREW ALL IN ONE SYSTEMS CRAIG CLAASSEN S40 G40 W hen you begin as a homebrewer, there seems to be a mountain to climb to get started. These challenges revolve around the basics of how you drain water through a bed of grains during the mash process and then how do you boil it and remove the hop additions from the wort that makes it to the fermenter. Not to mention the cooling of the wort, so that you can then transfer it to your fermenter and pitch the yeast. It is no surprise then, that the modern homebrewer has started turning to some all-in-one brewing machines that simplify the process from start to finish. More importantly, it takes the stress out of buying loose components and makes it all about the beer. I had the privilege to try 2 very cool machines by Grainfather. It is by no means the only machine on the market, and we will be covering other machine in upcoming issues. What I tried to cover is their budget level system versus their more advanced system and look at how they differ. GRAINFATHER S40 Everything about this machine is exciting. The stainless-steel basket is a tidy purpose- built component, the quality of the fittings and the layout of the buttons and switches are well designed. The control panel is more basic compared to their G-range, but it is more than adequate to get the brew day programmed and running smoothly. With the display being positioned at the top of the machine, it's easy to view and use. The recirculation arm and wort sprayer attachment is easy to assemble and creates 40 | Autumn 2023 | ontapmag.co.za