NOTE: Many people say they have mashed with 20+ lb of grain in this system at a time. The 18 lb figure I quoted was the personal max I've mashed in with on this system, and I will note I used the same amount of water that I would normally use on a 12 lb grain bill. If you want to use less water and a thicker mash, you will easily get 22 lb into this system.
Me and a good friend recently started homebrewing and he just pulled the trigger on this system, so I'm excited to use it and maybe eventually get one for myself when I have the space! The biggest selling point for me is the modularity. The shipping time was great as well! We live in midwestern Canada and I believe it only took about 5-6 business days to come in, which is super fast for anything coming from the US.
I've always thought this would be a solid system. It's rad that there's a whole network of content creators that are using it and supporting the community. And I'm glad to hear that they're supporting your efforts to create these videos too! Well deserved!
I started with the 120v element and controller. As great as it was I decided to go 240v. I do live in an apartment as well, so to get 240v I use a 50ft 10G homemade extension cord with 14-30 Plug and recepticle. It coils up nicely into a 5 gallon home depot bucket that I keep the other cords and pumps in after use, and stretches from my laundry room to the patio. I do lose about 250-300w due to the length of the cord, but after a year of use, the element shows no issues and brew days are signifantly shorter with 240v.
I've got to admit this looks like a really good system. 9kg for a max mash seems more than enough realistically unless you're going for a very heavy Quad/RIS, but even that can be done in 2 mashes. The modularity seems to be such a plus point in that its easy to swap out if needed! I really like the impartiality you give. Shame they don't have these across in the UK!
I've been using this system for two years now, love every brew I make. Brew day is easy, and clean up is just as easy vs. the conventional three vessel system. I brew in the kitchen and have no issues with steam, even in the winter when the house is closed up. I believe I have mentioned to you to get this system when you were still brewing on the stovetop. Cheers
I’ve been stubbornly brewing on a tiered cooler and propane setup for too long now. I have finally caved to the idea of BIAB for its simplicity. I think I’m going to go with the 20 gal clawhammer. Biggest selling points for me are modularity and the fact that it is used by so many brewtubers that I watch. Should make it easy to duplicate recipes and also learn some valuable tips.
Hello from Tasmania Australia, still cold here even though it is mid spring, These all in one brewing systems are great, I used to watch a bloke on RU-vid who is American and lives in Norway who no longer brews, he built a 3 pot herms system with some fuse box on the wall with switches and temperature read outs and 3 pumps with hoses going everywhere, a brew day would consist of un plugging hoses and putting them into other connections, it looked like a nightmare to brew with and it costed him around $3000, yet there are still people out there who think they can brew a better beer with these systems
Thanks for watching! I really do enjoy the convenience this offers over my older DIY system - a lot fewer moving parts and a bit more consistency and stability. Worth it in my opinion
Great video, also been using this system for around 2 years now. Been holding up great, one comment on sanitizing the pump/lines/chiller. I found when sending the wort through that equipment my temperature would drop a decent amount, enough to stop the boil entirely. After reading alot about sanitizing with boiling liquid some places say it needs 5 minutes of contact, some sites say it will kill anything on direct impact (as long as boiling). Now I start sanitizing when im almost done with the boil that way im not messing around with hop utilization.
Thanks for watching! Yeah I have that happen as well, drops it down to about 205 for me. I haven't worried too much about it since it drops utilization by maybe 5%, but I probably don't need to let it sit there for a full 15 minutes. Cheers!
I had a comment written out about their customer service as their best feature - thank you for mentioning it! Had this for years and love it. As for the small hop spider... just used the grain basket after a rinse.
The one con I've come across (in addition to some of those you already pointed out here) is that there is no timer function in the PID controller. There is an alarm function you can use but that is tied to your set temperature. So, in the case of step-meshing, you need to have another way to keep track of the time for each step. Not all that significant of an issue really, unless you do allot of step mashing. I know there are other controllers on the market that do have integrated timers which makes this process a little more straightforward. Thanks again for an unbiased review!
I use the standard 3 tier system. HLT, mash tun, boil kettle. I like it I think my efficiency is probably better than an all in one system, however it does take up more space and it is quite labor intensive compared to an all in one. A lot of heavy lifting and moving stuff. I am a LOT older than you (LOL) and have considered a Clawhammer. Thanks for the honest review it was very helpful.
Me too..pushing 60..but my post above describes my 220 v system all in my kitchen. I’m leaning towards “using what I have,” but..all these systems are very glitzy and attractive looking..
Great video. One small change that I think would be a great upgrade to the system is a whirlpool inlet/valve. I personally wouldn’t want a plate chiller, so I would want the option to not buy that or swap it with a CFC. Also not a fan of the sprayer in the lid. But overall great system at a competitive price. You can’t stress the importance of modularity and industry standard components. If you want to use camlocks with this system it’s an easy swap, while some other systems it’s a bit of an ordeal.
I agree, that would be really nice to have another port. I usually whirlpool by just clamping the hose to the edge, but it would add extra functionality. A counterflow chiller would be cool as well but I think those can exceed the price of a plate chiller. Although if you already have one its easy to hook up! Thanks for watching!
i have had the 20 gallon breweasy for about 2 years i like it but its kinda clunky to use its great when i need to brew 10 gallons of beer at one time not so at 5 gallons or less... after watching your channel for awhile from the stove top to the clawhammer... i got the 10 gallon 240 about 6 weeks ago i have brewed 3 of your beers on it... incredibly easy to use... all the beers turned out great... thanks for everything you do!!!!
Great review. I use the 110 volt clawhammer system. I have been using it for about 7 months and love it. You hit all the key good and bad. Great honest review.
Thank you for the informative video. It's been two years or so since you published this video, you made some suggestions about some improvements you would like to see, and I was wondering if any of them were made? Cheers
I set up the 120v system the night before, and set the PID to mash temp before going to bed. By the time you wake up the next morning for brew day, your system is at strike temp.
That's a great idea. I know Martin at the Homebrew Challenge was also pioneering the idea of doing a full overnight mash. Have you done something like that before?
I like my 220 system heats so fast , hard to keep the boil loss down with 5 gallon batches even at 35 %, works better for 15 gallon mash but excellent system agreed, Have a spike system with the steam condenser for the boil and going to use the claw hammer for mash, since winter is coming inside brewing, great videos and information Steve,Thank you
Wow, that's an awesome setup! Steam condenser is a game changer for inside brewing - definitely would make things easier, especially for 220/240V. Thank you for watching!
at that price point, I think there are too many con's. I do think the modularity is a bonus if you are already a moderately seasoned brewer, but if you are a total beginner, it could easily be seen as a con, as it will seem a bit cumbersome. I am about 25 brews in the same time(1 year) into my Grainfather. for the exact same price I got 240v(this might be becuase I am in the UK and that's the standard household voltage here)system. Better grainbasket(solid malt pipe with only a perforated bottom. this slows the drain/sparge and increases efficiency. The drawback is the assembly of the grain basket is a bit fiddly until you learn how to work with it. coming apart the way it does is a huge plus for clean up!) and the top assembly mesh with center overflow is bang on easy to use. I have never once got channeling or a stuck mash/sparge. better clasp system for holding it out of the kettle like you said as well. Now, for a negative, I would say the software for the grainfather can be a bit iffy. I think this comes down to how some recipes are programmed though. So beginners might blame the system, when it's whomever wrote the recipe in grainfather or brewfather did not do it correctly. this usually shows up in heating steps where it will get right up to the set temp, but then not go past it to trigger the move to the next stage. It's an easy fix(manually up the temp 4-5º then when it hits the temp you want, turn it back down and it goes to the next step) but still not ideal. another downside to the design of the grainfather is the proprietarty fittings for the recirc/cooling. it's kind of finicky as well as doesn't allow for much adaption of different chillers without hunting down the proper fittings to make the conversion. All in all, for the same price, I still think I would go with the Grainfather again, even after I know what I know. 95% of the time it works flawlessly, is inuitive(and has a dummy proof step by step guide when you aren't sure), and cleans up effortlessly. It would be hard to convince me that something is better for the same price.
Good honest points here. Like I mentioned, it's all about what makes the most sense for you as an individual brewer. Grainfather is a good fit for a lot of people as well, but for me the replaceable parts are what would still tip me toward the Clawhammer. Thanks for watching!
Steve! awesome video. If budget and space weren't an issue, would you stick to a single vessel system or would you prefer a herms system like the spike trio? Can this produce just as good of a beer?
Glad you enjoyed it! I certainly think this is capable of making just as good of beer if not better than a 3 vessel system, but its all about how much control you want over your brewing process, and how much you can tolerate cleaning!
Good review and detailed pros and cons. I just pulled the trigger on upgrading to an electric system. I went the diy route. For less then the cost of the 120v Clawhammer I'm going to have a 15gal 240v system. Went diy route mainly due to what you refer to as modularity. Only downside is it's not plug and play so I have to do more assembly.
@@JoeGraves24 I have a 15gal Bayou Classic kettle. I will be drilling a hole in it to add a 5500w element. I bought a weldless element kit from BrewHardware. For a controller I ordered a Worthog EBC-130 from High Gravity Brewing (check out Basic Brewing, they use this system). I also splurged and picked up a riptide pump, silicone tubing, and quick disconnects for recirculating.
@@JoeGraves24 I'll be sticking with a bag. With the new system I'll be brewing in the garage and plan to install a pulley to lift and hold the bag. My kettle also came with a false bottom that will keep the bag from scorching on the element.
That's awesome. My old system was a similarly designed DIY and it was really nice to have something that I built myself. Glad you were able to save some money!
Agree with your Pros/Cons - especially the cons. The basket design and supports made the CH system second in my evaluation - behind the Unibrau which I eventually chose and have been using for about 15 months now. I brew on a counter top and stove top in my kitchen - so manipulating the hooks while lifting the basket was a pretty big deal for me. Brewing at a lower height would probably make this less of an issue - as you described.
Thanks for watching! I usually don't sparge, although it's entirely possible to do so and you would see greater efficiency if you did. With the 120V system I'll generally only boil off about 1/2 a gallon over 60 min
I’ve been eyeing this system for quite some time now and am basically ready to pull the trigger when I get the funds saved away. One question though: in your eyes, would brewing smaller batches help with the boil vigor? I tend to shoot for 2.5 gallon batches, so my thought is that I would be able to get a stronger boil than when the system is used for 5 gallons.
It's well worth it in my opinion (as you can tell from the video). Unfortunately I have not yet done a half batch on the system but it would be a really good thing to try out - I'll put it on my list. I think you would see a slightly more vigorous boil though, there is less thermal mass to heat up so it might have that effect. Like I said though, if you can add a heat source from the bottom like a stove in addition to the electric element, you'll have a great boil!
How small a batch is practical do you think? Allowing for the space below the basket you would obviously need to get the water level high enough to dough in at a reasonable ratio. Do you always do no sparge, that must make quite a difference to how small a batch you can make for the above reason?
Smallest I'd go is 2.5 gallons into the fermenter, gives you about 3.5 gal of strike water. I've pretty much always done no sparge unless l'm brewing something with am enormous grain bill
The GF quarter turn system has its own issues. I’ve had it pinch and then fall through the tension ring while trying to fix a stuck sparge. I still find dried wort around my garage from that. I really wish the GF had a different system that was more sturdy.
Great video! Have you (or anyone else here) had any experience brewing small batches on the Clawhammer? We're moving out our home to an apartment for next few years and I'm downsizing / re-investing into my brewing setup. Just for space concerns, I'm looking to brew 2 gallon batches.
I've been using this for years and absolutely love it. I make big stouts and have easily done double mashes. However, to your point, it's hard to boil for gravity points. I've wondered... Is it safe for the element wiring to use gas on the bottom without damaging it?
As long as you're not putting flame directly on the tri clamp coupler I don't see why it would damage it. I'm glad your experience has been as good as mine!
I have done it multiple times to shorten my brew day and also when my controller failed. I just position the flame to the edge of the kettle away from all the components.
At this point, hot side oxidation has pretty much been deemed a myth - at least at the homebrew scale. From my personal experience I've made several hazy IPAs and pale ales with this system and never had a problem with oxidation from it.
Curious - for larger grain bills, lets say 14 pounds-- do you ever lift it up on the hooks and sparge through the lid sprayer? My OG bit shy on a batch the other day and wondered if perhaps the grain didn't get rinsed enough..
I have found that the internal mash temp lags well behind the probe temp shown on the computer. Set to 152 and you could easily be at 145 unless you stir a lot. Mashout temp reads 168 when you're still at 159 in the mash. Hasn't caused me real problems but I always think about it and stir more.
@@TheApartmentBrewer The probe is near the heating element so it only made sense to me that a thermal mass like a bunch of soaked grain would take a little longer than the wort near the element. I have a thermoworks waterproof probe that I drop in the middle of the basket. For recirc I have the out-of-the-box system and always use rice halls in the mash.
@@TheApartmentBrewer I use the exact same 120v clawhammer so not sure if the thermowell is moddable? I mainly worry about mashout where I suspect the water temp reaches 168 a lot earlier than the internal mash, though I don't always check. Would love to know if you probe the center of the mash at mashout or if you'd be curious to?
Great question, you don't need to sparge with BIAB, but it is still possible to do so. Typically I don't, but I will increase the volume of mash water used instead
It's a nice system but out of my reach, I wish it was priced more along the lines of the Anvil Foundry as that's about all I could afford. Maybe one day!
@@codebowl Dude, I had zero experience with filming when I started, and you don't have to be a brewing guru to make youtube videos, a lot of people want to just watch people make beer. Don't be afraid to give it a try!
I was looking at the Clawhammer system. The system looks easy to use and clean. (I’m debating building my own system to save money.) do you think the 120V system would work well with 3 gallon batches? (That’s the size I brew and I’m worried about the lack of power. 240V system is a little pricey.)
It will make 2-3 gallon batches with no problems. I think the boil may be marginally stronger with a lower volume most likely, but if you really want a ridiculous boil you'll need 240 or another heat source
@@TheApartmentBrewer - Thanks for the reply. Can you modulate/reduce the power to the heat source so that it wouldn’t boil as hard if you had a 240 V system?
TC is undoubtedly more sanitary and easier to find special-purpose fittings for, but it's also definitely more expensive. Plus you don't need to thread tape every fitting. Worth it in the long run in my opinion though!
Sadly, "This system is designed for North American Power and will not work outside North America." I'm waiting for them to become available in Europe ^^
Love there System. But too much money. Married with CATS. Nobody will give my one. They need to have GIVEAWAY and let me WIN. LOL. #STAYSAFE #PHILLYPHILLY 🇺🇸
Holding a glass of beer while talking. Why? No, it doesn't make you look cool, it's actually annoying. If you were really were drinking it off camera, why hold it.
I just picked up the 220v 20 gallon set up , what are the benefits of the sight glass , when in the brew process do you use it , TIA , do you have a better video of in your library….
@@chuckbeer728 congrats on the system, you will love it! The sight glass I really find very useful during two stages of the brew day - the mash and transfer to fermenter. During the mash it helps me see the true color of the wort plus I can see when my wort is running clear and during the transfer it's useful to make sure no large clumps of things are running through the lines potentially to get stuck in the pump or chiller
