Choosing a droid over other homebrew methods

[Sam Armstrong]

Dear Brewartists,

I am new (not even started actually) to homebrewing. Just had a few questions to pose to any helpful soul about choosing the right option before I get started. I ask as I am unsure on 3 options...

Not sure whether to go the droid, the basic coopers craft beer kit, or the fresh wort with fermentor route????

Obviously I would be a novice, but how achievable is it with the beerdroid using brewart (or other manufacturer) ingredients to achieve good floral/fruity/hoppy beers? 

Local homebrew store recommends the wort route to produce better craft-style tasting beer than a basic starter kit, but then my issue is having to temp control (? buy a fridge), keg roughly 20L and then store keg. Space would be an issue, so the fact I'm not smashing through beers too much means I couldn't have multiple kegs around the house.

Any comments or thoughts greatly appreciated

Cheers, 

Sam

 

 

[Captain 3 Droids]

Hi Sam and welcome to the forum. I’ve been brewing for a long time now and have been down the bottling route and now keg. I start with 23l batches of extract (kit and kilo) in the plastic fermenters and found fermentation temperature control a real battle particularly in Adelaide’ s very hot summers. In addition I wasn’t able to brew lagers as temperature control of 10 to 12C was not achievable without a fermentation fridge.

All grain brewing is time consuming and can be very messy even with the BIAB (brew in a bag method) and considerable storage require for equipment, grains ect.

Buying  pre prepared all grain wort can provide high quality beers however fermentation temperature control again becomes an issue and in some ways you have reduced input in the making of the beer thus less bragging rights and brewer satisfaction. Your local homebrew store will rightly recommend this as they sell it, not Droids.

Now the BrewArt Droid is just brilliant and many many comments on this forum support that. It is so easy to use, clean and the temperature control modes and brewing programs allow for any style of brew. Top grade lagers and craft style beers are easily achievable. In addition you can use not only BrewArt ingredients but any wort, purchased, made yourself ect. And brewing experimentation is such a breeze.

In addition BrewArt is supported by the worlds leading home brew supplier, internationally respected brewer and best after sales service about (IMO) - Coopers Australia. You can bottle from the Droid or keg.

Hope this has helped and don’t hesitate to ask further. Are you in Australia and what style of beer to you mostly enjoy?

5 hours ago, Sam Armstrong said:

Dear Brewartists,

I am new (not even started actually) to homebrewing. Just had a few questions to pose to any helpful soul about choosing the right option before I get started. I ask as I am unsure on 3 options...

Not sure whether to go the droid, the basic coopers craft beer kit, or the fresh wort with fermentor route????

Obviously I would be a novice, but how achievable is it with the beerdroid using brewart (or other manufacturer) ingredients to achieve good floral/fruity/hoppy beers? 

Local homebrew store recommends the wort route to produce better craft-style tasting beer than a basic starter kit, but then my issue is having to temp control (? buy a fridge), keg roughly 20L and then store keg. Space would be an issue, so the fact I'm not smashing through beers too much means I couldn't have multiple kegs around the house.

Any comments or thoughts greatly appreciated

Cheers, 

Sam

 

[Sam Armstrong]

Thanks for the quick reply Captain, much appreciated. I'm definitely more inclined to get a droid! Again, more so for temp control and not having to brew too much volume.  I'm in Perth, so hot summers and cold winter nights (cold days recently for us, i used my son's baby monitor to see room temp in garage, and it was 15-16 degrees in the peak of the day), which in my limited knowledge would mean it is harder to brew my favourite IPA/fruity styles without good temp control (?) which of course the beerdroid has!

Thanks again

[Captain 3 Droids]

1 minute ago, Sam Armstrong said:

Thanks for the quick reply Captain, much appreciated. I'm definitely more inclined to get a droid! Again, more so for temp control and not having to brew too much volume.  I'm in Perth, so hot summers and cold winter nights (cold days recently for us, i used my son's baby monitor to see room temp in garage, and it was 15-16 degrees in the peak of the day), which in my limited knowledge would mean it is harder to brew my favourite IPA/fruity styles without good temp control (?) which of course the beerdroid has!

Thanks again

Honestly you won’t regret a Droid and BrewArt offer discounts every now and again. Perth similar to Adelaide with heat waves ect and the droid will control lager temps at 12C for example with ease.

[Eltham Brauhaus]

10 hours ago, Sam Armstrong said:

Dear Brewartists,

I am new (not even started actually) to homebrewing. Just had a few questions to pose to any helpful soul about choosing the right option before I get started. I ask as I am unsure on 3 options...

Not sure whether to go the droid, the basic coopers craft beer kit, or the fresh wort with fermentor route????

Obviously I would be a novice, but how achievable is it with the beerdroid using brewart (or other manufacturer) ingredients to achieve good floral/fruity/hoppy beers? 

Local homebrew store recommends the wort route to produce better craft-style tasting beer than a basic starter kit, but then my issue is having to temp control (? buy a fridge), keg roughly 20L and then store keg. Space would be an issue, so the fact I'm not smashing through beers too much means I couldn't have multiple kegs around the house.

Any comments or thoughts greatly appreciated

Cheers, 

Sam

 

 

Hi Sam, I bought my Droid in Jan this year having never home brewed by any method. I have punched out 16 different quality brews since so I would definitely recommend the Droid. There is a small learning curve as with anything new but the support from Brewart and this forum is first class. You will not regret it. I particularly like the ability to buy the separate ingredients rather than complete Brewprints, big cost savings.

 

[J P]

Sam, I'll save you the trouble.

You HAVE to buy a droid to boost our Sandgroper numbers on this forum.  that is reason alone.  I live down south and find the same struggles with temp control NOT using the droid.  I've never used a brewzilla or made my own wort, and frankly, while I LOVE the idea of it, there are only so many hours in the day to dedicate to hobby.  I'll never regret the droid, in fact have quickly escalated to 3 droids (likely soon to back down to TWO)  I found a single droid just wasn't enough to keep up with consumption if you want to have mates around for a session.

Have quickly grown a reputation for brewing extremely good beer.  "Holy S%$&T, you MADE THIS?" Is often heard around my house (and not just by me) If you love the hoppy crafty stuff like I do, I've found that I can replicate very nearly the fancy $28 / can stuff you can buy at the boutique spots by playing with brew prints, other brew kits, and hops.   

I can't imagine you'd be disappointed.   Are they pricey? yeah I suppose but the convenience, temperature control, flexibility, and app updates make the whole thing fun, convenient, and frankly will bring you to the point where you'd rather drink your own than purchase outside or go to a pub.

Not to mention this forum and the awesome Brewartist banter.

Lastly the company has a rare (nowadays) approach to standing by the product and offer customer service and support second to none.

 

Disclaimer:  I have no stock shares or financial disclosures   😉

[Eltham Brauhaus]

36 minutes ago, J P said:

Sam, I'll save you the trouble.

You HAVE to buy a droid to boost our Sandgroper numbers on this forum.  that is reason alone.  I live down south and find the same struggles with temp control NOT using the droid.  I've never used a brewzilla or made my own wort, and frankly, while I LOVE the idea of it, there are only so many hours in the day to dedicate to hobby.  I'll never regret the droid, in fact have quickly escalated to 3 droids (likely soon to back down to TWO)  I found a single droid just wasn't enough to keep up with consumption if you want to have mates around for a session.

Have quickly grown a reputation for brewing extremely good beer.  "Holy S%$&T, you MADE THIS?" Is often heard around my house (and not just by me) If you love the hoppy crafty stuff like I do, I've found that I can replicate very nearly the fancy $28 / can stuff you can buy at the boutique spots by playing with brew prints, other brew kits, and hops.   

I can't imagine you'd be disappointed.   Are they pricey? yeah I suppose but the convenience, temperature control, flexibility, and app updates make the whole thing fun, convenient, and frankly will bring you to the point where you'd rather drink your own than purchase outside or go to a pub.

Not to mention this forum and the awesome Brewartist banter.

Lastly the company has a rare (nowadays) approach to standing by the product and offer customer service and support second to none.

 

Disclaimer:  I have no stock shares or financial disclosures   😉

Depending on your consumption, the payback period on the Droid can less than 12 months which is extremely good. There are enormous savings to be had making your favourite brew in the Droid compared to buying at Dan’s or any other retail outlet so I think it’s a pretty old investment.

[Sam Armstrong]

Artists, thanks for all your responses, you've sold me!

[Dustin Frothman]

5 hours ago, Sam Armstrong said:

Artists, thanks for all your responses, you've sold me!

Get one Sam you won’t be disappointed. You will make really high quality beer and very simply if you take your time with the process and be patient with your creations so that you enjoy them at their best.

Good beer is relatively simple to make and good beer takes time. 

Cheers!

[Rob Courtney]

On 07/07/2021 at 12:06 AM, Sam Armstrong said:

Dear Brewartists,

I am new (not even started actually) to homebrewing. Just had a few questions to pose to any helpful soul about choosing the right option before I get started. I ask as I am unsure on 3 options...

Not sure whether to go the droid, the basic coopers craft beer kit, or the fresh wort with fermentor route????

Obviously I would be a novice, but how achievable is it with the beerdroid using brewart (or other manufacturer) ingredients to achieve good floral/fruity/hoppy beers? 

Local homebrew store recommends the wort route to produce better craft-style tasting beer than a basic starter kit, but then my issue is having to temp control (? buy a fridge), keg roughly 20L and then store keg. Space would be an issue, so the fact I'm not smashing through beers too much means I couldn't have multiple kegs around the house.

Any comments or thoughts greatly appreciated

Cheers, 

Sam

 

 

 

Sam, I would offer a different opinion tha  the rest and say you should get a Droid.

 

Wait, that's what everyone else said too...anyways, get a Droid

[Dustin Frothman]

I posted this in another thread under the Brewart Banter topic listing. 

Here's my thoughts after just over a year with this system:

I hope this helps some new, current or prospective brewers.

13 months into the Brewart journey for me. I picked this system based on discussions I'd had with a mate that works in Dubai. I was due to move there for work too and wanted something that would function in an apartment/townhouse setting and could be controlled remotely. The quality, ease of shipping and storage of the kit ingredients and possibilities for experimentation with recipes was appealing. The Coopers brand reputation a big consideration too.

So whilst the work move didn't proceed as planned I'm very glad I decided to give the system a go.

I'm up to 30 brews so far which is about one a fortnight. Less than I'd hoped but an interstate move, retraining at work, a house purchase and a local move thrown in mean that at times it's been tricky to maintain the rage.

It's BeerDroid and BrewFLo for me. I have the bottling kit and use the PET bottles for any overflow. I've recently collected 12 Coopers long necks that I may bottle and crown seal a few "keepers" with in future but I'm not much of a bottling fan and prefer beer on draught.

I've discovered a lot along the way. This forum has been invaluable. The Facebook site somewhat too but I'm not a fan of the platform. A big thanks to the regular and knowledgeable members here who provide so much considered and unbiased information.

Some notable things from my journey:

• 2 BeerDroids are a must if you like to drink a few beers each week, want to enjoy your brews at their peak and are looking to your brewing as an alternative to purchasing beers. Of course you can manage just fine with one BeerDroid but you need to set your expectations accordingly or just drink less. 
• Most brews need between 4 and 8 weeks conditioning time and some 12+ Drink some recipes too early and you may be disappointed.
• Read the manuals. Watch all of the Brewart 101 videos and then watch them again.
• The kegging and dispensing system is great but has some flaws like anything with a few variables. Some of these issues are design/quality control related and are being addressed and some are just a steepish learning curve. Stick with it and you will be rewarded. Other home brewers have issues with their full size kegerators but ultimately you can't put a kegerator on the kitchen bench and back in the cupboard when you're done nor can you duck out for beer gas at 9pm on a Saturday night when you inevitably run out mid session.
• If you're using the BrewFlo then let your completed brew sit in the BeerDroid at kegging temperature for an extra 48 hours once it notifies you that it's complete. This seems to stop the dreaded "foamy BrewFlo pours" issue that is often reported.
• If you're the organised type then try the "Shemsheet" Microsoft Excel file to assist you with your ordering. You'll even save a few dollars along the way and the planet from some excess packaging. You might discover some fun experiments to be had in there too that will expand your brewing repetoire.
• Try things. You will make mistakes and some brews won't turn out as you hoped. That's life. This is not a Nespresso machine. That said, if you're drinking Nespresso "coffee" please report to your nearest Vet to be put down ... you animal. 🤢 
• Share your successes and your failures. Try to keep the negative stuff in proportion or at least attempt to offer a solution. You have no idea who is listening/reading and the influence you might have.
• Brewart Support are your friends. I cannot stress this enough. They want to see you succeed with this thing. Ring them, email them, message them on here, FaceBook message them, send them a postcard and some freshly baked cookies. No don't do that. Just make contact. You will be surprised at their willingness and generosity in sorting out all and any issues you may encounter. They back their product completely. This is this system's best and most valuable attribute.
• Try the Search Function on here. Whilst there are no stupid questions, most problems have already been experienced and many have been solved. There is a wealth of information on here and you may be able to get an instant answer to your query and save some late night or time zone induced frustration.
• Lastly, be patient. If anything, my journey back to home brewing has reminded me that good beer takes time but it's nearly always worth the wait.

Thanks for a brilliant product Brewart/Coopers. You've got me hooked.

Happy brewing everyone!

[Sam Armstrong]

Dustin what an awesome post! Thank you. Unfortunately I can't get one yet because of micro chip shortage!!! I have regularly checked gumtree but none going in WA. I've also thought despite the outlay, a new one would have reliable warranty plus updated firmware?

Liam from brewart unfortunately wasn't able to give a timeframe for production, so I'll have to just wait sadly

 

 

[Dustin Frothman]

6 minutes ago, Sam Armstrong said:

Dustin what an awesome post! Thank you. Unfortunately I can't get one yet because of micro chip shortage!!! I have regularly checked gumtree but none going in WA. I've also thought despite the outlay, a new one would have reliable warranty plus updated firmware?

Liam from brewart unfortunately wasn't able to give a timeframe for production, so I'll have to just wait sadly

 

 

Hey Sam,

I was in a similar position early this year when I bought my second BeerDroid and ended up buying one from Kalgoorlie (I'm in Adelaide) that was brand new in the box and had been sitting a few years. The shipping cost was a bit rough but it still came in at less than 3/4 of the price of a new one. I think the week I received it the new shipment of Droids arrived ... and then sold out almost immediately.

Yes you get the warranty with a new unit, and I should be supporting you buying new because that's dollars to our sponsors, but I think in the current climate even Liam would agree that if you can pick one up secondhand in as new or good condition then it's understandable. I'm sure from Brewart/Coopers' perspective it's better to get you in the door, brewing and buying ingredients with a secondhand unit than have you sitting on the sidelines losing interest.

Liam in his usual generous capacity even replaced my brand new but old design tap and bung for the new improved assembly at no cost to me.

So if you can find one on Gumtree / Ebay / Facebook Marketplace / Unofficial Facebook Brewart page then perhaps go for it. 

Just be careful to check that the tap spigot; the black pipe that connects the tap assembly to the BeerDroid body, does not have any hairline cracks. Unfortunately this is a non-replaceable injection moulded part and your Droid will leak from here if it's compromised.

The firmware update you can easily do yourself via the app. If it's an older model the digital display panel may be missing a couple of extra lines but the information is just presented differently. You'll have everything you need.

Good luck and please let us know how you go.