Mash and Boil Homebrew Equipment Review

Another great find Mike made, he picked up this Mash and Boil 120V (w/o pump) from a homebrewer who decided to get out of the hobby.

Although Mike really loves the device, there have been a few hiccups. The two main problems are getting the mash heated thoroughly, and the slow draining when the mash is over.

Slow draining – Using a grain bag in the malt pipe made all the difference. The wort flows out very quickly, it was really like night and day. Some people recommended using rice hulls, but Mike didn’t want to have to buy rice hulls every time he brewed. If you’re going to use a pump then I would absolutely suggest it, so you can pump liquid faster.

Consistent temperature throughout the entire mash – Mike started out transferring liquid using a container, but wasn’t really happy with this method. After picking up a MK II pump, that problem has gone away. If a pump isn’t in your future, using the grain bag mentioned above may help with this issue as well.

The weak boil might be considered a problem, and it’s probably only a factor on the 120V model, but realistically, Mike hasn’t had any issues with DMS, although he always boils 90m when using pilsner.

A couple of positive points, other than it being an all in one and that it takes up very little space when compared with a standard brewing setup, is that it can be set with a delay, so for example if you want to prep it when you go to bed and set the time to turn it on with a delay that ensures it’s ready to go when you wake up. Mike uses this a lot if he’s planning on brewing after work.

Of course, it’s also really nice that you don’t have to watch it when heating up strike or sparge water, no worries about overshooting your temperature.

All is all, it was a good purchase. If he ever gets 220V in his garage, Mike will probably make the purchase of a new all in one.