Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take before I can drink the first beer?

For brewing you need a good half a day. Depending on the amount and recipe, fermentation lasts 3-5 days and maturing in bottles, Party kegs or KEGs (beverage containers) 2-5 weeks. That is when the beer can be tried.

Can I brew all types of beer that exist?

Yes, all types of beers can be brewed with the Braumeister: wheat beer, light, Maerzen, strong beer, Koelsch, pilsener and many more. Brewing success only depends on the recipe, the ingredients and the fermentation temperature. More information you can find here.

Can I manage it even as a beginner?

Yes. With the Braumeister being so easy to use, even beginners can brew their own good beer. A detailed brewing and instruction manual is included with the Braumeister. It also includes a quick start guide that takes you step by step through the brewing process. To make it easier for you, we offer packages with all the necessary raw materials for brewing. Likewise, all the necessary brewing accessories can be purchased in the Speidel Shop.

You should take a little more time with the first brews and make any preparations for the first batch one day beforehand at your own pace.

Can I really use different ingredients?

Of course you can! The great thing about the Braumeister is that you can try out all your ideas. As long as you don't turn the Braumeister into a chemistry set, you can give free rein to your creativity! We are looking forward to receiving your brewing recipes!
Many of our customers have produced very good beers with ingredients like chocolate, spices and fruits. We expressly encourage all home brewers not to stick to the tight rules of the German purity law. Freshness, quality as well as personal pleasure and taste are much more important.

What legal aspects do I need to consider?

Hobby brewers who make beer at home for their own consumption may produce up to 200 litres of beer per year tax-free. This beer may not be sold. The home brewer must notify this before starting brewing to the nearest Main Customs Office.

Where can I find the technical terms explained?

A glossary of many terms to do with brewing are listed here.

Is it possible to brew high gravity beer / how to proceed?

It is possible to brew strong beer as well.

Obviously you need to get stronger beer wort (more than 16 °P or 1068 SG). You could reach it by boiling down and reducing the liquid quantity.

To become higher gravity wort and still keep the full volume amount you’ll have to mash twice with the same wort. It will provide you up to 24 °P or 1.101 SG.

What is the maximum amount for malt?

To provide uniform circulation and washing out of the mash you don’t have to exceed following amount of the malt:

Braumeister 10 litre: maximal filling 2,8 kg
Braumeister 20 litre: maximal filling 6,0 kg (with LOB Set max. 7 kg)
Braumeister 50 litre: maximal filling 13,0 kg (with LOB Set max. 15 kg)
Braumeister 200 litre: maximal filling 45 kg
Braumeister 500 litre: maximal filling 120 kg

What is the right grinding size for the malt?

How fine you have to grind the malt, we show you on our site Tips and Tricks.

Is it possible to brew any desired quantity of beer?

Determined by system a certain minimum of water is needed for the brewing process. Ensure that the heating elements are always covered with the water while overflowing.

Min. quantity 20 litre Braumeister: 16 litre of beer
Min. quantity 50 litre Braumeister: 40 litre of beer

For both devices there is a shortened malt pipe which could be used to brew only a half or less than a half.

Do I need a thermo sleeve and what advantages could give me the stainless steel hood?

The thermo sleeve helps to save the energy and speed up the heating.In particular it could be used for brewing outside by cool temperatures and windy weather. Last but not least, thermo sleeve protects you skin from burning in case of dermal contact with the hot kettle.

The hood ensures more intensive boiling and makes possible the outlet of vapour of the hops outside. The 100 mm spiral hose suits for the opening of the hood.

A tip for users: The hood could be used as a hopper for filling malt into the malt pipe.

Does the pump work during the boiling and why there are pump breaks (pauses)?

To avoid the unnecessary damages through cavitation pump switches off at approx. 88 °C. By that moment the heat already ensure that there is a natural circulation of the wort.

The pump breaks are automatically programmed and appear with regular intervals each of one minute. This ensures the ideal washing out of the malt which is re-deposited after each pump break.

What is the minimum of beer you can brew in a Braumeister?

In our Braumeister everything happens in one container,

this is made possible by the malt pipe technology, which also eliminates the need for an stirring device.

This is because the water will be sucked from the outside of the malt pipe and

then pumped up through the roughly ground malt (1.6 mm) inside the malt pipe.

There, the water overflows and the worth slides back down the outside of the malt pipe.

If there is now only half as much water in the Braumeister, it physically

cannot overflow. Therefore, we have for our 20L and 50L Braumeister

a short malt pipe in the sortiment to brew half as much - so 10L or 25L,

for the brewers who first want to make a test brew to refine their delicious beer.

To brew a minimum amount in the Braumeister without short malt pipe it would be to note,

that here the worth in the malt pipe can still overflow and that with the overflow also still

the heating coils are always covered with worth. This varies of course with different malt and

malt quantity and would then have to be tested out yourself.

Also, the amount of beer can still be pushed down a bit during hop boiling,

depending on how long you let your worth boil.

Does Braumeister 10l, 20l and 50l work in the U.S.A./with 60 Hz?

Yes, Braumeister and the pumps are designed to run properly with U.S. electricity/with 60 Hz. The electricity network disposes of minimum 220 V extension cord (2 phases). Most of the house in the US has such a wiring at one socket.