Brewed my second batch with the Brewers Edge Mash and Boil. I found the unit works just as I expected. I like to get everything setup the night before brewing and use the delay timing to have my water ready to go by morning. I was using a 5 gal cooler as a mash tun, so this makes keeping temperature of the mash much easier. I did find a little more variation at maintaining temperature of the mash. I bought the unit with the pump which I use for recirculating my water during mash. I did not like my conversion efficiency using the method in the instructions, so I ended up trying my old method of a separate sparge and collection. This brought my efficiency up from 55% to 75%. It's a little more work, it also allows me to remove sediment from the unit before boil. Boiling is so easy. Pretty much set to 218F and about 20 minutes later it reaches a nice rolling boil. Overall this unit has made brewing more fun and less work vs my old method of using a seperate mash and boil system.

My old system worked, but it was big, heavy, and slow. It involved hauling metal shelving out of the garage, firing up propane burners, and being subject to the elements. I made great beer on it, but brew day was a BIG deal, and I procrastinated my hobby. I hadn't brewed in almost 2 years. I looked at all the systems available in November of 2019. I considered my budget and my shrinking inclination to spend hours cleaning and disassembling/assembling complex machinery. For me, the BEM&B with pump fit my needs perfectly. I did NOT try out the other options. (I helped an acquaintance first use a Grainfather, which had a cracked seal. He has repaired it and is happy.) I'm not saying that you are an idiot if you get something else. I have brewed twice on it. The first brew was an extract/mini-mash batch, so I didn't get the benefit of recirculation. I was happy with brewing indoors on a windy gray day and everything worked fine. My second batch was an all-grain Two-Hearted Ale Clone. It took me about 5 1/2 hours from starting the strike water to pitching yeast, which is about what it used to take me on my old system. I could have shaved time if I had preset my strike water to be ready when I woke up, but I didn't want to commit. The process was great. The mash tube temp stayed steady. My mash was a bit compacted, so I had to throttle back the pump to keep it from running dry and the sparge was a bit slow. Next time I will add some rice hulls. It came in a bit under target gravity, but I eye-balled the volumes, and I wound up with more wort than expected. I blame my own sloppiness, not any inefficiency in the system. I am extremely pleased. It simplifies my brew day, and makes me MUCH more inclined to brew than when I had to wrestle with my 10 gallon outdoor behemoth. I appreciate increased safety, in that I'm not playing with propane or shifting 10 gallon pots of hot water around. I am infinitely more likely to keep my carboys full now that brewing is easy, indoors, and fun again. BEM&B does what it said it would do. I am sure that other systems do, as well, and by the time you are reading this there might be even more options. I cannot promise that this is the BEST system you can buy in 2020, but I can say that if you are contemplating getting this or any other similar system, do it. I'm a brewer again. Me, my family and friends are once again drinking great home-made beer.