First off let me say that I purchased two previous competitor's All-in-one Brew Systems and I had to return them after the second batch. The pumps failed on each. Then I bought this system and it was a world of difference. Everything worked exactly as planned and the Bluetooth connector means I don't have to worry much if I get distracted. So, this is exactly what I wanted. That being said, I did have trouble with it on one brew. That brew was on a really thick heavy Chocolate Milk Oatmeal Stout (Oatmeal in a grain bag). The brew was heavy with the Oatmeal but once you added in the lactic acid, it was especially thick. The pump stopped pumping and the heater kept turning off (due to overheating I am sure) and I kept resetting it. It was towards the end of the boil so I finished the brew in a kettle. The next brew I has was perfect again... So, keep that in mind.

The design is great... all except that the heater reset button is on the bottom of the kettle in the middle... Fired the person that decided on that location.

The system is easy to use. I greatly enjoyed using the Grainfather as well. I have been brewing for nearly 10 years and this unit is awesome ^_^ At least you can make recipes on their website and keep referring to your phone while brewing. I will also recommend watching the YouTube channel "David Heath Homebrew" to see if the Grainfather is for you. There are some tips and tricks to making your first brew day as simple as possible. I can see the integrated pump being a point of failure, even though mine worked perfectly, and I recommend the "Hop Spider with Adjustable Hook 6" x 14" sold here on Amazon. The hook fits perfectly onto your Grainfather and it catches nearly all the trub from the hop pellets clearing your beer and putting less strain on your pump. All and all, I am beyond satisfied with my Grainfather.

Caveat: The app is almost complete garbage.

Set it and forget it! Preparation and use leads to a very relaxed brew day. No more lifting heavy mash tuns. Cold breaks are a snap and transfers brainless. I'm older and a firm believer in doing 'smarter'. The GF Connect checks all the boxes!

Love it! I bought this because I moved into an apartment on the top floor. Can't use a propane burner on the patio above someone else's patio for sure. And no hose or any space for a mash tun. Or hot liquor tank for that matter. So for that reason alone this thing is amazing. I can brew right in the kitchen.

This little electric brew system is very well made. I've had no problems with it at all. No leaks no stuck pump or stopped up filter. Made 5 beers on it now and the improvement in clarity from the recirculating mash is fantastic. I'll be adding that to my big brew setup if I ever go back for sure. It's easy to use (aside from the occasional battle with the gaskets when trying to put the mash tun back together every brew day. Sometimes it goes in like a charm sometimes it takes 10-20 tries and beer break.) Heats water efficiently enough for me. Brew day with 2-3 mash steps and room temp water start takes me about 4 hours start to finish which ain't bad at all. (60 min boil.) the counter flow chiller works great. No leaks, quick and efficient. And comes with the adapter to use your sink faucet which is a huge bonus. Apartment brewer remember? I had to make one last time I was in an apartment.

Cleaning is the only hassle. It's a little difficult to lift this thing into the sink to wash because of the way it's built and weighted. The bottom is a lot heavier than the walls of the kettle so holding it by the handle to tip into the sink doesn't work very well. But it's doable and worth the trouble for the rest of it.

I can't say I'll never switch back to using a kettle and mash tun setup but if I do it won't be because of anything my grainfather did.

I had switched to All-Grain years ago and have had a variety of home-made systems, mash tuns, gravity systems.... I made the plunge almost two years ago and the Grainfather offers more precise control over brewing parameters, my efficiency has gone up, the footprint is smaller, the cleanup is easier, and I no longer worry about 3 propane burners firing with heavy water-filled pots 8 feet in the air while my daughters are running around. I also have 2 Grainfather conical fermenters and I love all of them. In addition to awesome design and functionality Grainfather customer service is top notch. My pump conked out and after a few questions and some photos of the pump, Grainfather sent a replacement ASAP, no charge.