I have just added a Grainfather GC2 chiller to my (ever increasing) kit list! This unit has been a bit of a game changer for me. They aren’t cheap, so I spent quite a bit of time thinking about it before taking the plunge. Mine came from the MaltMiller. Here’s the link.
My GC2 is connected to two GF30s. I use it to control the temperature accurately during fermentation and then cold crashing it at the end of the cycle. As I am unlikely to increase the number of GF30s that I am using, the GC2 was a perfect fit, i.e. no need to purchase the more expensive GC4 unit. It controls the temperature of the fermenters perfectly and it is great that this is done independently. Also the fact that the fermenters get their power from the GC2 means that I can do away with the transformer units which makes my overall setup simpler.
My GF30s have had about 150 brews through them between the two. I used to use a manual chiller to control the temperature, but this was always a bit “hit and miss” as sometimes I would forget I had turned the chiller on! The end result of using this method was that the fermentation temperature was often +/- 2-3C and varied throughout the fermentation. I have used the GC2 unit three times so far and the results have been absolutely spot on. The temperature is always kept +/- 0.2C throughout and I can get the fermenters down to around 5C at the end of the cycle. Since I can now reliably ferment at 12-15C, I now have the option to brew cold IPA and lagers.
The GC2 unit has enabled me to accurately control another one of the variables in the brewing process and do so with a lot of precision. The end result is that the beer has improved significantly. For me, it was a great decision to purchase one of these units!