Clawhammer vs Unibräu

Both are electric single-vessel systems: you mash in a basket, lift it, and boil in the same kettle, on 120V or 240V. The Clawhammer costs less and includes a plate chiller. The Unibräu is built heavier, with a slotted stainless-sheet basket, a Tri-Clad kettle, tri-clamp fittings throughout, and it is backed for twice as long.

At a glance

Clawhammer prices, inclusions and specs as listed on clawhammersupply.com on October 7, 2026. Clawhammer prices are its US-dollar list prices. Bräu Supply prices show in your currency.

The grain basket

This is the part you handle every brew day, full of hot, wet grain. The Unibräu basket is stainless sheet with laser-cut slots in the walls. The 10 gallon sits on a perforated stainless plate; the 20 and 30 gallon are 1.2 mm sheet on a 2 mm false bottom with laser-cut slots. There is no screen to stretch, snag or pull away from a frame, and it scrubs clean like the kettle.

Clawhammer describes its basket as “100% mesh”: fine stainless screen held on a frame of rings and straps. Mesh drains well. A replacement basket lists at US$279 (10 gal) or US$299 (20 gal). See Clawhammer’s basket.

Owners have posted about the mesh pulling away from the frame (HomebrewTalk, 2018; Brewers Friend, 2021) and about a torn basket (HomebrewTalk, 2023). To its credit, Clawhammer has said on Reddit that a few baskets have had the mesh come loose and that it repairs them free.

The kettle and fittings

The Unibräu kettle is 304 stainless, 1.0 mm on the 10 gallon and 1.2 mm on the 20 and 30 gallon, with a Tri-Clad sandwich base that spreads heat across the bottom. The DrainPro version is 1.2 mm in every size. Every port is tri-clamp, so valves, thermowells, sight glasses and chillers clamp on and off with a gasket, with no thread tape and nothing to strip.

We could not find a published wall thickness or a clad bottom for the Clawhammer kettle. Its kettle has two 1/2" NPT threaded ports and a 1.5" tri-clamp port for the element.

The controller

The SV2 (240V) is a wall-mount 30 A panel we hand-build in Vancouver, with mash and boil modes, boil-over protection and pump and aux outlets. The SV1 (120V) is a PID controller with auto-tune and programmable alarms. Parts for both are stocked in Vancouver, and a replacement SV1 costs $149.

Clawhammer’s classic systems use a PID controller. A replacement 120V PID controller lists at US$399, and the 240V at US$1,199. Clawhammer’s new touchscreen controller is on pre-sale, shipping October 2026. See Clawhammer’s 120V system.

Chilling

Clawhammer includes a 20-plate chiller. Plate chillers cool fast, but their channels are narrow, so you need to keep hops and trub out and backflush after every brew. The Unibräu pairs with our stainless coil-in-coil counterflow chiller: an open tube that rinses clean and is far less prone to clogging with hop debris. It is an add-on, so if you already own a chiller, you don’t pay for another one.

120V brewing

Both 120V systems run a 1,650 W element, the practical limit for a standard 15 A outlet. That works, but it is slow to boil 6 to 7 gallons, especially in a cold garage. On the Unibräu you can add a second 1,650 W element on another 15 A circuit, for 3,300 W total, without moving to 240V.

How the Unibräu got here

We have been building single-vessel electric systems in Vancouver since 2015. Here is how the Unibräu changed, with photos from the time.

2015 · The first Unibräu. A stock pot with a heating element, a weldless ball valve, quick-disconnect hoses and a small magnetic-drive pump.

2016 · Version 2. Our own Bräu Supply kettle, a mesh grain basket on a ring-and-strap frame, threaded fittings and a PID controller with a pump switch.

2017 · Version 3, launched on Kickstarter. Tri-clamp fittings and the layout today’s Unibräu grew from.

Today. A slotted stainless-sheet basket on a stainless bottom plate, a Tri-Clad or DrainPro kettle, tri-clamp fittings throughout, and our own SV1 and SV2 controllers. Each version fixed what owners told us about the last one: the mesh basket gave way to slotted stainless sheet, and threaded fittings to tri-clamp.

Which should you buy?

Choose the Clawhammer if the lowest price for a complete 10 or 20 gallon kit matters most and you’re happy with a mesh basket and a one-year warranty.

Choose the Unibräu if you want a system you will still be brewing on in ten years: a sheet-stainless basket, a heavier Tri-Clad kettle, tri-clamp fittings everywhere, a serviceable controller with inexpensive parts, a 30 gallon option, and a two-year warranty with lifetime parts support.

FAQ

Why does the Unibräu cost more?

The basket, the kettle and the controller. A slotted stainless basket on a stainless bottom plate, a Tri-Clad kettle with tri-clamp ports cost more to make than a mesh basket and threaded ports. The warranty is twice as long too.

Will my Clawhammer accessories fit a Unibräu?

Standard 1.5" tri-clamp parts fit any standard 1.5" tri-clamp port. Threaded (NPT) fittings need a tri-clamp adapter. Not sure? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you.

Is 120V enough?

For 5 gallon batches, yes, with patience. For faster heating, add the second 120V element or go 240V. Our electric brewing guide explains the circuits.

Can I ferment in the same kettle?

Yes, with the Unibräu All-In, which pressure-ferments in the brew kettle. See every system side by side on our comparison page.

Sources, checked October 7, 2026: Clawhammer 120V system; 20 gallon grain basket; Clawhammer brewing equipment guide (May 2023); Clawhammer warranty terms; owner posts linked above. Clawhammer Supply is a trademark of its owner. Bräu Supply is not affiliated with Clawhammer Supply.