Braumeister - Tips & Tricks

[Dan Pratt]

On the weekend I found that my pump impeller was quite grotty due to a clean I done a week ago. I cleaned the BM by boiling for 30mins with CS, then after rinsing out I forgot to open the pump like you would when you finish a boil.

Anyway the gunk that came of the elements has well set into the pump impeller and I was thinking of boiling the impeller for 10-15mins, would that be ok?

 

[malt and barley blues]

Shouldn't have a problem with that Pratty1

 

[zoigl]

So long as it is clean of visible grot, the impeller should be OK with out the need to boil it.
You boil the wort anyway, so that will sanitize the impeller.
Also after each brew, I like to fill the BM 3/4 full, bring the temperature to 70c, and add Napisan or PBW for a soak10 - 15 minutes before draining off. I like to use dish scrubbers to clean the elements as it drains.
Napisan seems to work just as well as PBW and at a fraction of the price, seems to me to be a no brainer, especially when one of the big rip off supermarkets have it on special.
A final fill/rinse/drain using clean water and it gets packed away til next brew. You don't want any residue from the Napisan tainting the next batch. -_- edited to make this aspect clearer.
I take my pumps apart after each brew and leave them open to dry off overnight.
Check the tap is clean with a bottle brush.
The only problem that I've had with the pumps is when I dropped an impeller on the concrete floor, a blade broke off, I keep it as a spare. Sometimes one of them hums a bit, but I put this down to a bit of grain getting caught.
I have a very fine sieve from the Asian grocery store and watch the wort very carefully for stray grain when I first start up.

 

[Dan Pratt]

So long as it is clean of visible grot, the impeller should be OK with out the need to boil it.
You boil the wort anyway, so that will sanitize the impeller.
Also after each brew, I like to fill the BM 3/4 full, bring the temperature to 70c, and add Napisan or PBW for a soak10 - 15 minutes before draining off. I like to use dish scrubbers to clean the elements as it drains.
Napisan seems to work just as well as PBW and at a fraction of the price, seems to me to be a no brainer, especially when one of the big rip off supermarkets have it on special.
A final fill with clean water and it gets packed away til next brew.
I take my pumps apart after each brew and leave them open to dry off overnight.
Check the tap is clean with a bottle brush.
The only problem that I've had with the pumps is when I dropped an impeller on the concrete floor, a blade broke off, I keep it as a spare. Sometimes one of them hums a bit, but I put this down to a bit of grain getting caught.
I have a very fine sieve from the Asian grocery store and watch the wort very carefully for stray grain when I first start up.

thanks for the tips, ive been using Caustic Soda for cleaning and its not friendly and requires a second boiling of fresh water to clean that film off....Im going to try Napisan next time I clean her up.

A final fill with clean water and packed away.....huh? you store the BM full of water until your next brew?

 

[tallie]

thanks for the tips, ive been using Caustic Soda for cleaning and its not friendly and requires a second boiling of fresh water to clean that film off....Im going to try Napisan next time I clean her up.

I'd certainly avoid using Caustic based on this: http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/72205-brass-and-caustic-whoops/ . Sounds like it came good in the end, but better to avoid it in the first place IMO.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

Yep, I won't use it again, though it did bring it up super shiny!

 

[matt211181]

Does anyone know if the BM restarts the mash cycle automatically after a power outage (obviously once power comes back on)? I've read about some users doing an overnight mash by specifying an initial rest at room temperature with the maximum rest length, and then having the BM hold with an extended mashout until the malt pipe is lifted.....but I'm just wondering if it would be possible to attach the BM to a power timer, mash-in (at room temp), press the button to start the mash sequence, then cut the power to the BM and have the timer turn the BM back on after a delay and have it continue the mash cycle?

 

[zoigl]

Hi bobcharlie
you don't say 20litre or 50litre, the 50 litre draws 15 amps.
I can't see why you would want to mash this way, I set my 50 l up the night before, grind the grain and get the mash going around 40 c the next day. Are you experimenting with the mash? What are you trying to achieve.Are you trying to save time?

 

[matt211181]

Hi Zoigl - it's just about saving time. I'm considering switching from my 3V HERMS to a 20L BM, mainly just to free up time. Ideally, I'd love to be able to mash in on the BM before going to bed, and have have the mash finished in the morning about 6am. As I said, I have read about some people doing an overnight mash by using 1 or 2 of the 5 programmable mash steps to just 'delay' the start of the mash (by setting the first mash step to 10deg C and hold for the maximum rest length available), but every so often I do a 5 step mash on my HERMS, and so I wouldn't really like to lose 1 or 2 of the 5 possible mash steps by doing this. I know I could always just start the mash before going to bed and have the BM hold at mash out until I get up, but this could mean 77-78deg being held for 6-7 hours, which I'm not too keen on. So, I was just thinking if the BM resumes the mash cycle automatically (if it has already been started) when the power is switched back on, a simple power timer could be used to effectively delay the start of the mash to something like 3am, and be ready to lift the malt pipe at 6 in the morning. However, if the BM requires the user to press a "continue mash" button or something after the power switches back on, then the delayed start with a power timer couldn't work.... Cheers

 

[Blind Dog]

@BobCharlie

If the power is interrupted the BM restarts with an abort or continue message, which requires a user response. so unfortunately the answer to your question is no. At least that's the case with my 20L BM

Not sure why you don't want the mash sitting at mash out temps overnight?

 

[matt211181]

Thanks Blind Dog, that's the info I was after. Much appreciated. I guess I was concerned about off flavours from recirculating the mash for that long at mash out temp (tannin extraction etc...). But as long as the temp is held at say 77 deg maximum, I guess tannins shouldn't be a problem? Not sure about other effects though.... I guess if others have done this without adverse effects on the finished beer, then it's worth trying! Thanks again for the info

 

[wobbly]

If you check out this topic on the Braumeister forum you will see 9 pages of comments and results about overnight mashing and while you are at it why not become a member of that forum to both gain access and contribute to a whole lot more Braumeister specific information


https://forum.braumeisters.net/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=51&hilit=overnight+mashing

Cheers

Wobbly

 

[Blind Dog]

Also note that overnight mashing is not new. Its just easier and more precise in a BM rather than leaving it sitting in an esky or in the oven, as the BM can hold the temperature accurately.

As far as I've read over the years, whether youre using a BM, esky or oven the main points are that below about 50C there is a risk of bacterial infection and a low rest in the low 60s will create a dry, very fermentable beer, so for most home brewers an overnight mash at 66C+ should be the aim

IIRC my BM will do steps of 180 minutes max

 

[matt211181]

Thanks for the info guys. Seems to be some great info in that thread over on the BM forum too - thanks for the heads up Wobbly. Cheers

 

[zoigl]

bobcharlie,
It should be possible to do what you are trying to achieve. You could use a timer until mash out. Then auto switch off with a timer. The next day just do a manual boil.
I always do a 90 minute boil at 102degC and have never had a failure.
If it was me, I probably would wake up and do the mash/lauter, before switching off, and this step would not need a timer switch.
Just my thoughts, I don't think that I would like to try this.
cheers

 

[zoigl]

Blind Dog
If you do a boil, I am sure any bacteria should be destroyed. There should be some charts somewhere which indicates the degree of destruction of bacteria at certain temperatures.
It runs something like 2 minutes @ 90 c
down to 15 minutes @65c
don't quote me on these numbers look them up
I personally would not worry too much about bacteria so long as you do a vigorous boil at least 1 hour, but preferably 90 minutes @ 102c, just my thoughts.

 

[Blind Dog]

It's the off flavours the bacteria leave behind that's the issue. Once the sour,funky flavours get into the wort, boiling won't get rid of them.

 

[wobbly]

Also note that overnight mashing is not new. Its just easier and more precise in a BM rather than leaving it sitting in an esky or in the oven, as the BM can hold the temperature accurately.

As far as I've read over the years, whether youre using a BM, esky or oven the main points are that below about 50C there is a risk of bacterial infection and a low rest in the low 60s will create a dry, very fermentable beer, so for most home brewers an overnight mash at 66C+ should be the aim

IIRC my BM will do steps of 180 minutes max

My reading of the forum topic on the "other forum" I referenced is that those that do the over night mash allow the mash to complete and reach mash out and hold it at mash out temperature for the extended time

I can't speak from personal experience having never tried an over night mash in my 20 lt BM but a number of members on this forum have (according to their posts on the other forum) and perhaps/maybe they will post their experience on this forum

Wont post their names in case that is also against forum rules

Cheers

wobbly

 

[Blind Dog]

I do t think everyone on the other forum takes it to mash out and holds. A number seem to have a long dough in at low temps (so limited bacterial activity), a long alpha rest and a long mash out. It would be nice to dough in, head off to bed, wake up, lift the pipe and carry on. I can't complete a mash in an evening with all the other stuff going on

Only issue I can see is if I get geysers and wake up to 20l of wort on the kitchen floor

 

[dicko]

I do t think everyone on the other forum takes it to mash out and holds. A number seem to have a long dough in at low temps (so limited bacterial activity), a long alpha rest and a long mash out. It would be nice to dough in, head off to bed, wake up, lift the pipe and carry on. I can't complete a mash in an evening with all the other stuff going on

Only issue I can see is if I get geysers and wake up to 20l of wort on the kitchen floor

I hold mine at mash out until morning at 76 deg c. I did have some wort come out once but that was a mid strength beer with a very small grain bill.
All other times it has worked just fine.

 

[Draughton]

If you've reached mashout temperature is there any value in sparging with hot water instead of cold?

 

[QldKev]

If you've reached mashout temperature is there any value in sparging with hot water instead of cold?

Most will argue for hot water. On my 1V I tried both hot and cold, and got no difference in pre-boil efficiency. Now I always cold water "hose sparge" it as it is easier. On my 3V I still heat up the sparge water to 77c as I find 70L of cold water adds a lot of time to raising the kettle to the boil. If you didn't raise the temperature to mash out, then I would always hot sparge.

 

[Florian]

for those that are concerned about holding the mash at mash out temps for 4 hours you could also just add a second initial step instead.
so have step one and two both at 10 degrees, that brings you to over 8 hours (max. 255 minutes per step on my anxient BM).
i would preferably do this in winter though when the water is indeed cold, not sure if you develop any off flavours in the middle of a qld summer.

 

[cubbie]

What are folks typical evaporation rates with the 20L BM? I am still trying to get a baseline and had aprox 16% on the last brew. My mash efficiency was also at 95% which seems rather high.

 

[tiny]

I have a bm 50 and I use it to make 150 ltrs of wort ( with a few other bits and pieces added ) and have always sparged on it with good results . I have found that a fine crush has upped the efficiency but can cause you a few headaches with malt fountains . I use 29 kg of grain to get 145ltrs at 1045 . Also I have a **** load of vids up on the u tube with **** about how I use my BM 50 if you are interested please have a look . Offtapbrewing

 

[hellbent]

ooops wrong forum

 

[danestead]

What are folks typical evaporation rates with the 20L BM? I am still trying to get a baseline and had aprox 16% on the last brew. My mash efficiency was also at 95% which seems rather high.

11% Evap on a 25L post boil volume size and 80%ish mash efficiency

 

[crhall41]

I was just looking at the Speidel bm recipe for an oak flavored beer which is their only recipe where they call for sparging (due the high OG recipe). The interesting thing I noted was that they say to move the malt pipe up and down several times during the 78C phase. I cannot tell if this is before or after sparging but regardless this is the first time I heard about using this technique. Has anyone else tried this?

http://www.speidels-braumeister.de/oak-flavoured-beer-recipe.html

 

[Florian]

Haven't tried it, but it should help with both efficiency and unclear pre boil wort.

 

[wobbly]

For those with a 20 lt BM and interested in making a "Dicko" stile domed hood then Kitchen Warehouse have a Chef Inox Kitchenware 8lt SS mixing bowl that is an exact fit on the BM.

That is 350mm inside the flange and 370mm outside and it sells for $9:99

Cheers

Wobbly