Braumeister - Tips & Tricks

[Rurik]

I don't have grain getting through mine.

 

[wobbly]

Mine is a 20lt and after I got some grain stuck in the pump and had to empty the brew out to clear the pump and start again I thought never again and the "Muslin/Swiss Viol" has resolved the problem and never had anything stuck in the pump again

The "Muslin/Swiss Viol" always seems to catch a few bits of grain/husk on every brew

Cheers

w3

 

[DeGarre]

... set about programming the unit...
I set it for a 40deg mash in, 52deg rest for 5mins, 63deg for 35mins, 73deg for 35mins & 78deg for 10mins. Boil for 90mins & added some hop additions in there as well... The beeping sound is a nice feature telling you when to add your hops.
...

I didn't know one could set up the hop addition reminder beeps, how is it done?

 

[Crusty]

I didn't know one could set up the hop addition reminder beeps, how is it done?

On my unit, you just enter your hop additions at the required times & the BM beeps when the time has been reached telling you on the display screen to add hops.
It does this for each addition that you set = AWESOME!
When I was Biabing, I would just watch the clock & when it was in the one minute or less range, grab the hop addition & watch the clock like a hawk.
Now I can be looking elsewhere & the beeps will let me know it's time to add.
I think this is a feature of the newer BM's. I'm not sure if the older models do this or not.
Edit: Beaten bu Rurik below.

 

[Rurik]

I didn't know one could set up the hop addition reminder beeps, how is it done?

It is a function that comes in the newer units. Not on the old ones.

 

[niels]

It is a function that comes in the newer units. Not on the old ones.

Too bad that it doesn't beep when it starts the boil. This way you have to set the first hop addition at a minute less than the boil (e.g. boil time = 75min / first hop addition = 74min).

Or am I missing something obvious?

Niels

 

[Crusty]

Too bad that it doesn't beep when it starts the boil. This way you have to set the first hop addition at a minute less than the boil (e.g. boil time = 75min / first hop addition = 74min).

Or am I missing something obvious?

Niels

Can't you just do a 90min boil & set your first addition @60?

 

[paulmclaren11]

I have never (only after 3 brews..) had a stuck pump or anything, just noticing a lot of husks and grain particles getting through the top screen. I am more worried about boiling these suckers and getting harshness.

I could be half cut, but it seems my centre rod could be on the piss causing my screens to be off centre. Either way, I am going some swiss voile next time, the good wife has said she will make me something up that fits snug against the malt pipe,

Anyways, brew number 3 done on the BM and cubed. :beerbang:

 

[Crusty]

I have never (only after 3 brews..) had a stuck pump or anything, just noticing a lot of husks and grain particles getting through the top screen. I am more worried about boiling these suckers and getting harshness.

I could be half cut, but it seems my centre rod could be on the piss causing my screens to be off centre. Either way, I am going some swiss voile next time, the good wife has said she will make me something up that fits snug against the malt pipe,

Anyways, brew number 3 done on the BM and cubed. :beerbang:

I spoke to the boys at Grain & Grape who informed me that they had spoken to Ralph from Speidel & the odd bit of grain getting to the boil was nothing to be concerned about. You seem to be getting far more than anyone else from what you have been saying.
Contact MHB. He sells a rubber seal that goes around the filter screen if you are that concerned.
I haven't run mine with grain yet so can't comment on whether mine will do the same or not.
Others don't seem to be having the same problem
Hope you get it sorted.......... :beerbang:

 

[dicko]

When I got mine I had a bit of grain bypass the top plate but id didn't seem to worry the brew or the pump. My BM is 12 months old and it came with the s/steel mesh.

Anyway...
I went to Bunnings and bought a length of very small diameter silicon hose, and slit it down the middle, cut its length to the diameter of the plate and slipped it over the edge of the plate and the mesh.
It was a bit tight so I got a piece of course sandpaper and sanded the outer edge of the tubing to make it flat where it touched the kettle and to give it clearance. That worked OK for a while but was a buggar to fit on each time.

I went to Adelaide and while I was there I went to "Fitch The Rubber Man" and bought a length of moulded rubber which was perfect as a seal, just cut it to length and slipped it on.

I can't now for the life of me find the part number of the rubber but it is the moulding that is fitted along the edge of a fuel tank strap on a fuel tank from a truck.
I believe it is silicon based and is very durable. I am doing my 41st brew with it as I type and it is still like new.
I'll do a search on their site and report back if I can find it.

 

[dicko]

I rekon this is it here.....They have changed their website since I was looking last time.



http://www.fitchtherubberman.com.au/epages/shop.sf/en_AU/?ObjectPath=/Shops/fitchtherubberman/Products/629-orm

From these pages here

http://www.fitchtherubberman.com.au/epages/shop.sf/en_AU/?ViewAction=View&ObjectID=6455222&OrderBy=NameOrAlias

the dimensions of my rubber are

Channel width 3mm

Outside width 5.6mm

Outside height 7.5mm

Check the dimensions with them before ordering

 

[wide eyed and legless]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pressure-Cooker-Part-Gasket-Sealing-Ring-9-2-5-Inside-Diameter-/390510645537

This should fit a 20 litre but I still would have concern about the silicone rings impeding the movement up and down of the plate and mesh with the grain,

This is a photo of what I wrote of in a previous post another advantage of this method is when pushing the boundary of the content of the grist there is that bit more room to let the grain float by removing the top plate and mesh.

 

[Coalminer]

As far as the rubber size goes Clark Rubber has a lot of profiles and several of them will fit but only one of them is the right one that will seal and still let the filter plate rise and fall by itself and still seal correctly. This size is the one that MHB supplies and is well worth the effort of contacting him. A phone call is better than an email, by the way. It is not (and does not need to be) silicone.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I accidentally bought a 20l BM seal when I should have got a 50l. If this is of any use to you blokes, PM and I'll send it to you @ cost incl shipping.

 

[DeGarre]

The black rubber seal I got from Mark's homebrew was tight for the few first brews and I did post in a couple of forums wondering if it would matter that the filter was not able to move up and down with the pump action. I found out it did not matter at all and then it somehow got slippery after a while anyway and started moving up and down.

 

[dicko]

My top plate and screen moves up and down with the action of the pump and I have had no problems with it.

Marks Home Brew in my observation does not answer emails, PM's phone messages and does not process or send items that are ordered.
I had ordered my BM with him originally but when I tried to communicate with him I found that he was not prepared to reply to my queries and when I did get to talk to him on the phone his answer was "I'll get back to you" but he never did.
Needless to say I then cancelled that order and placed an order for the unit with Ross at Craftbrewer and as usual, was treated in a prompt and professional manner.
That is the way he has chosen to run his business so I feel it is a very tiny inconvenience for me to source a rubber channel supplier and purchase from them.

Back on topic;
If the malt pipe isn't centred when it is clamped down it may cause the top plate not to move, so what I do is once I have dropped the top plate into the malt pipe I give the malt pipe about one eighth of a turn inside the kettle then tighten the wing nut and this seems to centre the pipe and the top plate generally just drops under its own weight onto the grain.

Hope this helps but I really can't see that it is absolutely necessary that the top plate move up and down anyway.

Cheers

 

[doon]

I wouldn't stress about grain unless you are getting massive massive amounts. I get some every brew and it doesnt worry pump or make beer taste like shite

 

[Howlingdog]

Pocket Beers can pick a Braumeister beer at a hundred paces with his eyes closed. He says that they have a grainy taste from small amounts of grain escaping from the malt pipe into the wort. Both Tallie and myself were pinged by Dave at a BABB's meeting last year. Dave used Ross' Braumeister for the ??wars for the QHC and then gave a demo at BABB's shortly thereafter.

So now I try to eliniminate any escaping grain from the malt pipe and especially dust getting into the liquor when loading the malt. I use a large funnel so that no dust gets into the liquor or settles on the rim of the malt pipe. The Copper hood accessory is the sort thing (but on the expensive side) "The Braumeister copper hood adds a professional touch to your 20 Litre unit. Well suited as a means to facilitate filling of the brewing malt into the malt pipe (when put in head first)."

HD

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I call bullshit on someone who claims they can they can pick a BM beer on a 'grainy taste'. Happy to be proven wrong on a blind tasting, but at the moment colour me a doubting Thomas.

I have never lost much through the pipe but sometimes stuff up stirring the mash. I just run a kitchen sieve in a whirlpool after mashout and get anything that was lost.

 

[Edak]

I call bullshit on someone who claims they can they can pick a BM beer on a 'grainy taste'. Happy to be proven wrong on a blind tasting, but at the moment colour me a doubting Thomas.

I have never lost much through the pipe but sometimes stuff up stirring the mash. I just run a kitchen sieve in a whirlpool after mashout and get anything that was lost.

+1 to bullshit