Braumeister - Tips & Tricks

[dicko]

I use a hop spider and have not noticed any real increase with the hood.
Maybe there is an increase and the spider counteracts the effect.
Just thinking aloud.....

 

[mckenry]

The grain will not be in contact with wort when you raise the malt pipe and rest on the bottom lugs. I use a hoist to make it easier to lift the malt pipe because it can get quite heavy with the grain and suction. I used to stand on my bench to lift the malt pipe which can be a little awkward so a hoist is a good option.

Dude - it was. During a 15L sparge the level of the wort flooded the bottom of the malt pipe.

 

[Black n Tan]

Dude - it was. During a 15L sparge the level of the wort flooded the bottom of the malt pipe.

Ermm it has been sometime, but this is German engineering at it best, surely it can't be so. I have just had a look and would be very surprised if the grain touches the wort when on the bottom lugs. Remember there is a gap between the bottom mesh (i.e.. grain bed) and the bottom of the malt pipe. Assuming you mashed in with 55L and used as little as 10kg of grain, your volume is likely to be about 60L or thereabouts after sparging: a rough estimate is that would need about 65L or more before the wort will be in contact with the grain on the bottom lug.

 

[Goose]

Dude - it was. During a 15L sparge the level of the wort flooded the bottom of the malt pipe.

How'd your first run go McKenry ? I did my maiden run today. Used incorrect grain absorbtion ( was more like 0.6 than 1.0 l/kg) and only achieved a 70% mash efficiency using the no sparge ie full volume method. Pretty disappointed, trying to figure what I will change for the next run.

 

[danestead]

I use a hop spider and have not noticed any real increase with the hood.
Maybe there is an increase and the spider counteracts the effect.
Just thinking aloud.....

Ive just started using a hop spider in my 20L. I find that the wort doesnt boil inside the spider. When I say it doesnt boil, I mean there is no evident bubbles inside the spider. Because of this, I have been stirring the hops in there every 10 or so minutes as I am worried that hop utilisation may be down.

Do you experience the non-boiling and have you noticed any change to the bitterness/utilisation in your recipes?

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

Dude - it was. During a 15L sparge the level of the wort flooded the bottom of the malt pipe.

My experience is in line with other posts - while it hits the malt pipe - enough to establish a suction - there's enough height in the pipe without it touching the grain.

Still, it can be frustrating to not really be able to see an accurate water level. I've seen guys use an oven rack or similar to hold the pipe right at the lip. Personally I just create a pair of "skis" for want of a better word using the two lifting bars, holding the malt pipe precariously on the lip that way during sparge.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

I also calibrated a 5 litre flask using my hops scale and found that the 55l mark on the tie rod was in fact, 55l, and marked 1 cm spots above this mark to determine 1.5l increments:

Interesting. I (and others in this thread IIRC) found true volume was 5l more than stated - as though the were offsetting the dead space below the element and in pumps to simplify things.

I prefer to know true volume even though I know I won't get much of that 5l back.

 

[dicko]

Ive just started using a hop spider in my 20L. I find that the wort doesnt boil inside the spider. When I say it doesnt boil, I mean there is no evident bubbles inside the spider. Because of this, I have been stirring the hops in there every 10 or so minutes as I am worried that hop utilisation may be down.

Do you experience the non-boiling and have you noticed any change to the bitterness/utilisation in your recipes?

I started with the hood and the hop sock at around the same time and didnt notice much difference.
I dont have a boil inside the hop sock and like you, i give the hops a stir inside the sock if they have clumped to the sides.
I only ever use pellets since I began to use the sock and to be honest I have not noticed any real change

 

[razz]

I know we all feel better if the hops within a spider appear to be boiling but if you check the temp it will be 100 degrees so the utilisation should be the same. The agitation of boiling just isn't there. It's another one of those great things about bucket chemistry we should have faith in.

 

[Goose]

Interesting. I (and others in this thread IIRC) found true volume was 5l more than stated - as though the were offsetting the dead space below the element and in pumps to simplify things.

I prefer to know true volume even though I know I won't get much of that 5l back.

Well if you are right then it goes along way to explain my efficiency calculations.

As said, there would be errors in my volumetric method determination, the first of course is assuming my 1g calibrated scale is correct and then multiplying the volumetric error by 15 as I am using a 5 litre flask. Think I am going to repeat this for peace of mind and this time weigh each 5l addition.

 

[Goose]

Which I just did. Meant x 11 not 15 as above. Made sure that the scale was good enough, it measured same on another one I have. Should be good enough.

Anyway this time to be anal I added in the malt pipe and lower screen with mesh. I also ran pump after addition of first 10 litres to make sure those spaces filled.

After 55 litres I got this:

 

[mckenry]

Ermm it has been sometime, but this is German engineering at it best, surely it can't be so. I have just had a look and would be very surprised if the grain touches the wort when on the bottom lugs. Remember there is a gap between the bottom mesh (i.e.. grain bed) and the bottom of the malt pipe. Assuming you mashed in with 55L and used as little as 10kg of grain, your volume is likely to be about 60L or thereabouts after sparging: a rough estimate is that would need about 65L or more before the wort will be in contact with the grain on the bottom lug.

Yeah, you're probably right. Definitely was over the base of the malt pipe, which made sparging a PITA. I'm going to get a hoist so it flows out, rather than a seal/vacuum type of effect once the malt pipe rubber ring is submerged. I also think the grain absorption is less than a 3V right? See below

How'd your first run go McKenry ? I did my maiden run today. Used incorrect grain absorbtion ( was more like 0.6 than 1.0 l/kg) and only achieved a 70% mash efficiency using the no sparge ie full volume method. Pretty disappointed, trying to figure what I will change for the next run.

Pretty much the same thing. Hit 70%.
Some tweaking required in beersmith. Got my 50L, but under gravity - only by a couple, yet my measure said 66 preboil after a 15L sparge, 55L mashin

 

[mckenry]

My above post would indicate my 10kg grain only absorbed 4L water. My 3V was 1L/kg Does 0.4L/kg sound anywhere near it? I should state that my 66 is rough, but not way off.

 

[Black n Tan]

I reckon it is somewhere in the order 0.8-1.0L/kg. For 10kg of grain you mashed in with 55L then sparge with 15L, what gravity and volume into the fermenter? For a 42L batch I would mash in with 50L and sparge with 10L (and I leave a lot behind in the BM after I chill, 8L or so). You are using 10L more water.

 

[mckenry]

I mashed with 55L. Sparged with 15. So that's 70. My losses were 5L to trub and chiller. Boil then transfer = 50L into the fermenter at about 1.042. Expected 1.046 with eff set at 72%. I think the preboil was approx 66L. So depending on the boil evap it would suggest far less than 1L/kg absorption.

 

[Goose]

I know we all feel better if the hops within a spider appear to be boiling but if you check the temp it will be 100 degrees so the utilisation should be the same. The agitation of boiling just isn't there. It's another one of those great things about bucket chemistry we should have faith in.

Agreed.

Most people think that a more aggressive boil will improve hop utilisation. I am dubious on this claim. The intensity of the boil does not increase the temperature of the wort. It does however, increase circulation in the boiler. While circulation must play a part, I believe by far the temperature is most important thing for the isomerisation reaction to take place.

I have always used a hop spider before, and while at the surface within the spider I agree I don't see vapour bubbles, that does not mean nothing is going on within its depths. I have not noticed any reduction in hop utilisation in doing so.

 

[Black n Tan]

I mashed with 55L. Sparged with 15. So that's 70. My losses were 5L to trub and chiller. Boil then transfer = 50L into the fermenter at about 1.042. Expected 1.046 with eff set at 72%. I think the preboil was approx 66L. So depending on the boil evap it would suggest far less than 1L/kg absorption.

Do you use Beersmith, if so here is my equipment profile. It works for me. Adjust you number to suit such as volume lost to rub, but otherwise they should be good for you to.

 

[Thefatdoghead]

After a fair while away from brewing im finally getting back into it. Just couldnt keep it up while I was studying and 2 little kids. We finally moved and now I have time to brew.
Anyway, I've decided to buy a 114 litre ss brewtech kettle to compliment my 50 litre braumeister.

What i plan to do is use the braumeister and the kettle on the same brewday. The wort from the braumeister will be pumped into the grain bed of the kettle and then from the kettle, wort will be pumped back into the braumeister.
This will allow me to brew 100 litres of wort and have temp control from the braumeister. The large 114 litre kettle will be BIAB and depending on gravity of beer have anywhere from 15 to 30 kg of grain in the bag.
Does anyone do this or has tried this and how would I go about entering this into beersmith? Just got beersmith.

Cheers

 

[Bucks]

Hey Gav, checkout this loose carnt http://youtu.be/C_c1Ir1n9dw

 

[Thefatdoghead]

Hey Gav, checkout this loose carnt http://youtu.be/C_c1Ir1n9dw

Hey Luke, longtime man.

Yeah thats where I got the idea but I thought why not just skip the eski and use the brau and the pot. Im going to need a lot of hops for some of my IPA's at 100 litre batches. Ha.