Dedicated Grainfather Guide, Problems and Solutions Thread

[Kiwifirst]

Can't really hear it sounding different, but I can certainly see air in there. Soap??? I wonder?? I guess it is possible that it could be the cleaner, that wasn't rinsed enough? But I think it's just froth from air bubbles

 

[Kiwifirst]

Oh and I recently took out the ball valve. So I think either drawing in air there or just a to fine crush, that didn't affect my mash on 5+kg brews. But does on the 4kg ones.

 

[Killer Brew]

Would have thought too fine a crush would just result in wort running down the overflow. Won't be the removal of the ball & spring, most of us ripped that out early on with no impact. Perhaps use the lever to slow the recirc a little and see if this prevents the frothing?

 

[Kiwifirst]

Would have thought too fine a crush would just result in wort running down the overflow. Won't be the removal of the ball & spring, most of us ripped that out early on with no impact. Perhaps use the lever to slow the recirc a little and see if this prevents the frothing?

That makes sense. In fact, I think you have me realizing the issue.

When the wort was dropping down the overflow it was going fine, when I came back 30 mins later, the top plate had dropped down to the grain bed, which was lower than the lowest setting on the adjustable arm, so there was a small gap (say 8mm) between the bottom of the recirc widget and the hole in the plate (where widget is supposed to sit).
So that means the wort is recirculating back down directly down the gap on to the top of the grain bed. Which means that I was literally sparging and not re-circulating. Which is why it is taking to long to get to the base and thus, the pump is sucking air.

So if the grain bed is lower than the adjustable arm (4.2kg ) the short arm kit should work better right?

 

[Killer Brew]

I quite often have the issue where I can't get the overflow completely down but still works ok. I think you are right and this confirms the issue as too fine a crush. You are effectively getting a stuck sparge and starving the pump which in return is sucking air. Turn down the recirc flow right down and see is this eliminates the frothing and then slowly increase until you get the max flow without air. You may take a bit of a hit on efficiency but wouldn't be major I expect.

 

[Mattrox]

Just following up from my 1st brew.

I brewed Dr. Smurto's Golden Ale. Mashed for 60 mins @ 66 Degrees.

I ended up with 20L 1.048 in the VF and pitched (rehydrated) BRY-97 at 18 degrees. I have a gravity of 1.007 today.

I'm confident that I got the mash temperature correct. Pretty high attenuation. Not that I'm complaining.

 

[fishingbrad]

Good one Mattrox. The Dr's GA is perfect for doing double batches in the GF.

 

[A.B.]

How are you guys at hitting your target gravity's? I've been using brewersfriend.com to adjust recipes, plugging in a 70% efficiency, I find I'm falling short of hitting pre-boil gravity. Using a 1.2mm crush with one of those fleabay -$100 mills.

 

[Kiwifirst]

How are you guys at hitting your target gravity's? I've been using brewersfriend.com to adjust recipes, plugging in a 70% efficiency, I find I'm falling short of hitting pre-boil gravity. Using a 1.2mm crush with one of those fleabay -$100 mills.

I have changed mine to 80% as that is what I have been achieving constantly. But I am going to back off my crush slightly due to a couple of stuck sparges with less than 5kg grain bills.

 

[Coodgee]

How much wort do you leave behind in the gf at the end of the day? This will have a big effect on brew house efficiency

 

[doctr-dan]

Woohoo picked up a gf and gf urn etc about a month ago second hand for a pretty good price .
The guy also gave me a AG kit from cheeky peek, American pale ale
The only thing I didn't pick up was the box of i know what I am doing
This is the brew sheet


There's a few things I do understand no a few things I dont. Rather than say what my understanding is and ask for comets I thought it may be easier if anyone willing to give me a blow by blow step by step on the process
Hoping to this on Saturday morning

 

[Killer Brew]

Seems fairly straight forward. Single temp mash at 67 degrees for 1 hour at a guess. Sparge at 75 degrees. Mash and sparge volumes should be as per GF calcs (avail in booklet or app). Boil 1 hour.

 

[Coldspace]

Woohoo picked up a gf and gf urn etc about a month ago second hand for a pretty good price .
The guy also gave me a AG kit from cheeky peek, American pale ale
The only thing I didn't pick up was the box of i know what I am doing
This is the brew sheet

image.jpg
There's a few things I do understand no a few things I dont. Rather than say what my understanding is and ask for comets I thought it may be easier if anyone willing to give me a blow by blow step by step on the process
Hoping to this on Saturday morning

Ok mate, can't read the receipe on my IPad, but basically do this for single batch,
1. Fill GF upto about 16 ltrs. Make sure inlet strainer at bottom is in place.
2. Adjust temp to 66 or whatever the receipe asks for. Flick the bottom switch at base to normal setting.
Turn switch at controller to mash setting.
3. Inset grain basket, with centre pipe, adjust length about 2/3 rds up, insert stop tube down centre. This stops grain
Going down when filling.
4: when temp gets to 66-67 you will notice on controller the "work light" switches off. The element is off now.
Switch bottom switch at base of unit to mash setting. Leave top switch on controller to mash.
5: time to mash in grain, slowly add about 1 kg at a time, stir in and break up and down with the mash stirring
To make sure all lumps are broken up. Stir in till all grain is in. Looks like a runny porridge.
6: place top plate down over pipe into stainless mash tube, and insert evenly down to top of grain bed only just
Touching it. Keep the little lugs on top perforated plate upwards. Remove grain filler blocker,
Insert the round sleeve over the pipe and position downwards the sleeve while the tube slides down
To the perforated plate and into the hole of plate and locks in.
7: screw on pump outlet tube, insert thru the glass lid hole, and start pump.
8: check temps and set timer for 1 hr. I use my iPhone timer.
9: adjust temp to 78 for mash out , switch base unit switch back to normal,
And stay with unit till temp gets to 78, and then switch back to mash, and leave for 15 mins for mash out .
10. At end of mash out , switch the bottom switch to normal, top switch to boil, and lift basket up and lock in for sparge.
11. Sparge till you get to the 28 ltr level, with 75-80 degree water. Lift out totally the grain basket.
12: wait to boil starts, the controller will beep when ready, then wait 30 mins, then start hop additions etc over the,
Next 60 mins or whatever your receipe asks for.
13: when finished shut top boil switch to off. And either use the chiller, or do what I do and fill a 20 ltr cube. You
Will have approx 23-24 ltrs at end so after losses I usually get 22 into a 20 ltr cube filled to the brim.
14: when cool, do fermenter and yeast etc.
15: after a few runs, you'll want to get into double batching standard grav beers in this thing which is what I always do now.
Using an immersion heater and cubes, I get 2 cornies in basically the same time.

Great units, make good wort.

Others may chime in with other techniques, but this is what I do.

Cheers

 

[paulyman]

As Killer Brew said, easiest to input the grain weight into the grainfather calculator and it will tell you how much water to add.

Cold space has done a wonderful job taking you through the steps. A few points in there to pay attention to, or you will have issues. (Read that as things I and/or others have forgotten to do and regretted it).

1. As cold space said, make sure you have the filter in place! I missed that once, thankfully before adding the grain, but not before the water had reached 60! Thankfully just had to transfer to the sparge heater and then start again.

2. Make sure the bottom plate is in! I haven't done that yet, but was close!

3. Make sure if you remove the ring that the grain basket sits on during sparge (yes it comes out! I only realised that after a few brews), that you put it back in before you attempt to lift the full basket out. I know someone on here made that mistake once.

4. Enjoy the brew day, it really is a breeze with this bit of kit!

 

[fishingbrad]

Woohoo picked up a gf and gf urn etc about a month ago second hand for a pretty good price .
The guy also gave me a AG kit from cheeky peek, American pale ale
The only thing I didn't pick up was the box of i know what I am doing
This is the brew sheet

image.jpg

There's a few things I do understand no a few things I dont. Rather than say what my understanding is and ask for comets I thought it may be easier if anyone willing to give me a blow by blow step by step on the process
Hoping to this on Saturday morning

What Coldspace said.

Also download the app. it's really good and it will walk you through the process.
Happy brewing

 

[paulyman]

As Killer Brew said, easiest to input the grain weight into the grainfather calculator and it will tell you how much water to add.

Cold space has done a wonderful job taking you through the steps. A few points in there to pay attention to, or you will have issues. (Read that as things I and/or others have forgotten to do and regretted it).

1. As cold space said, make sure you have the filter in place! I missed that once, thankfully before adding the grain, but not before the water had reached 60! Thankfully just had to transfer to the sparge heater and then start again.

2. Make sure the bottom plate is in! I haven't done that yet, but was close!

3. Make sure if you remove the ring that the grain basket sits on during sparge (yes it comes out! I only realised that after a few brews), that you put it back in before you attempt to lift the full basket out. I know someone on here made that mistake once.

4. Enjoy the brew day, it really is a breeze with this bit of kit!

 

[doctr-dan]

Great thanks guys, confirmed a few things and filled in a few gaps.

A couple more things, the brew sheet says, desired mash temp 67 degrees and then strike water temp 70.4 degrees?

And again desired sparge temp 75 degrees and then soarge water temp 106.9 degrees?

Also do I check the sg just after mashing? Do I just scoop some worr out with a cup or something and let it cool to about 20 degrees before taking the reading?
And then again after the boil?

 

[fishingbrad]

Forget those terms when using the GF. set temp @ 67 and rain in your grains.

 

[A.B.]

Having strike water a bit higher than mash temp is a method of catering for the grains being cooler than the water. I don't bother with that.

Sparge temp should be same as mash-out temp, that 106.9 deg seems crazy wrong to me.

You can check the SG whenever you like!. My preboil readings have been a few points off the recipe targets in the 4 brews I've done.

 

[doctr-dan]

Okay so I mash for 1hr at 67 degrees and then heat to 75 degrees once at 75 degrees leave it for 15 mins the start sparging?

 

[LAGERFRENZY]

Timely cheat sheets guys - I brought my GF many months ago from Brad but life got too busy to brew with it til now. Gunna fire her up this weekend. Damn this thread is good!

 

[carniebrew]

Okay so I mash for 1hr at 67 degrees and then heat to 75 degrees once at 75 degrees leave it for 15 mins the start sparging?

That'll do it. With most grains you'd probably get away with doing the 67C for 45m, then doing your mash out. Just remember to start sparging (with 75C ish water) pretty quickly after pulling up the mash pipe, or your sparge will take a lot longer.

 

[A.B.]

Yep

 

[Coldspace]

Definitely have your sparge jug ready to go with 76 to 80 water as soon as you pull the malt pipe.
Start pouring in around evenly across top plate as soon as the wort drains down past . And keep it pouring sparge. If you pause too long, the grain bed will drop down in temp and make the sparge too long or if double batch run the risk of stuck.
Sometimes I feel the tap on the gf urn can't keep up with the sparge drain, so I scoop sparge water out and onto top plate with a mug while filling sparge jug up, otherwise it slows down way to much. I don't want the sparge to drain down too deep into grain bed before next top up, otherwise the grain bed bogs down.

Keep the sparge flowing guys if double batching, I find 85 on my gf urn temp setting gives me about 80 into the jug after losses waiting for fill, and about 77 to 79 when onto top of grain bed.

Temp drops pretty quickly , so start at 85 on the gf urn dial.

I get my double batch sparges done in approx 10-15 mins.
Done over 50 double batches now, usually 1 a week on average, more so lately and this is what I've encountered.
Cheers

 

[fishingbrad]

What Coldspace said.

I turn my urn ON when mashing begins. This insures sparge water is up to temp when needed. I use 2 jugs alternating, colleting 2-3lt at a time depending how fast the sparge runs.
Good point on the sparge water temp drop Coldspace, I never thought of that. shall up mine.

Once you get a couple of single batches under your belt, go back and read Coldspace's post on double batching. It really is worth while and stuff all more effort.

Happy Brewing.

 

[doctr-dan]

Brew dy started 26.5 litres up to mash temp in 30minsabout to add the grain

 

[doctr-dan]

Pause to much water ! Almost stuffed up

 

[doctr-dan]

Looking good while mashing


Once I lifted the basket I forgot to push the plate down before sparging, is this going to be a problem?
Sparge seemed to be done pretty quick like 10-15mins max.

I just scooped out some wort to let cool and take a sg reading pre boil.


What's with the colour?????

 

[Wee Jimmy]

If you have a high enough bench in your brew space a length of hose coiled onto top plate and shoved on the end of the urn tap let sparge water drain through onto top plate. Will post a pic this arvo

 

[carniebrew]

Looking good while mashing

image.jpg

Once I lifted the basket I forgot to push the plate down before sparging, is this going to be a problem?
Sparge seemed to be done pretty quick like 10-15mins max.

I just scooped out some wort to let cool and take a sg reading pre boil.

image.jpg

What's with the colour?????

No probs on pushing the plate down, the sparge water's still getting through the mash.

How did you scoop the wort out for an sg reading, just from the top? Looks like you got mostly water. Make sure you give the wort a really good stir to ensure consistency before taking a sample. And if you can afford it I highly recommend a refractometer, much easier using a little pipette to take a few ml for a sample, that sample cools much faster and the refracs often have temp compensation anyway.