Dedicated Grainfather Guide, Problems and Solutions Thread

[doctr-dan]

Chilling now!

That ball valve got block straight away so had to pull it apart, made a bit of a mess.

When running a cleaning cycle do you put the grain basket and everything back in?

 

[carniebrew]

Chilling now!

That ball valve got block straight away so had to pull it apart, made a bit of a mess.

When running a cleaning cycle do you put the grain basket and everything back in?

I don't, I clean it separately. I hook the chiller up, then put the return arm onto the wort out tube on the chiller, re'circing back into the Grainfather.

 

[doctr-dan]

Still chilling , ball valve got blacked again so I have removed it now.
It's started slowing right down again should I try give the filter a scrape?

 

[A.B.]

Chilling now!

That ball valve got block straight away so had to pull it apart, made a bit of a mess.

When running a cleaning cycle do you put the grain basket and everything back in?

Cool. I clean the basket while boiling, then I also put it back in for the final clean, then a rinse and a spray of starsan.

My chook get the spent grain, but it can also go in the compost.

 

[Wee Jimmy]

As per earlier post

 

[nfragol]

Has anyone tried the new beersmith 2.3 update with the grainfather?

Its supposed to have fixed the mash and sparge calculations that didn't agree with the grainfather calculators.

 

[paulyman]

I've tried updating but keep getting an error that it"could not establish connection to server". So I'll give up for a day or two and see if I can try again.

Edited - auto correct changed day to week for some crazy reason! Bit exessive auto correct.

 

[nfragol]

I had the same issue at first, but after a computer restart the software updated correctly.

 

[paulyman]

Okay upgraded successfully today. I can't see any difference, it's not matching the grainfather calculator? I have it setup as per an earlier linked post.

I think I'll keep my process the same. Use Beersmith for recipe formulation and predicting efficiency and OG and use the calculator for volumes.

 

[nfragol]

There is supposedly an option in the equipment profile that adds the mash tun deadspace volume to the first mash step.

That should make the volumes calculations correct for the grainfather.

When I give it a try I'll let you know.

 

[nads]

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?

I purchased the original Grainfather version and recently installed the upgrade kit including the new discharge pipe with ball valve. I have made one brew with it and have had no problems. What is the advantage of removing the ball and spring ?

 

[Coodgee]

I've never had a problem with the ball and spring but it seems to clog up for some people.

 

[BKBrews]

For those putting 23L batches from the grainfather into their fermenters.... What is the bottling/kegging volume you're getting? What sort of trub losses?

I'm about to pull the trigger............

 

[Killer Brew]

For those putting 23L batches from the grainfather into their fermenters.... What is the bottling/kegging volume you're getting? What sort of trub losses?

I'm about to pull the trigger............

Around 21L on a normal brew. Big beers with dry hopping a bit less.

 

[Killer Brew]

I purchased the original Grainfather version and recently installed the upgrade kit including the new discharge pipe with ball valve. I have made one brew with it and have had no problems. What is the advantage of removing the ball and spring ?

Mine was getting clogged sometimes with hop and grain residue. Given it doesn't add anything operationally I pulled it out and haven't regretted it. Just make sure you don't accidentally switch on the pump without anything attached!

 

[btrots87]

I've never had any problems with the ball and spring clogging up so until I do I'll just be leaving it in. I prefer to know that if I accidently flick the wrong switch at the wrong time I won't get a boiling wort geyser in my kitchen.

It is important to pull it apart and give it a clean out at the end of a brew day though.

 

[Killer Brew]

Agreed, if no issue then no need to change. Happened to me a couple of brews in a row though and it delays the chill when you need to pull apart and clean. I attach the worth chiller post mash now and leave it on the bench with the outlet in the sink just in case I have a brain fade and knock the switch

 

[Exile]

Couldn't help myself, today's purchases for the Grainfather.
Looking at doing a few small test batches

Grainfather Micro Pipework and the Grainfather Overflow Filter

 

[A.B.]

I might have to get one of those overflow filters, my last 2 brews have both wanted to overflow, I've had to almost shut the recirc off.

 

[fishingbrad]

Couldn't help myself, today's purchases for the Grainfather.
Looking at doing a few small test batches

Grainfather Micro Pipework and the Grainfather Overflow Filter

Grainfather Micro Pipework and the Grainfather Overflow Filter.jpg

Where did you purchase the filter. Had a look on their website and nothing there.

 

[Exile]

I purchased them from here https://nationalhomebrew.com.au/beer/brewing-equipment-pots-and-hardware/grainfather-overflow-filter

 

[doctr-dan]

Whats everyone's chill time?
On Saturday I was almost chilling for 1-1.5hrs including cleaning the ball valve a couple I times and then removing it all together.
I thought it would have been a bit quicker. My tap water was about 15 degrees and I chilled down to 18.

 

[welly2]

Whats everyone's chill time?
On Saturday I was almost chilling for 1-1.5hrs including cleaning the ball valve a couple I times and then removing it all together.
I thought it would have been a bit quicker. My tap water was about 15 degrees and I chilled down to 18.

Has varied between 20 minutes and about an hour for me. Usually averages about 1/2 hour down to pitching temperature.

 

[kaiserben]

Whats everyone's chill time?
On Saturday I was almost chilling for 1-1.5hrs including cleaning the ball valve a couple I times and then removing it all together.
I thought it would have been a bit quicker. My tap water was about 15 degrees and I chilled down to 18.

??? As fast as the pump pumps. 15 mins or so.

Are you recircing through your chiller, back into the kettle and then waiting for the temp to drop? If that's what you're doing then you're doing it wrong and you're just wasting time and an incredible amount of water.

Just forget what temperature the control box says (unless you're specifically trying to perform a hop stand or something), recirc only until the hose leaving the chiller is cool to the touch (about 15 seconds), then immediately start pumping out to your fermenter.

EDIT: I've not bothered to upgrade the pipework with the ball valve etc, so not sure if having to stop and clean it was what made it much longer for you?

 

[doctr-dan]

??? As fast as the pump pumps. 15 mins or so.

Are you recircing through your chiller, back into the kettle and then waiting for the temp to drop? If that's what you're doing then you're doing it wrong and you're just wasting time and an incredible amount of water.
Just forget what temperature the control box says (unless you're specifically trying to perform a hop stand or something), recirc only until the hose leaving the chiller is cool to the touch (about 15 seconds), then immediately start pumping out to your fermenter.

EDIT: I've not bothered to upgrade the pipework with the ball valve etc, so not sure if having to stop and clean it was what made it much longer for you?

Yep I did it wrong then, waited until the temp prob was down to 18 and wasted alooooot of water!
Would have cut an hour of the time too.

 

[BKBrews]

??? As fast as the pump pumps. 15 mins or so.

Are you recircing through your chiller, back into the kettle and then waiting for the temp to drop? If that's what you're doing then you're doing it wrong and you're just wasting time and an incredible amount of water.

Just forget what temperature the control box says (unless you're specifically trying to perform a hop stand or something), recirc only until the hose leaving the chiller is cool to the touch (about 15 seconds), then immediately start pumping out to your fermenter.

EDIT: I've not bothered to upgrade the pipework with the ball valve etc, so not sure if having to stop and clean it was what made it much longer for you?

So let me get this straight.... you're pointing the wort out pipe of the chiller back into the fermenter for 15 seconds (or as long as it takes for it to be 'cool'), then switching the pump off, moving the wort out pipe to your fermenter and turning the pump back on?

 

[kaiserben]

Exactly what I do, yes.

 

[Killer Brew]

Recirc for about a minute through the chiller back into the GF with no cold water counterflowing to sanitise the chiller then start up the water and once returned wort runs cold run it straight off into fermenter.

 

[kaiserben]

Recirc for about a minute through the chiller back into the GF with no cold water counterflowing to sanitise the chiller then start up the water and once returned wort runs cold run it straight off into fermenter.

I do that for 10 minutes (before I do what I've posted above), which is what it said in the instructions when I first bought the GF.

 

[Killer Brew]

Yeah ok, haven't read them in a while. Seems like overkill with 90 degree plus wort running through. Already worried that my late additions spend too much time at high temps.