Dedicated Grainfather Guide, Problems and Solutions Thread

[Hate_Thinking_Up_Usernames]

I have made a stand for my Grainfather so that I can easily press the reset button without moving it. Also trying to keep protein/other matter off the bottom seems to help with getting to boil quicker.

 

[BKBrews]

just trying to find out if anyone has had this problem with the grainfather

i did a single 4.5kg of Joe White Pale Malt 27l water and 4l of sparge water
problem was did not get to a good boil and would only get to 91dg
all in all i brewed it for 90mins and in the fridge see what happens ?

today i tryed the same again to see if any problems and bugger me it would not get over 40dg
so i had to transfer all out to see if it was suck some how or what so clean it all out bugger of a job tipped it upside pushed the reset button and tried again and it worked to 67dg and sat there again farkk
did the same but only tipped it on its side a bit and push button and of it went again to 95dg and sat there
so be sides hitting with hammer any one had this problem.

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If you're pressing the reset button and it's fixing the issue, then you're obviously tripping the element. I would be scraping it as much as you can - it generally stops when it has proteins burnt onto it during the mash/sparge. As soon as you remove the Malt pipe after sparge - start scraping the element. It's part of the safety mechanism for not burning out with no liquid in it.

 

[peteru]

It looks like your crush is too fine and has lots of flour. This will settle at the bottom and cause the element to overheat (as well as eventually burning onto the bottom surface and tainting the beer)

Also, what are you using to calculate your mash and sparge water volumes. The numbers you give seem wrong. You should have a lot less mash water and a lot more sparge water.

 

[Mr_Brewer]

ok thanks for that
ill try another tomorrow and see if it dose the same thing
i tryed to day and it cut out any way with just water but i am going to drill hole in the trolley so easier to push the reset lol
Also it was not burnt on the inside at all but will let you know tomorrow night thanks

now have 2 maybe brews and may be its 3rd time lucky

 

[wormholehenry]

Hi, guys.

I have been brewing on and off for around 7 years. I'm developing some pretty decent recipes, and finally decided to go all grain, which I think you'll agree I'm long overdo for.

So, I bought a Grainfather and have been tinkering with Beersmith (downloading other people's equipment profiles, etc) to get everything ready.

Apparently, I mistakenly believed that it would be easy to convert my recipes to all grain recipes and get to work quickly here. I expected the slight variations in gravity that different equipment profiles and all grain would give me, but I did NOT expect my IBUs to be all out of whack (at least in Beersmith and on the Grainfather site). I thought after going through the process of mashing and sparging this thing would function like a high-tech brew pot and that I could proceed more or less as usual.

Importing recipes to Grainfather did not help. I have had to cut my hop additions in HALF in order to balance this out. But, that just doesn't seem right to me. I think it has something to do with the fact that my boil volume is a lot larger in the GF than it was in my old 3 gallon brewpot... But, I am concerned that I'll end up with a lot of weird beer if I just start knocking my hop additions in half. In the meantime, I'm afraid to try to brew anything.

In the past I had converted all grain recipes to extract recipes and never had to worry about correcting the amount of hops I used. What am I missing here? I have no idea what I'm doing, and worst of all, sensing that I'm in over my head because I'm on the laptop instead of using my new toy, my wife is pissed.

 

[warra48]

Hi, guys.

I have been brewing on and off for around 7 years. I'm developing some pretty decent recipes, and finally decided to go all grain, which I think you'll agree I'm long overdo for.

So, I bought a Grainfather and have been tinkering with Beersmith (downloading other people's equipment profiles, etc) to get everything ready.

Apparently, I mistakenly believed that it would be easy to convert my recipes to all grain recipes and get to work quickly here. I expected the slight variations in gravity that different equipment profiles and all grain would give me, but I did NOT expect my IBUs to be all out of whack (at least in Beersmith and on the Grainfather site). I thought after going through the process of mashing and sparging this thing would function like a high-tech brew pot and that I could proceed more or less as usual.

Importing recipes to Grainfather did not help. I have had to cut my hop additions in HALF in order to balance this out. But, that just doesn't seem right to me. I think it has something to do with the fact that my boil volume is a lot larger in the GF than it was in my old 3 gallon brewpot... But, I am concerned that I'll end up with a lot of weird beer if I just start knocking my hop additions in half. In the meantime, I'm afraid to try to brew anything.

In the past I had converted all grain recipes to extract recipes and never had to worry about correcting the amount of hops I used. What am I missing here? I have no idea what I'm doing, and worst of all, sensing that I'm in over my head because I'm on the laptop instead of using my new toy, my wife is pissed.

A large volume boil will always have a better utilisation of your hops than a smaller volume. This is built into the BS2 (which I use) calculations, and I guess into other software programs. My advice is to trust the software for your first brew, then adjust if you feel the need for your own results.

 

[SmuggledBudgie]

Hi, guys.

I have been brewing on and off for around 7 years. I'm developing some pretty decent recipes, and finally decided to go all grain, which I think you'll agree I'm long overdo for.

So, I bought a Grainfather and have been tinkering with Beersmith (downloading other people's equipment profiles, etc) to get everything ready.

Apparently, I mistakenly believed that it would be easy to convert my recipes to all grain recipes and get to work quickly here. I expected the slight variations in gravity that different equipment profiles and all grain would give me, but I did NOT expect my IBUs to be all out of whack (at least in Beersmith and on the Grainfather site). I thought after going through the process of mashing and sparging this thing would function like a high-tech brew pot and that I could proceed more or less as usual.

Importing recipes to Grainfather did not help. I have had to cut my hop additions in HALF in order to balance this out. But, that just doesn't seem right to me. I think it has something to do with the fact that my boil volume is a lot larger in the GF than it was in my old 3 gallon brewpot... But, I am concerned that I'll end up with a lot of weird beer if I just start knocking my hop additions in half. In the meantime, I'm afraid to try to brew anything.

In the past I had converted all grain recipes to extract recipes and never had to worry about correcting the amount of hops I used. What am I missing here? I have no idea what I'm doing, and worst of all, sensing that I'm in over my head because I'm on the laptop instead of using my new toy, my wife is pissed.

Hey Wormy,

Have you experimented with the different hop utilisations formulas in Beer Smith?

If not, to find these In BS2 go to Preferences>Bitterness. There is three different options to use for the bitterness formula, all will result in a different IBU for a given amounts of hops. I only discovered this after making several recipes from Brewing Classic Styles which came out unbalanced and very bitter. After some further investigation, I found BS2 defaults to Tinseth while the recipes were made using the Rager formula - changing this setting solved my problem to within a few IBUs of the original recipe.

SB

 

[Gloveski]

Hey Wormy,

Have you experimented with the different hop utilisations formulas in Beer Smith?

If not, to find these In BS2 go to Preferences>Bitterness. There is three different options to use for the bitterness formula, all will result in a different IBU for a given amounts of hops. I only discovered this after making several recipes from Brewing Classic Styles which came out unbalanced and very bitter. After some further investigation, I found BS2 defaults to Tinseth while the recipes were made using the Rager formula - changing this setting solved my problem to within a few IBUs of the original recipe.

SB

hmmmn best I check some of my upcoming recipes thanks for the heads up

 

[kaiserben]

I'm looking at doing a couple of mini-batches (let's say about 8L target volume into fermenter).

I don't have (and would rather not have to buy) the mini pipe work.

Should I use heaps of rice hulls to make sure of good flow (assuming wort level won't reach the overflow inlet?)

Or could I do full volume (ie no sparge) mash? Would that see the wort level reach the overflow inlet?

Any tips from those who've done such small batches?

 

[meathead]

I've got the new connect control box and I've noticed whenever I program a mash out it will move towards the temp say 78c and when it gets to 76/77 the heat applied will drop to say 50% then increase again and then drop again as if it doesn't want to overshoot.

This goes on for about 5 minutes

Any suggestions?

 

[peteru]

Make sure your element switch is on full blast, not the mash setting. If you are brewing in a cold or draughty area, insulate.

 

[meathead]

Make sure your element switch is on full blast, not the mash setting. If you are brewing in a cold or draughty area, insulate.

Yeah thanks but covered all that

 

[peteru]

I guess if it wasn't the obvious things, it may be time to contact imake tech support. Good luck.

 

[breaky]

Hi all, I've just acquired a grainfather and am wondering how you guys connect the red hot water out tube to a garden hose. Anyone done this?

Thanks all

Mark

 

[fletcher]

sorry if this has been answered or discussed but i searched and wasn't able to find anything.

i'm doing a rice lager and using 20% minute rice (1kg). has anyone done similar and if so, was your sparge okay? any experiences or recommendations would be a big help!

 

[doctr-dan]

Any advice or methods when doing banco to back brews?
Do you need to fully clean the grainfather prior to starting your next brew or a rinse is fine?

 

[sirosis]

Just got a new grainfather connect and I can't seem to establish a Bluetooth connection, tried three different devices but no go, any things I may be doing wrong.

 

[kaiserben]

After 95 brews my CFC has sprung an internal leak. Unfortunately I've past the warranty period.

I was about to brew something when I noticed water coming out where it shouldn't. And it explains why the previous batch ended up being 25L into the fermenter instead of 23L ... (and I assume I probably picked up an infection there too, although I'm yet to taste this batch).

RIP CFC.

 

[Mr_Brewer]

grainfather connect
make sure you have the new app not the old app old app did not work for me
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/grainfather-connect/id1169264880?mt=8
i have tried the new one and works well with note4 and my iPad and from my Dropbox it Imported recipe upload as XML file from beersmith

 

[Coodgee]

Any advice or methods when doing banco to back brews?
Do you need to fully clean the grainfather prior to starting your next brew or a rinse is fine?

Quick rinse seems fine to me. Makes for a long day but you do save some time with only having to do a full clean up once. I have a 40L urn that I can use to boil the wort while I start mashing the second batch in the grainfather. so that's what I do for double batches.

After 95 brews my CFC has sprung an internal leak. Unfortunately I've past the warranty period.

I was about to brew something when I noticed water coming out where it shouldn't. And it explains why the previous batch ended up being 25L into the fermenter instead of 23L ... (and I assume I probably picked up an infection there too, although I'm yet to taste this batch).

RIP CFC.

That sucks man. I think the new CFC are a bit better quality anyway so you will be getting a small upgrade if you get a new one.

 

[suffolk]

Hi all, I've just acquired a grainfather and am wondering how you guys connect the red hot water out tube to a garden hose. Anyone done this?

Thanks all

Mark

The red pipe is the waste water, you don't connect it to a hose

 

[breaky]

As I'm brewing inside I want to send the hot water outside and use it to clean my gear with

 

[BKBrews]

Just thought I'd put this here for anyone struggling with efficiency issues. I have started turning off my pump during the mash, about every 10min, and letting the water above the top plate filter back down through the grain bed. I never really had issues with efficiency, however I've gone from pretty much bang on 73% BH efficiency in every batch, to 75% - 80% in every batch regardless of the SG. I attribute part of this to lowering the pH of my sparge water as well, but I think it plays a part.

Last two brews -
Munich Helles: aiming for SG 1.048 with 76% efficiency - ended up with 1.050
Indian Helles Bock (pitched straight onto the above cake): got bang on 1.068 with 75% efficiency. 7.91kg of grain FYI.

 

[wildwhitty]

Leaving the pump running will ensure you have maximum flow though the grain. Switching it off allows the water level to drop, reducing head pressure above grain. Water flowing down the overflow ensures the wort temperature above the grain is correct. Both good for efficiency.

 

[Gloveski]

I'm getting a consistent 80% efficiency last 5 or 6 brews . All I have done is add between 1.5 to 2 litres more to the mash for a 21 litre batch , great bit of kit.
I also had issues with grain in the boil I tried using a BIAB for a couple of brews , more pain than its worth for me ended up with water and grain stuck in the bag causing a stuck mash and the element to trip.
I have found that my last lot of hop additions I will put straight into boil (I bag the rest) this creates a great natural filter. I use a fine sieve to aerate the wort into fermenter and this also catches the first bit of grain and trub , but after a few minutes the wort is usually nice and clear

 

[Gloveski]

sorry if this has been answered or discussed but i searched and wasn't able to find anything.

i'm doing a rice lager and using 20% minute rice (1kg). has anyone done similar and if so, was your sparge okay? any experiences or recommendations would be a big help!

How did you go with this fletcher ?

 

[fletcher]

How did you go with this fletcher ?

sadly i haven't got to brew it yet - it's on the list now with thousands of others but i'll be brewing it before too long. i recently did a wheat beer with 50% wheat and 50% ale, and used about 200gm rice hulls. there was no issue at all with the sparge. i'll definitely be using them for any beers that use a lot of wheat, rice, or rye. i'm sure i could get away without them but they're cheap and easy to use and i'd rather not run the risk

 

[pnorkle]

just trying to find out if anyone has had this problem with the grainfather

i did a single 4.5kg of Joe White Pale Malt 27l water and 4l of sparge water
problem was did not get to a good boil and would only get to 91dg
all in all i brewed it for 90mins and in the fridge see what happens ?

today i tryed the same again to see if any problems and bugger me it would not get over 40dg
so i had to transfer all out to see if it was suck some how or what so clean it all out bugger of a job tipped it upside pushed the reset button and tried again and it worked to 67dg and sat there again farkk
did the same but only tipped it on its side a bit and push button and of it went again to 95dg and sat there
so be sides hitting with hammer any one had this problem.

Hi Mr_B - I can't comment on the reset switch tripping, but as for the boil only getting to 95degrees, as someone else mentioned, make sure you have the switch on the bottom set to "Normal," not "Mash"... AND - if the power cord is hanging too close to the GF, it will not reach boiling (cord heats up, will affect power flow to element.) so make sure it's sitting away from the boiler.
Cheers.

 

[user 37368]

I always seem to end up with higher FG's on step mashed beers than calculated with the GF and recipes I follow. For example I just did AndrewQLD's no sugar coopers clone recipe which used 35/52/63/72/77 steps which in his recipe and the GF calc ends up about a 1.006 FG but I get 1.011, a 2 step starter from CPA bottles and healthy pitch rate and fermented at 16c, I should really get higher than 66% attenuation here.

And sure 35 mash in isn't required with fully modified malt and to be honest I wouldn't do it again as it just burns onto the element when it's heating.

I have a suspicion/theory that the cause is the complexity of sugars being created, with step mashes when you heat between steps you are heating wort well above the mash temp and using that to transfer the heat into the malt pipe through the pump and heating the grist.

Anyone else experienced this? Thought/ideas?

 

[fishingbrad]

So my GF is over 2 yrs old now and are having problems with the filter cap coming off during whirlpool. it seems tight enough fit on the filter body. I should mention I whirlpool clockwise. (and no I'm not hitting the filter with the paddle). maybe if I whirlpool anticlockwise. So, time for a replacement ? anyone else having this issue? remedies- stainless cable tie?