Dedicated Grainfather Guide, Problems and Solutions Thread

[nala]

We managed a 9kg grain bill which was a squeeze along with quite a few up in the 7-8+ kg range mate. Most of course were in the 4.5-6kg range. Would have to pull the figures for exact efficiencies, but the 9kg was still around 72% off the top of my head. That's probably the lowest figures we've pulled. The Gympie demo last Friday was dialled in on the recipe at 75% Brewhouse efficiency and overshot pre boil estimated Gravity by 0.013 and post boil by 0.011. That was a 5.5kg pale malt, .2kg caramunich 1 and .2kg wheat malt grain bill. Working on a foggy memory here. I'm sure one of the guys could check it.
Our test unit shall henceforth be known as the town tart, since it's been fondled by every bloke and his dog between Bundy and Brisbane.
Roger D took the unit for some trials and in a moment of weakness did a crazy big double choc cherry oatmeal stout that could be the cure for the common cold. He can add his figures, but it was a squeeze along with some familiarity issues that arose.
Highest was on a fairly large lager grain bill which was up Over 88% BHE. Again, other guys will have the figures. Not exactly typical, but certainly pretty impressive. I have a Boston lager clone on tap at the moment that is as clean as a whistle that achieved something up over the 80% BHE. It's a beer where there's nowhere to hide off flavours or astringency.
We haven't played around much with smaller grain bills and will do a few up in the coming weeks to play around with lighter session beers in the 2.6-3.5 % Abv. Something that is often missing on tap here.
Hope this helps.

I find the topic very interesting, but I cannot understand why the Grainfather gives these amazing results.
Brewing is quite a simple process, we use water, milled grains, control the time and temperature for mashing, we circulate the wort, we sparge etc etc. Could someone explain why the Grainfather does this better than a 3V system?
My 3V system has all the attributes of the Grainfather but I must confess that I get nothing like these results.
I appreciate that a lot of the excitement and eulogy about another new inovation have to taken into account but how can the application of time and temperature on a standard commodity like grain give these amazing results?

 

[Crusty]

Why aren't you getting these results? I don't own the GF but I do own a 50lt Braumeister & it doesn't make better beer than my ex 3V Rims but the total process is much simpler, more compact & much quicker clean up. My mash efficiency is always mid 80%+ & I base my brewhouse eff on 78% & my numbers are pretty bang on. Where is your system letting you down. Maybe take a look at your crush, time at Sac rest & sparge. This is where you'll gain some extraction potential.

 

[MastersBrewery]

I'd have to agree with crusty above, high 70's to low 80's is achievable with almost any AG system, some make hitting those numbers a little easier on the end user, end of the day anywhere in to 70's and you should then be looking for better consistency not efficiency. The other important 2 would be water profile and mash PH.


Mike

 

[HBHB]

I find the topic very interesting, but I cannot understand why the Grainfather gives these amazing results.
Brewing is quite a simple process, we use water, milled grains, control the time and temperature for mashing, we circulate the wort, we sparge etc etc. Could someone explain why the Grainfather does this better than a 3V system?
My 3V system has all the attributes of the Grainfather but I must confess that I get nothing like these results.
I appreciate that a lot of the excitement and eulogy about another new inovation have to taken into account but how can the application of time and temperature on a standard commodity like grain give these amazing results?

No idea, all I know is that my 3K 3V system is sitting under a cover gathering dust because the GF is altogether easier to work with for a single batch. Brew days are about an hr shorter and clean ups are about 45 minutes quicker as well.

For efficiency, I keep pulling up around the 76-78% Brewhouse efficiency but have had significantly higher than that. My 3V pulls 70-72%. Not that it's a competition or a skite point blah blah.

Frankly, I don't think there's any 1 thing that causes it to be higher, I think it's a whole bunch of different things. At the end of the day, there's a few hundred new owners enjoying their brew days a whole lot more than before and getting great results from a fairly priced unit that just works well. 53 or ?54 brews along and our town tart demo unit is still going strong. Hell, it even still has blingy shiny bits still. Though the wort hoses on the chiller will be replaced soon with some silicon ones.


Martin

 

[stux]

zero mashtun deadspace loss...

 

[Snow]

Constantly recirculating wort.

 

[postmaster]

Hi
Just done my first Grainfather - Brown Ale. (have done this before in a BIAB with great results)
Hit all the targets expect the 90 min boil used 500 ml more.
The mash was nice and clear. 67c
As soon as I started to do a Mash out at 75c it became cloudy and a lot of sediment. (comparing this to biab)
This was evident in the boil and through the wort chiller and into the fermenter
My crush was .035inch or .90mm..
This had a bit of flour, but a lot of the husks were in tack.
No stuck sparge.

Any thoughts. :huh:

 

[bradsbrew]

Are replacement parts going to be readily available? I put a small cut in my top mash plate seal (user error) and I am on to my second return arm seal (once again user error, despite Martins specific advice).

The more I use this system the more I like it.

 

[meathead]

2nd brew with the GF today, hit gravity numbers, very happy with process and easy clean up.
A question
Very slow sparge, as in painfully slow. What factors influence this, is it just the courseness of the crush or is there another reason?
I did notice that if I raised the overflow pipe this sped things up a bit

 

[jc64]

As I'm waiting for my unit I was wondering what default settings people are using with the brewmate software?

 

[HBHB]

Hi
Just done my first Grainfather - Brown Ale. (have done this before in a BIAB with great results)
Hit all the targets expect the 90 min boil used 500 ml more.
The mash was nice and clear. 67c
As soon as I started to do a Mash out at 75c it became cloudy and a lot of sediment. (comparing this to biab)
This was evident in the boil and through the wort chiller and into the fermenter
My crush was .035inch or .90mm..
This had a bit of flour, but a lot of the husks were in tack.
No stuck sparge.

Any thoughts. :huh:

A little flour won't hurt. Sounds like more a case of the grain beds been disturbed by dumping water on top of it to cause the cloudiness.

Are replacement parts going to be readily available? I put a small cut in my top mash plate seal (user error) and I am on to my second return arm seal (once again user error, despite Martins specific advice).

The more I use this system the more I like it.

DOH ! Will check and advise Brad. Supposed to be a full range of spares being arranged.

2nd brew with the GF today, hit gravity numbers, very happy with process and easy clean up.
A question
Very slow sparge, as in painfully slow. What factors influence this, is it just the courseness of the crush or is there another reason?
I did notice that if I raised the overflow pipe this sped things up a bit

Slow sparge would mainly be from either the way it's been milled (maybe too fine) or adjuncts use causing gumming.

Moving the overflow pipe shouldn't change the rate of flow unless it's enlarged a gap, creating a wall flow effect and it's running down the outside of the pipe rather than through the grain bed itself. again, worth checking your milling and if using adjuncts simple to do a step mash to top the gumming if that's the cause.

 

[wambesi]

I've adjusted my mill (mashmaster minimill) from 0.9mm where I had an excruciatingly slow sparge to 1.2mm where it was done much quicker.

0.9 worked well on my old system, but not the Grainfather. I'd check this.

 

[meathead]

Thanks for the reply
LHBS did the crush
Would a handful of ricehulls help?

 

[HBHB]

I've adjusted my mill (mashmaster minimill) from 0.9mm where I had an excruciatingly slow sparge to 1.2mm where it was done much quicker.
0.9 worked well on my old system, but not the Grainfather. I'd check this.

Different mills with different rollers. In store we are currently using a custom made 8" mill with 7cm diameter rollers. Set at .87mm it's perfect for the GF. Different mills, with different rolling diameters and different knurling will all turn out different results. Even the speed they are run at can vary the results.

Thanks for the reply
LHBS did the crush
Would a handful of ricehulls help?

Should do. Worth trying.

 

[HBHB]

Another clarity pic Sam Adams Boston Lager Clone.

 

[jc64]

Might adjust my mill out to 1mm before my first brew going off these posts.

 

[Bomber Watson]

I've adjusted my mill (mashmaster minimill) from 0.9mm where I had an excruciatingly slow sparge to 1.2mm where it was done much quicker.

0.9 worked well on my old system, but not the Grainfather. I'd check this.

Excelent, i have a mashmaster minimill as well, good to see some results from someone who has used both products in conjunction

Cheers.

 

[meathead]

With the sparge would it be ok to take the top plate off, use a watering can type pourer and give the grains a stir if it gets a bit slow?

 

[postmaster]

No disturbance of the grain bed, Just followed the GF instructions, but as soon as I did a mash out. (heat to 75 deg) it became cloudy with sediment, during the 60 mins mash it was lovely and clear.

 

[meathead]

Third brew today, LCBA clone
Filled GF with water at 3pm and just finishing clean up,now
Sparge went well, less wheat than last effort and courser crush
This piece of kit is a ripper
The thing I like about is temperature control and the pump
Brew day a lot less stressful