GUTEN

[SBOB]

WEAL
i brew in a birko urn with a DIY guten like setup. PM'd for some details

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Ok, todays brew lesson, DONT do the full volume BIAB method!!!

The machine doesn't have enough volume for the full amount of water and grain, also if you do then kiss goodbye to the top of the malt pipe!!! Only saving grace was due to installing the helix I still had the bazooka which I had to place over the pipe to prevent the grains going down it, no chance to put the top plate on either so water just pumping straight into the mash just have to keep manually stirring it :-(

Got to love this game, every brew a new issue to solve

What I do Leyther when doing a full volume is stick a piece of silicone over the top of the drainage tube,giving it more height, you have to add a bit more grain as well to make up for loss of efficiency. Your recipe was straight forward no adjuncts so it shouldn't be a problem (by the way let me know how that beer turned out I had one the other day, very nice) or as you did stick the old bazooka over the top, but cut down so you can put the lid on.

 

[Leyther]

The helix much better than that crappy bazooka although flow rate is still quite slow about 1L per minute but at least it's flowing!!

This brew did have 150g hops in the kettle mind, I reckon is a great addition but if going very hoppy I think the spider and the helix is probably the better way to go.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

The reason I put my helix around the outside is when whirlpooling, the trub will settle in the middle, when everything is settled turn on the tap it should empty as normal, you swayed my confidence in the first setup I had because the spring did look tight but it is OK.
Did you notice how the springs part in the horseshoe shape, it will definitely work better put around the outer edge and get rid of the spider, that is the whole point of it. If you cut yours to a size and try it around the outer edge and you're not happy with it I will exchange it for another one. Believe me it works a lot better cut to size to fit around the outer, no matter how many hop pellets go in.

 

[Leyther]

The reason I put my helix around the outside is when whirlpooling, the trub will settle in the middle, when everything is settled turn on the tap it should empty as normal, you swayed my confidence in the first setup I had because the spring did look tight but it is OK.
Did you notice how the springs part in the horseshoe shape, it will definitely work better put around the outer edge and get rid of the spider, that is the whole point of it. If you cut yours to a size and try it around the outer edge and you're not happy with it I will exchange it for another one. Believe me it works a lot better cut to size to fit around the outer, no matter how many hop pellets go in.

Will give that a go, I never seem to get a good whirlpool going but as I use the chiller too it gets in the way, Might be better witht the single inlet and the spring around the outside with the end cap you had, what did you need for that setup?

I'm still happy with it, the bazooka wouldn't even drain more than 1.5L at least I managed to get 17L out with the helix so big big improvement.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Will give that a go, I never seem to get a good whirlpool going but as I use the chiller too it gets in the way, Might be better witht the single inlet and the spring around the outside with the end cap you had, what did you need for that setup?

I'm still happy with it, the bazooka wouldn't even drain more than 1.5L at least I managed to get 17L out with the helix so big big improvement.

Over the 1/2 BSP male thread (tap thread)screw on a female barbed fitting, over the barb put a small piece of heavy duty 3/4 silicone, you will need a copper capillary 90 degree elbow slip that over the silicone, put the helix into the copper fitting, (fits much easier than into the screwed fitting.) and a blank end piece over the end of the helix. Also if you didn't want to shorten the helix just use a cable tie to fasten it up to the tap area, bugger of a thing to cut I have a black thumb nail where it sprung back on me.
Those copper fittings you can get from Bunnings.

 

[wobbly]

WEAL
Not sure if you received my response to your offer to sell me one of your helix's but I have responded to your message but don't seem to have received your email advise.
I have been having a few issues (missed emails) with my account so if you could send again it would be appreciated

Wobbly

 

[nosco]

I got my replacement pump last week but only got around to changing it over. Its working perfectly at 80c. Ive read of 2 other people who had the power switches or the connections burn out.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Magical pancake had a burn out on his switch but says it was his own fault for not connecting the wires correctly. That was good service from Guten. I had a scare a couple of brews back, playing around with the temp when using the hood for the first time on the boil kept dropping the wattage then heard a clunk and the temp started going down, switched to the BM and cleaned the Guten, although there was an opaque look over the elements, not a scorched look cleaned with 1/2 a grapefruit and filled with water worked fine so it was just the knock of switch kicking in.
Must say I have really warmed to the Guten, easier to clean than the BM, bigger payload just wish the pause button would work properly, for the money it is a good bit of gear, just like the BM as my safety net, built like a Leopard 2 tank.

 

[malt and barley blues]

WEAL, Robbo wants to know where the t piece goes on his Grainfather, he said it doesn't seem to fit anywhere.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

The 'T' piece doesn't go anywhere on the GF it is a silicone connection he has to fit it as I fitted up the BM with either a copper capillary 'T' piece or elbow. The screwed connections are for the Guten and Robobrew and any other thread connected taps.

 

[nosco]

Got my Helix today thanks WEAL! It came with a T piece too which I wasn't expecting. I think I might go with an elbow though so I can run it around the edge of the pot. Having said that I think my Guten will be getting more use than my bigger brew kettle that I bought it for.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

You could still use the T piece and stick a plug in the other end and screw it onto a 45 degree angle also if you go on Aliexpress and get some silicone tube (I found a 19 x 14mm,) there was one mob selling a 19mm ID but no longer available.It's a tight fit but that also makes it into a pickup as well. I got the washers yesterday so hopefully I have enough unfranked stamps around to send them out.

 

[Leyther]

You could still use the T piece and stick a plug in the other end and screw it onto a 45 degree angle also if you go on Aliexpress and get some silicone tube (I found a 19 x 14mm,) there was one mob selling a 19mm ID but no longer available.It's a tight fit but that also makes it into a pickup as well. I got the washers yesterday so hopefully I have enough unfranked stamps around to send them out.

I'm planning on doing something similar, just gonna block one end of the Tee and one end of the spring and just run the spring around the outside, might be slight overlap due to size but will either tie that up or just run it inside the first ring, should still give us the gap in the middle for the whirlpool to collect.

Gonna head down to bunnings on the weekend and see what I can find to fit over them, i'm sure there will be something to do the trick.

Something like this will probably do the trick but might need to remove and replace each brew but cheap enough https://www.bunnings.com.au/tommy-tape-25mm-x-1m-self-fusing-silicone-tape-3-pack_p1560475

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Keg King have 1/2 " BSP plugs Leyther, but best to ring to see if in stock.
http://kegking.com.au/misc-plumbing-fittings/stainless-bsp-fittings.html?mode=list

 

[malt and barley blues]

WEAL,fitted my helix today using an elbow and an end cover, would not fit under the tap so its ok to go over the top?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Sorry MBB I did reply and I should have posted here, started a new thread the,Lauter Helix.

Will give that a go, I never seem to get a good whirlpool going but as I use the chiller too it gets in the way, Might be better witht the single inlet and the spring around the outside with the end cap you had, what did you need for that setup?

I'm still happy with it, the bazooka wouldn't even drain more than 1.5L at least I managed to get 17L out with the helix so big big improvement.

I was thinking whether it would be worth trying using the pump to get a whirlpool going, some silicone tube over the edge of the vessel, held with one of those spring clamps they have in the $2.00 shop, should be enough power to do it.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Decided that with my next brew on the Guten I am going to get to know it's performance better, the brew before last I boiled with the hood on set on 2000w boil was fine but the last brew I went up to 2100w with hood on and seemed to make a substantial difference to boil off.
I have started by making a measuring stick, marking at 2 litre increments, setting the base of the stick in the lower ridge of the base. What I found was the first 2 litres was at 17mm, each 2 litres after that it was 20mm / 2 litres (just to save anyone else doing it) will report back on grain absorption and boil off.

 

[Leyther]

That would be great, I'm still not hitting the figures in beersmith which I reckon is mainly down to boil off

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Received an email from Sandy at Guten this arvo, I expect that others who have purchased the mash tun will have the same email, they are now going into the s/steel conical fermenters 28.4 litre, will be interesting to see the price for these.