GUTEN

[hopnotic]

Urgent warning for anyone using these $6.85 cheapass SSRs that come with the SmartPID kit. The electrical engineer I spoke to said the internals are only rated to 10 amps and are not potted (insulated). Mine was running on an 15a circuit. If you google them you'll find plenty that have melted like mine, or worse (fire).
I upgraded to a premium brand (Crydom) with beefier heat sink and thermal paste for $70. It reaches boil a little quicker now and the power cord doesn't get as warm.
You've been warned!

 

[Grok]

You may be able to stave off a melt down of these cheap ssrs by having a good heat sink with fan. If I had to use one, I would mount a cpu type fan on the side blowing across the 2 vanes of that type of heat sink, or use an old cpu heat sink and fan already mounted, or of course just buy a better quality ssr, but you still need a good heat sink when high currents are in use. I use 2 x Altronics 40A SSR mounted to one CPU heat sink with fan, works good.

 

[BeerBen]

Urgent warning for anyone using these $6.85 cheapass SSRs that come with the SmartPID kit. The electrical engineer I spoke to said the internals are only rated to 10 amps and are not potted (insulated). Mine was running on an 15a circuit. If you google them you'll find plenty that have melted like mine, or worse (fire).
I upgraded to a premium brand (Crydom) with beefier heat sink and thermal paste for $70. It reaches boil a little quicker now and the power cord doesn't get as warm.
You've been warned!
View attachment 124255View attachment 124256View attachment 124257

There has always been a large number of fake fotek SSRs around, these were known to fail as above where genuine work properly.

Google fake fotek SSRs

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Never found any reason to change anything on the Guten control, keeps a steady temperature throughout the mash. I think the trick is to keep the return pipe on full flow. I have 2 x 400 ml probes adjacent to each other in the top of the mash

8 mins in.

32 mins in

58 mins in

 

[hopnotic]

The main reason to replace the controller is to provide control via Brewfather, no longer bending down clicking buttons to change temp and pump on/off.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

The main reason to replace the controller is to provide control via Brewfather, no longer bending down clicking buttons to change temp and pump on/off.

I don't bend down, I have mine at a height I can program my system quite easily. I have a hoist to lift the grain basket, mainly because I have a 65litre Hop Cat, but I do use the hoist to lift my 40-litre Guten grain basket I then squeeze the bejesus out of it getting less than 500 ml loss to grain absorption. For a full-volume mash brewer, I will get better efficiency than a sparge brewer.
Brewing beer isn't rocket science.

 

[razz]

Brewing beer is bucket chemistry.

 

[Hip Hops Don't Stop]

"Never found any reason to change anything on the Guten control, keeps a steady temperature throughout the mash. I think the trick is to keep the return pipe on full flow. I have 2 x 400 ml probes adjacent to each other in the top of the mash"

Do you mean the plastic hose that re-circulates the mash? I thought that was supposed to be a trickle??

 

[Ballaratguy]

I found the Guten control frustrating as I couldn’t change any parameters mid brew and also due to the height of my brewery I couldn’t raise the Guten and remove the malt pipe comfortably so I got a grainfather control box and wired that in (with plugs so I didn’t have leads getting in the way for cleaning and storage)
I’ve remote mounted the control box on the wall so I don’t have to stand on my head to see the Guten control
Another advantage of the grainfather CB is that it’s operated via an app and also has 125,000 recipes and can be operated via Bluetooth on your phone or tablet

 

[hopnotic]

Another advantage of the grainfather CB is that it’s operated via an app and also has 125,000 recipes and can be operated via Bluetooth on your phone or tablet

Same deal with SmartPID and Brewfather integration. Cloud based recipes and remote device control is very popular for that reason.

I'm at my desk job and able to raise/lower fermentation temp and monitor gravity without leaving the chair. Because science

 

[Ballaratguy]

I looked at the smartPID but found that the smart pid was about 3 times as the GF control (which also integrates with brewfather)

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Hip Hop's Don't Stop.
Well, the heat is in the bottom of the mash tun and you are trying to control the temperature in the mash, by the time the trickle reaches the mash it is cooler. So keeping the flow going full bore the temperature remains constant. If you are using the overflow pipe get rid of it. I have the grain basket top and bottom plate fixed in the bottom.

Same deal with SmartPID and Brewfather integration. Cloud based recipes and remote device control is very popular for that reason.

I'm at my desk job and able to raise/lower fermentation temp and monitor gravity without leaving the chair. Because science

You are monitoring the temperature at the bottom of the mash tun, not in the mash. Depending on the liquor-to-grain ratio there can be several fluctuations within the grain bed.
All well and good if you have your recipes on hand, I find no need for that myself.

Brewing beer is bucket chemistry.

Here is some more Bucket Chemistry. Loss to grain is about 0,460 ml per kilo. I wouldn't advise anyone who sparges to try this.
20 kilo of water and a full gas bottle, plus a good portion of my body weight.

 

[Ballaratguy]

Hip Hop's Don't Stop.
Well, the heat is in the bottom of the mash tun and you are trying to control the temperature in the mash, by the time the trickle reaches the mash it is cooler. So keeping the flow going full bore the temperature remains constant. If you are using the overflow pipe get rid of it. I have the grain basket top and bottom plate fixed in the bottom.


You are monitoring the temperature at the bottom of the mash tun, not in the mash. Depending on the liquor-to-grain ratio there can be several fluctuations within the grain bed.
All well and good if you have your recipes on hand, I find no need for that myself.

Here is some more Bucket Chemistry. Loss to grain is about 0,460 ml per kilo. I wouldn't advise anyone who sparges to try this.
20 kilo of water and a full gas bottle, plus a good portion of my body weight.
View attachment 124275

The GF a control has its own temp sensor so I made a thermowell and a bracket which holds the temp probe about 1/3 rd up the liquid level next to the overflow tube where I figure I get a more accurate temp than the Guten temp probe which is next to the heating elements on the base

 

[wide eyed and legless]

The GF a control has its own temp sensor so I made a thermowell and a bracket which holds the temp probe about 1/3 rd up the liquid level next to the overflow tube where I figure I get a more accurate temp than the Guten temp probe which is next to the heating elements on the base

Exactly! The probe in the SVB'S can only be placed on the base of the mash tun. At least one or two probes need to be in the mash itself. Monitoring the two or in my case three probes will give me a better indication of what is happening in the actual mash, the most important temperature which we need to keep an eye on. Looking at the variations between the three I think the Guten does a very worthy job of of keeping a constant temperature within the parameters.
In saying this I do a full-volume mash, a recirculating wort can afford to go up to a greater liquor-to-grain ratio than what some of the existing programs suggest.

 

[Hip Hops Don't Stop]

Hip Hop's Don't Stop.
Well, the heat is in the bottom of the mash tun and you are trying to control the temperature in the mash, by the time the trickle reaches the mash it is cooler. So keeping the flow going full bore the temperature remains constant. If you are using the overflow pipe get rid of it. I have the grain basket top and bottom plate fixed in the bottom.

Re: Trickle - OK, that makes sense.

If I take off the overflow pipe, won't there be a hole where the pipe once was?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Came across this, a nice looking unit.

 

[golfandbrew]

That looks like a hot mess. Need a new category for SS fermenters called comicals.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

That looks like a hot mess. Need a new category for SS fermenters called comicals.

It does look busy doesn't it.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Re: Trickle - OK, that makes sense.

If I take off the overflow pipe, won't there be a hole where the pipe once was?

In the hole fit a BSP Hex head plug and a nut.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Another observation I made, I don't mash with the lid on but the foam on the top of the mash insulates it a little too much. The temperature at the top of the tun can get 2 or 3 degrees C higher. Clearing some of the foam out of the way keeps the temperature even.
Anyone doing full volume mash and worrying about overflow a good solution would be to get a strip of perforated s/steel about 70 mm wide and the length of the circumference of the grain basket and fit it to the inside of the basket.

 

[sp0rk]

I notice KK have stopped selling the Guten
@wide eyed and legless have you heard anything about a replacement?
My 50L is getting a bit tired and I wouldn't mind something a little larger
I'd prefer to avoid KL's offerings and now Cheeky Peak seem to be moving away from standard homebrewing equipment, I'm wondering if it's time to go back to another 3V system

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I notice KK have stopped selling the Guten
@wide eyed and legless have you heard anything about a replacement?
My 50L is getting a bit tired and I wouldn't mind something a little larger
I'd prefer to avoid KL's offerings and now Cheeky Peak seem to be moving away from standard homebrewing equipment, I'm wondering if it's time to go back to another 3V system

Sorry sp0rk KK were selling the Grainfather in place of the Guten I got a 60 litre Hopcat for $300 AUD delivered which is an excellent unit but it could be worth sending Sandy at Guten a message for the price of a 70 litre delivered to Australia. I doubt the price wouldn't be much different from buying one locally.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I was looking at an SVB, which seems to be a sensible size for a 40-litre unit, wider in diameter and shorter in height, makes sense not to compact the grain too much but still capable of easy storage. It is from the 'Guten' camp, and it would be good if a retailer could pick this unit up for a decent price for the purchaser.
https://thehomebrewery.eu/brewster-dominator-40l-brewery-3415

 

[Cian Doyle]

Bulk buy? I would be interested.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Bulk buy? I would be interested.

Ha, ha, those were the days. However, I am looking for some sodium perborate. Got enough left for a fortnight.

 

[Ballaratguy]

Ha, ha, those were the days. However, I am looking for some sodium perborate. Got enough left for a fortnight.

Hey WEAL I’ve got a 5Kg bag I’d be happy to give you a couple of kg.
I’m in ballarat

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Hey WEAL I’ve got a 5Kg bag I’d be happy to give you a couple of kg.
I’m in ballarat

Thanks mate, I will go to the factory this week to see if I can haggle a good price from them. It is more stable than percarbonate. If I have to buy a 20 kg bag, that will have to be.