GUTEN

[wide eyed and legless]

I use Brewers friend for my BM calculations and you can set up your own system on there, they do have the Grainfather on their system but you would just have to alter it slightly. The dead space is 2.5 l on the Guten as opposed to 3.5 l on the Grainfather average efficiency is 70% for GF found the Guten about the same. Download the GF user manual to give you some idea.
Take particular notice of GF's rule number 1 Mash water calcs, grain weight in kg x 2.7 + 2.5 dead space.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

One other thing I have thought about is the GF, Robobrew and Guten are all elliptical GF has tried to solve the problem by fitting the silicone sleeve but on reading the thread on the GF problems and solutions thread grain husks still get through, if we get some 6mm vinyl or silicone tube and make an "O" ring to lay over the bottom mesh plate this should solve that problem, or the heat will make it expand and not solve the problem.I will give it a go next brew day.

 

[Coldspace]

Grain husks getting through, if you fit the silicone sleeve properly on the grain father fill with grain, fit top plate without spilling grain on top, then I recon I get on average 2-5 husks of grain caught on the outside. Usually from my **** up,No biggy,
The silicone seal works a treat, if people are having heaps of issues with grains getting under bottom plate etc and causing issues with heat element base or pump, then they are not doing something right....

If the Guten is a grain father , then why don't you order some silicone seals from G/F and use them?

 

[clickeral]

Is anyone keen to do a video of their Guten during a brewday would be keen to see it in english and used by someone local

 

[wynnum1]

Nothing is impossible, but how to get the cement off would be the first problem, can't be burned off that would interfere with the makeup of the s/steel, is there a solvent which can dissolve it, I don't know,I pulled one out of the bin at Keg King, so they haven't got a solution for those cemented in elements, I put it back cos it certainly did look to be a major problem to get the cement off. You would think that there would be a way of fixing the element in situ without using the cement.
I did ask Foshan Shunde whether they had had any issues with burnt out elements but they denied they had, I know GF and Robobrew had problems with them, but one doesn't know if all components are equal, ask a Chinese company if they can make it cheaper (meaning knock a few dollars off) they will take it literally and make, as in manufacture it cheaper.

How to get the cement off would using extreme cold work.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

If the Guten is a grain father , then why don't you order some silicone seals from G/F and use them?

As with the early GF the seal can't be fitted,and the size of the Guten is bigger but it is possible to to trim the edge of the perforated plate and get a silicone seal to fit off ebay. That was my intention but I have had no problem with grain husks coming through in the 2 brews, but because of the shape I was thinking of making up an "O" ring to make sure that no husks escape, or use some of the yellow tongue from tongue and groove flooring to make a tight seal around the edge of the perforated plate.(sitting on the top)
It was only because I have noticed it is a recurring complaint with the GF that I have been thinking about a prevention before anything happened.

Is anyone keen to do a video of their Guten during a brewday would be keen to see it in english and used by someone local

The videos I posted were I believe made in the UK on the ACE (that is what it is called over there) and Polish quickly becoming a second language, it was in Polish. Here is another video from the UK in English, though I doubt whether it matters brewing is universal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG76_VNeM6Q

 

[nosco]

Would silicone tape work as a seal? Might be a pain to clean.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I don't think its a major problem nosco, I haven't had any husks escaping except when I tried to take the top mesh off, just a safety measure really cut a piece of silicone tube slightly bigger than the circumference of the mesh plate slip a piece of smaller silicone tube as the joiner and that could solve any problem should it arise.

 

[malt and barley blues]

Must remember in future to take out the cord from its hiding spot before I fill up with water, after filling with water and giving it a clean ready for my first brew found the programing fairly straightforward. Looking forward to brew day.

 

[Leyther]

Chaps, I'm planning my first brew on the Guten, trying to get all my queries out before I start. With regards to the unit itself and dead space/pump/filter/tap. I will probably have my machine on the garage floor, hence to transfer the wort to the fermentor I was wandering if I could use the pump? however if I do this then looking at the machine (from the utube vids, mine should come today) it looks like I will bypass the filter and tap which could mean trub in the fermentor, is there a lot of trub left and would this cause any issues (block pump)? also if I do this then I presume I need to amend my dead space values as the pump inlet is below the tap.

Interested to understand how you guys transfer, I think Ive seen a vid on grainfather where they do use the pump for transferring to fermenter, with my setup I think this would be ideal if its possible.

Also watched a vid yesterday where the guy replaced the mesh filter on his, says it clogs easily and gets a bit bent when the immersion chiller sits on it, you had any issues with this?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I put mine on a stand about 500mm high I have no trouble lifting the grain basket and as I no chill I have had no trouble knocking the filter and as yet has not blocked on draining. You will have to see where the inlet is to the circumference of the chiller, there is no reason why you couldn't make something up to filter the wort and transfer via the pump. As long as you have a strainer (hop bag or something)you could try a pump transfer the trub shouldn't block the pump but grain husks may. Also be aware of the safety catch on the tap and don't force it open as I almost did.

 

[Leyther]

Weal,

Couple more questions if I may, the pipe that goes between the false bottom and the top, I see in the video he has the cap on when mashing in but it's off when he his recirculating the wort. Given there is a cap on the bottom too then wouldn't any liquid just go down and get stuck in the pipe with the cap off? If so when/why would you remove the cap?

With regards to the pump should you mash in then get UpTo temp then run the pump throughout the mashing time or is there a certain point you should use the pump?

Mine arrived today pretty happy with it the only thing that I thought was a bit poor was that filter, looks an afterthought wth the jubilee clip used to tighten onto the thread.

Thanks for all you help mate I owe you a beer or two.

 

[nosco]

I thought the cap was just to stop grains going down the pipe when doughing in?

 

[Leyther]

I thought the cap was just to stop grains going down the pipe when doughing in?

That's how it looks on the video just wandered why you would take it off though as there is a cap on the bottom too unless you also remove that otherwise I think it would just fill up and not go anywhere.

 

[Leyther]

Doh just looked although there is a connector on the bottom it's actually not a cap liquid can flow through it, makes sense now.

 

[nosco]

Im keen to hear how your first brew/review goes.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Weal,

With regards to the pump should you mash in then get UpTo temp then run the pump throughout the mashing time or is there a certain point you should use the pump?

Mine arrived today pretty happy with it the only thing that I thought was a bit poor was that filter, looks an afterthought wth the jubilee clip used to tighten onto the thread.

Thanks for all you help mate I owe you a beer or two.

Well you got the cap sorted, also did you find the little silicone grommet? That sits on the overflow tube above the plate to keep a seal there, I run the pump all the time until mash in, switch it off and add your grain, make sure it is well mixed then put the pump back on, I try and keep the liquor from not going down the overflow just to drain through the grain bed but according to the Grainfather it doesn't matter that much. Also I have noticed on a couple of other sites that they are adding 6 litres for the dead space in the Guten/ Ace / what the other German name is.
I would like to know what the space is under the tap on the Grainfather and the space under the filter plate.
Here is a link to the Irish site.
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/all-grain-brewing/ace-microbrewery-ipa-brew-day/

 

[Leyther]

yes, did wonder what that grommet was for, came in a little pack that said 'spare' so just assumed it wasn't needed but thanks again I'll check it out. 6L sounds a lot, I was planning on finding that out by just adding measured water until it started to come out of the tap, I would have thought the 2.5L you mentioned previously was probably more accurate.

Top or bottom plate for the grommet? i'm assuming bottom?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Well the bottom plate should be covered by the 2 screwed pipe joints so I would think the top incase any husk found their way through the gap.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Same guy's brewing setup in America, pretty impressive.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=494058