GUTEN

[CyriusBrew]

Yeah, that would have been an incredibly thick mash, given that you would have been at or below 2L/kg, accounting for the deadspace...

If you haven't heard of it (and if it hasn't been mentioned to you elsewhere), look in to 'reiterated mashing' for your next attempt at high gravity brewing - it is the perfect way of getting high gravity wort with good efficiency on these systems

Brilliant! Thank you for the advice! I never had to go that route before as my cooler mash tun is so large. Granted, it would have been filled to the brim on this recipe!
Thanks for the help! I will try that after I find a place to get a new malt pipe and top screen.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I am thinking I may need to make some mods to my Guten. Perhaps a permanent steel rod where the handle fits. That would make it safer to handle, and perhaps make the malt pipe a bit more sturdy / warp resistant.
I am also thinking some kind of false bottom or more sturdy bottom steel mesh filter would be nice for it. Time to start googling
..

I don't see the need for a top filter, as for a better handle on the malt pipe just a piece of 5/16" all thread and 4 nuts will be ample.

 

[bird]

I only put My top screen on to sparge. Helps to keep the grain bed flat and sparge water evenly spread I find.

 

[ozdevil]

I don't see the need for a top filter, as for a better handle on the malt pipe just a piece of 5/16" all thread and 4 nuts will be ample.
View attachment 118132

looking at the handle there , but the pic maybe decieving my eyes but the 5/16 thread that you have used looks pretty close to the top of the grainbed and with that wort trying to pick malt pipe out you maybe going to burn a few knuckles if not wearing sanitary heat proof gloves..

but i like the idea thou

 

[wide eyed and legless]

looking at the handle there , but the pic maybe decieving my eyes but the 5/16 thread that you have used looks pretty close to the top of the grainbed and with that wort trying to pick malt pipe out you maybe going to burn a few knuckles if not wearing sanitary heat proof gloves..

but i like the idea thou

If you have done as much welding as I have a bit of hot wort isn't going to hurt.

 

[CyriusBrew]

On a 50L Guten, how big of a beer do you guys reckon I can get away with on a 23L batch without doing the reiterated mashing, but still avoiding a stuck sparge? (assuming normal grains and no wheat) Could I still get away with big beers if I use rice or oat hulls in it?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

On a 50L Guten, how big of a beer do you guys reckon I can get away with on a 23L batch without doing the reiterated mashing, but still avoiding a stuck sparge? (assuming normal grains and no wheat) Could I still get away with big beers if I use rice or oat hulls in it?

I got the 50 litre to do just that make a bigger beer, I haven't done so yet, but I will. Really been considering a Baltic porter, (Schwarzbier) 21 litres, I think it will be OK. I will be hopefully doing a full volume mash see how it looks when I load it into the Brewers Friend.

 

[CyriusBrew]

I got the 50 litre to do just that make a bigger beer, I haven't done so yet, but I will. Really been considering a Baltic porter, (Schwarzbier) 21 litres, I think it will be OK. I will be hopefully doing a full volume mash see how it looks when I load it into the Brewers Friend.

I plan to try the bigger beer again. I reckon I will follow your lead on not using the top screen. With this, I can stir the mash to unstick it. I will probably also add some oat hulls to decrease the likelihood of it sticking as well. I have also picked up a bazooka screen to go on top of the pipe like you have, so that I have less concern about the wort flowing back down the tube. I will also have more water in the mash, and if my numbers are off because of it, I will just boil longer.
One hopes this will be enough to avoid a tragedy like last Sunday.

 

[CyriusBrew]

Have any of you finished setting up a beersmith profile for the Guten 50L yet? If so, would you mind sharing the profile info with me? I would really help me dial this thing in.

 

[Fro-Daddy]

@CEO Keg King has there been any progress on a jacket for the 70L?

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Have any of you finished setting up a beersmith profile for the Guten 50L yet? If so, would you mind sharing the profile info with me? I would really help me dial this thing in.

I was reading on another forum that Guten didn't show up but Klarstein/Hop Cat/Brew Devil did that was on Brewers Friend could be the same on Beersmith haven't checked.

 

[CKK]

@CEO Keg King has there been any progress on a jacket for the 70L?

Just ordered them and maybe about6-8 weeks away.

 

[CyriusBrew]

I was reading on another forum that Guten didn't show up but Klarstein/Hop Cat/Brew Devil did that was on Brewers Friend could be the same on Beersmith haven't checked.

Thank you for the guidance Weal! Learning those other names was very helpful.

I found a facebook posting with the specs, but on Reddit, someone posted links to the actual profile. I am installing it now, and will see how accurate it is with my recipe. They call the Guten, the Brewdevil. Here are the links for anyone needing a Beersmith profilefor it: Guten 50L and Guten 30L

 

[CyriusBrew]

Hi guys...

I am in the middle of attempt#2 at a big brew on my new Guten. I have like 7.6kg of gains in it, and in the end hoping for 23 liters of wort. I started at dough in with 25 liters.

One thing that I am noticing is that temperature seems to be all over the place. I heated the water to 67c, put my grains in, stirred them up, and it jumped to over 71c...I figured I will let it settle, but it just kept creeping up. So, I added 3 liters of cold water, which brought it down a weebit, even with a lot of stirring.
With the pump open all the way and stirring, it dropped to around 63.

Do you guys notice temperature control issues like this? Could this be related to poor recirc since I have so much mash in their? My dough in was a 3:1 ratio, so I thought it should be fine.

My next beer will just be one of my session beers, so I can see if this only happens when there is so much grain in there.

 

[Fro-Daddy]

I found that mine fluctuates if I set the power too high.
When I set it at 1000w I don't get fluctuations.

 

[dibbz]

The temp will stablise by itself. If it says 71c the element wont be on, it just needs to recirc, make sure you have good flow down the overflow to keep it circulating over the element. I'd go 1200w power on the mash, the old grainfather with the mash switch was 500w i think, for comparison.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Hi guys...

I am in the middle of attempt#2 at a big brew on my new Guten. I have like 7.6kg of gains in it, and in the end hoping for 23 liters of wort. I started at dough in with 25 liters.

One thing that I am noticing is that temperature seems to be all over the place. I heated the water to 67c, put my grains in, stirred them up, and it jumped to over 71c...I figured I will let it settle, but it just kept creeping up. So, I added 3 liters of cold water, which brought it down a weebit, even with a lot of stirring.
With the pump open all the way and stirring, it dropped to around 63.

Do you guys notice temperature control issues like this? Could this be related to poor recirc since I have so much mash in their? My dough in was a 3:1 ratio, so I thought it should be fine.

My next beer will just be one of my session beers, so I can see if this only happens when there is so much grain in there.

The temperature you are reading is the temperature next to the element, I am stirring my grains regularly, contrary to dibbz I put my return flow on around half choke so the returning liquor is not going down the overflow tube but through the grain bed, the idea being more sugar being washed out of the grain.

As you have a new Guten did you calibrate the temperature on the screen with temperature taken in the vicinity of the probe?

 

[CyriusBrew]

I found that mine fluctuates if I set the power too high.
When I set it at 1000w I don't get fluctuations.

I thought this may be the case, so I ran it at 800w. However, the temps were spiking to above 72c.

.....
As you have a new Guten did you calibrate the temperature on the screen with temperature taken in the vicinity of the probe?

Great question...No. I have not done any calibrations. I guess I just acted like an Apple fanboi and expected it to just work I did however, use a thermometer occasionally in the grain to check the temperature, and it seemed to vary widely on whether I stirred or not. I am thinking the issue is with doing big beers with a fine crush, as when I drained at the end, the helix coil clogged, so I had to use an easy siphon. (Yes, I did use the hop spider, and had koppaflock in the kettle.)
I can also say that the profile I downloaded from Beersmith has the wrong boil off rate though, as I reckon they were calibrated for using the full 3kw.
I can deal with these niggly things whilst I dial in the gear and get used to it. However, I really hate getting the crust of caramalised sugar where the elements are. I have to soak it for quite a long time with PBW at 60c to loosen it.

Assuming I can get the caramelised sugar off tonight, I will brew another beer on Sunday that is a bit more sessionable to verify my assumptions.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I thought this may be the case, so I ran it at 800w. However, the temps were spiking to above 72c.



Great question...No. I have not done any calibrations. I guess I just acted like an Apple fanboi and expected it to just work I did however, use a thermometer occasionally in the grain to check the temperature, and it seemed to vary widely on whether I stirred or not. I am thinking the issue is with doing big beers with a fine crush, as when I drained at the end, the helix coil clogged, so I had to use an easy siphon. (Yes, I did use the hop spider, and had koppaflock in the kettle.)
I can also say that the profile I downloaded from Beersmith has the wrong boil off rate though, as I reckon they were calibrated for using the full 3kw.
I can deal with these niggly things whilst I dial in the gear and get used to it. However, I really hate getting the crust of caramalised sugar where the elements are. I have to soak it for quite a long time with PBW at 60c to loosen it.

Assuming I can get the caramelised sugar off tonight, I will brew another beer on Sunday that is a bit more sessionable to verify my assumptions.

It would be wise to calibrate the temperature, no good doing it in the grain, the temperatures will be all over the place like a mad woman's shit.
Follow the instructions in the manual.

 

[Ballaratguy]

I thought this may be the case, so I ran it at 800w. However, the temps were spiking to above 72c.



Great question...No. I have not done any calibrations. I guess I just acted like an Apple fanboi and expected it to just work I did however, use a thermometer occasionally in the grain to check the temperature, and it seemed to vary widely on whether I stirred or not. I am thinking the issue is with doing big beers with a fine crush, as when I drained at the end, the helix coil clogged, so I had to use an easy siphon. (Yes, I did use the hop spider, and had koppaflock in the kettle.)
I can also say that the profile I downloaded from Beersmith has the wrong boil off rate though, as I reckon they were calibrated for using the full 3kw.
I can deal with these niggly things whilst I dial in the gear and get used to it. However, I really hate getting the crust of caramalised sugar where the elements are. I have to soak it for quite a long time with PBW at 60c to loosen it.

Assuming I can get the caramelised sugar off tonight, I will brew another beer on Sunday that is a bit more sessionable to verify my assumptions.

For the crust on top of the element I use a non scratch scourer with vinegar gets it off with a bit of elbow grease (Don’t forget to give a good rinse) but I have noticed that it comes back a bit once dry