How to fix your old Robobrew

[Brandms1]

Yes, mine chucked it in and I replaced it with a Gen 3.1.1 Brewzilla as a short term solution - the brewing must go on.
However I like the simplicity of the Robobrew - it runs with my age, so I wasn’t going to give up on it
I won’t go into all of the symptoms but eventually after a lot of unreliability, inaccurate temp readings, blank screens etc it stopped working all together, nothing, no one home.
I decided the core problems was the board and the loading on the element switching circuits. I did the sums on the 1900w (actually 1800w according to the markings on it) and the 500w elements. These pull just over 10amps together so the 10amp cord supplied is marginal. Here’s the fix:
1. I removed the circuit board and re-soldered all the terminal pins associated with the elements and the power supply to the board then checked that it worked - it did so I moved on to a permanent fix.
2. From RS Components I ordered 2 x 121-8073 240v AC switched 30amp relays which I fitted side by side directly below the circuit board and 1 x 909-2200 C19 15amp power cord and 1 x 776-9135 panel mount 20amp socket. I cut out around the existing power cord entry hole to fit the panel mount socket.
3. I wired the load side of the new relays with heavier wiring using the existing relays in the circuit board to switch the new relays thus removing the element load from the circuit board relays.
4. I re-wired the elements back to the new relays, again with a heavier gauge wire then insulated the bottom of the boiler directly under the elements with 1” fibreglass rope insulation which was easy to coil in (Gen 3.1.1 has insulation under the elements).
My Robobrew has worked faultlessly for 12 months with absolutely no issues at all.
Heating to mash temp and to boiling is quicker than it used to be.
All in all, the issues with the Robobrew and Brewzilla circuit boards are all design shortcomings that are quick and easy to address with a bit of know how.
I will be doing the same to the Gen 3.1.1 before I start using it continuously

 

[randyrob]

Awesome work! be great to see some photos

Cheers Rob.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I have a Guten and a Hop Cat and had to do nothing to get them to perform as I expected.

 

[The Mack]

I have a Guten and a Hop Cat and had to do nothing to get them to perform as I expected.

Thank you WEAL for your insightful contribution to the thread.

 

[The Mack]

Yes, mine chucked it in and I replaced it with a Gen 3.1.1 Brewzilla as a short term solution - the brewing must go on.
However I like the simplicity of the Robobrew - it runs with my age, so I wasn’t going to give up on it
I won’t go into all of the symptoms but eventually after a lot of unreliability, inaccurate temp readings, blank screens etc it stopped working all together, nothing, no one home.
I decided the core problems was the board and the loading on the element switching circuits. I did the sums on the 1900w (actually 1800w according to the markings on it) and the 500w elements. These pull just over 10amps together so the 10amp cord supplied is marginal. Here’s the fix:
1. I removed the circuit board and re-soldered all the terminal pins associated with the elements and the power supply to the board then checked that it worked - it did so I moved on to a permanent fix.
2. From RS Components I ordered 2 x 121-8073 240v AC switched 30amp relays which I fitted side by side directly below the circuit board and 1 x 909-2200 C19 15amp power cord and 1 x 776-9135 panel mount 20amp socket. I cut out around the existing power cord entry hole to fit the panel mount socket.
3. I wired the load side of the new relays with heavier wiring using the existing relays in the circuit board to switch the new relays thus removing the element load from the circuit board relays.
4. I re-wired the elements back to the new relays, again with a heavier gauge wire then insulated the bottom of the boiler directly under the elements with 1” fibreglass rope insulation which was easy to coil in (Gen 3.1.1 has insulation under the elements).
My Robobrew has worked faultlessly for 12 months with absolutely no issues at all.
Heating to mash temp and to boiling is quicker than it used to be.
All in all, the issues with the Robobrew and Brewzilla circuit boards are all design shortcomings that are quick and easy to address with a bit of know how.
I will be doing the same to the Gen 3.1.1 before I start using it continuously

Fantastic write up! I've had two Robobrews that never failed me but ended up passing them on to other brewers that were just getting into the craft, bought two 35L Brewzilla's and apart from upgrading the screen (FOMO) on one of them, have also performed without fault. I digress, but anyone getting into brewing now is absolutely spoilt for affordable entry-level semi-automated brewing systems (would 100% have saved sooo much money compared to the BIAB->2V->3V->1V journey I undertook) and not to mention the ridiculous amount of dry yeast variation now available on a home brew level. TBH forums are a dying breed (across multiple hobbies) but this sort of stuff is what demonstrates their continued value.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Thank you WEAL for your insightful contribution to the thread.

All part of the service.
Looking at forums online and reading the problems the Brewzilla G4 most of the problems arise from the smaller diameter of the Brewzilla. On a commercial level a mas tun has a ratio of 1-1.6, so a lot wider than they are high. Only common sense really, the flow through the grain bed should be free-flowing, I have a double filter plate at the bottom of my grain pipe and I keep the valve of the return pipe fully open. I don't use rice hulls and when using adjuncts stir until I feel the change in the viscosity, the temperature stays within 1C at both top and bottom of the mash.
Would I buy another SVB, yes I would, if it was wider diameter. I don't see why they can't make the diameter uniform with the bigger volume units not like they have to change much of the tooling. I have asked the manufacturers of the Guten to make a 40 litre the same diameter as the 70 litre. If they do I will definitely be getting one.