Recent content by jdubdvdt

Just clarifying - mash or brewhouse efficiency? I take notes, but almost never calculate my mash efficiency anymore because I had such good results for years on the grainfather. I have had 80%+ BH no problem in my grainfather and the first Brewzilla batch. Honestly my first Brewzilla batch...

Three brews here so far on the brewzilla - I didn't use the top plate on any of them yet. First brew didn't have wort squirting out the holes. The second and third brews had first runnings squirting out the sides.

I have not been crushing my grains as of recent. My LHBS owner uses a Brewzilla and I told him to mill the grains like he does for his setup at least until I figure my new system out. The only real variable I can think of is his wife milled my grains the first time. On that brew day I did not...

Honestly you are the only one making me feel like I'm not a maniac. Something must be similar in the way we are brewing. I feel bad I backed the Brewzilla after only one brew and you got it. I owe you a tall one when you get back to FL.

what is your mash thickness and what is your process for lautering? Are you mashing out or just sparging? Is my issue that I am mashing out and the wort is flowing too good through the grain bed?

I think it is just a grain compaction issue I need to work out. Even when it is fully drained if I start to sparge (even with a fountain head) it will squirt out of a choice few holes straight out. Let's say 1-3 holes total out of the whole malt pipe, but enough to make the surrounding area nice...

How slow are we talking here? From bottom to top, raising it out for 10 seconds? My system is haunted because of only having one set of feet. Honestly I would rather have the older malt pipe at this point.

Ok I guess that was confusing since I left one word out and a comma splice. The second time this happened to me, I then put half of my sparge water into the kettle, stirred it a ton, then lifted it up for a "modified" batch sparge. Which was the remedy. I don't think reducing the water to...

That is not what is happening. I have not been adding any extra water to the mash before I lift the pipe. All 3 brews I ONLY lifted the malt pipe and 2 of those three brews it came spewing out the sides. AFTER having issues and me trying to continue the brew day I added sparge water and...

1.6-1.7qts/lb. I have done two batches with 8lbs of grain and one batch with 11lbs of grain.

Not true. It follows the path of least resistance. Grain compaction can screw you up. I must be the exception to this rule, but I still learning how to use the Brewzilla Gen 4. I have brewed A LOT on the OG Grainfather and never had issues with grain compaction or sparging. Almost 9 years of...

First quote I got for welding 4 tabs on was $450. Almost the cost of a whole new unit. I'm tempted to just drill holes and use bolts that I'll remove after each brew. Kind of silly.

You could do the bolt in method, but then you'd have a place where you'd leak a bit and a place where mold may grow. Rivets would leak less, but require you to have a rivet gun. Weld in is the best method, but expensive to pay someone to do it. If I had a TIG machine (and could TIG weld at all)...

With the two sets of feet it does not show with perforations in that one. It is definitely a faux pas with the perforations and only one set of feet.

Yes, I believe it is US only. Some sort of patent, but I am not sure who they were copying. Haven't really looked into it, but it is a damn shame without it. Honestly I would say that people should not buy it until this issue is resolved.